Is your association a green community? There are approximately 300,000 community associations in the United States, representing more than 20 million homes. If each of our community associations encouraged their owners to take some minor steps to conserve energy, the impact would be substantial. If we start with the common areas of a community and
Community associations have varied needs for services based on their size and nature that require outside vendors to be hired for specific projects such as repainting of a clubhouse or ongoing services such as common area landscape maintenance services. It is important that board members keep the following points in mind when selecting vendors for
Anyone who’s ever had an air conditioner go out in the middle of summer can tell you that properties don’t maintain themselves. Forward-thinking community association managers and board members have comprehensive, proactive maintenance plans in place. A well-planned approach will ensure the integrity of your buildings and keep the community thriving. What is included in
More and more community associations are asked to spend time and energy juggling a number of projects. This tactic not only makes it more difficult for projects to be completed, but could be perceived as a sign of a disorganized Board. This makes both homeowners and board members frustrated. A good Community Association Manager (CAM)
The operation of an association is one of our purest forms of democratic government. Simply put, owners nominate and elect fellow residents to represent their interests on the board of directors and to govern their association according to the Declaration of Condominium and its Bylaws. The individuals who serve their association in an elected
How can a community prevent, discourage and minimize vandalism and theft? The answer is simple, it starts with the homeowners. We encourage following a few simple tips: Know the neighbors in your community association and speak to your children. Meet your neighbors and be involved in the community. Generally speaking, we all know or
Overseeing the community’s finances and developing budgets that enable the community to maintain and preserve market values of both the residential and common area property are important responsibilities of the association’s board of directors. A funding plan for the future repairs or replacement of major common area components (e.g. swimming pools, asphalt surfaces, concrete areas,
As a community matures, landscaping in older communities may show signs of aging. This is the time of year that many boards across the country are considering different ways to update and enhance their landscaping. It’s a good financial investment that can enhance the curb appeal, add direct value to individual residences, and increase the
It’s that time of year again… new members have just been elected to serve on their Board of Directors. With this comes the election of officers and thus a new tone is set for the Association. Each new Board member brings a dynamic to the meeting that sets the tone for the operation of
Prepare your association for hurricane season
The goal of hurricane preparedness is to minimize the impact on any association or property during the storm. It’s an ongoing, year-round process to mitigate the potential effects of dangerous debris, impassable roadways, loss of electricity or running water, and the inability to keep the association’s common elements up and running. Below is a