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What Are the Qualities of an Effective Board Treasurer?
Aug 18, 2017The board members of your community association serve many important leadership functions. Although they may have diverse backgrounds and skill sets, they are all committed to the common goal of bettering your community association, taking actions that ensure its financial health, enhancing property values and improving the lifestyles of the residents.
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Seven Essential Financial Best Practices for Your Community Association
Aug 11, 2017Community associations can be wonderful. They have amenities that otherwise might not be so close to home, like a community pool, fitness center, golf course or riding trails. Being part of a managed community often means having shared interests with your neighbors, imparting a sense of community that isn’t easy to achieve in an ever-transient world. It means that everyone abides by the same high aesthetic standards. But none of that happens without stable finances, including a balanced budget and a well-funded reserve.
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Five Steps You Can Take to Maintain Your HOA’s Financial Fitness
Aug 11, 2017The principles to fiscal fitness and physical fitness aren’t that different: Don’t overindulge. Make smart choices. Keeping your community association’s finances healthy requires care and exercising good judgment. Follow our tips to help you do that.
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Is Your Community Staffed Adequately?
Aug 10, 2017Staffing your community association is both an art and a science. Your community’s culture and lifestyle are supported by the staff you choose, and it’s important to make sure that you’ve got the right people in the right positions, and enough of them. Properly staffing your community goes far beyond having people to answer the phone and handle packages or keep the pool clean and tidy. -
Easy Steps to Help Complete Your Next Association Budget
Easy Steps to Help Complete Your Next Association Budget
Aug 01, 2017Budgeting can be tough. It involves looking at priorities and the needs and wants of your community, the money coming in and going out and making it all balance. Crafting a responsible, effective budget is one of the primary ways that community association board members fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to the community. Planning ahead and knowing what’s expected will help make the process painless and smooth! -
Emergency Preparedness: What You Need to Know, and How Your Property Management Company Can Help
Emergency Preparedness: What You Need to Know, and How Your Property Management Company Can Help
Jun 27, 2017Emergencies are a fact of life. Having a comprehensive emergency plan in place can mean the difference between an emergency situation that escalates into a crisis and one that is resolved efficiently and effectively. What can you do to prepare? -
How Should You Enable Board Member Succession?
Jun 23, 2017Thriving business organizations plan for succession. It’s built into their corporate strategy – team members with potential are identified early on, and then groomed for the leadership positions they’ll someday hold.
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Six Essential Tips For New HOA Board Members
Six Essential Tips For New HOA Board Members
Jun 19, 2017Congratulations are in order – you’ve just been elected to the board. So now the big question: What’s next? “The great thing about associations that are helmed by owners is that they have a vested interest in doing right by their community,” said Kirk Kowieski, CMCA, AMS, vice president of FirstService Residential. “But that also comes with challenges...many board members find themselves in this kind of position for the first time, so there’s a little bit of a learning curve.” Fortunately, FirstService Residential is here to help. Follow these new board member basics and you’ll soon be governing like a pro.
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Planning Your High-Rise Maintenance and Capital Improvements
Jun 08, 2017Maybe this has happened to your high-rise association: An unexpected capital expense finds your condominium’s board of directors needing to impose a special assessment. Establishing a plan for your building’s maintenance and capital improvements is not only important for your budget. It can also prevent life-threatening catastrophes. So what does it take to put together a program that protects both the health of your association’s finances and the safety and lifestyle of your residents? Find out in our interview with Phil Pool, vice president at FirstService Residential.
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The Importance of Preventative Maintenance in Your High-Rise
Jun 06, 2017Protecting your high-rise with a solid preventative maintenance program will also protect the lifestyle you love and your community association’s budget. Preventative maintenance programs have countless benefits, including extending the life of almost every component and system in your building. A well-executed plan can also help your community optimize its operating budget by predicting when repairs or replacements are most likely to be needed and allowing your community to set aside money for them. How can you get started on a preventative maintenance plan? Check out our advice to get your high-rise on the right track when it comes to preventative maintenance.