Category: Association Operations

When you lived alone, designing your space was easy. You went to the paint store, selected your favorite colors, came home and did the deed. But then you got married, and decorating got a little trickier. Every design decision had to get ap…

Like any company, a multifamily residential community generates a lot of paperwork in the course of doing business, from employment records to tenant records and more. It can be an enormous amount of stuff to manage, and knowing what to kee…

The lobby of a resident’s building is the first thing a shareholder, unit owner, guest or prospective buyer notices when they come through the front door. That said, it stands to reason that comfortable, appropriate lobby furnishings are a …

At times, the uniformity of community association exteriors is mind-numbing, with the vast majority seemingly identical. Typically, they feature tedious, monochromatic curb appeal, void of color or creative material elements. Within these b…

In this challenging economy, many condo and HOA communities are struggling to pay their bills while planning for future needs. Still, most boards are loathe to raise maintenance fees or levy special assessments on their residents until ther…

All you have to do is turn on the TV these days to know how popular kitchen and bathroom renovations have become. Backsplashes, stainless steel appliances, subway tiles, granite countertops, glass-enclosed showers, soaking tubs—the list of …

Volumes of research have been conducted on the practical and aesthetic applications of color. For better or worse, color—in private and public spaces—affects human behavior; it can manipulate mood and perception. A board planning to redecor…

While the majority of condo communities and HOAs choose to partner with professional management firms to provide guidance and counseling and oversee day-to-day operations, other boards take the reins themselves and choose self-management. C…

No one likes to feel left out or ignored. Sometimes that is how community association residents may feel if they believe their board or managers are not responding to their requests for information or sharing enough up front. What they may …

Maybe it was a bad day at work, the dog had an accident on the carpet or a disgruntled call was received from the school principal; whatever the reason, there are times when the last thing a condo association board member or resident wants …