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Making Your HOA Community More Pet Friendly
Amenities play a large role in differentiating your community, enhancing its brand, and drawing in potential buyers. Pet amenities have risen in popularity and range from simple touches such as having dog-friendly treats like biscuits and bowls of water available in the main office, to providing on-site pet services such as grooming. Here are five suggestions for making your community more pet friendly. -
How Do You Manage HOA Reserves During a Crisis?
It's vital to prepare for the future and take steps to protect your association reserve funds. Here are 3 ways to manage reserves during a crisis. -
More California Homebuyers Look for Community Amenities and Lifestyle Programs
Homebuyers are motivated to buy a new home and move to a new community for a wide variety of reasons – perhaps a desire to downsize, upsize, relocate closer to family and friends, or enhance their quality of life. But while those factors will always be important, there are two additional considerations many people find compelling – community amenities and programs for lifestyle communities. Read on for more details. -
Part 1: Electric Cars and Charging Stations – Is Your HOA Ready?
Take a drive on any major interstate in California and it will be difficult to drive any distance without passing, or being passed, by an electric vehicle. In fact, nearly a half-million plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have been purchased in the US over the past five years. Read this article to see if your HOA is ready for this new trend. -
Plaster or Paint: The Best Pool Resurfacing Options for Your Community Pool
Your pool is a source of fun for all of your community’s residents. Yet when it comes time to resurface it, it can quickly feel like your wading in deep water. Read our tips from experts on the pros and cons of plaster and paint. -
Selecting Your Reserve Study Firm: Seven Essential Steps
Your reserve study gives you the power to maintain the quality of your community by allowing for projects that are both necessary and potentially expensive. Establishing this fund can get a little complex. But you don’t have to be a fortune teller to read the future of your association. You simply need a good reserve study firm to help. Here’s how you can find one. -
HOA Budget: Seven Best Practices for HOA Budgeting
Creating your HOA budget involves many considerations. It’s not simply a month-to-month accounting for expenses. Ideally, it’s a both a short-term and long-term blueprint for sustained financial health. Offset rising costs and high interest rates with these 7 HOA budgeting tips. -
6 Questions for Self-Managed Associations to Consider
As a self-managed association, do you need a management partner? Before making that choice, ask these 6 questions. -
3 Strategies to Keep HOA Assessments Stable and Add Value
There are often good reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may be able to take a different route. Here are three strategies to help save your HOA money and keep assessments stable. -
Tips for Eco-Friendly High-Rise Living
Eco friendly high-rise initiatives are not only good for the environment, but can be green for your association budget. How does close to $50,000 in annual savings sound? Here are suggestions you can implement for little to no cost. -
Want to Start a Neighborhood Watch? Consider this.
Is your building or community considering establishing a Neighborhood Watch program? These crime watch programs – joint efforts between homeowners and local police departments – are gaining traction in many communities by helping to deter unusual or criminal behavior. Here are some tips to consider. -
10 things community board members must know to manage HOA pools
Many people want to live in a community that has a swimming pool, and if there’s one in yours, you know what kind of value it brings. While it’s great to think of all those hot days when you and your neighbors can enjoy an afternoon in the water, with it comes many responsibilities community association board members must adhere to that go beyond staying cool or keeping in shape. -
HOA financial management: Tips for greater financial strength
So what’s the most important aspect of your community? Is it aesthetics? Sense of belonging? Neighbors knowing neighbors? Desirability to home buyers? -
12 things to know about HOA board of directors insurance
Are you an insurance expert? Unless you sell it, the answer is probably “no.” But if you’re a member of your HOA’s Board of Directors, it’s a really smart idea to have a basic understanding of the policy that protects your association from liability. -
How to find a good insurance agent: 15 things to consider
You’re a member of your community association’s board, and it’s time to review your current insurance policies and providers. While it may be tempting to maintain your current relationship, you may find that significant savings can be found when you shop around. -
25 Ways to Prevent Household Poisonings
Poisoning is the leading cause of death from injury in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But fortunately, poisonings are also highly preventable. -
4 Back To School Tips to Keep Parents Sane and Kids Happy
As a parent, you know what back to school means. It’s more than a change in your schedule -- it’s a change in your whole reality. Rushing out the door. Blasting through the homework. Making second trips back to the house for forgotten lunch boxes, book order money or scarves. -
Five Ways to Prevent a Remodeling Nightmare
You’ve heard the horror stories. The homeowner association (HOA) board hires a contractor to remodel the clubhouse, the fitness room, or one of the other amenities within the community. The contractor talks a good game, but when the actual work begins, it’s a whole other story. -
Planning your community budget: 6 tips to follow
Experienced property managers have created countless budgets, and they’re familiar with the best practices entailed in creating one that helps your community accomplish its goals. So to help you get started, here are six community budget basics you can follow. -
“Be Genuinely Helpful": Giving Back to Our Communities
Learn how associates and residents are making a difference in their communities, providing grocery delivery and food delivery, during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
Budget-Friendly Tips to Transform Your Nursery Into a Toddler’s Room
Somehow, in the blink of an eye, your sweet and cuddly baby has turned into an active and independent toddler – curious about everything and always on the move. She’s outgrown her crib and baby furniture, and now that she can speak up, she’s quite vocal about her desire to change the nursery into a big kid’s room – and has some definite ideas about how to get there. We know you may not agree with her tastes – or how much they might cost to implement – so here are six budget-friendly, easy-to-do tips to transform your nursery into a toddler’s room the whole family will love. -
Dispelling common homeowners association horror stories
As a buyer, you may wonder whether moving into a community with an HOA is right for you. Perhaps you have heard horror stories from unhappy homeowners or have read about unreasonable boards that bully residents. How common are these events? And are the stories even true? -
Buying in an HOA community: Evaluating HOA financials & more
So your diligent search for that home of your dreams has finally led you to one that fits all your criteria. However, it is in an association, and you have known people who belonged to condo or homeowners associations (HOAs) that were poorly run or financially mismanaged. -
Moving out checklist: Essential things to do when moving
You’re moving! That means an exciting new beginning. It also means a lot of work. But no need to stress out – following a simple checklist can prevent those moving migraines. One thing you’ll want to keep in mind: starting as soon as possible is the best policy. Good planning early on will save you some real heartache later. And though we’ve created a timeline that starts at two months out, your home closing may happen in as little as 45 days – just be sure to start the first items on the checklist as soon as you possibly can.