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Every year about the same time, your community association board is most likely creating its budget for the following year. Learn about seven commonly neglected items in community association budgets that you may be missing.

We all know that there's a lot of paperwork in the home buying process. If the home you want to buy is in a managed community of any kind, a resale package, including your resale certificate and governing documents, is part of that paperwork. Resale certificates and packages offer transparency about the community and whether or not the sellers are current in their financial obligations to the association.

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.

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.

You may be unaware that you are opening up all of your emails to scrutiny. When using a personal or work email address to conduct association business, there is a potential liability involved.

Nothing lasts forever…and when it comes time to replace your high-rise roof, community pool or to add new amenities, your association will need to determine how to pay for it. All of these things – significant repairs and replacements, as well as new construction – are considered capital improvements.

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.

Volunteering on the board of a community association is not for the faint of heart and can be a full-time job! Communities come in different shapes and sizes, but serving on a board of directors is similar across the board.

Know what questions to ask a prospective property management company in Florida? Check out our list to ensure you have all the right information before making a choice.

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

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.

Communities flourish with dedicated volunteers. Here are ways to encourage homeowners to get involved and create a positive environment as volunteers.

The number of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) on the road is quickly growing, which means the need for conveniently located battery charging stations is also on the rise. What does this mean for your association?

The Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt made their debut as the first US mass-market plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) more than five years ago. Nearly half a million have jumped on the PEV bandwagon. What does this mean for community associations?

Association boards strive for a property of residents brimming with community spirit. A tightly knit community can be the product of following just a few simple steps.

Are you doing all you can to make sure your self-managed community meets its goals?

As the days and weeks pass, and residents of your condominium or HOA are asked to stay home, it's more important than ever to help your community stay fit and active!

Are there vacancies in your community? Empty homes can decrease the curb appeal of your community, lead to compliance issues and have a negative impact on your association's feeling of community.

Are you doing all you can to make sure your self-managed community meets its goals?

As the days and weeks pass, and residents of your condominium or HOA are asked to stay home, it's more important than ever to help your community stay fit and active!

The distinct roles of the board and manager can shed some light on the ways the board can develop an effective partnership.

It’s that time of year again – budget season is upon us. You know the things to consider when creating your budget, but what drives your process? Are you focused on achieving a particular vision for your community? Avoiding conflict in the community? Solely looking to avoid increasing dues?

Budgeting is the time for making tough decisions for how your association spends its money, and sometimes those decisions can, unfortunately, lead to contention. Clear communication about the association budget should be provided to all homeowners throughout the year to help solve problems before they begin and smoothly pave the way for needed changes.