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 […]

Are you familiar with earnings credits? Sometimes referred to as an earnings credit rate  (ECR) system, earnings credits are sometimes offered by banks to property management companies. While property management companies benefit from these credits, they have also sparked controversy due to the ethical and legal concerns raised between the companies and their clients. Read […]

Email remains the most used form of communication on the planet. Approximately 376 billion emails are sent globally each day, demonstrating just how much we rely on this communication channel now. While instant messaging, SMS and other communication channels are fast and easy to use, most of us still prefer to type out an email when we […]

No matter what type of community you manage, where you work, or how long you’ve been in the industry, all property managers can agree that people are the hardest part of the job. Many of our current team members are former property managers, and they have shared some examples that demonstrate just how demanding this […]