Does My HOA Need a Management Company?

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For HOAs in the area of Aurora, Colorado, one of the most important decisions they are faced with is their approach towards management. An HOA is faced with a difficult choice between self-management and partnering with a HOA management company. While self-management may seem like a tempting option due to lower costs, there are downsides to it that make collaborating with organizations like The Management Trust the preferable choice for an HOA.

Drawbacks to HOA Self-Management

Perhaps the most significant drawback to self-management is the level of involvement and effort of volunteers to run an HOA organization efficiently. It is a time-consuming endeavor because of tasks needed to ensure that everything runs smoothly within your neighborhood. The amount of responsibilities and commitment that you must have is akin to that of a full-time job which is a disincentive for those interested in helping out. Deciding to self–manage also runs the risk of creating conflict within a community. The individuals making the decisions for the community are those living in it. Some of these decisions may be contentious and not everybody will agree with them. Such disagreements could create awkward situations within communities and invite needless drama. Self-management can seem like an enticing option, but various factors like workload and potential conflicts of interest make success difficult to achieve and sustain. 

The Need for a Management Company 

Having a HOA management firm can make living in your community a much more desirable experience. Organizations like The Management Trust shoulder the everyday responsibilities and maintenance of communities in a thoughtful manner that takes into account the personalized needs of its inhabitants. HOA management firms also prioritize long-term planning that strives to help grow and improve communities. Our team at The Management Trust is in constant contact with those living in their communities about how to better support them and provide them with the necessary resources to succeed. If your community is looking to better the living experience of those who comprise it, the benefits of a HOA management company are simply undeniable. 

The Management Trust is a different kind of community management firm. Our willingness to listen and foster strong relationships allows us to provide a personalized experience for our clients. If you’re interested in improving your homeownership experience today, contact us online by filling out an informational form or through one of our many offices. 

When Do You Need HOA Approval For Renovations

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While living in a homeowners association can have many benefits, it can also be a little confusing. Especially when it comes to home maintenance and renovations, many homeowners have questions surrounding what is permitted and when they have to seek approval from their HOA board. While every HOA is entirely unique and rules will vary from one community to the next, here is a general guideline on when renovations do and do not need to be approved by your HOA board.

When You Do Need Approval

The main goal for any HOA is to maintain property values for the entire community. This means that the exterior appearance of every home should meet the community’s guidelines. If you own a detached home and are undertaking an exterior renovation such as painting the outside of your home, getting a new roof, replacing the front door or windows, or adding/removing gutters, you should seek HOA approval for your renovations before they’re performed. On the other hand, if you live in a condo or townhome you should ask your HOA about any structural changes such as adding or removing a wall, replacing flooring, or any renovations that will affect the plumbing and electricity. Your HOA also has the option to approve the renovations with conditions, such as limiting the types of material that can be used, specifying the hours during which work can take place, and requiring the licenses of all contractors involved. Detached and attached homes typically have different guidelines when it comes to needing HOA approval, but detached homes require approval for exterior renovations while attached products require approval for interior renovations and aren’t typically allowed to perform renovations that deal with the exterior.

When You Don’t Need Approval

If you’re undergoing interior renovations that are relatively minor in a detached home, these will likely not need to be passed by your HOA for approval. Examples of these types of projects include painting interior walls, replacing fixtures, getting new appliances, or landscaping in your fenced backyard. However, it’s always best to check your community’s CC&Rs and seek pre-approval for any renovations you’re unsure about in order to avoid any fines or other penalties. Make sure that you pull all the necessary permits and follow HOA rules about noise levels and trash placement while the construction is being performed, as well.

 

If you live in one of The Management Trust’s communities and you have any questions about home renovations, we can assist you in understanding your HOA’s CC&Rs. HOA board members seeking assistance with rule enforcement and fine collection can also turn to The Management Trust for comprehensive community management. With more than 30 years in the industry and over 1,500 communities served, we have all the tools and experience necessary to help your community thrive.

How to Prepare Your Community for a Natural Disaster

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Compared to states annually ravaged by hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters, Colorado homeowners often feel that they’re completely safe from these occurrences. However, Aurora and the Greater Denver area were rated as very high risk for property damage from natural hazards, according to a national study conducted by ATTOM Data Solutions. No matter where in the country your HOA is located, it’s always in your best interest to create an emergency preparedness plan for your community. 

Gather Contact Information for All Members

Emergency situations, whether natural disasters or not, can often require you to need to contact your homeowners right away. You may need to order your residents to evacuate, or you may need to notify homeowners who are out of town about any property damage they’ve suffered. Whatever the reason, it’s crucial that you have contact information as well as secondary emergency contact info for all of your HOA’s households. Consider creating a digital database that can be accessed by all board members as well as your HOA property management company. This will make it possible to contact your members regardless of any property damage that may restrict access to paper records. 

Create an Emergency Response Plan

Emergency situations naturally elicit feelings of panic which may result in disorganization or even chaos without a proper plan in place. No matter what you feel your community’s risk level is, it’s imperative that you create a disaster response plan in case of an emergency. Put together an emergency response team made up of volunteers within the community. Establish an off-site meeting point, and create a voicemail script detailing this information that can be implemented quickly in case of a disaster. When trouble hits, it’s highly likely that many homeowners’ first response will be to call your HOA’s mainline. Detailing all necessary information in a voicemail will help spread the information needed to keep homeowners safe without requiring staff to answer the phones. You should also encourage each member to create emergency preparedness kits and make an exit plan for each of their individual households.

Budget for Emergencies

When disaster strikes, it’s highly likely that property damage will occur and your association will incur costs for repairing communal areas. Ensure that your community’s disaster plans extend beyond evacuation routes and include financial plans as well. Create a list of financial priorities in case of a disaster, and establish methods for sourcing additional funds if necessary. Unexpected instances like these are just one reason why your HOA should budget in a way that allows it to maximize its reserves. Utilizing an HOA property management firm and their financial services is just one way to ensure that you’re making the best financial decisions for your community possible. 

If you’re an Aurora HOA board member in need of independent financial services or full-service HOA property management, The Management Trust is the industry’s premier choice. We’ve served HOAs throughout the country for more than 30 years, and we’ve guided associations of all sizes and locations through natural disaster planning and recovery. Our industry expertise makes us an invaluable resource to more than 1,500 community associations throughout several states, and we’d be more than happy to assist your community as well. Give us a call today at (303) 750-0994 to find out more about our services and what makes us different.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living in an HOA

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There are a lot of questions surrounding life in an HOA, whether you’re a prospective buyer or you’ve lived in your Tacoma neighborhood for years. It’s a complex topic, which is why many associations utilize HOA management companies to help them navigate the process and handle day-to-day operations. However, some questions arise more than others. If you’re looking at buying a home in a community association, here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

  1. What is a Homeowners Association?

Homeowners Associations exist because they offer choices, lifestyles, amenities, and efficiencies that people value. In short, a Homeowner’s Associations (HOA) is an organization that makes and enforces rules for condominiums, townhomes, and planned communities to maintain community standards and preserve home value. When you purchase a home in an HOA, you automatically become a member and agree to abide by the rules and regulations and to pay dues, known as Assessments. Elected members of the community are responsible for rule enforcement and ensuring the common areas and amenities are maintained and insured. Since HOA’s are governed by volunteer community members, they often turn to a professional management firm, like The Management Trust, to help cover their broad scope of responsibilities.

  1. What can HOAs regulate?

Picture this: a beautiful, serene neighborhood with lusciously landscaped yards, tastefully painted homes, the smell of blooming flowers filling the air, perfect in almost every way. Almost. There is a house in the middle of the block that’s giving your neighborhood a black eye. The lawn has become overtaken by weeds two-feet high, the garage door is in disrepair, and there is an obscene political sign on display on the front edge of the property. Homeowners Associations were created to prevent your neighbor from single-handedly devaluing your property. In addition to maintaining common areas, HOAs may regulate the maintenance of individual homes. Each community association will have its own set of rules and regulations which set out when and how a homeowner may maintain their property. As members of the HOA, homeowners are required to meet their community’s standards. These rules may include the requirement of routine landscaping or the approval of exterior paint colors. The rules are there to help maintain and preserve property value. The specific regulations will vary between communities, so reach out to your Board of Directors or HOA management company to enquire about specifics for your neighborhood.

  1. Do I have to pay fees if I don’t use common areas?

An HOA is a nonprofit corporation. Your association’s budget will determine the assessments for your community.  The annual budget covers the basic needs of the community to keep it running correctly. These needs may include payment of insurance premiums, fire sprinkler, and alarm monitoring, landscaping, and other maintenance expenses. Before purchasing a home in a community association, make sure that you have a clear understanding of what the dues cover so you can ensure that it’s a payment you’re able and willing to make.

  1. What happens if I don’t pay or violate the rules?

When homeowners do not pay their assessments or allow their property to fall into disrepair, the Board of Directors will enforce the guidelines outlined in the community’s governing documents, rules, and regulations.  Many associations will use professional community management companies to help them run day-to-day operations, including rule enforcement and fee collection.

If you live in one of The Management Trust’s Tacoma communities and you have any questions about your HOA, our team is on standby to help. Contact us at (253) 472-0825. We look forward to hearing from you.

What Does a Community Association Management Firm Do?

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If you sit on the board of a Tacoma HOA, then you’ve likely heard of community association management firms. The Management Trust is proud to be one of the nation’s premier HOA management companies, having been in the industry for more than 30 years. Over these years, we’ve noticed that we receive a lot of questions and confusion surrounding what services we provide and what tasks fall to the HOA board itself. In this blog, we’ll explain a few of the basic community management services The Management Trust provides and clarifies which tasks are strictly left to the HOA board and homeowners.

Financial Services

The Management Trust offers comprehensive financial management services independently as well as part of our full-service management program. Community finances can be a complex topic to handle, especially if your HOA board members don’t have previous financial services experience. We’ll work alongside the board to ensure that your HOA has adequate reserves for long-term and emergency costs. We’ll also make sure that dues are paid on time, assist you in filing your board’s taxes, prepare annual budgets, handle vendor billings, and more. Living in the same community you supervise can make financial enforcement an awkward topic. Having your community management services handled by a third party can ease this burden and ensure that your HOA has the funds it needs to flourish. 

Administrative Duties

When you sign on with a community association management firm, you’ll be assigned a primary point of contact who will provide administrative support to the board and homeowners when needed. This can include answering homeowner inquiries, assisting in annual budget preparation, or attending board meetings. They can also help schedule community events, board meetings, and other tasks that the HOA has agreed upon. Since board members are volunteers, they sometimes don’t have an extensive amount of time to dedicate to these events. Having the assistance of an HOA management firm can gain the resources and manpower you need to execute ideas that the HOA board conceptualizes.

What Does the HOA Management Firm NOT Do?

Community management services are created to assist the HOA in every way possible, from financial services and administrative tasks to site management and operational duties. However, there are some things that a community association management firm never does. For instance, all final decisions are made by the HOA board. The board is responsible for finalizing the budget, brainstorming community events, and passing new laws. The management firm, on the other hand, works to execute and implement these ideas. The community management company will enforce any rules set in place, but the HOA board itself is the only party who can create new rules and determine the penalties for violating them. 

What Makes The Management Trust Different?

We differentiate ourselves from others in the industry by continually listening and adapting to the needs of our homeowners. As a 100% employee-owned management firm, we are uniquely motivated to ensure the success of the communities we serve. By utilizing our employee-owners’ diverse strengths, we can offer individualized, personable assistance in every aspect of community management. Implementing this mentality both within our own offices and within our represented communities results in thriving neighborhoods around the country. Where some community management services offer a one-size-fits-all approach, we take the time to create strong, one-on-one relationships between our clients and our employee-owners so we can best understand and serve your needs. We strive to think differently, do more, and do what is right every day for all of our communities.

If you think that your Tacoma HOA could benefit from community management services, then don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at The Management Trust. We have the network and resources of a national corporation, but our local offices and employee-owner business model allows us to stay in tune with each community’s needs in a way that no other HOA management firm can. To find out more about what we can do for your HOA, give us a call at (253) 472-0825 today.

5 Ways to Engage Residents During Social Distancing

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It’s been more than four months since Aurora homeowners were first encouraged to social distance, and many people across the country are anxious to enjoy the company of their friends and neighbors once more. Although it’s still as important as ever to follow current COVID-19 guidelines, including social distancing, homeowners associations and their HOA management firms are finding new and exciting ways to engage residents while keeping everyone safe and healthy. If your HOA is in need of ideas for homeowner engagement, consider these five fun ways to bring your community association together.

  1. Organize a community food drive

There are many families struggling during this uncertain time, and encouraging residents to do their part to make a difference can help bring everyone together over the act of giving. Organize a community food drive to help lift homeowners’ spirits. They can drop off canned goods and other non-perishables at your community center or a designated board member’s front door and donate to a good cause while social distancing. Making people feel connected will do wonders for engaging residents and raising their spirits. 

  1. Create a digital activity calendar

If you want to get creative and engage even the youngest members of your community, create a digital activity calendar that residents can participate in. Organize trivia nights, virtual Bingo, scavenger hunts, movie nights, and more. Create a sense of community and camaraderie amongst residents while offering fun and engaging ideas that can be executed from the safety and comfort of each resident’s own home. 

  1. Host virtual fitness classes

If your HOA has had to close down its gym due to COVID-19, or if you’ve noticed a significant decrease in usage, host virtual fitness classes for your residents. Hire an instructor to stream classes that can range from yoga or Zumba to spinning or free weights. There are a wide range of physical fitness exercises that can be performed at home, so giving residents access to free fitness classes will engage residents and help make up for the closed fitness amenities.

  1. Encourage safe outdoor activities

Although it may not be safe to open high-risk amenities such as pools and gyms in your area, open air amenities such as parks and bike paths can be safely enjoyed if the proper precautions are taken. Encourage residents to don masks and enjoy a hike, bike ride, or other outdoor activity with their family. Getting out of the house and enjoying some fresh air will boost residents’ moods and allow them to enjoy the neighborhood. 

  1. Throw a (social distancing) block party

There’s nothing that brings communities together like a block party. Organize a socially distant block party by encouraging residents to bring their barbecues, folding chairs, and speakers into their front yard to enjoy a delicious meal during a warm summer evening with their neighbors. Since everyone stays in their own yard, social distancing guidelines are adhered to while residents still get to soak in the camaraderie of a neighborhood get-together. 

If you’re an Aurora HOA in need of community management services to help you organize and execute community solutions, call the experts at The Management Trust. We’ve been in the industry for more than 30 years, so we know how to cater to every HOA’s unique needs. We provide community association management to more than 1,500 communities across the country. We have the experience to help your community thrive and come together. To find out more about HOA management, give us a call today at (303) 750-0994.

Frequently Asked Questions About HOA Pet Ownership

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Pets are an integral part of any family, whether you have a playful pup or a kitten to curl up with. When you move into an HOA, you may find that your community association has rules and restrictions regarding your pets, whether it’s what types of breeds you can own or where you can take your animal within the neighborhood. Rules vary so greatly between each independent association, so it can be difficult to know exactly what’s allowed and what isn’t. Here are some of the most common questions that we’re asked about pet ownership within a community association.

Can my HOA restrict what type of pet I adopt?

Yes, it is legal for community associations to have restrictions on the size, breed, or species of pet that you’re allowed to have in your home. Many HOAs will often ban dog breeds known for being especially aggressive, such as pit bulls, and HOAs within apartments tend to have a weight limit for any dogs permitted in the building. More common animals like dogs or cats are usually okay, but your HOA may ban other species of pets such as birds or ferrets. As with anything, it’s always best to inform your HOA board of your intent to adopt and ensure that your chosen animal is permitted.

How many pets can I have?

Some homeowners associations will allow you to have as many pets as you’d like and won’t have any pre-existing restrictions in place. Others, however, may permit you to only have one, two, or three animals in your home at a time. Review your CC&Rs and ask your HOA board if you’re considering adopting another pet but you’re unsure of any limitations on the number of pets permitted.

What about service or support animals?

If you need a service animal due to physical disabilities, these pets are exempt from any standard HOA pet restrictions. Even if your HOA has a sweeping ban on all pets, they are not legally permitted to ban service animals in the vast majority of circumstances. Make sure that you have all proper documentation for your service animal and thoroughly research service animal laws in your state. In the case of emotional support animals, there is less clarity. Although they also generally must be permitted in most states, there will be more restrictions on them than with service animals. They may be confined to certain areas of the association, for example, in order to accommodate other residents with documented allergies. 

If you live in one of The Management Trust’s communities and you have any questions about pet ownership within your community association, give us a call today for assistance in navigating your neighborhood’s rules and restrictions.

How to Safely Reopen Pool Amenities in Your HOA

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The circumstances surrounding the novel coronavirus are constantly fluctuating, and they will likely continue to do so for the remainder of the year as we learn more about the virus. However, states are now beginning to permit the reopening of some businesses and amenities in the next phase of their coronavirus response plans. While shutting everything down was an easy choice that minimized risk, reopening community amenities requires much more planning and consideration. If your HOA is looking to reopen its community pool, here are a few guidelines to take into consideration when deciding how to best approach the process.

Remember that each community is different

Each state, each city, and each community association are going to have entirely unique circumstances that dictate how and when they should reopen their pool amenities. Don’t reopen just because another community did, and don’t blindly follow another HOA’s guidelines. Your community may be made up of an entirely different demographic that necessitates implementing a different reopening plan than your neighboring associations. You may want to hold a community meeting or otherwise consult with the residents of your HOA to gauge their thoughts on how and when you should reopen, since reopening your community pool is ultimately done to serve them and their best interest.

Take the path of least risk

When it comes to safely reopening your pool during a pandemic, you always want to choose the strategy that is the safest for your residents. If a community member contracts COVID-19, this could likely lead to another complete shutdown of shared amenities, which will be a time-consuming and costly effort. Your first priority should always be protecting the health and safety of your community, so only reopen your pool amenities if you are completely confident that it’s safe to do so. Follow all guidelines set forth by the CDC as well as your state, county, and city governments.

Stay up-to-date on developments

Reopening while the pandemic is ongoing means that there will inevitably be changes in local and federal guidelines as time goes on. Make sure that your HOA board members are closely following all directives from the CDC and local governments, so if anything changes, your HOA can implement those changes immediately and remain as safe as possible. It’s always wise to cite the sources of these directives, as well, when explaining them to HOA members. Remaining flexible is key, so be ready to alter your safety protocols and reopening guidelines at a moment’s notice if official recommendations for safety procedures change.

Implement rules for safety

It’s never recommended that you fully reopen your amenities with no additional safety precautions in place. Especially in higher-risk environments such as a swimming pool, it’s imperative that you outline basic guidelines for minimizing risk of transmission, such as requiring swimmers to social distance while in the pool. While enforcement of these rules may be difficult, your board should still create a plan for enforcement and post clear signage stating the new rules. This can help protect you as an HOA board if someone becomes ill, and it can also help protect your community members from contracting COVID-19 in the first place. 

Navigating the nuances of COVID-19 restrictions and reopenings can be extremely difficult given the risk of getting it wrong. While the proper time and procedure for reopening pool amenities will vary widely from community to community, all decisions should be made with the residents’ best interests at heart. Protecting the health and wellbeing of your community association should always be prioritized over financial benefits or pressure from homeowners to access amenities. If you feel that you need assistance in navigating safe amenity reopening plans, contact The Management Trust. As a leading community association management firm, we can help you implement and enforce any COVID-19 safety guidelines that you feel will best protect your community. If you’re a homeowner looking for more information regarding the current status of your pool amenities, please reach out directly to your HOA board for more information regarding your association’s plans for reopening.

How to Rent Your Home in an HOA

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If you live in an Aurora Colorado HOA, you know that there are rules and guidelines that you need to follow as a homeowner to live in the community. However, what happens when you decide to rent out your home within an HOA to someone else? Are you even allowed to do so? What is each party responsible for? As a community management firm, we get asked a lot of questions about the logistics of long-term and short-term rentals within a community association. To help you feel as informed and prepared as possible, here’s our go-to guide for renting your home within an HOA.

Am I allowed to rent my property?

Usually, yes. However, this will vary across communities. Read your CC&Rs and speak to your HOA before you list your property for rent. Although most communities permit long-term rentals, it’s always best to double-check whether they’re permitted and what regulations there are when renting. There may be restrictions regarding the lease agreement, payment logistics, or even who is allowed to rent the property.

What is the landlord responsible for?

Although you may no longer live in the community association, you’ll still ultimately be responsible for most of the same things as when you were living there. Since you still own the property, you’ll need to ensure that you’re paying your annual fees and maintaining the home as required by your HOA. When it comes to paying HOA fees, the lease will specify who is responsible for paying them directly. Some homeowners may prefer to have the tenant pay the HOA directly, while others may prefer to handle the payment themselves and will add the cost into the rent. Ultimately, however, ensuring payments are made is up to the property owner, since they can be foreclosed upon if they fail to pay their required dues. You’ll also need to ensure that you’re following all home maintenance requirements, whether that’s painting your home annually or receiving routine lawn maintenance. This cost can be built into the rent, depending on how the lease is structured by each homeowner. Finally, you’ll need to ensure that you provide your tenants with a copy of the CC&Rs and rules for renters. You should also provide your HOA board with a copy of the lease agreement for their records.

Which benefits extend to the renter?

When you rent your property in an HOA, some of the benefits you receive may be extended to your tenant since they will be paying for the right to live there. These can include access to shared amenities, entry to common areas, and the ability to keep pets. There are also rights which are rarely extended to renters, including voting rights and the ability to attend HOA meetings. Again, this varies according to each specific HOA. Your community management firm can give you a better idea of what privileges apply to renters in your particular community association.

If you’re an Aurora homeowner looking to rent out your property within an HOA, consult your CC&Rs and speak to your community management firm about whether you’re allowed to do so. As long as you and your tenants follow all community guidelines, most homeowners find that they have no issues with long-term rentals in their community association. If you’re an HOA that needs assistance enforcing these rules and regulations, trust an industry expert such as The Management Trust. For more than 30 years, we’ve assisted HOA boards with managing their communities to spend more time enjoying it and making the crucial decisions needed to improve it for every resident. To find out more about our community management services, give us a call at (303) 750-0994.

How to Conduct an HOA Board Meeting via Zoom

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Although COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifting for the time being in Tacoma, officials still strongly advise against meetings where people are within close proximity and cannot properly social distance. Therefore, you may find yourself needing to conduct your HOA board meetings via phone or video chat. Video conferencing programs such as Zoom have skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic due to their ability to make group meetings easy and accessible for everyone. However, it will likely take some coordinating and ground rules in order to make sure that your first HOA e-meeting goes smoothly. Here are a few things you should consider in order to successfully conduct a community association management meeting via Zoom.

Make Sure Everyone Has the Ability to Log On

This may seem obvious, but the first step toward a successful HOA board meeting is to ensure that everyone is present and can hear one another. Some states have laws surrounding virtual meeting requirements, meeting notices, and board members being able to see and hear every other board member.  Take a roll call at the start of the meeting. Verifying the participant’s audio and visual is working will help the meeting to run smoothly.  It will also help prevent any later claims that a participant was not aware of an issue discussed in the meeting.

Establish Clear Etiquette & Rules

Once everyone has joined the meeting, it’s best to set out clear Zoom meeting etiquette so that the meeting can flow with minimal confusion and interruption. One way to minimize this risk is to establish a schedule beforehand of when each board member will present. This gives everyone equal and ample time to be heard, with the possibility for follow-up questions afterward. Zoom also includes nonverbal feedback features such as Raise Hand, which allow board members to silently indicate that they’d like to speak without interrupting the flow of the meeting. Zoom was created for business meetings of this nature, so taking advantage of all of its built-in functionalities during your HOA board meeting will improve its chance of success.

Prioritize Meeting Security

One of the biggest concerns for board members is “Zoombombing”. Zoombombing is the intrusion into a conference call by an individual who was not intended to be in the meeting. This disruptive act is not only annoying, but it could also put sensitive community association information at risk. In order to make sure your meeting is private and secure, lock the meeting once all the board members have arrived. This prevents anyone else from joining the room. Meetings can also be secured with a password, so only those with the required password can join the room whether it’s locked or not. Image and audio watermarks can also be added to help protect the privacy of any information shared in the meeting. Whether you’re meeting with your community association management firm, homeowners, or other board members, security should always be a top priority for your Zoom meetings.

Even with life slowly returning back to normal in Tacoma, many HOAs are choosing to conduct their meetings via Zoom in order to protect the health and safety of their fellow residents. Whether you need to meet with your community association management firm, your fellow board members, or homeowners in your community, video chat solutions such as Zoom are a great way to meet safely and ensure that everything is operating as usual within your company.