Trimming Association Budgets by Auditing Utilities

On average, 25% of the budget of a "typical" condominium association goes to utilities.  "Typical", for the purposes of this article, is an association a) without a master association, which pays for some or all of utilities; b) that does not sub-meter water consumption and charge individual owners for their water use; and c) that does not contract for TV or Internet subscriptions for the benefit of the individual owners.   Twenty five percent is a substantial portion of the budget and is worth looking into on a much more detailed level.   We will . . . to read more of this article from Sergey Petrov, PCAM, Yalnes, Inc., click here.

Taking Back Your Life from the Whirlwind - Part Two

About five years ago, when people would ask me what I did for a living I'd confess that I managed a portfolio of homeowner associations, but in those few seconds before the blank stare or some exaggerated version of, "Wow!  I could NEVER do what you do," my mind would drift into fantasy and I'd feel my clothes begin to tighten with the expanding pressure of the blue and red Superman tights beneath.  Yep, faster than the speeding bullets of cranky homeowners, more powerful than a locomotive pulling railway cars full of lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers and other mere mortals, and able to leap tall Seattle buildings with a single bound! Of course then I would wake up.  Ultimately this is my personal story of taking back my life, back from the whirlwind; of getting off the Superman roller coaster and learning to live and work in . . . to read more of this article from Mike Walker, CMCA, AMS, CWD Group, click here.

Fraud and Embezzlement Prevention

Today, financial fraud is pervasive in the U.S. both for individuals as well as for companies (and more germane to this article, home owner associations). Containing legitimate H.O.A. costs is an unrelenting task without the additional difficulty from the misappropriation of funds. Association management has a fiduciary responsibility to their communities and must remain diligent in the prevention of fraud. While fraud and embezzlement are terms we often hear or may even use, many may not . . . to read more of this article from Judy Nordstrom, Alliance Association Financial, click here.

Social Media Marketing 101

There is a great deal of "buzz" regarding social media and its use as a tool for communicating with our communities and/or as tools for marketing our businesses.  In fact, the topic deserves serious reflection and understanding which goes well beyond the space limitations available for this article.  Therefore, I will touch on several key points that will serve as a starting position in understanding the "what" and the "how" of . . . to read more of this article from Tom Jonez, CMCA, click here.

Winterizing your Plumbing System

Fall is here and winter will be here before we know it. If you are anything like me you always think there will be plenty of time to get things done before the first freeze of the season, but it always seems to sneak up on me before I am ready. Freezing temperatures don't always lead to frozen pipes. If the temperature only drops down to the upper 20s and low 30s for a few hours during the night it will normally not result in frozen pipes. In the Puget Sound area we normally see problems when we have temperatures drop down into the 20s and lower and then stay below freezing for twenty four hours or more. Below are some actions that can be taken to . . . to read more of this article from Terry Clinton, Fischer Plumbing & Restoration, click here.

No Contract - No Problem

It seems that every aspect of our life is dictated, in one form or another, by the terms of a contract. Think about it - are you married? Then you are subject to the terms of a contract. Do you rent an apartment or own a home? You are subject to the terms of a rental or mortgage contract. In your professional life, if you work for someone you are subject to the terms of an employment contract. To get a sense of the extent to which our lives are controlled by contract terms simply turn over your ticket the next time you park downtown. You'll see, in wonderful 8 point (or less) font, the terms of the contract you just entered into with the garage or lot owner. Almost every aspect of our society is . . . to read more of this article from Chis Casey, Casey & Skoglund, PLLC, click here.

Governing Documents: A "User's Manual" for Your Community

Just like your newest cell phone came with a "user's manual", your community comes with governing documents that are the equivalent of a user's manual for the association.  Unfortunately, unlike cell phone user manuals which are read in order to learn how to use your new and exciting technology, governing documents are not as exciting and often go unread, collecting dust on a shelf or under a bed somewhere.  It is shocking the number of homeowners (and even board members) that . . . to read more of this article from Karen Oliver, CMCA, AMS, Yalnes, Inc., click here.