HOA Management Blog

When living in a homeowners association residents are expected to pay assessments that are used to make the community a nice place to live. These fees contribute to utility and vendor bills, maintenance, short term and long term projects, and upkeep of amenities such as the pool.

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.

Do you remember receiving the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) when you moved into the Association? Do you know that they are very important to you as the homeowner? Have you taken a look at these documents lately? If not, now is a great time to brush up on the do’s and don’ts of your community. There is no time like the present to make sure you are in compliance.

As an HOA property manager you never want to see a rise in crime at a homeowners association you oversee, and that is exactly what I am experiencing at one of the properties I manage.

For those who have green thumbs, but are living in tiny quarters, an impressive garden may seem unattainable. However, many are turning toward urban gardening in their homeowners association, bringing plant life into unique spaces and growing gardens in every nook and cranny. These miniature “Edens” bring great natural beauty and help reduce our carbon footprints. As more people move to urban areas, urban gardens are becoming more popular, and encouraging those who have never planted to go dig in the dirt to see what comes up. While urban gardening does have its challenges, we have a few tips on how to overcome them to bring your small garden into full bloom.

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?

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. 

One of the benefits of living in a homeowners association is enjoying access to common areas such as a swimming pool, clubhouse, lawn area or exercise room. When a resident sees something that needs repair they are encouraged to submit a maintenance request to inform the HOA board and manager of the issue.

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.

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.

Whether your new home is just down the street in a nearby homeowners association or across the country, moving can be stressful. There’s a lot of work to be done before that final box is unpacked and it’s easy to overlook the details that pile up the closer you get to your departure date.