Inspectors found ‘substantial structural deterioration’ in 18 condominium complexes on the Treasure Coast — 11 in St. Lucie County, six in Martin County and one in Indian River County. It may not happen as often as we would like, but once in a while, the Florida Legislature gets something right. Read the article…………………………….
Fair elections matter in Sun City Lincoln Hills (CA)
A fair and open election process is the foundation of trust in our community. In recent elections, however, some members have grown concerned about our HOA’s communication practices. Read the article…………………………….
Minnesota has a chance to reform HOAs
As organizations dedicated to affordable homeownership across Minnesota, we believe Homeowner Association reforms are urgently needed to protect homeowners. We urge the Minnesota Legislature to pass proposed HOA reform legislation this session. Read the article…………………………….
Civic apathy isn’t just a national problem (NV)
More than half of all homeowners in Nevada live under the governance of a homeowners association (HOA). That’s over a million people—neighbors, families, retirees—subject to the decisions of elected boards that regulate everything from landscaping to lawsuits, budgets to property rights. These associations wield real power. Yet most of us don’t treat them like the […]
Minnesota has a chance to reform HOAs
As organizations dedicated to affordable homeownership across Minnesota, we believe Homeowner Association reforms are urgently needed to protect homeowners. We urge the Minnesota Legislature to pass proposed HOA reform legislation this session. Read the article…………………………….
Florida condo owners face safety, structural reforms. They’ll look like this | Opinion
Following the devastating collapse of Champlain Towers South in 2021, Florida has undertaken the most sweeping condo safety reforms in the state’s history. These new regulations, while aimed at preventing another tragedy, have also placed significant financial burdens on condo associations and unit owners, raising concerns about affordability, property values, and legal exposure. Read the […]
Opinion: Construction defect laws make condos scarce in San Diego, state (CA)
The dream of affordable homeownership is increasingly out of reach for middle-class households in California. This is not just because of soaring prices, but also an invisible barrier — outdated construction defect laws have made condos incredibly rare. Across most of the world, people have been able to live near jobs and amenities by owning […]
Investor who snagged Denver home for $23,524 can do the right thing with a deal too good to be true (Editorial) (CO)
We all know the saying — if a deal seems too good to be true, it is. Christophe Attard scored a Denver home worth at least $300,000 in a 2021 foreclosure auction for a mere $23,524. To his credit, Attard has allowed the family he bought the home out from under to continue to live […]
Love It Or Loathe It: Condo Fury Vs. Tiny Home Glory
“What is truly the best route to affordable living? The tiny home, or the tiny condo? And are there learnings from the tiny home revolution we can adapt to pre-construction?” Read the article…………………………….
Op-ed: Local Law 97 set to cost co-op and condo owners millions (maybe billions!) in fees and fines (NY)
The city’s zeal to enforce new environmental laws is set to crush the City’s middle-class housing stock under the weight of shockingly untenable fines. At issue is the implementation of Local Law 97, which was passed in 2019. The ambitious law sets emissions limits for buildings over 25,000 square feet, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas […]
Vare’s view on Fishers rental cap proposal (IN)
The Fishers City Council is poised to approve Mayor Fadness’ proposal to enact a citywide rental cap. This new policy would be the first of its kind in the nation and will impact Fishers neighborhoods of single-family homes, townhomes and condos. Read the article…………………………….
This should be public record (NC)
I submitted a public records request for information about an “independent review” of what the city calls a claim against the city by the Covent Gardens Homeowners Association. As a High Point taxpayer and member of the HOA, I was concerned about how much taxpayer money was spent on this “independent review,” who conducted this […]
HB 16 wrongly targets homeowner association ‘No yard sign’ rules (OH)
Ohio House Bill 16 seeks to void existing Homeowners Associations’ (HOA) yard sign rules as applied to political signs. This bill would unnecessarily reduce local control, overlook less intrusive options, and give HOAs unwanted headaches and costs. Read the article…………………………….
Condo owners take another hit with ‘blacklist.’ What’s Florida’s future for condos? | Opinion
The news that a rising number of Miami-Dade County condos are included on a “blacklist” of properties that may be blocked from securing conventional mortgage financing and potentially face a tough time obtaining maintenance loans is sure to set off alarm bells in our community. And it should. Read the article…………………………….
Kill bill that turns short-term rentals into residences (MT)
Kill Montana Senate Bill 336. This bill seeks to redefine short-term rentals as residential, non-commercial property use, disregarding neighbors’ rights, undermining local control and threatening public safety. While framed to protect private property rights, SB336 ignores rights of those living next to STRs, who deal with constant turnover, noise and erosion of community. Everyone has […]
HOA sees development issues for Tract 6A (NM)
When the city acquired the remaining 250 acres from Santa Fe Estates in 2020, it became the declarant of Las Estrellas in the Northwest Quadrant. In January, the City Council appointed Jake Garrison, an Albuquerque lawyer, to act as “contractor” to strip Tract 6A, a 20-acre portion of Las Estrellas between South Ridgetop Road and […]
Lawmakers work to protect homeowners from dubious HOAs (CO)
No homeowners association. That was on my list of nonnegotiables when I shopped for a house a couple of decades ago. I don’t want someone measuring the height of my lawn or telling me what shade of beige I can paint my house or disallowing a front yard bird bath or hiking fees every year […]
Florida lawmakers move to weaken condo owner protections | Opinion
Florida condo owners face renewed challenges with a proposed bill in the Florida Legislature threatening to roll back recent protections, as a back-and-forth battle between the developers’ lobby, condo associations and owners appears to be helping builders gain ground. Read the article…………………………….
Florida lawmakers should make condo laws less repressive, not more | Opinion
I want to publicly thank state Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, and her aide, Evelyn Duplecy, for being so responsive to my concerns as a Boca Raton condominium owner. And that of my neighbors who have called and written about our desire to lift some of the burdens of the 2022 “Condo Law,” which requires […]
Opposing the HOA Ombudsperson Bill (MN)
For the past few years, hearing anything about HOAs in the Minnesota State Legislature was hard to come by. I had a conversation with a state representative at a coffee meeting about a year ago in the south metro, and after listening to me rant about rising HOA insurance, he looked at me with puzzlement […]
Senate Hearing on Ombudsperson for HOAs (MN)
On Friday afternoon, March 21, the Minnesota Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety held a public hearing on SF1063, which seeks to establish an “ombudsperson” within the Minnesota Department of Commerce, ostensibly to serve as a referee on dispute resolution between “unit owners” and associations in common interest communities, or HOAs Read the article…………………………….
HOAs vs. the Environment: Why It’s Time to Rethink the American Lawn
Growing up in a suburban neighborhood meant you most likely overheard adults bickering about the HOA at one point or another. My dad would often be irate after his weekly meetings with our HOA, and I vividly remember him coming home flabbergasted that the association wouldn’t let a family paint their shutters green. My dad […]
Urge Your Senator to OPPOSE HB 303 – Harmful to Community Associations (MD)
The Maryland CAI Legislative Action Committee (LAC) needs your help! Tell the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to OPPOSE HB 303 Real Property – Regulation of Common Ownership Community Managers. This bill will be heard on Thursday, March 27th at 1pm. Read the article…………………………….
Promote Fair Dispute Resolution, OPPOSE SF 1063 (MN)
CAI Minnesota Legislative Action Committee (MN LAC) needs your help! SF 1063 Common interest community ombudsperson creation is being heard by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Friday, March 21, and we need you to tell your Senator to OPPOSE this bill! If enacted, SF 1063 would establish a community association ombudsman program […]
Gender equity: Women in community associations are raising awareness
Women in community associations are having a conversation about gender equity in the workplace. They agree that systemic change requires raising awareness of women’s experiences and welcoming the conversation. “We have a responsibility to other women to stand up for ourselves. We’re kicking the door open for somebody else,” says Noelle Hicks, a shareholder at […]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Keep political yard signs off HOA lawns (WY)
To the editor: The First Amendment – There’s been some “high talk” locally and by our local state representatives about free speech and against homeowners associations restricting political yard signs. Sign proponents say they can ignore HOA covenants restricting signs because it’s their First Amendment right. That amendment says governments can’t restrict free speech. HOAs […]
Restoring HOA transparency and accountability (MN)
For many months, homeowners from across our community and state have been reaching out to me sharing stories of exploitation and power-imbalance they’ve experienced with their homeowners associations (HOAs) and property management companies. Read the article…………………………….
Florida has the wrong bogeyman for our condo crisis. It’s not climate change. | Opinion
I have been a condominium owner in Jupiter for five years. Over that period our condo’s property insurance has doubled, as well as our reserve contributions. Fortunately, we have not had any assessments, and our condo has completed its Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) requirement. Read the article…………………………….
Another Demoralizing HOA Fee Hits SF Real Estate Market (CA)
San Francisco remains a renter’s city. Roughly 60% of its residents rent, rather than own — a delta that appears to be growing by the year. San Francisco is also among the few major cities in the United States to have a rent control ordinance that oversees properties in San Francisco, which as about 40% […]
The Real Downsides of the Proposed HOA Legislation (MN)
It’s been an interesting week watching the analyses unfold of the proposed legislation that is coursing through the Minnesota Legislature that, if passed, will have profound effects (some with unintended negative consequences) on HOAs across the land of 10,000 lakes. Our own Lynn Boergerhoff testified in front of the House hearing for HF1268, and I […]
Crisis in Leisure World (CA)
The crisis in Leisure World Seal Beach deepens. Shareholders were dancing in the street after the recent board meeting where it was announced that the executive director contract as written would not be renewed. It didn’t take long for shareholders to learn that they had not won their fight and, in fact, the ED might […]
Restoring HOA transparency and accountability (MN)
For many months, homeowners from across our community and state have been reaching out to me sharing stories of exploitation and power-imbalance they’ve experienced with their homeowners associations (HOAs) and property management companies. Feedback I’ve received includes outrageous fines for minor infractions; surprise fees with no explanation; management companies operating with little transparency; and, worst […]
Opinion: HOA Horror Stories Abound — California Needs Better Regulation
Ask current or former members of a California Homeowners Association to relate a mismanagement or overly zealous board of directors horror story pertaining to owning or living in such a community of homes — chances are good they will respond with a few interesting tales. Read the article…………………………….
The Adventure Of Installing Solar Panels On My Townhouse With A Shared Roof
I’ve wanted to install solar for a long time, but there has always been a reason it doesn’t make sense for me. When I first wanted to install solar about 8 years ago, it didn’t make sense, since my roof was 15 years old, and it adds a lot to your costs (maybe $4,000 or […]
Letter: Palm Coast an HOA? Get over it! (FL)
The mayor’s comment that Palm Coast is not an HOA has offended some of our long-term homeowners who would prefer that Palm Coast be an HOA. But the mayor spoke the obvious truth. An HOA is a contractual association in which the residents give up some of their property rights in return for the supposed […]
Florida’s condo crisis at its breaking point. Tallahassee lawmakers must act
A quality of life that for so long has been attainable for those of us of moderate income now threatens to slip beyond our reach. Condo living, which for decades has drawn millions of out-of-staters to Florida’s warmth and coastal bounty, is increasingly too expensive to sustain, particularly for retirees. Read the article…………………………….
Florida’s condo crisis at its breaking point. Tallahassee lawmakers must act
A quality of life that for so long has been attainable for those of us of moderate income now threatens to slip beyond our reach. Condo living, which for decades has drawn millions of out-of-staters to Florida’s warmth and coastal bounty, is increasingly too expensive to sustain, particularly for retirees. Read the article…………………………….
Of Laws and Life and Getting Along
“No one is above the law.” We hear it often and we believe it. And yet we know, like all things in this world, it is an ideal with myriad mixed application and painful failings all about. It came to mind as my wife and I visited with a friend. This new friend was a […]
The heart of modern neighborhoods (IN)
In an era where digital connections often overshadow personal ones, strong homeowner associations have become more vital than ever. While HOAs sometimes get a bad rap for enforcing rules about paint colors or lawn maintenance, their true value lies in creating vibrant, connected communities that enhance property values and quality of life. Read the article…………………………….
Issues with Local Condos Failing to Comply with New Milestone Inspections Law (FL)
Recent reporting by the Sun Sentinel chronicled how 124 condominium buildings, representing approximately 25,000 residences in unincorporated Palm Beach County, failed to submit their milestone inspection reports by the end of 2024 as required under the new Florida law. The circumstances described in the article are possibly playing out in other jurisdictions throughout the state […]
Gated Communities and Urban Social Dynamics
Gated communities have become a prominent feature of urban landscapes, particularly in rapidly developing regions. These residential enclaves are often associated with social segregation, as they can create physical and social barriers between different groups of residents. Recent research has explored the dynamics of gated communities, examining their impact on social interactions, community trust, and […]
Opinion: Beneath the cracks of Florida’s Condo Crisis
In 2021, the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, shocked the world. Initially framed as an engineering failure, the tragedy exposed a deeper issue: decades of deferred maintenance and a systemic unwillingness to address aging infrastructure in Florida’s condo market. This isn’t just about one building or one law. For years, […]
Regulations Keep Millions of Bedrooms Empty During a Housing Crisis
The U.S. is facing a housing affordability crisis, and new data from Realtor.com highlight an often missed contributing factor: millions of empty bedrooms. Census data reveal 31.8 million “excess” bedrooms in American homes—compared to just 4 million in 1970. Overregulation, particularly in zoning and local occupancy laws, is among the culprits. Read the article…………………………….
2025 Federal Legislative & Regulatory Priorities
Community Associations Institute’s federal government affairs efforts are member driven. The targeted program is dedicated to improving federal policy outcomes for the community association industry through federal legislative action committee leadership and lobby teams, engagement with CAI members, community association experts, and policymakers. Read the article…………………………….
A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW: My Questions About the PLPOA Special Assessment (FL)
Since I don’t belong to the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association (PLPOA), my opinion about the proposed financing of a community gym is just that: an opinion. We all know that opinions are like… well… everyone has one. But I do have questions about the proposal, as it has been described by Bill Hudson in […]
Florida condo owners will pay more in 2025. Time is running out to sell
The Florida condo market is recalibrating, as changes to the Condo Act tank the market for 30-plus year old condos, creating uncertainty for the thousands of families who own them. But developers looking to buy them are facing their own uncertainty. The combination of the recalibration and legal uncertainties have stalled bulk sales which would […]
Condo owners don’t deserve low-interest loan bailouts. It rewards bad behavior. (FL)
The editorial encouraging our Florida state government to step in and provide low interest loans to people living in condominiums that have insufficient reserves to fund long needed maintenance is rewarding bad behavior. These people and their HOAs made a series of poor decisions. Can I get a low-interest loan to fund repairs on my […]
After Surfside, Florida Baby Boomers need state help with condo repairs
It’s not just waterfront condo towers that face shocking maintenance increases. And it’s not just Century Village and its humble two-story buildings. Senior citizens all over Florida are up against the crumbling wall, left to face unexpected structural repairs their fixed incomes can’t possibly accommodate. Read the article…………………………….
Even in Lakewood Ranch, abide by the law (FL letter to editor)
Apparently, there are some people on the Country Club-Edgewater Village Association (HOA) who believe the new Florida House Bill 1203 to be a guideline, and not something our HOA must follow. The bill, which passed during 2024, allows homeowners to park their non-commercial pickup trucks in their driveways without prohibition or fines levied by their […]
How Florida Could Solve Its Insurance Crisis in 2025
The struggling Florida property insurance market was making progress towards stabilizing last year, according to some experts, when Helene and Milton struck the state late in the hurricane season, causing over $200 billion in damages. Read the article…………………………….