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Replacing a trusted vendor or finding a new one can be a challenge. How can you have peace of mind that the vendors you’re considering are right for you? Follow the tips below to help screen potential vendors and get the best fit for your association.

As building managers begin property inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community. The spring season is a time for renewal and a fresh look, so being able to properly landscape around the building is of utmost importance.

Cold weather will soon be upon us, so now is the time to make sure your condominium maintenance program is on track. As brutal as Ontario's winters can be, you certainly don't want to discover a leak in your roof during a heavy snowfall or have a boiler stop working during a record cold spell.

Not all residential property managers have what they need to give you great service. Learn what it takes to be a great residential property manager.

Watch our final episode of Ask the Expert, to learn about leveraging your buying power with Christian Mora, National Director of Procurement at FirstService Residential.

Start off our quick, 4-part webinar miniseries, Ask the Expert, with Joe Bushey, president of VIVE (Vendor Insurance Verification Experts), as he talks about the significance of vendor loss risk.

Tune in to hear a panel of board members discuss their best advice around the topic of Committee Formation.

Get answers to frequently asked questions submitted by board members like you!

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.

How do you determine which property management company will provide you with the best service? Here are 10 questions that you should ask when consulting with property or homeowner association (HOA) management companies to help you make the important decision.

A leak in a high-rise condominium can quickly result in expensive water damage. How can you reduce your risk and be better prepared if your building springs a leak?

John Friedrichsen, Senior Vice President & CFO of FirstService Residential parent company FirstService Corporation, is quoted in USA Today about how HOAs benefit from the value-added services provided by leading professional management companies.

National Night Out is an annual event that promotes partnerships between communities, residents and local law enforcement. Celebrations can range from individual block parties to a large community festival. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to create connections between neighbors and focus on working together to make your community a safer, better place to live. This national celebration has become an annual tradition in many communities far and wide and we want to help you put together the best National Night Out event your association has seen yet.

Handling day-to-day maintenance and making necessary improvements are critical responsibilities for any homeowners association (HOA). And when your serve on your association’s board of directors, they can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t have a good system in place to manage them. So how do you make sure that your maintenance staff is able to handle that long list of tasks that need to get done so that your community runs smoothly and retains its appeal?

At one time or another, every condominium corporation has to spend money on replacing equipment or making major repairs. Whether that means replacing a roof, installing a new ventilation system or any other big-ticket project, they are a necessity. But how should your condo corporation pay for them?

Self-managing your condominium property may seem like it saves money, but does it really? Why the cheapest property management option may not be the best.

It seems innocent, but a surprising number of balcony and backyard fires are unintentionally started by disposal of smoking material in a potted plant or planter box. In a condominium environment this can have, and has had, disastrous consequences. And it's not just a summertime problem.

We can all agree there are many important elements to a housing structure, but your roof is probably the most important. Changing temperatures, snow accumulation, large amounts of rain, ice dams and high winds can all cause major damage to condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes. These harsh weather conditions can create all sorts of problems, from minor leaks to major cave-ins that can cost a condominium corporation thousands to repair.

Recent research has revealed seven service standards that are important to condominium and HOA Board members when they evaluate property managers. How does your manager stack up?

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.

FirstService Residential managed properties have access to the tax certiorari experts at Goldberg Weprin Finkel Goldstein LLP, the premier firm in this specialized field.

FirstService Residential has invested substantial resources to facilitate each of our managed properties with facade inspections and is here to help you navigate the many intricacies of FISP.

There are valid reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may be able to go a different route. Here are four strategies to save your HOA money and keep assessments stable.