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Reserve Fund, Assessment or Loan: How to Pay for Capital Improvements
Great capital improvements improve property values. Read on to see the three ways to pay for them and the pros and cons. -
What is a Resale Certificate: What home buyers need to know
We all know that there's a lot of paperwork in the home buying process. If the home you want to buy is in a managed community of any kind, a resale package, including your resale certificate and governing documents, is part of that paperwork. Resale certificates and packages offer transparency about the community and whether or not the sellers are current in their financial obligations to the association. -
Condo Capital Improvements: Lending Solutions for Condominium and Co-op Boards
FirstService Residential and FirstService Financial work in tandem to help our clients successfully finance capital improvement projects and save money without compromising quality of service. -
Five Tips for Creating a Condo Maintenance Checklist
Designing and executing a comprehensive plan for preventative maintenance must be a top priority for your building -
5 Tips for Managing Your HOA Parking Rules Nevada Boards Should Know
As a Nevada community association, how do you address HOA parking violations? Here are five tips to help you manage your policy. -
Simple Landscaping Tips To Help You Prepare for Storm Season
For most of us, storm season means prepping our residences to mitigate potential damage caused by high winds and heavy rains. But there’s a part of our homes and neighborhoods we often overlook – sometimes with disastrous results. That often-forgotten place is right outside your front door: it’s your landscaping. -
Rules are Rules: How to Enforce Neighborhood Covenants
Managing association covenant enforcement can be difficult in any community. Restrictions for every community can be different, and it can be a challenge to keep the rules fair, reasonable and equally applied to all homeowners. Read on for some basic guidelines that will make navigating through these issues a little easier. -
HOA pool rules and safety: 6 things your association should do
Summertime is swim time, and for the most part, it’s a plunge into carefree fun. But without the right swimming pool safety practices, your residents and association could be at risk. -
6 Types of Insurance Policies Your Board Should Know
Learn the 6 types of insurance policies your board should know - we asked our insurance insiders. -
Choosing the Right Community Management Company to Manage Amenities
A big part of what sets your community apart is the amenities it offers. This goes beyond a pool, a fitness area or a place for a rooftop party – your amenities help create a lifestyle, and that’s the most important thing to residents and association members. -
Creating a New HOA Policy Without Making Enemies
Whether you are addressing overnight guest parking, or approved flooring, the basic process for creating good policies and enforcing them successfully are the same. Consider these eight steps when establishing an HOA policy. -
Creating and Enforcing Sample HOA Pet Rules That Work
With several Arizona cities ranking high in WalletHub’s 2016 listing of most pet-friendly cities, it’s likely that your community allows residents to have pets. Still, your homeowners association (HOA) needs to have a clear policy to prevent residents’ furry family members from becoming a community problem. After all, it isn’t really Rover’s fault if issues arise. It’s up to his owners to clean up after him, to ensure that he remains well behaved and to follow the HOA rules. -
Can Your HOA Handle a Crisis? 8-Step Emergency Preparedness Plan
Is your HOA ready for a crisis, or does your emergency plan need improvement? Download a complimentary guide, HOA Emergency Preparedness Guide: 8 Questions to Ask . -
Finding The Right Lifestyle Community For You – Five Things to Consider
Are you considering moving to a community with more lifestyle elements? How do you choose which one is right for you? Do you research and consider these five tips to ensure you find your perfect match! -
5 Surprising Reasons to Raise Your HOA Assessments
If your main concern is to avoid increasing assessments, you may want to reconsider. As a board member, one of your primary fiduciary responsibilities is to protect property values, and assessments are an investment that helps do just that. -
Four Steps to Creating a No-Smoking Policy in Your Building
We have all heard about the harmful effects of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. Arizona law addresses the dangers of secondhand smoke through its Smoke-Free Arizona Act. The Act prohibits smoking in enclosed public buildings and workplaces, as well as in enclosed, common areas of multifamily buildings. -
Your HOA Board and Coronavirus: 5 Questions to Discuss
How should your HOA board handle a pandemic like COVID-19? Start by tackling these 5 questions -
Can Your HOA Handle a Crisis? 8-Step Emergency Preparedness Plan
Is your HOA ready for a crisis, or does your emergency plan need improvement? Download a complimentary guide, HOA Emergency Preparedness. -
HOA Committees and Volunteers: 8 Rules to Rally Residents
A healthy and effective Arizona homeowners association is not only able to identify great volunteers and committee members, but will empower them to drive positive change in the community. But how do you get there? -
Maintenance, Capital Improvements, Useful Life: Is Your HOA Prepared?
Not sure which components you should fix and which you should replace entirely? You're not alone. Get the answers to some of your top questions about maintenance, capital improvements, and useful life. -
Learn Community Pool Safety Rules for Safe Fun in the Sun!
Swimming is considered an essential summer activity for most Arizona residents. The last thing you want is to have this cherished summer pastime turn into a disaster. Following these tips will help ensure that your community or family pool time will be as safe as possible! -
Post-Crisis HOA Cash Management: 3 Tips for Your Association
How do you manage collections and HOA funds after a crisis? Get 3 tips to help you plan for the future -
Rights and Responsibilities of HOA Residents
As a resident in a homeowners association (HOA), it’s important for you to know what you have a right to expect from your association and from your community management team, as well as your responsibilities to the HOA. Being aware of your rights and responsibilities creates clarity, helps you set realistic expectations and leads to more cohesiveness throughout the community. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of community residents’ rights and responsibilities. Remember that these apply equally to homeowners and renters.