HOA Management Blog

An area where a lot of HOA board members get into trouble relate to properly understanding the operating fund and the reserve fund in a homeowners association. If the two funds aren’t properly maintained a Board can be setting up the Association for failure and don’t even know it. It’s crucial that Boards understand how to use the operating fund and reserve fund, and use them correctly so they don’t find the Association in financial ruin.

The HOA board is responsible for protecting, maintaining, and enhancing the Association, but this is difficult to do on its own. Board members willingly volunteer their time and resources to make sure their community is a pleasant place to call home. If it’s not run effectively, then it won’t be a pleasant place at all. Since HOA board members are volunteers, they don’t always have the time or expertise to make sure the Association is being run properly. This is where an HOA management company comes in.

How would you define an effective HOA board meeting? Most people would see it as time spent efficiently, where issues are addressed, reasonable business decisions are made, and action items are assigned, in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration.

When you hear the word “meeting” do you want to run in the other direction? We’ve all been in meetings that drag on and on, feel like a waste of time because nothing gets accomplished, or are outright exhausting because board members spend the time arguing with each other. What if you had a few tricks up your sleeve to make HOA board members actually look forward to meetings? Okay, at least not dread going to Association meetings? Here’s what you need to do.

Your HOA board has decided it’s time to hire an HOA management company, and you are in charge of the interview process. You know there are probably general questions you should ask, and other things you should find out before signing any kind of contracts. But, you’re still a relatively new board member and want to do this right, so where do you start? Right here. Below are some important things to consider before you hire an HOA management company.

When you move into a new home or you welcome new neighbors into the homeowners association all you can do is hope for the best. Just like you don’t get to choose your parents, you usually don’t get to choose your neighbors either. When you’re a member of the HOA board, do you get involved when neighbors disagree or do you let them work it out themselves?

When you’re recruiting members to be part of your HOA board, it’s important to know how to reach them and to be prepared for common pushbacks you’ll hear when you ask a homeowner to join the Board. But once you find good board members, you don’t want to let them go. So how do you keep them on the Board?

Finding and keeping good people on the board in your homeowners association is possibly one of the toughest jobs you’ll have as an HOA board member. As a current member of the board one of your responsibilities is to recruit homeowners to become part of the board, which is no easy feat. That’s why you should be prepared to have answers to common questions and excuses you’ll probably hear when inviting homeowners to join the board. 

As you may or may not know the State of California has recently adopted an emergency regulation that took effect on August 1, 2014, and is intended to cause a reduction in urban water usage during the current drought. The operative language of the regulation is included at the end of this blog, but here’s what you need to know (in layman’s terms) as a resident in a homeowners association.

Being a board member in a homeowners association is a difficult job. It takes a commitment of time and resources, but it can also be very rewarding. Sometimes you are asked to deal with tough issues that relate to your next door neighbor – maybe even your friend. It can be tough to tell the little old lady who’s just making it on social security, that a special assessment to fix something is going to be in effect. But, you can also use your role as an HOA board member to be the voice for people in the Association.

Summer is in full swing, but the fall season will be here before we know it! This is a great time to do a little cleaning and dust off the cobwebs to give your home a fresh, new feel. Cleaning out and sprucing up your yard are good low-cost alternatives to major home improvement. Whether you hire a professional or have the skills and tools to do it yourself, here are some tips from an HOA board to improve your lawn and landscape in the homeowners association.