HOA Education

The success of a homeowner’s association is based on the membership and its board working in harmony.  If the community is not taken care of, it will affect property values, decrease the quality of living and create a disenchanted membership.  Is your board guilty of one of the 5 reasons below? Poor Communication It’s up

Community associations exist because they offer choices, lifestyles, amenities and efficiencies that people value. Yet, with all of their inherent advantages, community associations face complicated issues, none more common than the challenge of balancing the rights of the individual homeowner with those of the community as a whole. Issues often arise because of false expectations,

Tip O’Neill, longtime Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, coined the phrase “All politics is local.” He wasn’t speaking of community associations rights, but he could have been. There’s nothing more local and, therefore, more accountable than those elected by their neighbors to the governing boards of homeowner associations, condominiums and cooperatives. Virtually every

The biggest failure for HOAs originates from the lack of meeting basic responsibilities and expectations.  If your association is experiencing issues, such as people who don’t pay their dues or seem to always violate basic rules, then it is common to look upward at your Board’s leadership.  These concerns, if not addressed, may expose all

HOA meeting minutes are an official record of the actions taken by Board members at an association’s Board meeting.  Effective meeting minutes should be brief, objective and reflect the actions taken at a meeting.  They do not have to be a complete transcript of what was said, embellished or opinions that were expressed.     What should

Living in an Idaho homeowner’s association has become common occurrence, because of our current pandemic, it is expected that more out-of-state homeowners will move into our community.  Their beliefs and ignorance will challenge our values, as well as the Board members who are tasked to enforce an association’s rules.  With new State regulations, which provide

HOA Board members volunteer their personal time to manage their subdivisions.  In return, they spend an enormous amount of energy on administering its business functions.  This commonly takes their attention away from the most important aspect of volunteering, that is, attending to their community’s health.   The first sign of failure is when a Board’s

Most homeowner associations lack adequate resources to operate like a business and a volunteer Board member ends up wasting an enormous amount of time on concerns that divert their attention away from key concerns.  All too often, associations are run like a family community co-op, foregoing business acumen, in order to gather over a pot-luck. While

When it comes to homeowners’ associations, a common sentiment is “a community is only as good as the people who live in it.” However, in terms of evaluating an HOA, the true golden rule is “an HOA community is only as good as the people who lead it.” The media highlights titillating stories of homeowners

Collecting HOA dues shouldn’t be like pulling teeth. Homeowners are bound by law to adhere to their subdivision’s covenants. This includes assessments required by the association to manage any operating expenses.  Because the maintenance of its common areas requires someone to manage it, sharing in its payment is necessary.  There are no exceptions not to

Collection rates of an association might be more unsettling for those who take these rules literally than originally thought.  The majority of people who live in an HOA do the right thing and understand the connection of “pulling their weight.”  However, those few who don’t pay their share play a more significant influence on its

Before your Idaho HOA Board crunches next year’s numbers, have you given consideration into using a professional association management service to determine your budget?   Management companies provide a varying array of financial services that are specific to HOAs, but more importantly, they are unbiased and do not have a vested interest in your community, which

Have you ever looked around and noticed your neighbor’s unkept lawn or trash can that does not seem to get put away?  According to a 2020 US housing report, approximately 10% of the value of your home is affected by how your neighbor cares for their home.  If your home is valued at $300,000 and

In a typical homeowner association, volunteer Board members are already overburdened with their own lives and spend an enormous amount of energy on administering their association, particularly performing accounts payable and receivable activities.  What Board members should be doing is focus their attention on the quality their membership. Constant bookkeeping and account management tasks are

When the idea of homeowners associations began in the 1960’s, they were created to give people access to common areas, like gardens, playgrounds and pools. HOAs were meant to form strong communities who were able to share in those common areas and the responsibility to manage them. When people live in harmony, associations can be

When it comes to housing, there are a lot of variables and options for buyers to juggle. One thing that might affect your buying decisions are homeowner’s associations (or HOAs for short).  HOAs are organizations that manage and oversee common property within a community, subdivision, or condominiums. They aren’t as directly involved as landlords of

Making decisions regarding a Idaho community where all the property owners have a stake in owning community property, often places the unpaid, Board member in a position to lose objectivity, and, at times, in uncomfortable confrontations with neighbors.  Some say it’s a thankless undertaking. A Board position should not only represent the majority view of

Successful community association managers must possess knowledge and skills relating to finance, strategic planning, maintenance, personnel management, insurance, human relations, laws and regulations, communications and covenants enforcement.  More than manage, these professionals must also provide sound advice on the vast array of topics addressed by the volunteers who serve on community association boards. Mike Madson,

Perhaps the greatest achievement for any association is creating and sustaining a sense of community among residents and leaders. This goal is best achieved when homeowners, non-owner residents and association leaders recognize and embrace their rights and responsibilities. It was with this goal in mind that CAI developed Rights and Responsibilities for Better Communities. These

Your Idaho homeowner’s association may contract with an association manager, but are they qualified?   We’d like the residents and an HOA’s membership to know what a manager has – and has not – been hired to do.  An association manager has two primary responsibilities:  1. to carry out the policies set by the HOA’s Board

An HOA’s culture, regardless what effort is put into it or not, is more apparent within the boundaries of their association.  Its members inherently live under an umbrella of collective values, behaviors, rules and procedures that can shape their neighborhood positively or negatively, and is what ultimately can bring neighbors together or keep them separate. 

For those who become a homeowner association Board member, many may think the best quality is to have passion for their neighborhood.  However, by just having passion and drive are not the only qualities needed to build a better community.  To be truly successful, one must clearly understand their role as a representative of their

Too many homeowner association Boards do not have adequate policies or procedures to run their HOA like a business.  Most run their associations like a family community co-op.  Foregoing Robert’s Rules of Order and gathering over a pot-luck.  While casual gatherings are great for fostering relationships, the lack of business acumen can damage the organization.  

With the uncertainty of COVID-19, social distancing has become an un-welcomed behavior.  Because of this, homeowner associations are quickly looking to online solutions as an effective adjunct to communicate with their membership.  And, homeowners are eating up this technology and the timing couldn’t be more ideal.  Wireless communication has shown to have a positive influence

Smart phone technology applied to homeowner associations is cost-effective and has demonstrated higher compliance and collection rates compared to those that run without it.  Because our phones have become such a tool in our lives, HOAs are turning to wireless services to communicate with their membership and are reaping the benefits. MGM Association Management, for example,

There should be nothing secret about the business of your association.  In fact, if you pay dues to your association, you should have copies of key documents like the bylaws and rules.  HOAs, in particular, operate similarly as a not for profit, co-op, where all property owners share in the functioning of their common areas

Your HOA culture has a personality – homeowners share in common behaviors, beliefs, rules, values and symbols that your membership accepts.  They do so, generally without thinking about them, and that personality is the symbolic communication shared between neighbors which reflect its culture. So, why should Board members pay attention to their role to influence their