The Management Trust Continues Its Commitment to the Bob Hope USO

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At The Management Trust, we continually strive to uphold our commitment to helping communities across the country stay safe, happy and healthy. We believe that there’s no feeling like being home, and that’s a feeling that should be protected in ways big and small. We aim to achieve this through our professional community management services, and we also support those who work toward the same mission — those like Bob Hope USO. 

What is Bob Hope USO?

Bob Hope USO is a nonprofit organization that provides a home away from home for military members and their families. Their mission is to strengthen the brave men and women who protect us daily and give their families the support they need to carry on. For more than 80 years, the USO has been by armed forces members’ sides as they join the military, complete assignments and transition back to their communities.

Legendary comedian Bob Hope made 57 tours for the USO over 50 years, entertaining U.S. military personnel around the globe as they were stationed away from home. Named in his honor, the Bob Hope USO now has more than 500 volunteers who work in more than a dozen military bases and USO centers throughout Southern California. In 2021 alone, these volunteers donated more than 47,000 hours of their time to create more than 135,000 meaningful service connections. In 2022, Bob Hope USO hopes to grow this number and further support the more than a quarter of a million service members impacted annually.

The Management Trust and Bob Hope USO

The Management Trust was first introduced to Bob Hope USO in Palm Springs in 2014. At the time, the organization was struggling to maintain its efforts and properly service local military members due to lack of funding.

The Management Trust has maintained an appreciation for and commitment to military personnel and veterans since its inception, and we strove to find a way to support Bob Hope USO with our unique hospitality skillset. In November 2014, The Management Trust hosted the 1st Annual Spirit of Hope Gala to celebrate the Bob Hope USO and encourage donations.

With the success of the event — thanks to many volunteers who helped staff the gala — The Management Trust has been able to maintain the tradition each year since its inception, and we’re proud to announce the 9th Annual Spirit of Hope Gala on November 18, 2022.

Bob Hope USO 9th Annual Spirit of Hope Gala

This year’s Bob Hope USO Spirit of Hope Gala will be hosted on November 18, 2022 from 5-9 p.m. at the Agua Caliente Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA.

There are several available sponsorship levels ranging in price from $750 for Decór sponsor to $10,000 for Diamond sponsor. Individual tickets are available for $200 each. Previous Diamond sponsors — listed as title sponsors for the Spirit of Hope Gala — include Ernst and Young, HUB International and Alliance Association Bank. 

For every table of 10 — included with Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond sponsorships — one seat is given back to a Bob Hope USO volunteer, and one seat is given back to a member of the military. During the night, attendees can participate in live and silent auctions for exclusive prizes such as golf trips, cruises, Coachella tickets and more.

After surpassing 2021’s incredible fundraising goal of $125,000, The Management Trust hopes to raise $200,000 at this year’s gala to support the troops and the generous volunteers at Bob Hope USO. If you want to support the organization but are unable to attend the gala, The Management Trust encourages everyone to donate directly to Bob Hope USO.

The Management Trust is proud to work alongside Bob Hope USO to give a home away from home to the brave men and women protecting U.S. citizens each day. With the support of Bob Hope USO volunteers such as Gabriella Coyle, Carla Garcia, Allison Anderson and Bob Kurkjian, The Management Trust has been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for this incredible organization, giving back to those who give so much to us. To learn more about The Management Trust and how it supports local neighborhoods big and small through HOA community management services, contact us today.

Spooky Season Has Arrived — Here Are 4 Community Management Tips to Remember

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Spooky season has officially arrived, and community associations throughout Aurora, CO are getting ready to celebrate with trick-or-treating, costumes, parties, haunted houses and all the spooktacular festivities one can imagine.

While some frights are all part of the Halloween fun, others can verge on violating HOA guidelines. In order to keep Halloween safe and fun for residents of all ages, work with your HOA management firm to implement these tips that will help ensure the holiday is fun for everyone.

1. Host a Community Event

Halloween, like most holidays, is an ideal time to host a community event that brings residents together. Have your board review your budget, ask your social committee to brainstorm ideas, and work with your community management company to execute a fun and safe holiday event.

Popular HOA Halloween event ideas include a neighborhood haunted house, block party, costume contest, trunk-or-treat tailgate, scary movie night and pumpkin carving contest. Hosting an event can not only help make sure that residents have a fun and safe holiday, but it also brings neighbors together and boosts camaraderie.

2. Remind Residents About Decoration Guidelines

Halloween, much like Christmas, is a holiday that homeowners love to decorate for. From cotton cobwebs to full-scale haunted houses, everyone has a vision for their home around Halloween, and it’s your job to remind homeowners that your HOA has guidelines surrounding home decor.

Circulate a notice ahead of October 31 that gently reminds homeowners of your community’s guidelines. Include recommended decorations as well as decor that isn’t allowed, such as flashing lights, sound effects or whatever your HOA board deems inappropriate. Consult your governing documents for these guidelines, and offer a point of contact if homeowners have any questions about what is and isn’t permitted.

3. Create Trick-Or-Treat Safety Precautions

While Halloween is a fun and exciting holiday beloved by kids of all ages, it can also be one of the more dangerous holidays due to the nature of trick-or-treating. Even if you’re hosting a community event, kids like to go door-to-door around the neighborhood, so make safety a priority within your community association.

Encourage common safety precautions such as bringing a flashlight, wearing reflective clothing, and chaperoning any minors. Precautions should also be taken by those who aren’t trick-or-treating, such as adults driving through the neighborhood at night. Take these factors into consideration when crafting your Halloween safety notice.

4. Encourage Homeowners to Remove Decor Promptly

Once the festivities are over, many homeowners may return to their busy daily routines and forget about the pumpkin sitting on their porch or the cobweb above their door frame. Rotting pumpkins, especially as Thanksgiving draws near, can detract from the neighborhood’s curb appeal, so gently remind residents that all decor must be taken down within the week.

The holiday season is one of the best times of year for bringing people together and creating a sense of community. As a community association, following these tips can help you do your part to enhance neighborly relationships and boost the value of your neighborhood. If you need help executing community events, distributing HOA communications or otherwise handling day-to-day operations, The Management Trust’s professional community management services can help. Give us a call at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today to learn more about the full range of HOA community management services we offer in Aurora, CO.

3 Helpful Tips for New HOA Board Members

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Making efforts to join your Tacoma, WA HOA board can be an all-consuming job, so much so that you forget to think about what comes after it: actually being on the board. Once you’re elected, you may wonder, “now what?” and have questions about stepping into your new role.

Luckily, there are many resources available to help new HOA board members settle into their new jobs. From attending new member orientation to utilizing professional community management services, here are three helpful tips for new HOA board members to keep in mind.

1. Participate in orientation

Your HOA board and HOA management firm want to enable you to succeed in your new role. It will make their job easier as well as yours, so it’s in their best interest to set you up for success. 

Attend your board’s orientation for new board members, or ask if your HOA management firm offers an orientation process. They should walk you through the association’s governing documents — most commonly, CC&Rs, bylaws and articles of incorporation — as well as educate you on your role and responsibilities.

Take full advantage of this opportunity by taking notes, asking questions, and engaging with all members of your community association management team. Everyone will be happy to walk you through whatever you want to know and will be appreciative of your proactive interest.

2. Learn HOA community management’s role

Learning more about the board’s role and responsibilities can often lead to even more questions about who is in charge of what. New board members can often be confused by the difference between HOA board members and community association management and who handles which tasks.

The board’s role is primarily to protect and enhance the value of the HOA through decision-making. The board holds a duty of care and loyalty, and board members must fairly enforce all governing documents to ensure residents’ best interests.

Your HOA management firm handles the daily operations of the HOA, putting the board’s decisions into motion. While the board decides how the HOA should proceed, the HOA management company puts these decisions into action and executes them on behalf of the board. This includes coordinating vendors, managing amenities, collecting dues, and more.

Although their roles are different, the HOA management firms work to support the board members every step of the way. Communication and teamwork between both parties are essential for a successful and happy community association.

3. Take advantage of all tools and resources for learning

New member orientation is a valuable first step in taking on this important role, but board members are constantly learning. Utilize any tools and continued education resources provided by your HOA board or community association management firm whenever they’re available.

Resources to utilize include a board member portal, board meeting notes, financials, new vendor contracts, industry trade publications, webinars, digital roundtable panels and more. The more you can learn about your HOA and the industry in general, the more valuable you’ll be to your fellow board members and your community residents.

If you’re a Tacoma, WA board member needing guidance on how to best enable your HOA’s success, look no further than The Management Trust. We’ve been an industry leader for over 30 years, with more than 1,500 communities served nationwide. To learn more about our full range of community management services for Tacoma, WA HOAs, call The Management Trust at (253) 472-0825 or fill out our online contact form today.

4 Small (But Powerful) Changes Your Community Association Management Can Make

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Do you want to improve operations for your HOA board, communication with residents, and overall quality of life in your Aurora, CO neighborhood? Consider these four small but powerful changes your HOA community management can make right away.

1. Implement mobile HOA management software

If you want to increase transparency between your HOA board and your community association management firm, ask them to implement real-time mobile management software that will create a digital paper trail.

Many companies have developed software specifically for community associations and HOA management firms, so your HOA management company or HOA board members can use them to record and track information such as maintenance requests and violation notices.

Utilizing real-time mobile software instead of paper-and-pen physical records allows your HOA management team to track information quickly and efficiently, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. Creating greater transparency and accountability will make your relationship with your community association management company more productive and help ensure your neighborhood is more successful.

2. Digitize documents

In the modern era, all documents should be entirely digitized. Having filing cabinets of paper files is inefficient at best and a liability at worst, so take the time to digitize all documents and ensure that all documents are created in a digital format going forward.

Digitizing and organizing files will help operations move more smoothly, relieving a significant burden from board members and freeing up time for more critical day-to-day operations. It will also help reduce errors and eliminate missing information for a more productive and successful community association.

3. Create community communication platforms

Communication is the backbone of any community association. Whether it’s communication between an HOA and its residents or board members and their community association management firm, clear and efficient communication makes day-to-day life easier for everyone.

To streamline communication within your HOA, create an online community communication platform or member portal. Creating a single place for residents to file complaints, ask questions, pay dues, and more will help make sure everyone feels heard and is satisfied with their HOA living experience.

If you want to go the extra mile, ask your community management service to offer residents a 24/7 communication line, such as The Management Trust’s Text Trusty. Providing instant answers to residents is a valuable tool that will boost community satisfaction while reducing strain on your board members and HOA management firm.

4. Develop or update a community website

Similarly, you should have a community website that summarizes who your HOA is and what makes your neighborhood such a great place to live. A good website can act as a sales tool for potential residents and a digital resource for existing neighbors, making it invaluable in today’s digital landscape.

Make available important information such as amenity hours, project statuses, maintenance request forms, board meeting minutes and more. The more self-serve tools your HOA has, the fewer calls will be made to your HOA board and the more time board members will have for important daily operations.

If you want to implement more modern resources for your community members but you’re not sure where to start, contact The Management Trust today. We have a comprehensive range of community management services and a team of experts who can assist you in every aspect of HOA management. To learn more about how The Management Trust can help your Aurora, CO community implement innovative communication technologies, give us a call at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today.

3 Ways Community Association Management Can Help Boost Member Engagement

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HOA member engagement is crucial to ensuring successful Tacoma, WA community association management. Hearing from community members can help your HOA board gauge the areas that can be improved, increasing resident satisfaction and making your community association a more desirable place to live.

However, it can often be a struggle to increase homeowner participation. Unless they have a strong issue that they think needs immediate attention, homeowners tend to keep their opinions to themselves and disengage from the HOA on a day-to-day basis. If you want to boost your HOA’s member engagement and improve your community association management, here are three easy ways to get started.

1. Spotlight Your HOA’s Amenities

Your HOA’s unique amenities are a significant factor in resident happiness and community desirability. Take advantage of these amenities and use them to encourage homeowner engagement.

Ensure that all amenities — such as pools, walking trails, parks and fitness centers — are well-maintained and open regularly. This will encourage resident usage and boost enjoyment of the amenities, in turn allowing more residents to come together and engage with the community association. 

You can also schedule social events and activities around amenities to further encourage engagement. Social events will not only help connect homeowners to each other and the HOA board, but it will also remind residents of the value that the HOA provides them — in this case, in the form of unique and desirable shared spaces and activities.

2. Encourage Members to Join Community Management

If there are homeowners who regularly share their thoughts on what can be improved or how the community association should be managed, encourage them to take part in community management in the form of a committee seat or HOA board seat.

These volunteer positions can often be challenging to recruit for due to the time commitment, but residents with strong opinions can often be swayed to join once they’re informed of the position’s responsibilities and expectations.

Community planning committees, such as the social committee, require less time and responsibility than board seats, and residents with all skillsets are valuable. Many homeowners are simply unaware that such opportunities for engagement and leadership exist, so establish rapport with vocal HOA members and encourage them to run for an HOA community management position.

3. Update Your Community’s Communication Platforms

To most effectively increase member communication and engagement, you’ll need to make it as easy as possible for residents to communicate with you. This includes utilizing social media platforms they can quickly follow, keeping your community’s website up-to-date, and sending out regular emails or newsletters that keep residents updated on the latest community happenings. Member portals and automated messaging assistants are also highly effective ways to encourage communication. 

Utilizing HOA management firms with modern tools for resident communication, such as The Management Trust’s Text Trusty, will increase resident satisfaction and encourage greater future engagement by providing instant answers to any questions or discrepancies residents may have.

If you want a community association management partner that will engage residents and boost your HOA’s success, look no further than The Management Trust. We’ve been an industry leader for over 30 years, with more than 1,500 communities served nationwide. To learn more about our full range of community management services for Tacoma, WA HOAs, including vendor coordination and 24/7 resident communication, call The Management Trust at (253) 472-0825 or fill out our online contact form today.

3 HOA Community Management Tips for Finding Your Next Board Member

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Board members are integral to the success of every Aurora, CO HOA. However, with the demanding position being a volunteer role, it can be challenging to find willing participants who are aware of the opportunity and eager to take on additional responsibilities and have enough time in their day-to-day lives.

Despite the challenges of HOA community management, you can find your next successful HOA board member by trying these three community management and engagement tips.

1. Identify Leaders Through Engagement

An effective way to identify potential community leaders is by getting to know each member of your HOA. While it may be impossible to get to know every single person, you can increase community engagement to begin establishing relationships with more community members.

Consider hosting casual meet-and-greets or other events where board members can establish rapport with community residents. Social events will not only boost resident morale, but they will also allow you to get to know community members in a more relaxed setting.

By getting to know residents in a more engaging manner, you can identify those who would make strong leaders and offer personal invitations to join the board. Often, it’s apathy and lack of knowledge, rather than staunch opposition, which causes people to resist the idea of joining their HOA board. By creating opportunities for in-person engagement, you can debunk any myths, inform residents and entice potential new board members.

2. Look to Frequent Contributors

You don’t always need to meet new residents to find effective board members. Often, those who’ve already shown interest in community happenings are the most likely to be receptive to becoming a part of your community association management.

Pay attention to those residents who regularly show up to board meetings, chair social committees, or are otherwise vocal about change within the community. If they show leadership potential and have valuable skills, they could be the ideal new board members you’ve been searching for.

3. Explore Your Personal Network

Similarly, search within your personal network for potential board members. Think about the community members you know, whether it’s a friend, neighbor or coworker. Do they have expertise that could be valuable to the HOA board? Think about neighbors with a financial background or those who are social and know how to effectively engage the community.

By extending a personal invitation, you can increase their chances of accepting the position. As mentioned earlier, lack of interest in board seats has more to do with apathy and lack of knowledge than anything else, so providing insight through the reference point of an existing personal connection can boost recruitment levels. If you know someone who would be a good fit for your HOA community management, highlight the benefits of the role and invite them to apply for the position.

If your HOA board is struggling with the day-to-day operation of your community association, turn to an HOA community management firm you can trust. The Management Trust can help take some of the responsibility off your plate and manage everything from financial services to vendor coordination. This allows you more time to engage with community members and focus on big-picture decisions, optimizing your community association management for maximum success. To learn more about how The Management Trust can help your Aurora, CO community thrive, give us a call at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today.

How To Create an Emergency Preparedness Plan with Your Community Association Management

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As the leaders of your Tacoma, WA HOA, your board is responsible for resident safety in case of an emergency. This can include a natural disaster, an accident within the HOA, or a crime. 

Whatever the cause, emergency preparedness is a crucial aspect of community association management. If you still need to develop a comprehensive safety plan for your community association, follow these four steps for maximum preparedness. 

Create an emergency committee

One of the biggest keys to safety preparedness is having a dedicated plan and a clear leader assigned to execute that plan. In the chaos of an emergency, it should be clearly pre-established who is responsible for taking charge.

This is why we recommend creating an emergency committee. This committee should consist of several board members, depending on the size of your HOA, and the committee will be responsible for designing an effective emergency plan. To create an effective plan tailored to local needs, speak to your residents about their thoughts as well as local communities that have already developed emergency preparedness plans of their own.

Identify an emergency action team

Having an emergency committee to help conceptualize the plan is imperative, but you’ll also need to find out who can be most effective in helping residents in the moment. 

Ask for volunteers who may have skills that will be useful in an emergency. Find out where any firefighters, police officers or EMTs live in your HOA and loop them into your emergency plan so they know how to be most effective when disaster strikes.

Determine a disaster budget

In the case of a natural disaster or other emergency, there will almost always be costs incurred as a result. From rebuilding exterior damage to helping support residents, you should be prepared with the answers to financial questions that inevitably arise following a disaster. If you’re not sure where to start, consult with your community association management firm.

Consider questions such as:

  • What responsibilities does the HOA have in response to a disaster?
  • What resources need to be obtained to prepare residents?
  • Are there vendors in place to help rebuild after an emergency?
  • How much of the budget should be reserved for disaster relief?

Communicate your disaster plan to association members

The effectiveness of an emergency preparedness plan relies almost entirely on your HOA residents being familiar with the plan and what to do in case of an emergency. To communicate your disaster plan to residents, work with your community association management firm to create an emergency guidebook for each household to reference.

In addition to the guidebook and initial communication efforts, we recommend creating an automated message detailing the plan that can be implemented on the HOA voicemail system quickly when disaster hits. When an emergency occurs, many homeowners will call the HOA’s main line to report an issue, find out what happened or learn what to do next. This automated message will help keep homeowners safe without requiring staff to answer the phones.

If you want a community management partner that always puts your residents’ safety and happiness at the forefront, look no further than The Management Trust. We’ve been an industry leader for over 30 years, with more than 1,500 communities served nationwide. To learn more about our full range of community management services for Tacoma, WA HOAs, including disaster preparedness assistance, call The Management Trust at (253) 472-0825 or fill out our online contact form today.

How To Establish a Sensible Budget for Your Community Association Management

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Being on the board of an Aurora, CO HOA is a big responsibility, and one of the largest and trickiest responsibilities to manage is community association budgeting. Calculating your budget for the year has a direct impact on homeowners: estimate too high, and you’ll have to raise monthly dues, frustrating your residents – but estimate too low, and you’ll have to impose special assessments for important projects down the road, also frustrating your residents.

Building a responsible and, most importantly, accurate community management budget can be a tricky task, but it’s doable with the right tools. If you want to make sure you can achieve balance between keeping fees low and covering all projected costs, consider these three tips for successful HOA financial management.

Identify your board’s budgeting philosophy

HOA boards tend to approach budgeting in one of two ways: they either choose a fixed amount for monthly dues and calculate how to manage within that budget, or they choose the management and service style they most desire and discover what that will cost in monthly dues.

While both of these styles can work if handled properly, setting a fixed value for monthly dues can cause more significant issues down the road. Keeping dues low will keep residents happy in the short term, but it may not align with the realities of your HOA management needs and can lead to higher special assessments.

The recommended pathway is to envision the type of community that you want to maintain and the service level you strive for. Then, determine the cost of achieving that objective. While this may cause dues to increase initially, it will guarantee higher resident satisfaction in the long-term and will set up your HOA management for success.

Prioritize protecting property values

The main purpose of a community association is to protect and increase property values within that community. With that in mind, protecting property values should be the top priority when setting your annual budget. 

To achieve this, set aside numbers at the outset and ask your board what aspects of the HOA drive property values. While the benefits of every community association are slightly different, common considerations include landscaping, amenities, perimeter fencing, street maintenance, community events and exterior home appearances.

Focus on these unique benefits, consider how you can implement or improve them to drive property values, and then calculate what these maintenance projects are projected to cost. This will allow you to optimize your budget, prioritizing the items that will earn the most immediate return on investment.

Evaluate your budget line-by-line

Your budget should be evaluated with a fine-toothed comb to ensure that every expense is necessary and justified. Recurring costs that no longer serve residents’ needs can add up to substantial amounts that unnecessarily drive up monthly dues.

Review your budget line-by-line and discuss the cost of services. Consider which amenities need a complete overhaul or replacement, and consider which vendors you can negotiate fees with. Just because you’ve paid a certain amount in the past for specific services doesn’t mean you need to continue paying that same amount. You may be able to eliminate the service altogether, depending on resident needs, or you may be able to renegotiate a price with a long-term vendor.

Whether you need full-service community management services or only HOA financial management, The Management Trust is here to help. We’re proud to be the country’s premier HOA management company, providing more than 1,500 communities nationwide with 24/7 community management. If your board members are overwhelmed and need assistance with the day-to-day responsibilities of community association management, we can help you handle everything from vendors to bookkeeping. To learn more about how The Management Trust can help your Aurora, CO community thrive, give us a call at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today.

3 Facts About Community Management Services You Probably Didn’t Know

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Tacoma, WA HOAs and HOA management firms work in tandem to make your community association the most enjoyable neighborhood possible for all residents. However, there can sometimes be confusion over who does what when it comes to these daily tasks. 

The responsibilities and functions of a community management company are entirely different from those of the HOA board, so it’s important to know what services your community management company can and will provide. Here are three lesser-known community management services that can take some responsibility off the plate of your HOA board members.

1. HOA Management Firms Provide Guidance, But Not Final Decisions

Your HOA community management company is a great resource for anything you want an expert opinion on. From recommending vendors to offering advice on board decisions, your management team is there to support your efforts and improve the overall well-being of your residents.

However, your HOA management firm will not make any executive decisions on your community’s behalf. Community management services are intended to help you handle day-to-day operations so your board can focus on the bigger picture. All rules, guidelines, and community decisions are made exclusively by the board members; HOA management firms are in place to help you execute those decisions and advise when necessary.

2. HOA Management Companies Brainstorm Community-Building Opportunities

While HOA management companies are immensely valuable in handling day-to-day functions, they also have the ultimate goal of improving your residents’ quality of life. This includes brainstorming creative ideas for bringing your community closer together.

Every HOA management firm’s goal is to create a community you love to live in and that other homeowners want to buy into. To bring this vision to life, community management services can include brainstorming ways to improve amenities, hosting neighborhood events and implementing initiatives that encourage interactivity between neighbors. 

A good community management company should be fun and creative to make your community as inviting, welcoming and appealing to potential buyers as possible.

3. HOA Management Companies Provide Financial Services

Managing an HOA’s accounting can be a very intensive process, and it often falls on the shoulders of a volunteer board member to handle these tasks. They can take hundreds of hours, and accuracy is crucial to the operation of your community, so HOA financial management is no small matter.

Luckily, HOA management firms like The Management Trust offer comprehensive HOA financial management services such as statement organization, record keeping services, fund management, collection services, vendor billing, budget preparation, audit coordination and more.

HOA financial management is included in The Management Trust’s full-service management program, but it’s also available independently to HOAs who only need financial services. With a team of experts specialized in HOA accounting, HOA management firms can help protect your association from liability and ensure your accounting is always thorough and accurate.

If you want a community management partner dedicated to building a community you love through whatever means necessary, look no further than The Management Trust. We’ve been an industry leader for over 30 years, with more than 1,500 communities served nationwide. To learn more about our full range of community management services for Tacoma, WA HOAs, including HOA financial management, call The Management Trust at (253) 472-0825 or fill out our online contact form today.

How To Set Appropriate Expectations With Your HOA Management Firm

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Clear expectations and open communication are imperative for a good relationship with your Aurora, CO community management company. However, setting those expectations can be difficult if you’re not entirely sure what HOA management firms should be doing for your association. 

If you want to ensure that you’re getting the full value of your management services contract and avoiding any future misunderstandings with your HOA manager, it’s important to understand these three aspects of community management and why they’re important.

HOA Management Firms Are an Agent of Your HOA

Legally, your community management company is an “agent of the corporation,” meaning they’re authorized to act on your behalf as a hired third party. An important thing to note when it comes to this relationship is that the ultimate decision-making power lies with the HOA and its board of directors, never the HOA management company.

HOA management firms don’t have the legal authority to make decisions on behalf of the association. Decisions are exclusively made by the HOA board, and the HOA management company then carries out those decisions in day-to-day operations. However, your HOA management company can give you professional guidance or advice if the board is struggling to come to a decision or lacks knowledge in a certain area. 

HOA Management Companies Are a Resource for Homeowners

There is a common misconception that HOA management companies are “on the board’s side” in disputes since they’re hired by the HOA board. However, HOA management companies are hired to serve the homeowners just as much as the board members, if not more so. 

The purpose of a community management company is to help improve the quality of life for all residents – HOA management firms are a resource and an advocate for homeowners as well as the board of directors.

If a homeowner has an issue with their association, HOA management firms should encourage the resident to share their unfiltered feedback so they can help solve the problem or properly address it with the board.

Improve Access to Information Through Tech Resources

Implementing tech resources such as a board portal, resident portal, e-newsletter, website and more will be hugely beneficial for you, your residents and your HOA management firm.

Residents often have questions regarding one thing or another, and community management companies are always happy to answer any resident inquiries. However, residents often prefer instant access to answers, so having a website with an FAQ or a portal where they can submit questions will be appreciated by all. This also frees up your community manager to focus on other tasks that more urgently require their expertise. If your HOA hasn’t yet taken full advantage of available technological resources, hiring an HOA management company is a great time to do so for everyone’s benefit.

The Management Trust is proud to be the country’s premier HOA management company, providing more than 1,500 communities with 24/7 community management. If your board members are overwhelmed or want to spend more time doing the things they love, we can help you handle everything from vendors to bookkeeping. To learn more about how The Management Trust can help your Aurora, CO community thrive, give us a call at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today.