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...

1. Run Your Property Like a Business. Some landlords do a terrible job at running their business. It might be because they see it as a “side-gig” or a hobby” more than a business. However, when you treat your business with the respect, systems, and organization that you would treat any other business venture, amazin...

Enforcing rules at your homeowner’s association can be tough, but you can make it a little easier on yourself by doing three specific things.How Can An HOA Enforce Rules? InspectYou have to inspect your property regularly. See how people are treating your homes and what the common standard of maintenance is. Be sure residents are fo...

When you’re trying to find a great renter for your home really fast, there are four things you need to think about.Awesome PicturesThere is no substitute for a beautiful photograph. And yet, we often look at a rental ad and see pictures that just show the corner of a room or photos that are blurry because they seem to be taken from ...

Age of buyer is very important to your buying pool. While there are amenities all homeowners want, there are items that are more important to generation specific groups. Homebuyers are demanding more home features that help them save energy and keep the home organized, according to a new study released by the National Association of Home...

A five-year-old Shih Tzu named Tiffany is becoming a top model in real estate photos in Australia. The dog's owner, Tracey Ashley with RE/MAX United Vision in Carina, Queensland, is using the small dog in photos she shoots of her listings to appeal to dog-loving home shoppers. During her own house-hunt two years ago, Ashley says "I found...