According to a recent investigative piece by the Orange County (Florida) Register , Fannie Mae is keeping a secret “blacklist” of condominium, HOA and cooperative properties which the federal agency has decreed that lenders should st…
Among the keys to successful governance of residential communities is continuity. The most basic of democratically elected units, co-op, condo, and HOA boards are the custodians of their community’s welfare, success, and continued operatio…
Community association board members are usually volunteers - and most are not financial experts or accounting professionals. Even with the best of intentions, this lack of experience can lead to some common - and costly - mistakes. This pan…
Like everyone else, condos and HOAs are struggling with high inflation. Costs for everything from regular maintenance, repairs, and supplies to interest rates and borrowing for capital projects are up, as are labor and management costs. Res…
The funding recommendations of reserve studies can be a daunting amount at times. While everyone seems to dread the need to increase reserve contributions, we’ll look at what options exist for Associations to cover these needs. Specifically…
With over 100 new EV models announced by auto manufacturers, there has never been a better time for car owners to start planning to go electric. Samantha Bingham, Clean Transportation Program Director and Coordinator of the Chicago Area Cle…
Adjust the focus of past (very popular) seminars on the topic to include defusing tension and hostility at meetings, the impact (for good and ill) of social media, including platforms like Nextdoor (for neighbors) and Yelp (for management),…
I am often asked by the board members and property managers of my condominium and community association clients to attend open board meetings. I enjoy attending open board meetings because they provide an opportunity to observe how these as…
While the goal of any HOA board meeting is to determine the rules, regulations and property updates that best serve the interests of all the residents of a community, these meetings are often viewed as boring, long winded, and sometimes div…
After two years of disruption, isolation, and loss, it appears that the pandemic is finally on the wane. And while the ultimate psychosocial and physical impact of the pandemic remains far-reaching and to a great extent unknown, everyone ha…