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  • Preventing Fires: Fire safety in your community association

    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.
  • Eight tips for storm and hurricane resistant landscaping

    For most of us, storm season means prepping our residences to mitigate potential damage caused by high winds and heavy rains. But there’s a part of our homes and neighborhoods we often overlook – sometimes with disastrous results. That often-forgotten place is right outside your front door: it’s your landscaping.
  • Benefits of HOA parks and playgrounds

    HOA community playgrounds and HOA parks can offer a great deal for your residents. They can serve as vibrant hubs, fostering a sense of unity and togetherness among homeowners of all ages. They offer more than just a place to play. They create a shared space for everyone to enjoy.
  • Starting a neighborhood watch program? Understanding neighborhood watch rules and duties

    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.
  • How can a community prepare for a tornado?

    Tornadoes are fearsome because of their unpredictable nature. Although there are certain weather conditions that make tornadoes more likely, such as severe summer thunderstorms, tornadoes can also be created by snowstorms and blizzards. They can strike at any time of year and almost any place, even forming on the water and moving onto land.
  • Updating Your Community Emergency Preparedness Plan for Pandemics

    In the past, when planning for emergencies, a global pandemic was likely not on your list. While most board members did not anticipate a pandemic as something that needed a plan before COVID-19, it's now clear that communities need to develop a plan to address this and any future pandemics. Read on to learn how to build a community emergency preparedness plan with a possible resurgence of coronavirus and other potential pandemics in mind.
  • Virtual Programs for Healthy and Happy Active Lifestyle Communities

    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.
  • How your HOA can build community spirit

    Community spirit: that intangible thing that binds associations together. But building it happens in very tangible ways. Best of all, it’s not as daunting as you might think. A tightly knit community can be created by having your association follow just a few simple steps. Let’s go over some of those ideas right here.
  • Why association boards chose FirstService Residential

    Finding a property management company to partner with your board isn’t easy. Find out how we can help you.
  • What to know in the event of a mass shooting in your building

    Public Mass shootings have unfortunately become common place in America and around the world. From schools and movie theaters, to businesses and homes, shootings have occurred in a mix of environments. But what should you do if you unexpectedly find yourself in the middle of this kind of emergency at your residential building?
  • What to do before and after a flood: A step-by-step guide

    2016 saw the United States swamped in a record year of flooding, the most since record keeping began in 1980. Devastating flooding swept Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas and Maryland, costing billions in damage. In Canada, about half of all natural disaster costs are incurred from flooding, reaching into the billions of dollars in recent years.
  • A guide to creating an emergency communication plan

    Whether you live in a high-rise condominium in Chicago, a homeowners association (HOA) in Houston or an active adult community in Las Vegas, emergencies can happen. Do you think your residents would know where to go or whom to contact in an emergency situation? Does your onsite staff know what to do to protect residents and the community’s property in the event of a major storm like a hurricane, tornado or severe blizzard? How well would they handle a flood, a fire or a violent outbreak?
  • 12 to-do’s for ultimate HOA landscaping maintenance

    A good spring-cleaning can do wonders for your community association. Here are some tips to get your started.
  • 15 Things You’ll Want to Do Before Selecting an Insurance Agent

    Insurance is one of the most important line items on your association's budget, but it is oftentimes the most expensive. Do you know how to select the right agent?
  • 5 Ways You Can Improve Board Communication

    How well your board communicates has a tremendous impact on your community association. Every board can benefit from these 5 principles.
  • 8 Skills You'll Master as a Board President

    You've been elected as the President of the Board for your community association. You're signing up for a very important job! Here are some necessary skills!
  • 9 Guidelines for a Successful Community Association

    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.
  • All You Need to Know About Property Management Social Media

    Social media can be a phenomenal marketing and communications tool for your community association! But you need a strategy!
  • What to Know About an HOA Emergency Board Meeting During Trying Times

    It's hurricane season again. As soon as June 1st rolls around, we are assaulted with hurricane preparedness pamphlets and emergency information at every turn.
  • Can You Go After HOA Owners for Their Guests’ Damages?

    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.
  • Do You Have a Community Communication Plan?

    Clear, effective communication from the board to the residents makes a difference! Poor communication can negatively impact your community's reputation, operating budget and property values.
  • Communication in an Emergency is Key to Hurricane Preparation and Rebuilding

    The strongest hurricane preparedness plan won’t be effective if you haven’t communicated it. Make sure that everyone knows what to do by following these important recommendations.
  • Wondering What to Ask a Property Management Company in Florida? Here's 8 Questions

    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.
  • First Locally Transmitted Virus Case Confirmed for Zika in Florida

    In February, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency when cases of the Zika virus began to spread, impacting Florida.
Showing 49 - 72 of 354