2022-04-21
As a board member of a homeowners association (HOA), then you know that overseeing the community isn't always easy. Between managing finances, maintaining amenities, and dealing with members, there's a lot to do! That's where an HOA management company can come in handy.
So, what do community association management companies do? They can become one of the best resources for boards to support thriving communities! Keep reading to learn more.
Full Management Services When You Need It
Not all HOAs need full management services from community association experts. However, if you have a small board or you're starting a new condo owner association, full management services can be exactly what your neighborhood needs!
These professional companies have experts who understand the legalities of operating a successful association. They're also well-versed in dealing with conflicts and resolutions to keep homeowners happy while maintaining the integrity of your HOA's covenants.
If your homeowners association needs full-service support, look for managers that offer:
- Meeting facilitation and attendance (including creating and sending agendas and taking meeting minutes)
- Vendor management (for maintenance, landscaping, pool services, and more)
- HOA dues collection
- Budget management
- Insurance management
- Governing document management
- Financial and annual report preparation
- Legal services or attorney management
- Event organization
- Dispute resolution and covenant enforcement
Even if your condominium association only needs a few of these services, a little expert help can go a long way in building and maintaining a successful HOA!
Are Professional HOA Managers Part of Your Board?
So, if you bring in experts to help support your board and handle some (or all) of these critical tasks, are they part of your board? No!
Professional community association managers are a third-party impartial service that simply provides valuable insights and best practices to support your community. While they can attend meetings and help facilitate discussions, agendas, and votes, they do not have any influence on community or board decisions. They also do not take a place on your HOA board.
What Are the Benefits to Your Condo Owners Association?
While volunteer boards can do a lot, sometimes they lack the insights and training to manage a community effectively. A volunteer's heart can be in the right place, but without the right skills and knowledge, they might not serve in their role in a way that your community needs for success.
With professional association managers, your board members have experts to come alongside and provide experience, expertise, and proven best practices for success! In addition, the best HOA management companies provide training for board members to learn their roles and become better leaders for their community.
Expert managers help your association and residents experience consistency and stability. When homeowners enjoy everything that attracted them to your neighborhood and their expectations are met, they're more likely to feel like regular HOA dues are justified and put to good use. Often, associations that partner with professional managers experience less resident turnover, fewer conflicts and issues, and happier homeowners.
Experts Fill In For Small Boards
Whether your community plans to operate with only a few members on your board or your HOA struggles to attract new board members, expert association managers can fill in where there is a lack of people power on your board. Plus, with expert guidance, many boards learn how to encourage more participation and recruit new volunteers to serve in official roles.
Legal Knowledge Protects Your Community
Operating a successful HOA requires an understanding of regulations that apply to homeowners associations. In many cases, volunteer board members don't have the knowledge needed to keep up with changing laws that involve your community's bylaws, allowed ordinances, proper documents, and how to enforce the rules.
Without the right legal knowledge, your board and community are vulnerable to legal issues and lawsuits. However, partnering with a community association management company means you have access to legal experts that can help protect your association, file paperwork, and keep up with regulation changes.
Is an HOA Management Company Worth the Fees?
No, not all management companies are worth what you pay for their services! However, the right company is well worth the price to deliver the services your community needs while helping your board avoid potential fines for legal violations, lawsuits, a lack of insurance, and more.
Choose the Right Community Association Manager for your HOA!
Having an HOA management company on your side can make managing your community much easier and less stressful. Partnering with the right experts can also help increase resident satisfaction and support a healthy community!
So if you're looking for help to support your board's efforts and fine-tune your operations, Trestle Community Management can help. Our experts can deliver full management services (if that's what you need) or provide only the services you need to enhance your community.
Choose our Management On-Demand services for access to expert consultative advice at a lower cost than full management. In addition, our Financial Only Management provides budget, planning, and project guidance under your board's approval. No matter how much (or how little) help you need, reach out to learn more about our expert management services!
Get more expert insights when downloading a free copy of "Best Practices for HOA Operations: A Checklist!"
