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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. -
Lifestyle at Home: Keeping Young Ones Engaged
Not only will they learn something new every day, but it'll also keep their minds bright and busy. -
6 Ways Boards Partner with Management Companies
In a community association, the board of directors are a group of volunteers who execute a wide variety of tasks to maintain their community and improve the lives of residents – all in their free time. The work can become a heavy responsibility. But when they partner with a professional community association management company, together they shoulder some of the liability, stress and workload that comes with managing a board or condo association. -
Ask the Expert: Vendor Contract Management
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. -
2020 HOA Budget Trends: What Has Changed?
Have HOA budgets changed in 2020? Find out what 7 trends have shaped association budget planning this year. -
Is HOA Agreement a Unicorn? 3 Boards Share What It Takes
While maintenance, events, committees, and budget are all crucial aspects of managing a homeowners’ association, there's one even bigger challenge that board members face: HOA agreement and alignment. Read on to discover the secret to successful alignment among diverse individuals with distinct values. -
Budgeting for Your Future: Nine Steps to Make Your HOA Dollars Count
Another budget season is here once again, and that means that the boards of homeowners associations are busy planning, analyzing—and grinding their teeth. We know that developing your HOA’s annual budget is not an easy task. However, with the guidance offered in the following nine steps, you’ll be able to get through the process more easily—and without needing to visit your dentist. -
Financial Health Tips for Your HOA
Maintaining your HOA’s financial health—just like maintaining your personal health—boils down to moderation and good decision making. Eating one deep-fried blooming onion every once in a while isn’t a problem. Eating three or four several times a week is. Keep your HOA financially fit with these four "health" tips. -
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. -
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 -
Don’t Be the HOA Bad Guy: 4 Proven Policy Enforcement Tips
Enforcing HOA policies is nobody’s cup of tea, but having good policy enforcement in place helps improve the resident experience and elevates your reputation. Follow these 4 principles for healthy policy enforcement: -
Reserve Funds: HOA Budgeting Tips to Improve Your Returns
Are you getting the best returns on your reserve funds? Most Arizona board members aren't sure. Find out six ways to improve your association's reserve fund returns, like creating an HOA investment policy. -
How Do You Manage HOA Reserves During a Crisis?
It’s vital to prepare for the future and take steps to protect your association reserve funds. Here are 3 ways to manage reserves during a crisis. -
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 -
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Reserve Funds, Assessment, or Loan: 3 Ways to Pay for a Capital Improvement Fee
Great capital improvements lead to better property values. Read on to see the three ways to pay for them and the pros and cons for each. -
Seven High-Rise Insurance Tips for Associations and Unit Owners
Many people who live in cities like Phoenix and Scottsdale appreciate the rewards that come with living in a high-rise building. Some of the unique advantages include great amenities, security and even concierge services. High-rise buildings are also unique when it comes to insurance coverage. Besides the individual policies that unit owners need to have, the building and common areas must be covered as well. -
The Facts about Synthetic Turf
Considering synthetic turf for your community common areas? Understanding the facts on what it's made of, benefits and disadvantages, and how it will affect children or pets will make all the difference when determining if synthetic turf is the right choice for your community! -
Seven Best Practices for HOA Budgeting
Do you dread preparing your HOA’s annual budget as much as you dread stepping outside of your Arizona home on a summer afternoon? You’re not alone. For many HOA boards, it’s their least-favorite task. But look at it this way: You’re making sure that your HOA remains financially stable, and that’s an important job. -
3 Strategies to Keep HOA Assessments Stable and Add Value
There are often valid reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may want to take a different route. Here are three cost-saving strategies. -
HOA Communication Tools: What Your Board Should Know and Do
Have you considered the importance of effective board communication in your recipe for success? Follow these HOA communication tools and tips for a path to effective communication. -
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An Ounce of Prevention
Like changing the oil in your car, regular maintenance on a building helps keeps everything working properly and safely. For stratas, some tasks are not optional, they are mandatory. -
Building Security Tips for the Holiday Season
Security risks increase exponentially during the holiday seasons for high-rise buildings. Many residents travel for the holidays, move to warmer weather during the winter months, or have an influx of guests and family members in and out. These factors make it easy for intruders to make it into the building, especially if there are no procedures in place to track the many people and deliveries in and out of the building.