7 Key Things That Should Be on Your HOA Vision Board In 2020

2020 is approaching and if your board has not had your end of year meeting or planning meeting for next year, these 7 items should be factored into your agenda planning meeting.

HOA boards should have a board approved plan for the upcoming year. Community residents are interested in knowing how the board is moving the community forward, what improvements are being made and how their money is being spent for the New Year.  Without a New Year plan, residents will not have confidence in the governing board. It is essential to keep member morale high and confidence in the HOA high.

Here are 7 items your HOA Board should focus on as part of your plan for the community in 2020.

1. Upcoming Proposed Changes in Regulations or Proposed Legal Changes That May Impact HOAs

Homeowners Associations nationwide should stay up to date on legal changes that could impact your HOA.  It is also important to notify members of any changes to governing regulations, documents, city, state and federal laws that could affect residents, homeowners or the community as an entirety. These items should be made available to members throughout the year. HOA boards should always communicate such changes and prove to the community that the board is knowledgeable about all items that pertain to the operation of the community association.

2. Ways to Develop and Sustain Community Involvement in the Association.

Throughout time community or member involvement in the HOA has been a dilemma.  Boards should always look for ways to recruit new board members and retain effective board members that currently serve. Letting community residents know they can have a part in the HOA is key to keeping community involvement high and active.

3. Focus on Community Safety

Review past safety and security efforts and integrate ways to improve community safety. Look at the HOA’s fire protection policies, emergency preparedness policies, law enforcement and crime policies.  Update the community’s policies and procedures as needed to protect the safety of families and community residents.

4. Plan Efforts That Will Protect the Value of the Market in your Community

With the ever-fluctuating housing market throughout the US, HOAs should always consider ways to preserve the property values in the community as high as possible. Although this is probably one area where residents rebel, it is important to keep encouraging and enforcing residents to follow the community guidelines and regulations for making regular updates, maintenance and repairs to individual homes.

5. Review Amenities and Common Area Maintenance

Every year as part of the annual meetings, HOA boards should always review the procedures for how common areas and amenities are maintained, repaired and managed. The association is required to regularly improve and maintain all amenities and common areas throughout the community. This help residents feel they are getting value for their fees and assessments. Staying on top of this helps build the morale of the residents and helps them have confidence in the leadership

6. Review Procedures for Resolving Conflict and Complaints

At the annual HOA meeting, it is wise to review the past year and see how complaints from the residents have been handled. Things to consider are: Has the number of complaints increased? Have conflicts between residents and the board been resolved in a timely and peaceful manner? How can the association improve conflict resolution and complaints?

7. Improve Communication

Review the past year and determine if your HOA has adequate communication between the board and the residents. Is your HOA effectively communicating important information to the residents?  Look for ways the HOA can use new methods of communication using new technology.

Association Management Group recognizes that successful community leaders must couple skills and information with their passion to serve their community. Over the last 30 years, it has become clear to AMG that well-informed executive Board members make better community leaders. AMG’s goal is to always help our community leaders be more effective. Working as their partner, it is our pleasure to help provide the latest information, skills and techniques to our clients.

AMG knows executive Board members need tools to help them perform their duties right away. The following are six tools that Board members tell us they appreciate: https://www.amgworld.com/board-education-toolkit

What to Look for in an Effective Community Association Manager

 These are Three Things to Look for in an Effective Community Association Manager

Good Communication Skills

Concise, timely and clear communication from within the community management association and without to the community members / resident is vital for effective and successful community management.

The community manager is responsible for getting every message out and acts as the liaison between the community and the members. Whether it is about events, changes, updates, maintenance and more, it is the responsibility of the community management to relay all important matters to the residents.

 A good HOA manager should possess an endless supply of patience, creative problem solving and people skills, which instills trust and builds strong relationships within the community.

Able to Handle Issues Effectively

The community can clearly see how issues are handled from within the association managers. Sometimes residents think issues are not getting resolved or complaints are being ignored. It is up to the community association management to handle community issues in a timely manner or communicate to the community why there may be a delay.

If there are conflicts to resolve the community association manager should reach out to involved parties and set measures in action for resolution.

The best community managers know how to apply a broad skill set to the unique situations they encounter on the job. They move with ease into situations that require strong communication, negotiation, customer service, and organizational skills. Property managers also can manage more tangible property-related concerns, such as maintenance and repair issues.

Possesses a Wide Range of Knowledge

Good community managers are knowledgeable about how community association properties operate, keep current on the latest laws and possess a certain set of skills, which include the ability to communicate and relate to a wide array of people. 

Another set of important qualities that a community association manager should possess is organization and attention to detail.  Multitasking and the ability to follow up and follow through on projects and objectives are also essential characteristics that should be considered. 

Additionally, among other skills, a community association manager should have knowledge and understanding of scheduling, payroll, budgets, collections and basic accounting principles.

The community association manager must know all aspects of the community they manage, the CCRR’s, laws, policies and procedures and anything pertaining to the operation of the management of the community.

If there is an instance where information may need to be researched it is important to notify any party involved that the community manager is getting the answers to questions or problems.

The Most Popular Community Amenities

Most Popular Community Amenities Crafting the perfect lifestyle is about more than just the size of the kitchen or the space in the backyard.

The community in which the home is located is almost as important to quality of life as the home itself. As more and more properties are developed in master planned communities, the home buyer is accustomed to considering neighborhood amenities as part of the package. Here are the most popular community amenities in 2019.

Parks and Green Space –Topping the list of desired amenities is green space. Studies show that as home buyers seek smaller square footage, they also are seeking outdoor space from the neighborhood.

Trail Systems –Along the same lines as green space and parks is the desire for trails throughout the community. Home buyers are interested in both paved and natural trails for walking, hiking or biking.

Resort Style Pool and Clubs –Pools and clubhouses have become more elaborate over the past decade and home buyers expect their community pool to feel like a vacation spot in style, size and extras, such as towel service and snack bars.

World Class Gyms and Courts –Exercise rooms and courts are also expected to rival the best paid clubs in the area.

Main Street Village Centers –As developers create their neighborhoods, daily necessities must be readily available. Artfully designing the shopping area to include a main street feel is a huge plus to home buyers. Lifestyle is a complete package.

With the appeal of smaller homes and no-maintenance properties, home buyers are seeking the extra space in their communities, replacing large private yards with community space and amenities.