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As board communications become increasingly reliant on web-based technologies, it’s more important than ever to take proactive steps to safeguard the way you share and save sensitive information.

In an effort to help our clients and their families stay safe during these difficult times, FirstService Residential’s in-house technology experts recently assembled a list of best practices and technology tips for working at home, improving password security, identifying potential scams and selecting personalized internet packages.

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.

Creating your condominium corporation’s annual budget is one of the most important responsibilities your board has. It takes a lot of hard work and may require spending decisions that won’t be popular with unit owners. Consequently, owners may voice strong objections or even question the board’s ability to manage the corporation’s money.

For the more than 1 million Ontario residents who live in condominiums, driving an electric vehicle (EV) has become a more viable option. Recent changes to the Condominium Act, 1998, address one of the primary barriers condo owners have faced: limited availability of EV charging stations (EVCS) at their condominiums. The revisions, which went into effect May 1, 2018, establish processes for getting EVCS installed in condominium buildings.

Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in a condo corporation, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover.

If you're like many board members, one of your most challenging jobs is running your condominium corporation board meetings. Keeping everyone on task and addressing board member disagreements is not always easy. So what can you do to manage your meetings more effectively?

As a board member for your condominium corporation, you know that your community depends on volunteers to operate successfully. However, finding residents who are willing to be on your board of directors, join a committee or help at an event can be challenging.

A strong, healthy corporation requires every facet of property management to work in sync toward one common goal...true financial stability.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Association terms that every board member should know and understand.

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.

One of the primary responsibilities of a community association board member is to ensure that residents are properly informed about happenings in the community, upcoming meetings & events, policy changes and more. Knowing what information needs to be communicated and how to make sure your announcement reaches everyone possible can be a challenge. Here are a few communication tips that will help keep the residents in your Homeowners Association well informed.

Finding ways to stand out among neighboring high-rise properties is probably challenging enough for your condominium association. But now with construction of new high-rise condos on the upswing in cities throughout Texas, it’s especially important to maintain an edge if you want homebuyers to give your building a second look. So what can your condominium association do to attract buyers and maintain property values?

Social media sites, such as Facebook and Nextdoor, are quickly becoming favorite mediums for information sharing amongst neighbors mainly due to their ease of use and mobile accessibility. However, it’s important for your board to establish how these sites will be administered. Here we’ve identified a few of the most common issues frequently made on homeowner-controlled social media sites and some suggestions on how you can keep things aboveboard.

We’ve all seen what can happen when rules go too far, are not enforced or are enforced inconsistently. In a homeowners association (HOA), these types of issues can even pit neighbor against neighbor. So what can your board of directors do to make sure that your policies are fair and support your goals of establishing order and building a strong and attractive community? Follow these five recommendations to ensure your policies serve the needs of your HOA without being the source of neighborhood riffs.

Have you ever wondered what makes some homeowners association (HOA) communities such appealing places to live? It could be their location or maybe their amenities. Most likely, it’s also due to a thriving lifestyle program that connects residents and helps to foster lasting relationships within the community. “Even for the smallest of communities, there is tremendous value in developing lifestyle programming,” notes Terry Bascher, vice president of onsite management for FirstService Residential Texas. “Lifestyle programs bring people together while strengthening bonds that increase camaraderie.”

In Texas, where temperatures can reach triple digits and humidity isn’t far behind, a refreshing dip in a pool can be a welcome relief. That’s why so many HOAs offer swimming pools as an amenity. Here are 10 guidelines to help you manage your association pool.