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  • 6 essential HOA pool rules to enforce in your community

    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.
  • Debunking property management company myths

    Here’s one of the great ironies of the property management industry: though it’s incredibly big, it’s still a big mystery to most people. Let’s let the numbers do the talking. In the United States, 24% of homes are part of associations, with a total value of $4.65 trillion and $65 billion collected in assessments. In Canada, the industry generates about $6 billion in annual revenue with a healthy annual growth rate of 3.4%.
  • Understanding common community manager responsibilities

    The right support, the right personality and the right set of expectations from your community are critical for your community association management team to deliver exceptional results. Does yours have what it takes?
  • How to prepare for an earthquake in your community association

    As unpredictable as earthquakes can be, your community association should be prepared in case you ever feel the unmistakable rumble of a tremor. Here’s what you need to know.
  • HOA nominating committee guidelines: Understanding HOA elections

    Elections are a big part of what make our community associations work. It’s what empowers members, galvanizes our community, and brings residents together for a common purpose.
  • Eight ways a property management company can help you and your community

    Being part of a Homeowners Association is rewarding – yet it can also be challenging at times. Board members are often tasked with difficult duties ranging from proper financial stewardship to navigating community conflicts, and much more.
  • How to create your HOA emergency preparedness plan

    No board ever wants to find itself in the midst of an emergency, but they happen. Whether you face an outbreak of illness, an earthquake, a hurricane, a fire, the impact of any devastating event can be minimized by good emergency preparedness planning.
  • The future of community association management: What to expect

    As a profession, community association management is relatively young; it goes back about 50 years. But in that short time, it has made great strides—and so have the communities who have benefited from professional, skilled management teams. But what does the future hold for this profession, and how will it influence how community members live? The trade organization Community Associations Institute (CAI) put their publication, Common Ground , to work to find some answers to this question. They brought together industry experts to weigh in on the matter. FirstService Residential has also been at the forefront of looking to the future in this growing industry.
  • The future of association living: 4 factors to consider

    What does the future hold for your community association? If you’re a board member, you might already have a pretty good idea – most likely because you’ve developed a plan for it. But what about issues outside of your control? How will they influence the strategies you develop to ensure your community is a great place to live for years to come? Let’s see where the coming decades will take us.
  • Fallon Describes Emergency Storm Relief on Fox Business’ Cavuto

    On October 28, the eve of Superstorm Sandy’s one-year anniversary, Fox Business News aired a powerful segment featuring Chuck Fallon, FirstService Residential CEO.
  • Five tips for fire safety in a building or high rise in your community

    Living in a high-rise, condominium or co-op certainly has its perks. You get the convenient location, the dramatic views, attentive concierge services and a range of amenities. However, vertical living also means added challenges when it comes to fire safety. Fortunately, there are measures that both your association board and residents can take to improve safety.
  • FirstService Residential Chairman Gene Gomberg Honored as Ultimate CEO/Chairman

    Gene Gomberg, Chairman of FirstService Residential, was honored as an Ultimate CEO/Chairman by the South Florida Business Journal.
  • FirstService Residential's New York Office Featured in Mann Management Report

    Our New York office is profiled in the November/December issue of the Mann Management Report.
  • Five simple marketing strategies for associations

    How many homes in your community are vacant? Whether it’s one or one hundred, it’s too many. Empty homes can lead to compliance issues and decrease the curb appeal of your community. They can also negatively impact the feeling of connectedness for the members of your association. That’s why it’s so important to keep every home occupied.
  • Five community landscape maintenance tips

    For most people, looking neat, attractive and well groomed ranks high on their list of priorities. They have the same expectations for where they live – in fact, according to a recent industry survey, over 70% of homebuyers consider curb appeal an important factor when choosing a community.
  • Five reasons to love your community management company

    It’s always great to have a reliable partner by your side. Whether it’s a family member, someone at work, or even a fellow member of a sports team on which you play, knowing that someone has your back can instill you with confidence and comfort.
  • Four tips for great communication in your association

    As a board member, you’ve confronted (and hopefully, overcome) a lot of challenges. You’ve learned your role. You’ve tackled projects. You’ve teamed up with residents.
  • Four qualities of a well-trained property manager

    When you think about the ideal community manager, typically a unique combination of personality traits springs to mind. They are professional and courteous with residents, yet firm with vendors. They know their way around a spreadsheet, but also have basic working knowledge of major systems like plumbing or heating and cooling. They know how to help the homeowner association (HOA) board stay focused on the big picture, but are also adept at taking you through the details of even the most complicated budget plan.
  • 11 steps for a successful HOA transition from developer

    When a property transitions from developer control, it typically means that the developer, who initially owned and managed the property, is transferring ownership or control of the property to another entity, such as a homeowners association (HOA), property management company, or individual property owners. The specific process and outcomes of this transition can vary depending on the type of property, its purpose, and the governing documents in place.
  • HOA Legislation: Protecting your community

    More than 85% of officials in state legislatures are up for re-election this year. So what does that mean to you as a board member or resident in a condo or homeowners’ association (HOA)? And how does this affect HOA law? There are a variety of initiatives on the table across the nation that will significantly impact community associations. In this article, we’ll take a look at what those issues are – and most importantly, how you can impact HOA law.
  • Four ways to fund an HOA capital improvement project

    Living in a residential community means around-the-clock routine maintenance to preserve the community and its assets. But there comes a time when one of your assets will reach the end of its useful life and require a replacement or significant repairs.
  • How Developers Benefit by Partnering with Property Management Companies

    Residential home builders and real estate developers must wear many hats while creating the buildings and communities so many of us call home. Indeed, each project’s ultimate viability and marketability depend on how well every phase of development is planned and executed – ideally, with the highest levels of expertise, experience, cost-efficiency and professionalism.
  • Raising a family in a high-rise: Understanding benefits and more

    When a lot of people think about high-rise living, they don’t necessarily jump to the idea of families in high-rises. In many cities, high-rises are still considered the domain of the young and single, or couples without kids or active retirees. The New York Times even ran a piece, in 1987, decreeing that “A High-Rise Is Not a Home for Children.” But today, thanks to a Millennial generation that doesn’t want to commute from the ‘burbs, more and more high-rises are actively courting families as residents.
  • How to pick a property management company

    Here’s the good news: hiring the right property management company is going to make your life as an HOA Board Member much easier. On the flip side: there is no shortage of property management firms to choose from, so selecting the best fit for your community association is going to take a little bit of work.
Showing 73 - 96 of 668