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Homeowners who live in a Southwest Florida HOA community have many rights, but not everyone is familiar with them. Whether you’re an HOA board member or a resident, understanding these rights helps you advocate for fair treatment, ensure compliance with Florida HOA laws, and prevent unnecessary conflicts. Can Homeowners Change HOA Rules? Yes! HOA rules […]... [Read More...]

Serving as an HOA board member comes with significant responsibilities—and the satisfaction of knowing you’re making a positive impact on your community. One of the most critical aspects of effective HOA management is maintaining transparency in communication. While it may be tempting to keep certain issues under wraps—whether it’s internal disagreements or an investment that […]... [Read More...]

Being on your homeowners’ association board often means working hard to balance the cares and concerns of one person or a small group of people with those of the larger group. This can mean that it can be difficult to figure out who should be responsible for certain things: the HOA or the individual homeowner. […]... [Read More...]

As a community association board member, one of your primary responsibilities is ensuring that the association operates smoothly, remains financially sound, and serves the needs of its residents. Achieving this requires skilled management, clear communication, and an understanding of complex legal, financial, and operational matters. One key way to ensure effective management is by hiring […]... [Read More...]

As a member of your HOA’s board, you want people to feel safe in the neighborhood. After all, this helps keep property values high, means that people want to maintain residence in the area, and is the right thing to do. Here’s how your board can make safety a priority. Increase Lighting Without proper lighting, […]... [Read More...]

Which is better – self-managing a condominium association or hiring a professional condominium manager? This is a question that many associations face, and the answer isn’t always clear. While there are benefits on both sides, many have found that hiring a professional community manager is well worth the investment. Here are just a few of the benefits of hiring a professional company to take over condominium management in Sarasota and help you decide what’s best for your... [Read More...]

Spring is just around the corner, and every condominium association knows that this time of year is the perfect time to start tackling some maintenance to work to get the property ready for summer weather. Though Florida winters are mild, properties still tend to need a little bit of extra TLC when spring rolls around. Here are a few basic spring condominium maintenance tips to get your condominium in top shape! Inspect your roof. Spring... [Read More...]

The end of the year is often a stressful time if you’re on an HOA board. After all, many associations hold votes at the end of the year and financial statements are also due. In fact, you might be time to take a break by the time January comes. However, starting the new year right […]... [Read More...]

Saving energy in a community association doesn’t require drastic measures or embracing an extremely different standard of living. From small, everyday changes to long-term renovations, there are several things you can do conserve energy. In doing so, you will not only reduce your impact on the environment, you will see significant changes on your bills. If you want to conserve energy in your homeowner’s or condominium association, here are several simple steps that you can... [Read More...]

If you manage a homeowners association, you know the importance of homeowner’s association fees and dues. These fees are necessary for covering common expenses, maintaining the properties and paying for any amenities the community offers. Unfortunately, not all homeowners are good at keeping up with paying their dues, and when someone doesn’t pay their fair share, everyone in the association is affected. When homeowners fail to pay dues and fees, it could result in shuttered... [Read More...]

Why People Choose to Live in HOAs People choose to live in communities guided by a homeowners association for a wide variety of reasons. Some are more common than others, but everyone who chooses a home in one of these areas has a reason for doing so.As a member of your HOA board, it’s important […]... [Read More...]

Choosing the Best People to Run Your HOA Whether you are part of an HOA board or you’re a homeowner who cares about seeing your association running well, you can understand the importance of making sure you get the right people in charge of the group. Even if that isn’t you, there are things you […]... [Read More...]

Handling Unhappy Homeowners While there are many rewarding parts of being on an HOA board, one difficult aspect of the job is handling unhappy homeowners. Some people are always dissatisfied with those who have authority over them, but others might be legitimately upset or have something to say that you can hear and empathize with. […]... [Read More...]

Financial Responsibility in Your HOA Sometimes, the stars align and everyone agrees about who should pay for what in an HOA. More frequently, though, people disagree about whose finances should cover what. This is particularly true when homeowners think that the HOA should cover a cost and the HOA thinks that the homeowner should cover […]... [Read More...]

It’s one thing when your HOA votes to change its own laws. When that happens, board members are almost guaranteed to understand the changes that are occurring and how they affect the HOA and the way the board works. However, changing municipal, state, and federal laws can be more difficult. Not only do you need […]... [Read More...]

Most of the time, sticking to an HOA budget isn’t difficult. After all, most associations face generally the same expenses every year and they have ample notice when prices are rising or something else is going to change with how they spend their money. Sometimes, though, emergencies come up. If this is happening to you […]... [Read More...]

Many HOAs go all out when it comes to decorating for the holidays. However, others don’t have the desire or the budget to do this. If this describes your HOA, or if you’re looking to save money even on a lavish holiday display, there are some ways to lower the cost of decorating for the […]... [Read More...]

Most homeowner’s associations are built on the backs of a number of volunteers. These people do everything from running the board to keeping the books to making special events happen and more. Without them, the association wouldn’t be able to do much of anything at all! Finding the right volunteers for your HOA can be […]... [Read More...]

One of the best ways to build community in your homeowner’s association is to help people get to know each other. That way, they can form connections and, because they live close to each other, they’ll be better able to sustain that connectedness. While there are many ways to connect homeowners to each other, one […]... [Read More...]

When an HOA board member is departing, it can be hard to know how to say goodbye. After all, this is someone who has given a significant amount of time and energy to the association and it can be difficult to know how to acknowledge that appropriately. Whether you are another board member or a […]... [Read More...]

No one who lives in an HOA likes to see costs (and therefore dues!) go up. After all, everyone has bills to pay and plenty of places where they can spend their well-earned money. Giving more to the association isn’t usually top on anyone’s list of places to spend. If your homeowners are serious about […]... [Read More...]

With droughts and other water problems popping up all over the USA, it’s time to start taking water conservation more seriously. Even if you’re already careful, it’s time to take some more steps to make sure you’re using water responsibly and leaving some for the generations that come after you. If you’re in charge of […]... [Read More...]

Both HOA common areas and individual homes in an association need some electrical care now and then. If you’re on the board, you can make sure these things happen for the common areas and communicate the need for them to the people you serve. Keep Track of Electrical Issues One of the things you can […]... [Read More...]

When you’re on the HOA board, you have to be concerned about the plumbing in common buildings and it’s a good idea to communicate with your homeowners about potential plumbing issues, too. Here’s what you need to think about (and tell your members to think about for their own homes!). Contact us at AMI if […]... [Read More...]

Summer is coming (if it’s not here already!) and even people who wait to use their air conditioners are turning them on again! Whether you’re communicating with homeowners or doing the best you can for the association, there are a few things you can do to keep your HVAC running well this summer. If you’re […]... [Read More...]

The connection between members of an HOA community is important. Whether you’re a community leader or just a homeowner, the more you know the people around you, the more likely you are to invest in the community and try to make it a better place to live. Some people like events, while others prefer to […]... [Read More...]

The Fourth of July is a great summer holiday. However, it’s also one of the times of the year when people and property are most likely to experience damage. It’s easy for things to get out of hand, especially when alcohol and fireworks are involved. As a leader in your community, you can help make […]... [Read More...]

Whether you’re on your HOA board, considering running for a position, or trying to decide who to vote for, it’s important to remember that there are certain characteristics that make people better suited to running your association than people without those characteristics are. Here are some of the top characteristics of good HOA board members. […]... [Read More...]

If you’re on an HOA board or the events planning committee, you know how important it is to gather your community together. After all, people are better neighbors to each other when they actually know each other, and having fun together is one great way to help people meet others in the area. Here are […]... [Read More...]

A lot of people live in areas with homeowners associations for years, but they still don’t know what the association does. They may not even attend any association events. Other times, associations are so “behind the scenes” that many of the homeowners don’t actually know what they do. Everyone in an HOA should know what […]... [Read More...]