HOA MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Nancy started her own company so that Board Members and Homeowners could be provided with the customer service and support they deserve. Too often, a manager’s portfolio is so large that they feel they can’t manage any aspect especially well and, in the industry, it leads to burn out and high turn-over. Perhaps you have had several community managers over a short period of time? The key to our success has been to find good people, with excellent customer service skills, and not burden them with numerous communities. Work-life balance is part of our company’s vision. Our managers work part-time and oversee only about 4-6 HOA’s or Condos. They really get to know their communities and the people that live in them. We truly feel that we become a key ingredient in a community’s success because of this structure and the support that we provide to our team of professionals.

In HOA Management, we focus on building a sense of a community and strengthening its financial position. It has been so rewarding to help HOA’s turn things around… to reach their goals and recover from difficult pasts. Whether it was high delinquencies, poorly maintained properties or even fraud, we have been able to steer the Board and the homeowners toward success. Communication and education have been key. Feedback surveys, community events, workshops, and raffles have been effective at getting homeowners involved. Reserve Studies and properly funding for future major repairs and replacements, performing maintenance that has been deferred, sets the Association up for long-term success.

Relationship to the Board:

HOA Management Companies, like us, are hired by a communities Board of Directors to provide them with support, assistance, and to advise on Association standard practices, operations, and governance. The Management Company works for the Association and takes their direction from the Board.

Our Community Managers work directly with the Board and attend the Board and Association Meetings. As a liaison between homeowners and the Board, they compile all requests, reports, and concerns and share them with the Board for review and consideration. Managers are the primary point of contact for Homeowners and residents in community associations.

Effective communication is fundamental. We utilize a variety of tools and reports to keep the Board and Community updated. Our management software provides easy to read financial reports and overviews on aspects like Violations, Architectural Requests, Maintenance and Delinquencies. We provide a narrative report to give more detail and provide the information needed to make good business decisions in the best interest of the community. Agendas are typically prepared by your Community Manager to bring items that need Board direction and discussion. We also do email reminders, surveys to get feedback from members, and offer website portals so that Owners and Board Members have 24-hour access to their account details, payment history, governing documents, meeting minutes, financial summaries, forms and additional resources.

As a liaison between Homeowners and the Board of Directors, we develop a rapport and cultivate trust. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Annual Meetings and community events. We rally your members to participate by volunteering on communities, for open seats on the Board, showing up or helping with events. We always encourage communication if residents have concerns, hardships, or requests. Calls and emails are important to us. Our company policy is to return inquiries within 1 business day.

The success of a community association depends largely on the board selecting a qualified management company, budget for quality service and the level of professional support it requires.

Board Basics:

Thank you for volunteering and stepping up to help your community! We hope to help you take the reins feeling prepared and offer some of the tools and resources best suited for success. There are some key aspects of your position we want to introduce you to or remind you of if this is not your first rodeo.

You have been elected by your community members to make decisions on their behalf. You are now a member of the Board of Directors. The group is the decision-making body of a Non-Profit Corporation. All votes are equal. Board Decisions are those that receive a majority vote at meetings or unanimous consent via email outside of a meeting.

• Roles of the board and the manager. The Board sets policy and they make decisions about those policies. Community Managers implement the directives from the Board and handle day to day operations.
• Stand united. Once a decision has been made by the Board, it is important that all members stand behind it and make every effort to see it succeed – even if you voted against it. This helps to foster trust and long-term support from members and each other.
• Collaboration. Personality differences do not need to interfere with the work of the Board or the goals they are trying to accomplish. It may be impossible, and is not necessary, to have 100% consensus all of the time. Respect majority decisions for what they are… Board Decisions. Everyone benefits when the needs of the community are the focus and members are willing to cooperate and be positive.
• Be reasonable. Although boards have a big responsibility, they need not be overzealous or inflexible to fulfill it. Avoid snap decisions, act rather than react, and deal with real problems, not nuisance situations.
• Teamwork: We work hard to help the Board develop shared goals and priorities. At each meeting, it will be important to stay focused on them and finding ways to pursue the tasks ahead together, with our support and guidance; Rely on experts as much as possible. And remember that the Board is the group. The group is the governing body. No one Director or any one Officer position holds more weight than others. No individual should be making unilateral decisions or speaking for the Board on issues or requests where a Board decision has not been made.