HOA Boards often find themselves entering into vendor contracts for landscaping, pool maintenance, security, gate maintenance, and more. However, not all contracts are created equal. That’s why we’re about to offer tips to help you separate the good ones from the bad. Read the article………………
Communicating with Different Personalities in Your HOA
DISC theory is a method of identifying predictable actions and personality traits within human behavior. Knowing these personality traits will help HOA board members communicate more effectively with other board members and homeowners within the community. There are four DISC communication styles – Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Here are some tips for communicating with […]
Summer Fun Out of the Sun – HOA Ideas to Beat the Heat
The sunniest months are upon us, the kids are out of school, and summer fun is in full swing! This is the perfect opportunity for board members to build community relationships. While summer is a popular time for swimming and dive-in movies, not all homeowners take advantage of outdoor amenities, and not all associations have […]
HOA Board Transitions: Passing the Torch to a New HOA Board
When it’s time to pass the torch on to a new HOA board, it’s crucial that the change in power is made as smoothly and efficiently as possible to ensure the continued success of the community and avoid unnecessary management mistakes. Especially if there are numerous experienced board members leaving, it’s important to first establish […]
Home Day Care in the HOA: What you Need to Know
It’s not uncommon for an association to discover that a day care is operating out of a home. Often, problems arise when neighboring residents complain of noise, excess traffic, or other disruptions. Whether the day care owner discloses their business or its existence is made known to the board by other residents, certain steps should […]
HOA Embezzlement – Detecting and Preventing It
One of the most common issues HOA board members deal with is the inappropriate use of funds and embezzlement. This is because committees are usually made up of volunteers who have limited leadership and financial experience, which can create an ideal opportunity for embezzlers to get their hands on some money. There are a few […]
HOA Flag Rules: What you Need to Know
Whether they represent countries, states, or even holidays or professional sports teams, flags are common yard decorations. Chances are that homeowners in your community will want to display one type of flag or another at some point. It’s a fun way for them to express patriotism, pride, and festivities. As an HOA, it’s smart to […]
Prioritizing Projects in Your HOA Neighborhood or Community
When it comes to figuring out which community projects to tackle, association management is a balancing act between invisible infrastructure repairs and maintaining curb appeal to attract new homeowners and keep current homeowners satisfied. The best way to handle this balancing act is to treat running your association like the business that it is. In […]
Can your HOA stop you from composting and saving water? What to know about a little-known law change (TX)
With record-breaking heat and drought conditions, gardening in North Texas is a challenge in itself. But in some neighborhoods governed by homeowners associations, gardeners have faced additional constraints when attempting to save water and drought-proof their landscapes. While HOAs offer benefits of increased property values and neighborhood attractiveness, most have landscaping rules that require a […]
How to Become Tax Exempt as an HOA (TX, AZ)
Being tax exempt could save your HOA money in annual tax return forms, but achieving exemption is trickier than it looks. Homeowners associations are usually already considered nonprofit corporations, but just being a nonprofit doesn’t automatically make an HOA tax exempt, or even eligible for tax exemption. Here, we’re going to answer some basic questions […]
Common Issues HOA Board Members Face
Serving on the HOA board is a unique experience that brings together volunteers of varying backgrounds and philosophies. Volunteering in such capacity is extremely rewarding, but can also be hard at times especially considering that most board members are simply just volunteers without formal training in HOA affairs. HOA board members must collectively come together […]
A Community Divided by Hurricane Harvey (TX)
Twelve months after the storm, residents of Houston’s The Pines condominium complex are still weighing whether to rebuild or move on Read the article………………
Alternatives to Evening HOA Board Meetings
Attending board meetings is one of the biggest commitments a Board of Directors member makes. These meetings are of high importance because your board takes actions that affect the whole community. However, these meetings can eat several hours out of your schedule, and can be especially time-consuming if your board meets once a month. To […]
What Is An HOA Elections Inspector? (TX)
An HOA Elections Inspector is a professional inspector that a company will hire out to providing professional inspections to homeowners associations. These elections inspectors are able to help HOA’s with a variety of tasks ensuring that the HOA elections are run in a fair manner to give all candidates involved a chance at being elected. […]
Handling Support Animals in an HOA Neighborhood
What do turkeys, monkeys, pigs, and ducks all have in common? Believe it or not, all of these animals have been in the news lately for joining their owners on airplanes as emotional support animals. While we’re not downplaying the importance of emotional support animals for their owners, today we’re highlighting a hot topic in […]
Automation Leads to Smart HOA Communities
With so many Americans living in communities that are managed by HOAs, the need to improve management efficiency and effectiveness is greater than ever, and HOA members expressing a lack of communication or functionality is common. Incorporating automation into your HOA solutions can alleviate this frustration, improve resident-board relations, and add some cost effective measures […]
Community Golf Course? Some Things to Consider
“Golf” communities have historically been amongst the most popular specialist recreational communities. In the 1990s, many communities were developed around golf courses, and buyers would pay a premium. However, golf lacks the popularity it once had, and associations have to consider what they are going to do as the number of rounds diminishes, and the once […]
Cyber Security for HOA Communities
In this modern age where nearly everything is done electronically, it’s important to have a cyber security plan in place for your HOA. As a board member, you’re responsible for safeguarding the information of all residents in your community, and it’s essential for you to have both an official cyber policy and an emergency plan […]
Budgeting Tips for HOA Boards
It’s hard enough to manage personal financials, with medical expenses, home and car insurance, mortgages, etc. So, how should you, as a board member, best tackle the finances of an entire HOA, especially when your term on the Board is comparatively short compared to the financial history of the HOA you’re in charge of managing? […]
Terms Every HOA Board Should Know
As a volunteer member of an HOA board, you are bound to encounter terms or situations that are unfamiliar to you. Much of the time, you’ll be able to learn as you go, picking up new terminologies, ideologies, and ways of handling different situations. However, there are some terms that you should be familiar with […]
Encouraging Participation in HOA Board Meetings
If an HOA board is only as good as its members, it is imperative that regular board meetings be well attended by actively engaged participants. This ensures that problems are solved in a timely manner, and is essential to the overall success of any community. It’s not uncommon for even the most established HOA boards […]
Fireworks in the HOA
Summer celebrations are gearing up, and the commemorative fun often includes the bright, colorful addition of fireworks! Safety and consideration for others should always be a priority, and are especially important when handling or viewing fireworks within and HOA. As firework season approaches, it’s worth reminding association members of the following tips to ensure a […]
Exterior Lighting Tips for HOA Communities
If your community is looking for a quick and fairly simple way to improve safety and curb appeal, it is time to consider exterior lighting. Without dark spots and shadows, thieves don’t have places to lurk and your community will immediately reduce its chance of being targeted for burglaries. And as an added bonus, exterior […]
Finding HOA Board Life Balance
Successfully balancing a career and personal life while serving on your HOA board may sometimes feel daunting, but it’s not impossible. This week, we look at some ways to achieve balance across all areas of life while meaningfully serving your community. Read the article………………….
Appeals court sends homeowners association’s lawsuit over flood damage back to Harris County (TX)
A homeowners association’s lawsuit to recover the cost of flood damage to a reserve tract in a Harris County community is on its way back to a local district court after a Texas appeals court ruled, in part, that the lower court had been wrong to find for defendants in the case. Read the article………………
Voting by Proxy at HOA Meetings: What you Need to Know
As a board member you’re guaranteed to run in to people who vote by proxy, so it’s important that you understand the process and possible implications of it. The biggest question we get about proxies is “What is it?” A proxy is simply a document that an owner signs to appoint someone else to vote […]
Summer Safety Tips for Your HOA
Summer break offers excellent opportunities to spend time with family! With open community pools, vacations, and day trips with the kids, we’re sure you’ll be plenty busy in the coming weeks. We know board members like you are committed to ensuring the safety of homeowners who enjoy HOA amenities during weekend barbecues and pool parties. […]
Creating Additional HOA Revenue
Unexpected expenses are unavoidable, even for an HOA. Whether they come as a result of natural causes, like weather or pests, or from unforeseen maintenance issues, there may come a time when your HOA dues simply can’t cover the costs of running the community. Below are some ideas of how to bring in extra funds […]
HOA Fencing Guidelines
Whether you’re building a new fence or updating an existing structure, there are several points of fencing guidelines that you should keep in mind before, during, and after the process. Fencing significantly impacts the look of more than just your property – it can affect the appearance of neighboring properties and even change the look […]
Handling ACC Variances
Probably one of the most dreaded tasks of any HOA board member in Dallas or surrounding areas is having to notify a resident when their architectural change requests are rejected. No matter how flexible your board may be, there will be times when a resident requests approval for changes that fall outside covenant restrictions and […]
HOA Success Tips from Past Mistakes
We’ve all had those moments where we wish we could have done better. Or, maybe we missed the mark a bit. Failure and mistakes are part of life, but we believe failure is where success is found. Making mistakes generally comes from trying – trying something new or trying something challenging – and if those […]
HOA Board Conflict Resolution (TX)
As a member of your HOA’s Board of Directors, you’re accustomed to listening to homeowners’ concerns, disputes, and complaints and resolving these issues to the best of your abilities. But what happens when your fellow Board members have an argument? What should you do if a dispute between board members gets in the way of […]
Accident Proofing Your HOA’s Amenities
Board members never set out to have an accident happen in their association. Nevertheless, accidents occasionally happen and claims are time-consuming and costly, even if they’re ultimately denied. To best protect your association, consider investing time upfront to keep HOA areas as safe as possible. Below are safety concerns to look out for in an […]
HOA Accounting 101
One of the most important jobs of any HOA board is managing community finances. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most underestimated jobs. We’ve seen many boards mismanage the money simply because they didn’t understand basic accounting fundamentals. We know most financial trouble for HOA’s has nothing to do with intentional neglect, but everything […]
Memorial Day Ideas for Your HOA
With beautiful spring weather in full force and Memorial Day fast approaching, folks are eager to get outside and spend time with neighbors and friends. Throwing a party to celebrate Memorial Day is a great way to bring your residents together and create a greater sense of community with minimal effort. Read the article………………
Detecting Fraud in an HOA
Fraud and embezzlement are topics no HOA wants to ever deal with, but the best way to avoid it is to always watch for it. It is a sad reality, but fraud and embezzlement are more common in HOAs than we’d like to admit, so today we’re going to share four red flags your board […]
Hassle Free HOA Meeting Minutes
We know that for so many HOA boards, meeting minutes are often viewed as complicated and a pain to deal with, but that doesn’t need be your board’s reality! Taking thorough, efficient, and stress-free minutes is possible! Here are our top three recommendations guaranteed to help your board get a system in place, so taking […]
Spring Events to Bring Your HOA Community Together
Warmer weather means it’s almost time for outdoor activities to begin! With only a few weeks left until Spring finally arrives, here are five ideas for an outdoor community event you can organize: Read the article……………….
Neighbor to Neighbor Disputes and HOA Involvement
Occasionally, neighbor-to-neighbor disputes will occur between homeowners in your HOA. As a board member, what is your role in the resolution of such matters? Should you even get involved? It’s not uncommon for homeowners in these situations to seek intervention from the board and, while most of these issues involve matters that are addressed in […]
Are Houston’s Deed Restrictions “Basically Zoning”? (TX)
Houston doesn’t have zoning. As I have written about previously here on the blog, this doesn’t mean nearly as much as you would think. Sure, Houston’s municipal government doesn’t segregate uses or expressly regulate densities. But as my Market Urbanism colleague Michael Lewyn has documented, city officials do regulate lot sizes, setbacks, and parking requirements. […]
Getting and Keeping HOA Volunteers
Over the years we’ve worked with many successful HOAs, and one of the things they all have in common is a strong volunteer base. Having people who are willing to volunteer can make all the difference for your HOA. Below are five ways your HOA can promote positive volunteering: Read the article……………
Cold Weather Painting
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things fall behind schedule or the weather changes and we’re faced with having to paint during the early months of the year, when temperatures are not always ideal. Your community may have already faced this, or maybe you will in the near future, so we wanted to take a moment […]
Preparing for an Emergency in your HOA Neighborhood
As an HOA there are a few things your board can do to help protect the community, and to also prepare for a worst case scenario. Remember, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Let’s look at the things your board can do to plan for emergencies. It is helpful to first identify […]
Handling Bad Press Within an HOA Community
Despite your board’s best efforts and intentions, the reality of bad press is something you should take seriously. While it may never happen to your community, your board needs to be proactive and develop a crisis communication plan. While we really encourage your board to work with an association management company and qualified legal counsel […]
Seven Essential Steps to Change Your HOA’s CC&R Agreements
Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions are rulesets established by a neighborhood, homeowners association, builder, or developer. These legal documents explain the responsibilities of the Homeowner Association and its property owners. The CC&Rs are the highest-governing agreements of a community association; they should not be confused with the Bylaws, which explain how the homeowner association hearings are […]
Building Trust with Homeowners as an HOA Board Member
As a board member, it’s important to build relationships with community members based on trust and transparency. Although there are times when confidentiality is called for, the benefits of HOA transparency – increased homeowner involvement, reduced conflict, and confidence in the board’s decisions – cannot be overlooked. Read the article………………..
An Easy Guide to Understanding Board Member Term Limits: Pros & Cons
Having a great board of directors for an HOA or condo association is vitally important to an association’s success. Responsible for governing the association’s budget and needs, members who are willing to serve and to work together is invaluable: just how long they serve is a matter for discussion. Are term limits good or bad […]
Condominium Association – When Does a Home Business Become An Issue?
More and more people these days are either telecommuting or engaged in the “gig economy” – freelancing out of their homes. Many of these home businesses are not an issue for the association – but some are. With more owners not wanting to buy in developments that disallow home-based businesses, condominium associations need to address […]