Our Blog

Is your homeowners association due for an audit? Maybe you have to have one every year, the members called for an audit this year, or you need to have one done because you’re making changes to the way your association is run. No matter your reason for getting an audit, it’s important to understand how […]... [Read More...]

If you are new to living in an HOA, or new to being on an HOA board, you may not realize just how closely many boards work with certified public accountants, or CPAs. However, since tracking money and spending it wisely are two key aspects of what an HOA board does, it makes sense. Here’s […]... [Read More...]

Most HOA boards contract with a local attorney who understands HOAs and the laws and regulations governing them. These lawyers also familiarize themselves with the governing documents for the individual HOA, both to ensure compliance with state and local laws and to best know how to work with the HOA. Not sure a lawyer is […]... [Read More...]

It makes sense to most people that every member of an HOA board has a specific role to play in the functioning of the community. However, many people don’t think about the fact that every association member helps the whole group function better. Here’s what association members who are not on the board can do […]... [Read More...]

While some HOA boards choose to run their community on their own, others hire management companies to help them out. These companies generally assign one person – a manager – to work closely with the HOA board. The HOA manager has a number of different roles. These can vary based on what the particular community […]... [Read More...]

In addition to the regular board members, many HOAs also have committees that undertake certain tasks. These committees can serve a number of different functions, depending on the nature and scope of the particular association. Here’s what everyone needs to know about how committees work and what they do. Tackling Specific Tasks Committees are tasked […]... [Read More...]

Sometimes, HOAs have members beyond the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These members are called members-at-large and they also have specific responsibilities. Here’s what board members and homeowners alike should know about what these important people do. What is a Member-at-Large? A member-at-large is an HOA board member who does not have a specific […]... [Read More...]

Understanding the different roles on an HOA board can help the board make sure that everyone there is contributing. It can also help people interested in being on the board to decide what roles they might want to play. Here’s what is usually expected of the person who is the treasurer on an HOA board. […]... [Read More...]

The HOA secretary has an important role to play in making sure the association runs well. Many people think that secretaries simply take notes, but they actually do quite a bit more than that. Here’s what everyone in an HOA should know about the secretary’s duties. Maintain Accurate Records It is the secretary’s job to […]... [Read More...]

The vice president of a homeowner’s association board has an important role. While some people aren’t quite sure what to do with this position, this person is a key player in the association. Much of whether the HOA is a success or a failure comes down to how well the vice president does their job. […]... [Read More...]

Whether you have just been elected to the HOA board, you’re new to an HOA and you want to know what’s going on, or you’ve been around for a while but you’re just catching up, it’s important to know how your HOA works. You can start by understanding what an HOA president does. The Voice […]... [Read More...]

People who already live in an HOA can take their association for granted. After all, they already know what it does and why it’s there. However, new people may not understand the role of the HOA. It can make their transition easier if there’s someone around whose job it is to explain life in an […]... [Read More...]

Most of the time, being on an HOA board is pretty straightforward. You follow the procedures set out for you and you do your best to meet people and make them feel welcome in the neighborhood. However, sometimes unusual things come up. One of these is an HOA board member holdover. What is an HOA […]... [Read More...]

Homeowners who live in an HOA have many rights, though some may not be familiar with all of them. Whether you are on the HOA board or you are simply a member of an HOA, it’s important to know what these rights are. That way, you can advocate to make sure that everyone has them […]... [Read More...]

Most people who are on HOA boards aren’t there just to enforce the rules. In fact, many of them really don’t enjoy this aspect of their job. While making people play by the rules is not always fun, it’s an essential task if an HOA is going to function well. It’s also easier if everyone […]... [Read More...]

It’s important that HOA board members, whether new or old, know what they’re doing and how the association works. While they may know some of this when they get elected to the board, the truth is that they can’t know everything. Developing a training protocol for new members will help bring them up to speed […]... [Read More...]

Whether you are recruiting other people to join you on your HOA board or you’re trying to decide if you should run for a position on it yourself, it’s important to know why people might want to participate. That way, everyone can make the decision that is best for them and the most interested and […]... [Read More...]

Most HOA board members know that the association has a reserve fund, and they may even know why it’s there, but that doesn’t mean they know how to manage it properly. Here’s what every HOA board needs to understand when it comes to their reserve fund. What is the Reserve Fund? The reserve fund is […]... [Read More...]

If you’re new to being on your HOA board or you feel like your meetings aren’t as effective as they could be, try the following strategies. Making sure your meetings are running well will help motivate people to attend them and will help your whole organization work more efficiently. Have an Agenda An agenda is […]... [Read More...]

Most HOAs keep minutes of their meetings. This is standard operating procedure and is likely required by the governing documents, as well. However, many board members don’t know just how important the minutes can be. Here’s what you need to know to make sure you take good minutes and have minutes that can withstand any […]... [Read More...]

One of the key tasks of an HOA board is to handle the community’s money. It comes in via dues, but the board has to decide how best to spend it for the good of the entire community. However, sometimes board members don’t know how to best spend the money they are entrusted with, or […]... [Read More...]

If you’re on a HOA board, you will eventually need to help your association set up contracts for services. These might be ongoing services, like snow removal or trash pickup, or they might be one-time services, like sprinkler installation or pool repair. No matter what the service is, make sure you avoid the following mistakes. […]... [Read More...]

Most HOA boards work with committees of homeowners to achieve certain goals. There might be a social or an events committee, a landscape committee, a social media committee, and more. Every HOA can tailor their committees to work for them, so they are maximally effective at running their community. However, it’s not enough to just […]... [Read More...]

All sorts of issues can come up when you live in an HOA. If you’re on the board, you have to figure out how to deal with these in ways that will help people live well without hampering too much of their independence. Here are just a few of the issues that people we work […]... [Read More...]

Sometimes, confusion arises in an HOA about the difference between insurance that individual homeowners need to hold and insurance that the HOA itself needs to hold. People can end up with gaps in their coverage or could be paying for double coverage that they don’t need. The best way to make sure that your members […]... [Read More...]

HOAs require money in order to complete the tasks set out for them in the governing documents. However, it’s important to make sure that money gets spent wisely and that no single person has too much control over the budget. This is where the operating budget comes into play. Since most HOAs publish their budgets […]... [Read More...]

Did you know that trust is one of the most important commodities that an HOA board deals in? It’s true. When people trust the HOA board, they will be more likely to follow the rules, respond positively when they don’t follow a rule, bring up conflict in a healthy way, and build community among their […]... [Read More...]

Establishing a sense of goodwill in your community may not seem like it should be a priority, but that’s an incorrect impression. In fact, this sense can be key to keeping your community running smoothly and well. Here’s why you might want to change your mind about focusing on goodwill in your HOA. What, Exactly, […]... [Read More...]

Holiday season is just around the corner, which means that it is time to consider holiday decorations in your neighborhood. Remember, some people like to decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more, so it’s never a bad time to consider what your rules are going to be and how you’re going to enforce them. Set […]... [Read More...]

Most people have heard horror stories about HOAs that are only out for the money, or ones that go bankrupt, or ones that spend way too much on services because they don’t know any better. However, most people don’t realize that most HOAs are okay, if not exceptional, places to live. If you’re on your […]... [Read More...]