A common mistake in state legislatures considering community association manager licensing—and among the general public—is to lump community association managers and property managers into the same bucket.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, resulting economic recession, protests for racial and cultural equality, an incredibly divisive election cycle, wildfires, hurricanes, and more have made 2020 one of the most difficult and stressful years ever.
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Millions of college graduates continue to face uncertainty as they attempt to enter a workforce that’s been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many sectors of the global economy have been hard hit, community association management continues to be a profession in high demand.
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At a time when community matters most, many Americans feel that their community association is the preferred place to call home. For the eighth time in 15 years, residents in homeowners association, condominiums, and housing cooperatives say they’re overwhelmingly satisfied with their communities, according to results from the 2020 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Foundation for Community Association Research.
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For more than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every part of our lives. Our society and communities have sustained great damage from multiple ruptures of the social fabric. It’s time for community associations to rebuild trust and bring neighbors back together again...
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Federal legislation was introduced earlier this week to provide condominium associations access to insured building rehabilitation loans—a move that would help board members make critical structural and safety-based condo repairs...
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Community associations across the country have begun to fight back against the corporate investors who have changed the nature of the communities. In Charlotte, N.C., over recent years, highly funded corporations have been buying thousands of homes in the area and adding them to their growing rental portfolios. This activity has resulted in a lack of affordable housing for homebuyers and a high turnover of renters, resulting in an outcry amongst associations looking to protect their communities.
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Creating community spirit and building neighborly connections is a long-standing attribute of community associations. One community in Northern Virginia is taking a simple, old-school approach that’s proving to be a recipe for success: a block party trailer.
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Lisa Cox, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM, community manager at Sienna Associations in Missouri City, Texas, knows firsthand the impact that getting involved and volunteering can have on a career. As 2022 chair of CAI’s Community Association Managers Council, she will primarily focus on the challenges that community management companies and associations are facing in attracting and retaining talent.
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As an active board member or engaged community member, you’re tuned into your HOA or condo association’s regular activities and needs. Your board, along with its community management firm partner, is responsible for protecting your community’s lifestyle, property values, and overall quality of life.
When things start to break down — snow piles up, fees fail to be collected, or the community pool starts to decay — the partnership between your board, HOA, and the community management company is likely breaking down, too.
Drought brought on by climate change has many community associations out West making a commitment to pulling up grass and installing more sustainable landscaping. Others are turning to smart irrigation systems to reduce water consumption and even relaxing enforcement of landscaping maintenance...
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Condominiums and housing cooperatives must meet updated structural safety requirements to secure loans for mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...
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The past 12 months have been busy on CAI’s Ungated blog. We’ve published 62 posts and gained more than 25,000 views on news, tips, and trends important to community associations. Some of our 2021 highlights included topics such as...
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Structural integrity in high-rise communities has been at the forefront of discussion for CAI after the tragic partial collapse of Champlain Tower South condominium in Surfside, Fla., in late June. A newly released report details public policy recommendations that can provide solutions for legislators addressing high-rise building safety in their districts.
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Last month, Fannie Mae released new project requirements for condominiums and housing cooperatives following the partial collapse of Champlain Tower South condominium in Surfside, Fla., in late June. The requirements, which become effective Jan. 1, apply to loans secured by units in high-rise buildings containing five or more attached units.
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The continued presence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. has been forcing hospitals, schools, other workplaces, and even one Florida apartment community to consider implementing vaccine mandates.
President Joe Biden mandated that all federal employees, federal contractors, and health care workers at Medicaid- and Medicare-funded facilities be vaccinated. In addition, the Biden administration in September directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to impose strict COVID-19 vaccine mandates and testing protocols on large businesses.
The past year and a half has been challenging on many fronts, but one of the biggest upsides has been the so-called pandemic pets: The dogs, cats, and other furry friends who were adopted as people were isolated during stay-at-home orders and looking for companionship to help improve their mental and physical health.
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CAI’s Government and Public Affairs Committee is considering policy reform recommendations that address building inspections, reserve studies, and reserve funding plans in the wake of the devastating collapse of Champlain Tower South condominium in Surfside, Fla., in late June.
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Condominium association residents and volunteer board members around the world understandably have questions about the safety of their own communities and are wondering how to protect their buildings after the tragic collapse of Champlain Tower South Condominium Association in Surfside, Fla. CAI is providing information and resources to help concerned residents and board members understand structural integrity, maintenance, and reserves.
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As the U.S. reopens, many community associations are continuing to navigate conversations with residents about COVID-19 vaccines. Since there is so much information surrounding them, navigating the myths and truths has been an ongoing challenge for board members and community managers.
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Community associations simply can’t function without volunteers. Board members and committee members play a critical role in making community associations vibrant and attractive places to live. Finding, motivating, directing, and creating long-term volunteer partnerships, however, can be challenging.
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Community associations successfully adapted to unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking legal advice on holding meetings virtually, introducing new protocols for reopening amenities, and requiring face coverings in common areas even as more people are vaccinated. Association leaders are now considering which changes may become permanent moving forward.
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Like the community associations and management companies they serve, business partners such as insurance professionals, attorneys, reserves providers, and landscapers adjusted their operations to ensure continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business partners are professionals who offer services to associations and provide expertise to help boards meet their responsibilities to homeowners. Although faced with challenges and economic uncertainty, respondents to a CAI survey fielded in late 2020 reported no major impacts to staffing, client base, or budgeted expenses.
2020 will be remembered for its social unrest, political conflict, and a pandemic, all of which significantly impacted our lives. Weddings were rescheduled, schools went virtual, and our contact with one another was limited by 6 feet of social distance. It certainly was a challenging year, but I believe there were some positive aspects too.
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A common mistake in state legislatures considering community association manager licensing—and among the general public—is to lump community association managers and property managers into the same bucket.
Read More...
The COVID-19 pandemic, resulting economic recession, protests for racial and cultural equality, an incredibly divisive election cycle, wildfires, hurricanes, and more have made 2020 one of the most difficult and stressful years ever.
Read More...
Millions of college graduates continue to face uncertainty as they attempt to enter a workforce that’s been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many sectors of the global economy have been hard hit, community association management continues to be a profession in high demand.
Read More...
At a time when community matters most, many Americans feel that their community association is the preferred place to call home. For the eighth time in 15 years, residents in homeowners association, condominiums, and housing cooperatives say they’re overwhelmingly satisfied with their communities, according to results from the 2020 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Foundation for Community Association Research.
Read More...
It is essential to recognize that your Homeowner Association Board and Management Company are not health care professionals. The primary source of information should come from the federal guidelines and the CDC. Now that States are relaxing quarantine guidelines, many Associations are looking for ideas on how to move forward. There has been plenty of talk about the “new normal.” Now is the time for communities to leverage tools like remote meetings and community websites to get information delivered in a timely and safe manner.
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Turnover is expensive. Getting your property ready to rent, advertising the vacancy, showing the property, and screening tenants are some of the most costly and labor-intensive tasks involved in owning and profiting from rental property. Once you've found an ideal tenant, retention of that renter will become an important aspect of your business. Here are some tips on how to do just that...
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Tenancy is a fact of life in community associations. Managers and board members who make genuine efforts to include tenants in community affairs are more likely to have positive experiences with renters.
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Hiring a Professional Property Manager for your HOA or Condo Association is the surest way to build value for you and your fellow homeowners. They bring the latest professional standards and proven cost-effective methods to make your Association more responsive and effective in meeting your community's needs.
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Sometimes, even when you've given your best effort to resolve a conflict, it can escalate and become a lawsuit. They can be intimidating, especially if this is your first time dealing with one as a condo association or HOA board member.
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As an HOA or condo association board, it’s always your primary responsibility to put the community’s well-being first. Whether you’re
protecting finances, keeping up with maintenance, or managing public relations, the board’s fiduciary responsibility to the entire community must always be a first-order priority.
And whether you like it or not, social media risk management is part of that fiduciary obligation. Social media usage among your residents and board members can be a great communication and engagement tool; however, it can also be a public relations nightmare and a serious legal risk if not managed effectively.
There is perhaps no task more important than protecting the financial health of your HOA or condo association. Every board member has a fiduciary responsibility to always do what’s in the best interest of the community. Failure to create, maintain, and communicate financial processes and reporting can result in long-lasting damage to property values and your HOA or condo association’s reputation.
More often than not, disputes, controversies, and negative impacts are caused by poor financial management rather than deliberate deception and fraud. Identifying and combating fraud is another topic altogether.
If you’re a board member tasked with financial responsibilities it can be tough. Even small HOA and condo buildings have complex financial processes and reporting requirements. Add to this the volunteer nature of board membership, and financial missteps — intentional or not — are not hard to imagine.
As an active board member or engaged community member, you’re tuned into your HOA or condo association’s regular activities and needs. Your board, along with its community management firm partner, is responsible for protecting your community’s lifestyle, property values, and overall quality of life.
When things start to break down — snow piles up, fees fail to be collected, or the community pool starts to decay — the partnership between your board, HOA, and the community management company is likely breaking down, too.