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Understanding the Fair Housing Act: Homeowners Association
All associations are subject to the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) and its antidiscrimination provisions. Stay informed to identify the ways you could be exposed to claims of discrimination. -
Communicating Your Association Budget
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. -
Creating Condo and HOA Policies That Make Sense
It’s a common problem that many condo and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) face: rules that simply don’t work as they were intended. Sometimes it’s because they are enforced inconsistently or aren’t enforced at all. Other times it’s because they go too far. At their worst, poorly instituted HOA policies can even cause neighborhood discord. -
Does Your Association Have A Plan For Fostering A Sense Of Community?
Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in a condo association or HOA, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover. -
Five Steps to Running More Effective HOA Board Meetings
One of the most challenging aspects of being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) can be running board meetings. It’s not always easy to keep everyone tuned into the business at hand. In addition, you have to manage the inevitable disagreements among board members. How do you keep these meetings running smoothly? -
Planning Your High-Rise Maintenance and Capital Improvements
Your association should never have to rely on a special assessment for a capital expense that could have been foreseen – or even prevented. Here are five tips to keep your Chicago high-rise condominium association's budget in the black and keep up with maintenance and capital improvements. -
The Six Secrets to Building Your HOA’s Volunteer Pool
Whether you’re on the board of a single-family homeowners association (HOA) or a high-rise condo association, 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. -
Email Communication
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. -
How Can My Association Fund Capital Improvements?
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. -
How Can My Association Increase its Capital Improvement Budget?
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. -
Does Your HOA Have A Plan For Fostering A Sense Of Community?
Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in an HOA, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover. -
Five Steps to Better HOA Board Meetings & HOA Board Meeting Protocol
One of the most challenging aspects of being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) can be running board meetings. It’s not always easy to keep everyone tuned into the business at hand. In addition, you have to manage the inevitable disagreements among board members. How do you keep these meetings running smoothly? -
How to Establish Sensible HOA Policies
Rules and regulations are important in any homeowners association (HOA). But when they aren’t enforced, are enforced inconsistently, or go a bit too far, they can create resentment and put your HOA at risk. -
Smart Financial Planning
Safeguarding an association’s operating and reserve funds is one of the main fiduciary duties of all board members, not just the treasurer. This means that boards must protect the financial interests of the association and its members by making sure all funds are properly managed, invested and protected. -
The Do’s & Don’ts of Board Communication
The tips in this quick reference guide will help your board communicate better with residents in your community association. -
The Six Secrets to Building Your HOA’s Volunteer Pool
Whether you’re on the board of a single-family homeowners association (HOA) or a high-rise condo association, 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. -
Understanding Community Association Reserves and Reserve Studies
One of the most important responsibilities your community's board of directors faces is effectively planning for major common-area repairs and replacements. Whether a costly expenditure is needed in a few years or not for 20, it’s the board’s fiduciary duty to make sure your community association has adequate funds when the time comes. That’s where reserve funds come into play. -
True Financial Stability
A strong, healthy association requires every facet of property management to work in sync toward one common goal...true financial stability. -
4 Tips to Improve How Your Board Communicates the HOA Budget
Developing the annual budget for your homeowners association (HOA) is one of your board’s most important jobs. It requires hard work and often means making difficult decisions about spending. At times, homeowners may question some of those decisions or even vehemently disagree with them. -
6 Ways to Maximize Committees
Community members join committees because they want to make a difference. That’s great, but sometimes, as they say, life gets in the way. Let’s not forget that committee members are all volunteers, which means it might take something a little extra to keep them motivated. -
Does Your HOA Have A Plan For Fostering A Sense Of Community?
Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in an HOA, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover. -
Five Steps to Running More Effective HOA Board Meetings
One of the most challenging aspects of being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) can be running board meetings. It’s not always easy to keep everyone tuned into the business at hand. In addition, you have to manage the inevitable disagreements among board members. How do you keep these meetings running smoothly? -
The Six Secrets to Building Your Community Association's Volunteer Pool
Your community association 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. -
Avoid These 5 HOA Board Blunders
To help you avoid the most common board blunders, we’ve identified four mistakes and some practical ways to avoid them. By preventing blunders, you can help steer your board in the right direction, which can ultimately help improve your overall community.