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Digital technology has taken over our lives, making everyday tasks easy and convenient. You can use your mobile phone or device to pay rent, order pizza, book a dentist appointment or store photos and documents in “the cloud” without blinking an eye. Arizona community associations are also benefiting from the latest digital technologies.

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.

Your reserve fund is an important way for your homeowners association (HOA) to plan and budget for the future. It gives you the financial ability to maintain the quality of your community by funding necessary—and expensive—projects. Rather than covering day-to-day maintenance expenses, a reserve fund is intended to be used for major expenses like roofing, paving and capital improvements (for example, new construction or remodeling).

As a self-managed association, do you need a management partner? Before making that choice, ask these 6 questions.

Having a diverse group of opinions and perspectives on your HOA board can be a great thing, but it can also lead to challenges because of conflicting personalities. To set you and your association up for success, here are 6 tips to improve board meeting dynamics.

Now that you’re on the board of your homeowner or condominium association, it’s time to jump right in and start making a difference for your community. But before you begin, it’s important to get clarity on a few important terms all Arizona board members should know.

Is your community interested in introducing a Strategic Community Plan? Read more to learn about the benefits of having a Strategic Community Plan in place and how to introduce them into your association.

How does your Arizona association handle maintenance? Discover your association's unique maintenance style.

You may take on several responsibilities as an HOA board member, but Human Resources (HR) should not be one of them. In order to avoid employer liability, your board should leave HR responsibilities to a professional community management company.

Let’s face it: Just because you are a member of your homeowners association (HOA) board of directors, doesn’t mean you know everything about running an HOA. The truth is, most board members are not experts; they are simply volunteers who want to do all that they can to ensure that their community continues to be a great place to live.

Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know who to call when an issue in your HOA came up because you live in a sub-association of a master-planned community that has two different community management companies? This is a consistent challenge for many homeowners living in multiple managed communities.

It is always a good idea to evaluate your current HOA management company's performance based on a few key services they provide. After all, the whole point of hiring a professional management company for your homeowners association is to take the daily burden off the board and let the professionals take care of it, right?

What does it take to make effective board decisions that enhance your community and improve the resident experience?

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.

Up to 60 percent of strata home owners in the Greater Vancouver Regional District lack insurance. A good policy will protect your biggest asset and help you keep your head above water.

Lights, candles and wreaths, oh my! The most decorated season of the year is arriving, with celebrations from many cultures and faiths coinciding in the next few months. For condo communities, the desire to deck the halls can clash with the rules of the corporation. Follow these tips to maintain a festive community without décor running amok.

As strata managers begin their inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community.

As a homeowner, you want to live in a place that accentuates your style – from a beautiful sense of arrival or exquisitely decorated building lobby, complete with freshly pruned trees and lush landscaping – but unless your strata council has strategically planned out your strata’s budget, you can forget all of that.

It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.

Condo living has its perks: amazing urban locations close to public transportation, being part of a community without having to do yard work or home maintenance, enjoying amenities like fitness centres, party lounges and pools at your doorstep. Just don’t forget that those perks come at a price – a monthly strata fee. What are strata fees and how are they determined?

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

To set you and your association up for success, we’ve pulled together a list of common board blunders and included some practical tips for avoiding them. If you can identify these early, you may save yourself (and your board) from a lot of frustration.

If you are an HOA or community association board member, the task in front of you might seem a little overwhelming. Consider the following 10 helpful hints for new and current board members to help make your term fruitful, rewarding and, most of all, effective. Use these tips to become a trusted, reliable member of your community.

As a board member you invest your time, talent and passion to make decisions for the betterment of your community. While we all strive for perfection in our roles, mistakes are bound to happen. A good community association management company works closely with thousands of board members and has seen it all. Here are four common mistakes and suggestions on avoiding them.