HOA Management Blog
Halloween is a kid’s delight. It’s a blast to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, attend parties and most of all, eat a lot of candy. At the same time, Halloween can be scary for parents. Costumes can be dangerous, too much candy can be sickening and walking around at night can be risky, even in your homeowners association community.
Are you abiding by the rules in your homeowners association? When you move into a homeowners association you become part of a neighborhood that is governed by a board of directors who enforce the rules of the Association. When you sign the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) of the Association, you are entering into an agreement that you will abide by the rules of the Association community. This often means you’re limited to the improvements you can make to your property (like paint color of your home, landscaping, or decorative components), whether or not you can have pets, noise restrictions, etc.
For the eighth time in 15 years, Americans living in homeowners associations, condominiums, and housing cooperatives say they’re overwhelmingly satisfied in their communities. They are expressing strong satisfaction with the HOA board members who govern their homeowners associations and the community managers who provide professional support.
You live in a homeowners association and one of the favorite features in your home is the enclosed patio. It’s where you go every morning to sit and enjoy your cup of coffee before beginning the day. As you take a sip, today you notice the peeling paint, cracked concrete, and dying plants. The patio really could use an update. You decide you'll submit your maintenance request at the next HOA board meeting for some new paint, a trellis, small irrigation system, and definitely new concrete.
Fast forward a few months. You’ve learned that your enclosed patio is a “restricted common area.” This means the actual patio belongs to the homeowners association, but can only be used by the owner. So, who is responsible to maintain the patio?
A homeowners association provides a great neighborhood for people to be active, especially as the warm weather sets in and they can be outdoors for much of the day. It’s important to set bike safety rules so homeowners are as protected as possible while riding their bikes in the neighborhood.
Is your homeowners association located in an area that wildlife frequent? More specifically, is your Association located in such a location that deer regularly visit your community? While deer are beautiful creatures to admire, the HOA board may want to caution owners from interacting too closely with these animals.
Water conservation is an important issue for homeowners associations, not just because you want to be environmentally responsible but also because keeping assessments as low as possible can help owners be successful in keeping up with payments. Here’s how you can help:
As a board member in your homeowners association, you probably hear your fair share of complaints against the rules in your Association. Not only that, but you also have to be a part of enforcing them for the good of the community. Even though you know they are there for a reason, more often then not, the homeowner doesn’t realize the purpose of the rule or isn’t informed on the actions they can take to have it changed if they feel it’s unfair. So what do you do when you come face to face with a homeowner who doesn’t like the rules, and insists they are invasive, unfair and just plain silly?
Read the ideas below so you’re prepared to encourage the next member in your homeowners association who confronts you because they don’t like the rules.
Finding your dream home in that great neighborhood is only part of the equation when looking to purchase a home. Buying a home involves much more than just finding the right house. You need to find out about your new neighborhood, including whether or not it’s part of a homeowners association.
If you’re part of a homeowners association, you’ll find the following commonalities to be true just about anywhere you live in the country. It’s important to understand these ahead of time before becoming a resident in an association. While some people might find them controlling, they actually give members the opportunity to have a voice in their living community.
