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Thinking about buying a vacation home? Perhaps you’ve fallen in love with a special and memorable vacation destination and want to make a more permanent commitment. But before you say “I do” to a second home, consider these five factors to help you decide with your head, not just your heart.

Summer is a great time to hit the road! Travelers will be taking advantage of the warm weather to go to beaches, campsites, on cruises and more. Learn how to protect your home and preserve your peace of mind while you're away.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, it’s time to take a look at a different kind of love: the kind you extend toward your neighbor.

Neighborhood Watch programs can provide significant benefits to communities – after all, they boost community awareness, communication and involvement, while reducing opportunities for neighborhood crimes to occur. But if you’re interested in getting started, there are many important factors to consider. Here’s an overview.

We’ve got the scoop on how to get a mortgage loan, so read on for our top six tips to increase your chances.

Chances are, you joined the board at your HOA or condo because you’re extremely passionate about the community and want to improve the experience of the other residents within it. Part of adding value to residents in your community is offering classes and programs for them to participate in to get to know their neighbors and offer opportunities for them to stay happy and healthy. Read on to find some suggestions for great virtual programs for communities like yours.

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.

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.

Every community can expect to experience negligent or careless guests who will either cause a ruckus, or worse, damage association property. When that happens, deciding who should be held responsible for their actions can create a delicate – and potentially volatile – situation. Oftentimes, Boards may go after the owner, but they shouldn’t forge full-steam ahead without some sort of ammunition.

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

Estoppel certificates are a critical part of any real estate transaction and can be confusing. What's included, how are they created, what does it all mean? Learn more here.

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.

When it comes to service dogs and assistance animals, people often confuse the Federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). Learn more about FHA and ADA laws here!

Earlier in the summer, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) announced a proposed 19.6% workers' compensation rate increase, concerning community associations and its impact on labor costs.

When your association has to invest in its property, whether for repairs or a new construction project, the financing for that work must be considered as carefully as the work itself

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?

In June, the Miami Beach City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance to increase the city's minimum wage. First proposed by Mayor Philip Levine, it will take effect on January 1, 2018.

The Florida Legislature passed a new bill which will affect residents who call a community association home. Here is an overview of CS/CS/HB 7037 that will provide you with insight on these changes.

Nothing lasts forever…and you need to have a plan to replace major items and systems before their useful lifespans end. How do you create that plan? Start with a quality reserve study.

Ideally, all parties in a homeowners or condo association agree, but In the real world, disagreements are a fact of life. Get tips on conflict resolution at your HOA or condo community from industry experts.ca