Board members step into their roles with the best intentions, ready to serve their communities. What they don’t always anticipate is the sheer volume of administrative work, from tracking down overdue assessments, documenting architectural requests, following up on covenant violations, coordinating with the vendors, and answering homeowner questions. For many HOAs, the default approach is […]

Condo communities have continued to hold their ground even as other corners of real estate have taken hits. But resilient doesn’t mean untouchable. Right now, condo managers are feeling the squeeze, from operating costs climbing, owner expectations rising, and boards asking for more transparency.  So where does that leave us? Looking inward. The smartest condo […]

Community association boards are elected to represent and safeguard the interests of the community. That means when the board is making major decisions and during board elections, residents are involved. A quorum serves as a way of protecting the residents by making sure the majority of homeowners approve decisions. This prevents board members from passing […]

Being on an HOA board isn’t what it used to be. What was once a manageable role has evolved into something far more demanding. Board members nowadays face rising expenses that need more professional budgeting, tighter regulations, higher homeowner expectations, and communities that are more complex.  Don’t forget that most board members are volunteers. They […]

I have been in the property management industry for a long time, and I have watched it transform. Right now, 33.6% of Americans live in community associations. Over the next two decades, that figure is projected to hit 50%, driven by roughly 8,000 new associations forming each year. I have seen this growth, and it […]

I have worked with many community associations to know how much homeowners feel confused about who has the answer to their questions. Sometimes, even the board doesn’t know whether it’s the one to answer or it’s the CAM. Let me clear this up for you. Think of your HOA board like a city council, while […]

If there’s one challenge that keeps showing up in community associations’ management, it’s the growing disconnect between what boards prioritize and what residents actually experience day to day. This gap rarely comes down to bad intentions. It’s usually a failure of process, communication, or understanding.  Right now, we have more than 370,000 HOAs operating across […]

In my experience working with HOA communities, managing an HOA can become complicated quickly. Boards have to collect assessments, track maintenance, enforce rules consistently, store records, and keep homeowners informed, often while relying on spreadsheets, email threads, and scattered files. When those processes aren’t centralized, the same problems keep popping up: missed follow-ups, inconsistent communication, […]

Community management companies have always been the backbone supporting high-functioning condos and HOAs. From answering resident questions to assisting with legal issues, and even putting out literal fires, good community managers are invaluable to a community association. But rapid changes within the industry, coupled with mounting demands and expectations from residents and board members, have […]

Emotional support or assistance animals have been a source of confusion and conflict within HOA communities. An emotional support/assistance animal is an animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. It may also provide emotional support that alleviates one or more identified effects or symptoms of […]

What is a reasonable fine for an HOA violation? If you said, “it depends,” you’re absolutely right. HOA fine schedules vary depending on the nature and impact of the violation, how many times the rule has been broken, and applicable state laws that regulate fine policies. But, California HOAs have had to quickly adapt to […]

Sometimes, small details matter. In fact, a condominium corporation was asked to appear before the Condo Authority Tribunal (CAT) because of poor record-keeping. In this article, we will explore record requirements in Ontario, and share some tips on how your condo can steer clear of legal complications associated with improper record keeping.    Table of […]

Is your condo management software holding you back? Maybe you’ve never thought about that before, but now that it’s on your radar, take a moment to evaluate its performance. We’ve spoken to several condo management companies and communities about this issue. In some cases, users say that their software is “fine” or that “it works […]

Though it’s not the most exciting topic, trees can have a big impact within an HOA community.    Download our free HOA tree policy    Trees are more than landscaping; they’re a shared HOA responsibility that influences budgets, shapes maintenance policies, and even has the potential to create legal liability. From planting new trees to […]

Accounting software is used by all types of professionals. While accountants and bookkeepers are generally very comfortable working with this technology, people without an accounting background can use it too. In fact, several HOA staff and managers rely on accounting software to streamline and organize income and expenses, such as bill payments, taxes, payroll, assessments […]