Blogs

In setting out to develop a strategic plan for your organization or community, one of the first tasks is identifying who will be working with you to lead the effort – your Strategic Planning Committee.  It should not be one person but instead a concert of people who will help champion the process and monitor the implementation of the final product.  As such, representatives from your Board, committees, and staff leadership team should be part of this important committee

This blog was originally posted 12/25/20 on condoconnection.org . Ho ho ho, what a year 2020 has been! Like all of the world, multi-family residential communities have been tested in a number of ways. For many communities, that means less access to amenities, but hopefully greater access to the inner-workings of your association as meetings and documents have transitioned from in-person and hard-co pies to online and readily available from the convenience of your phone, tablet or computer. All those changes aside, has your b oard of d irectors been naughty or nice this year?! Serving on a nonprofit board of directors at condominium and ...

Today marks nearly one month since I was nominated president of my condo building. It also marks nearly one month that I've been repeatedly stressed and worried.  I've had many rough nights.  Waking up at 2:30 am in a funk. A month of asking myself more than once, "What in the name of God was I thinking?  Why did I agree to do this?" I have no shame in admitting - I am VERY unknowledgeable when it comes to this position.  I've only been living in my condo for 8 months!  While I'm not a total noob to "home" living - I AM new to home living in a home OF MY OWN.  So imagine me... learning about my own home... and in addition having to learn about the ENTIRE building ...

The U.S. Constitution mandates that the U.S. Census Bureau conduct a census every 10 years. This year marks the 24th time that the U.S. population has been counted since 1790. The census provides critical data that lawmakers, businesses, research institutions, and many others use to provide products and services, as well as influence decision-making for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to support hospitals, fire departments, education, infrastructure, and other resources based on census data. These results also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, ...

It’s warm, it’s sunny and we all want to play outside. But this summer’s going to look a little different - okay a lot different - for everyone. While we better understand how to protect ourselves from COVID-19, we still have to be extra cautious about keeping our distance from others, washing our hands, and sanitizing surfaces that are frequently touched. Many government officials have now loosened restrictions on outdoor activities and facilities, but people who live or work in a densely populated condo or HOA communities should be prepared to make some adjustments when it comes to operating and using popular amenities such as basketball hoops, tennis courts, ...

Traditional property management companies still use costly, outdated and inefficient processes to complete their work. Property managers are forced to manually go through a pile of documents, a process that is not only time consuming, but also allows for mismanagement and errors. This   reactive   work style frustrates modern residents and has a negative impact on the resident experience. Reactive property managers are always stressed-out as there are a lot of forces pulling them in different directions. Not only do they have to deal with frustrated residents and demanding board members, but they also must handle maintenance issues, budget planning, staffing ...

If you’ve ridden in a service or freight elevator, you might have noticed elevator pads on the walls. Here are some reasons why they’re important. Elevator padding protects the interior walls  When service elevators are carrying freight up and down all day, they can take a beating. With deliveries, moves and construction traffic, the elevator walls are often not a concern. The pads keep the walls of the elevator from getting scratched and dented. Fixing damaged elevator walls can be costly, and often requires the cab to be off-line while being repaired. This can be inconvenient for residents and staff alike. ...

As of today, 39 state legislatures have convened, and CAI is tracking more than 1,000 bills impacting community associations. Based on the bills that have been introduced this year and trends from last year, we anticipate our advocacy efforts will focus on several priorities, including affordable housing, construction defect warranties, reserve studies and funding, rentals (long and short-term), and covenants related to electric vehicle charging stations, political signs, solar power, and more. Today, we’ll discuss affordable housing, construction defect warranties, and reserve funding in community associations. Next week, we’ll discuss the other trends, ...

Daily traffic, moves and construction can really do a number on elevator walls and floors. I've seen beautiful wood paneled walls ruined by construction materials, and tiled elevator floors scratched during moves. While the hope is that all the vendors passing through your property take the utmost care when riding the elevators, being proactive to protect your cabs will give you peace of mind.  Elevator wall pads and floor mats are a sure way to prevent accidental damage to the interior of your cabs, and help avoid high elevator repair costs.  For both passenger and freight elevators, hanging wall pads provide a first line of defense against damage. Mats ...

Recently I attended a Community Association Institute (CAI) legislative conference. The overwhelming message that I came away with was that everyone involved in Common Interest communities needs to get involved and become part of the solution. Nationally and locally, we have great legislative committees, lobbyists and staff members dedicated to fighting for your property rights and the community management profession in general. The legislative professionals can get the doors opened but it is our job to walk on through that door and let our elected officials know how a particular piece of legislation will help or hurt our community, lifestyle, property value ...

There are benefits to community associations using drones for issues such as covenant enforcement and common area maintenance.  The biggest of which is the cost effectiveness and efficiency of using drones instead of individuals to perform these inspections.  However, there are significant risks as well.  There are a number of considerations that community associations must weigh before using drone technology to carry out association purposes.  These considerations include federal and Florida laws, insurance and liability issues, potential governing document amendments, and membership objections and disputes. Federal Laws Concerning Community Association ...