If you live in a community association in Tampa, your association has a Board of Directors which is elected by the homeowners. These board members are volunteers who execute a number of tasks that you may not know about. Their work affects every resident in your association, including you. We want to make sure you understand all of the wo...

When is the last time you checked out your HOA’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions?These are also known as CC&Rs, and if it has been a while since you reviewed them, it’s a good idea to check out the things you can and cannot do in your Tampa HOA community. These rules are usually, easy to accept, but you have to mak...

As you decide whether you want to become a landlord and rent out a home to tenants, you have some things to consider. Becoming a landlord means you’ll agree to new obligations and responsibilities. You’ll be accountable to your tenants, your home, and your neighbors.Managing a Tampa Rental PropertyYou may be thinking about bec...

There’s a lot more to managing a community association effectively than you may realize. It’s much more than property management; it’s also about governance—enforcing rules, conducting elections and more. Your home and your ownership interest in the common elements represent a huge asset—your largest asset. D...

HomeRiver Group employs a highly-qualified professional community managers, and we think residents should know what the manager has—and has not—been hired to do. The manager has two primary responsibilities: to carry out policies set by the board and to manage the association's daily operations.Some residents expect the ma...

Each year you receive a draft of the proposed budget for review and comment. A lot of work goes into preparing the budget. It’s a complex activity that has to start early so the budget can be finalized and approved prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year. Here’s how we do it:The board appoints a budget committee to help ...

Like almost every community in the country, our association is feeling the pinch in the housing market. We’d like to dispel a few common misconceptions about what contributes to the rise and fall of property values.Assessments are too highFalse. Actually, assessments have nothing to do with property values, and high assessments will...

Homeowners all over the country have read alarming news accounts of management companies and board members embezzling funds from community associations—the homeowners’ money. Our association follows a few hard-and-fast rules to protect your money. They include:We keep cash transactions to a minimum.When a cash transaction is a...

Do you have what it takes to be a good board member? Chances are you do.If you have a mix of some of the following traits and skills, consider running for a seat on the board. We’d love to have you.Respect. If you can give others respect and expect it in return, you can help keep board discussions civil,  pr...

1. Read your lease. No, seriously read it. It won’t be the most exciting night table material but you’ll thank yourself when you do read it. A lease is a binding legal contract. It creates a binding relationship between you and your landlord. What are you agreeing to? If you don’t understand, ask questions befo...