HOA Management Blog

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, how well do HOA board members in your homeowners association communicate with members? Take a moment to think about that, or even discuss it with your fellow board members. Be honest. If you’re like many other HOA boards, communication with members can be a challenge, especially without the help of a manager. So what can you do to get your messages read or heard?

Making positive touch points in your homeowners association is an important job of HOA board members. It helps foster relationships with residents in the community so that if an issue arises – either positive or negative – they feel comfortable and confident that they can bring it to the attention of the Board. There are many different ways to make these positive touch points. A newsletter, whether written or electronic, is a great way to communicate with each member of the Association. Below are 8 rules to follow when creating effective newsletters.

Whether you have a majority of first-time homeowners or long-time residents in your homeowners association, everyone has a hefty investment in where they live. It’s important that the HOA board has a program in place to preserve the value of residences, as well as the surrounding common areas shared by all. 

It’s required by law that time be set aside at each HOA board meeting for members to address the Board. This time for open comments allows members to have a voice about issues in the Association; however it’s important to understand what can and cannot be done during this time.

Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” In order to effectively run a homeowners association, an HOA board, even if it has a manager, can’t do everything. It needs the help of members getting involved and forming committees. While the Board is ultimately responsible for the decisions in the Association, it can give authority and responsibility in some areas. The key is defining clear guidelines for the committees and getting people involved in areas that interest them.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a drone! Camera-mounted private drones are becoming increasingly popular. However, the technology and problems that come with them are still new, and enforcing this violation in your homeowners association will bring unique challenges, as well as the ability to locate the operator.

As the holiday season approaches, people will often be traveling out of town to spend time with extended family. This could mean more owners than usual in your homeowners association might be leaving their homes empty while on vacation. There are precautions that your community members can take to provide that homes are not enticing to thieves, susceptible to fire, and the Association's crime rate be kept at a minimum. 

The kids are back in school, the air is cooler, the leaves are falling – fall must be here. But, before you can enjoy those pumpkin spice lattes, you need to make sure that you're prepared for the wetter months ahead. Is your homeowners association ready? 

Living in a homeowners association is more than just residing in a structure of wood and nails. It’s about building relationships and being part of a community. There are key relationships that HOA board members can nurture and encourage residents in the Association to develop as well.

Do the homes in your homeowners association have fireplaces? One of winter’s great pleasures is relaxing in front of a warm, cozy fire. For most months of the year the fireplace stands idle, and these long periods of disuse can lead to hazardous conditions when members light their first fire of the season. 

Disgusted by all of those unsolicited credit card offers clogging up your mailbox? Tired of lugging catalogs and junk mail to the recycling bin? All of this unwanted mail creates nothing but headaches and wasted paper for homeowners association residents, so it’s no wonder putting an end to it is a priority for many people.

While you can’t eliminate everything, you can noticeably reduce the avalanche of paper in your mailbox just by picking up the phone or hopping online.

Does your HOA board deal with noise disturbance complaints from members? Noise is an inevitable reality in a condominium homeowners association. Condominium dwellers live in such close proximity, it’s essential that all residents consider the effect that noise will have on their neighbors – especially when it comes to long-term considerations, such as deciding on floor coverings, where to mount the flat-screen television or when to knock out a wall.