HOA violations and their resulting fines are a touchy subject for many homeowners. Many a community Board Member will cite giving violations as the most challenging of their responsibilities. On the receiving end of the violation, being told they are not meeting a minimum standard can very much feel like a personal attack to the resident. Sometimes, a homeowner is not made aware of the governing documents by their real estate agent, so they do not know the neighborhood’s particular requirements. Other times, the resident is busy or has tight finances and is struggling to keep up with the home ..read more

Why live in an HOA? Maintaining property values is frequently named as one of the most critical issues facing homeowners.  Homeowners who do not live in a community association are at the mercy of their neighbors when it comes to long-term property values. Living in a homeowner association can leverage the entire community to not just sustain property value but also help improve value over time. From the Board of Directors perspective, how does one nurture property values in a single-family home community? Exhibit A for HOAs: Architectural Controls A key factor in preserving property valu ..read more

The HOA budget The homeowner association annual budget can often be a source of homeowner consternation and confusion. To minimize community association Board of Directors’ liability, have a professional involved with the creation of your community association annual budget.  While the budget is always decided by the board, a professional association manager can guide the process and make recommendations. Your homeowner association management company contract may include help with the budget process; if so, this should be clearly outlined in the contract. If your common interest community ..read more

The HOA Budget The homeowner association annual budget can often be a source of homeowner consternation and confusion. To minimize liability for the community association Board of Directors, have a professional involved with the creation of your community association annual budget. While the board or association (depending on the governing documents) decide the budget, a professional association manager can guide the process and make recommendations. Your property owners’ association management company contract may include help with the budget process; if so, this should be clearly outlined in ..read more

Why use an amenities maintenance checklist? The HOA annual maintenance checklist is one of the most important tasks of the year. Common Interest Communities (CIC) and Homeowner Associations (HOA) offer a variety of amenities that must be inspected each year. Amenities should be included in the HOA Reserve Study to provide for replacement and repairs as needed over the life of the association. When should the annual homeowners association maintenance checklist be done? While HOA maintenance checklists are commonly completed during the Spring, the year’s budget is usually set during the late fal ..read more

The Categories of Board Responsibilities What is the role of the HOA Board of Directors? What common pitfalls and missteps do the Board face and how can they be circumvented? While the list of Board duties can feel endless at times, responsibilities can be divided into three categories: common area maintenance, ensuring governing document compliance, and being fiscally responsible on behalf of the association. HOA Common Area Maintenance Common area maintenance should be primarily focused on preventative tasks in a properly maintained association. While equipment malfunctions and unexpected re ..read more

Why use an HOA maintenance checklist? The HOA annual maintenance checklist is one of the most important tasks of the year. Each type of association, for example single family homeowner associations versus condominiums, will have different maintenance needs. This concept is reflected in community association reserve studies, engineer reports that estimate repair and maintenance needs and costs for associations. Associations vary so widely; an engineer must review the individual association documents as well as the actual property to draft an estimate of the owner association’s future needs. Sin ..read more