QuickBooks is everywhere. Most accountants know it, and most treasurers are familiar with it, and there’s something comforting about not having to learn a new tool from scratch. That familiarity has value. It reduces onboarding friction, minimizes errors, and gives your financial records a level of structure that a spreadsheet never could. In fact, QuickBooks […]

As an HOA board, financial management sits at the heart of everything you do. And I’m not just talking about collecting assessments. I mean the full picture, from building accurate budgets, maintaining a healthy reserve fund, to producing timely financial statements, and keeping yourself accountable to the homeowners who elected you. When this breaks down, […]

As you already know, dues aren’t the whole picture. Yes, monthly or annual assessments are the backbone of your operating budget that fund landscaping, reserve contributions, shared amenity upkeep, and the day-to-day work of keeping a community running. But they’re not the only money moving through your association. There are other streams like special assessments, […]

The HOA industry collectively manages over $90 billion in annual revenue across more than 370,000 community associations in the United States. That’s a mind-blowing amount of money, and yet, 75% of associations are still running their operations on tools like spreadsheets and paper files that haven’t evolved since the 1990s. And the gap between what […]

As a board of a self-managed HOA, collecting monthly assessments is one of your primary responsibilities. Those dues fund everything, from landscaping and snow removal to building repairs and funding reserve funds. For years, the process has been straightforward: residents mail in checks, someone from the board picks them up, deposits them at the bank, […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Kelowna, sometimes playfully referred to as “Kelownafornia” by locals, offers long summers, mild winters, and of course, world-famous wine. Cheers to all of that! Kelowna is located in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada, in the Okanagan Valley. It is nestled next to the Okanagan Lake, which is the best place to swim when temperatures […]

Change is easier when your community is prepared for it. New legislation impacting condo and HOA communities has been passed in several U.S. states, affecting everything from electronic voting to accessible parking. Check out the new laws that have come into effect in 2025. You can also check out laws that came into effect in 2024 […]

We give a lot of attention to condo software because we know how transformative it can be for condo communities. But, we want to use this article to recognize some of the leading condominium hardware. Like software, condo hardware simultaneously reduces workloads for staff and elevates the resident experience. The busier the condo, the more […]