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Service dogs can help individuals with a variety of disabilities enjoy a greater quality of life and assist in performing daily tasks. What happens when your association’s policies and the need for a service animal conflict? The short answer is, if a service animal is needed and used as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the community cannot prohibit it.

Nothing bites into your budget like maintenance issues. Whether it’s the grounds keeping and upkeep that you pay for on a regular basis or those surprise projects (natural disasters, anyone?) that sneak up on you, maintenance can account for an average of 25% or more of your overall expenditures.

For many of us, the holiday season can feel like a continuous run on a treadmill of work/shop/repeat – with a few parties and social engagements sprinkled in just to spice things up – and complicate your schedule.

Your community or condominium association is there to protect the interests of all of its members. However, there may be situations when one or more residents don’t believe that the association is on their side. Hopefully, everyone involved can come to a reasonable solution, but if you can’t, it’s possible that your association – and even your board members – could become the target of a lawsuit.

So winter’s coming...and you’ve got a watchful eye on driveways, roofs and other essential areas. But don’t forget about one of the most freeze-sensitive parts of your buildings and systems: pipes.

Part of your job as a board member is ensuring the safety of residents in your community association. To that end, it’s important to educate homeowners about possible fire risks and the steps they can take to prevent fire hazards in their homes. Chances are that fire safety isn’t top of mind for residents. However, home fires are more common than most people realize.

A good spring-cleaning can do wonders for your community association. Here are some tips to get your started.

Insurance is one of the most important line items on your association's budget, but it is oftentimes the most expensive. Do you know how to select the right agent?

Ah, Florida nights. Perfect temperatures. And...a disgusting mass of undulating insects climbing up the side of your building? Learn how to get rid of millipedes.

There is no way to avoid surprises when it comes to the maintenance of your community. Preventative maintenance ensures that your systems are keeping future problems at bay; predictive maintenance is also effective.

Every community can expect to experience negligent or careless guests who will either cause a ruckus, or worse, damage association property. When that happens, deciding who should be held responsible for their actions can create a delicate – and potentially volatile – situation. Oftentimes, Boards may go after the owner, but they shouldn’t forge full-steam ahead without some sort of ammunition.

Nothing says a healthy community like full homes/units and bustling activity in common areas. Painting a pretty picture of a dynamic community to potential buyers takes minimal effort on the part of the board.

Board members benefit from taking continued education courses. Take a moment to read about the particular advantages that can be obtained.

Designing and executing a comprehensive plan for preventative maintenance must be a top priority for your building

A pool inspection can be a major source of anxiety for board members and residents. Don't throw in the towel; there are steps you can take to make sure your inspection goes...well, swimmingly.

When it comes to service dogs and assistance animals, people often confuse the Federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). Learn more about FHA and ADA laws here!

Earlier in the summer, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) announced a proposed 19.6% workers' compensation rate increase, concerning community associations and its impact on labor costs.

Estoppel certificates are a critical part of any real estate transaction and can be confusing. What's included, how are they created, what does it all mean? Learn more here.

The holidays are a time of joy, cheer, softly twinkling lights and tasteful wreaths, but holiday decorations mean different things to different people. Learn four ways to manage this!

Ah, summertime in Florida. Backyard barbecues. Long days at the beach. And endless mosquito bites.

Today’s active adult communities are growing in popularity in Florida and across the country, spurred in great part by the maturing U.S. population. As interest in activity-rich, amenity-driven lifestyles increases for the 55-plus group, existing age-restricted communities are working hard to adapt their facilities and programming in order to compete in the changing Florida active adult community marketplace. At the same time, developers and builders are searching for the best strategies to make new ventures stand out from the crowd.

Many community association boards and residents would like to implement energy efficiency measures in their communities. But what about the cost to get started?

Lifestyle communities are becoming one of the fastest growing sectors. Here are five of the most common considerations that go into choosing the right lifestyle community.

Often, expectations are not met when dealing with vendors. These tips will help you get the most from your contractor.