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Summertime: It’s the perfect season to hit the road, relax, spend time with family and friends or embark on a new adventure. Although you hope that residents in your community have fun on their summer vacations, you also want to make sure that their homes stay safe and that they continue to fulfill their responsibilities to the association. Whether yours is a condominium, master-planned or single-family community, follow these tips to help your residents prepare their homes in a way that protects it and the community while they are away.

It’s often said that you should never judge a book by its cover. However, the front-line curb appeal of a community can make a difference in the value of every property in a neighborhood. This is one reason current and potential homeowners consider landscaping and common-area maintenance so important.

National Night Out is an annual event that promotes partnerships between communities, residents and local law enforcement. Celebrations can range from individual block parties to a large community festival. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to create connections between neighbors and focus on working together to make your community a safer, better place to live. This national celebration has become an annual tradition in many communities far and wide and we want to help you put together the best National Night Out event your association has seen yet.

At one time or another, every condominium corporation has to spend money on replacing equipment or making major repairs. Whether that means replacing a roof, installing a new ventilation system or any other big-ticket project, they are a necessity. But how should your condo corporation pay for them?

Security risks increase exponentially during the holiday seasons for high-rise buildings. Many residents travel for the holidays, move to warmer weather during the winter months, or have an influx of guests and family members in and out. These factors make it easy for intruders to make it into the building, especially if there are no procedures in place to track the many people and deliveries in and out of the building.

Frozen pipes are an unwanted, but common, occurrence during Alberta's cold winters. The damage caused can be significant to condominium units and shared property. Our cold weather warning offers condominium residents tips to prevent frozen pipes and the water damage that results.

As community managers begin property inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community. T

When it comes to cyberattacks, you may be under the assumption that your condo corporation is flying under the radar. But you’d be dead wrong. In fact, as a small business, your corporation may be at greater risk of being targeted than ever before.

It seems innocent, but a surprising number of balcony and backyard fires are unintentionally started by disposal of smoking material in a potted plant or planter box. In a condominium environment this can have, and has had, disastrous consequences. And it's not just a summertime problem.

Recent research has revealed seven service standards that are important to condominium and HOA Board members when they evaluate property managers. How does your manager stack up?

Continually maintaining and improving your property is crucial if you want to protect your condominium corporation’s financial health. To ensure that these important responsibilities are well managed requires a long-term plan and a means of effectively handling day-to-day projects. Here’s how you can make that happen.

Most people who join the board of their condominium corporation aren’t experts. Rather, they are well-intentioned, dedicated volunteer-leaders who want to protect property values and ensure their community continues to be a great place to live. If you’re a new board member – or even a seasoned one – it’s important to get the training you need to govern effectively and address the issues you may face.

Adequate funding and planning preserves your community for future residents.

Managing package deliveries has become a necessity for condo associations and as the holidays arrive it's more important than ever to be organized for the onslaught deliveries. Check out our tips for managing packages during this busy time of year.

For New York City co-op and condo boards, virtual annual meetings are the new normal. FirstService Residential is here to help make your transition as seamless as possible.

There are valid reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may be able to go a different route. Here are four strategies to save your HOA money and keep assessments stable.

Is your association really prepared for an emergency? Learn how to develop an HOA emergency preparedness plan in 8 steps.

How should your HOA board handle a pandemic like COVID-19? Start by tackling these 5 questions.

FirstService Residential has helped boards and building owners save millions of dollars in energy costs, in part, through our Energy Aggregation Purchasing Program.

Join Leah K. Burton and Brady Ortego of RMWBH for an Ask the Expert discussion about the laws you should be aware of, liability claims and insurance questions.

A capable management company will enforce procedures and invest in technologies that help limit legal liability for the condo or co-op, and also mitigate board member personal exposure.

Policy exclusions introduce increased risk to the board and often render a contractor’s policy meaningless. Properly vetting a contractor’s insurance is critical.

Does your homeowners association have adequate staff for the services that you provide? Learn how to staff your community effectively.

Local Law 97 impacts roughly 50,000 buildings across the city, a majority of which are multifamily residential properties.