The Uncommon Area



A discussion with attorney Sandra Gottlieb, of SwedelsonGottlieb, about the pitfalls an association may face with claims regarding discrimination, harassment, and fair housing and how to avoid liability for these kinds of claims. Sometimes a person might just be a jerk. But sometimes, they might be breaking the law. And that could expose an HOA to liability. Protect your HOA from this kind of liability.

Resources:

https://www.lawforhoas.com/

HOAs that save a dollar, only to cost homeowners thousands.

[00:00:00] The single biggest mistake that HOAs make is to try to save pennies while costing their members thousands of dollars. Most studies show that a home in an HOA is likely to have a greater value than one not in an HOA, but that assumes that the HOA is well managed. So management can have a huge impact on home values. A 2% difference in an $800,000 home,

[00:00:24] is a difference of $16,000 or a cumulative difference of 3.2 million in a 200-unit community. But too often an association gets hung up on making its choice of management company based on a few dollars. For example, a management fee of $1,800 a month versus a fee of $2,400 a month is only a difference of $3 a month

[00:00:45] for each home. But for many HOAs, that $600 a month overall cost will be the deciding factor. It’s a consideration, but the deciding factor should be based on who is going to manage the community the best, and how that will affect living experiences and property values in the community. $3 a month shouldn’t be the deciding factor.



Ralph Figueroa of RGS Landscape shares everything you need to know about HOA irrigation, sprinkler systems, smart controlers, and more!Resources:

https://rgsls.com/



Don’t let mold create a dangerous situation. In this episode, Troy Gianerakis shares everything you need to know about how water cultivates mold and what to do if you encounter mold growth.

Resources:

https://troysrestoration.com/

It’s possible for homeowners to love their HOA.

[00:00:00] It’s possible for homeowners to like their HOA. Too often the HOA is viewed in a negative light. It’s the HOA that tells you what you can and can’t do with your own home. It’s the HOA that takes lots of dollars from you every month in assessments and it’s hard to see what you get in return. But HOAs do lots of good. Homes in HOAs tend to be worth more than homes that are not in HOAs.

And there’s a reason for that. Help everyone know and understand that reality. Everyone who owns in an HOA is a member of that association. That means that all the owners are on the same team as investors in their homes, and it’s in everyone’s best interests to work together to better the community.

Make that the point. Make that the message. Emphasize the benefits. Educate the homeowners on the financial value of the rules. Explain where money goes and how it benefits everyone. And work with good management who is not just following checklists but wants to help people love their HOA.

Lions and tigers and bears? No. But how about coyotes and rabbits and bees and rats and ants and gophers? In this episode, we talk about how to address all these and more when they are in HOAs. Justin Fox and Rick Duffy from Animal Pest Management lend their expertise.

Jeremy Taylor of Ben’s Asphalt joins Action CEO Matthew Holbrook to share everything you need to know about asphalt.

Board meetings can and should be shorter.

The post Hot Take: Longer Meetings Don’t Make for Better Decisions | Ep. 27 appeared first on Action Property Management.

Most common way homeowners get ripped off by their HOA.

Considerations for HOA budgets for 2023 are different than any other time in recent memory. Inflation, labor shortages, increasing utility costs, contracts… all are significant factors to a different degree than ever before. HOAs that don’t properly take these factors into consideration in their budgets can find themselves in financial trouble. Action CEO Matthew Holbrook discusses this with Regional Manager Ryan Darby.

Resources:

The Uncommon Area Ep. 21: Energy savings for HOA high-rises https://www.actionlife.com/energy-savings-for-hoa-high-rises-ep-21/

The Uncommon Area Ep. 23: HOAs at risk of insurance premiums tripling! https://www.actionlife.com/hoas-at-risk-of-insurance-premiums-tripling-ep-23/