Search

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.

Being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) isn’t an easy job. No matter what your level of experience, mistakes can happen. Although some of these can probably be corrected easily, why not avoid them altogether by learning from other board members’ experiences? Check out these recommendations for handling 6 common board member mistakes.

If your community is managed by a property management company, you probably have an after-hours number you can call for urgent issues. But what if you simply want to take care of day-to-day association business? “People don’t operate in normal business hours anymore,” says Rolando Hernandez, national customer care director at FirstService Residential. “Residents and board members need to be able to take care of community business how and when it’s convenient for them.”

The holiday season is upon us, and nothing puts you in a festive like pulling your holiday decorations out of storage. Many people derive a sense of community and comfort from seeing familiar decorations at the same time each year.

The spring season is a time for renewal and a fresh look, so being able to properly landscape around the building is of utmost importance.

Having an integrated plan is the key to proactively addressing your property's maintenance needs. Here are six things you need to do for an effective preventive maintenance plan.

Being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) is not an easy job. No matter what your level of experience, mistakes can happen. Learn the seven common mistakes board members make and how you can avoid them.

When you think of the kinds of organizations being the target of a cyberattack, you probably don’t think of your homeowners association (HOA). But as a small businesses, your HOA faces a growing risk. In its annual study , the Ponemon institute reported that more small and medium-sized businesses had been the victim of a data breach in 2017: 61% of respondents as compared to 55% in 2016.

Whether you live in a townhome, high-rise or an HOA, you want your community association to be successful. All board members do. You know that means watching the finances carefully and maintaining the property. But do you think about effective board communication as an ingredient in your recipe for success? It is!

It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.

The Board Secretary is responsible for meeting the Association’s legal and financial obligations and maintaining the Association’s records. Depending on the Association’s requirements, some of the following tasks may need to be distributed to other Board Members or it might be necessary to appoint an assistant to the Secretary.

It’s no secret that association management is a big job. Across Minnesota, common areas require a lot of routine maintenance to uphold community standards – things like exterior light bulb replacements, landscaping and paint touch-ups. Depending on your townhome community, the scale of your amenities' needs will vary.

Not all property managers have what they need to give you great service. Learn what it takes to be a great property manager.

As a board member, you want to help prevent that to keep your residents healthy and your community association board running smoothly. Read on to learn 4 ways you can help do that.

In a community association, there are necessary rules and policies to allow the sanctity of the board to continue. These HOA rules and procedures help create and maintain order, which keeps the community secure. However, if the rules are too strict and feel unfair, or they are very lob-sided in terms of enforcing them depending on the resident, they can create severe problems for the board.

In a community association, the board of directors are a group of volunteers who execute a wide variety of tasks to maintain their community and improve the lives of residents – all in their free time. The work can become a heavy responsibility. But when they partner with a professional community association management company, together they shoulder some of the liability, stress and workload that comes with managing a board or condo association.

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.

It’s that time of year again – budget season is upon us. You know the things to consider when creating your budget, but what drives your process? Are you focused on achieving a particular vision for your community? Avoiding conflict in the community? Solely looking to avoid increasing dues?

Variables that can affect your board’s specific requirements might include the type of community association or building you have, your location, your available resources and your demographics, to name just a few. Despite these differences, your community association manager board can create an effective – and life-saving – plan by following these eight basic steps.

We will all need a measure of patience as we navigate changes related to the pandemic. Communications may move at a pace that’s different than we’re used to. As always, the best policy is to assume positive intentions from others, listen carefully and respond professionally.

The holiday season is upon us, and nothing puts you in a festive like pulling your holiday decorations out of storage. Many people derive a sense of community and comfort from seeing familiar decorations at the same time each year.

As community association managers begin their inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community. The spring season is a time for renewal and a fresh look, so being able to properly landscape around the building is of utmost importance.