Most people hear the term “HOA” and think, “Those are the people who don’t let my neighbor’s front yard look like a used car lot and who told me I can’t paint my house purple.” While an HOA does have some authority in both of those situations, they do so much more than that. Keep reading to learn about the role and responsibility of HOAs.
HOAs Keep The Neighborhood Looking Attractive
If you do not have an HOA and your neighbor refuses to cut their lawn and has several broken-down cars in their front yard, there’s not much you can do about it. While it may not seem to affect you now, you may be concerned later when you try to sell your home and can’t find a buyer who wants to move in next to the junkyard.
When every home in the neighborhood is well-kept, the value of all of those homes increases. So while homeowners may complain about paying an HOA fee every month, it will be well worth it when it comes time to sell and they find themselves in a “desirable” neighborhood.
At the end of the day, the objective of the HOA is to keep home values high and reduce conflicts between neighbors by ensuring everyone is following the same guidelines.
Who Runs The HOA?
HOAs are run by a member-elected board of directors. These are often volunteers who are part of the community who the members elect to make decisions, enforce rules, and set policies about the community. The HOA will often also have an elected president, treasurer, and secretary.
The Duties Of A Board Member
Being a board member of an HOA is extremely taxing. While board members are simply volunteers, it is essentially a full-time job to keep members of the community happy, field requests and ideas, ensure maintenance tasks are completed, collect fees, maintain a budget, and the list goes on. The board must house a wealth of skills including accounting and budgeting, mediating disputes, and record keeping all while remaining in compliance with the latest laws and regulations. Many people volunteer to be a board member only to later find themselves drowning in responsibilities that they don’t have time to complete.
How an HOA Management Company Can Help Your HOA Thrive
As we mentioned above, running an HOA is very difficult. Just looking at the list of services 360 Community Management provides, you’ll see that your list of duties as a board member is extensive.
One of the reasons that many people have misconceptions about HOAs is because they only have experience with HOAs that are not well-run. When HOAs are poorly executed, members can be left feeling like their HOA isn’t meeting their expectations or that their HOA fees are not being put to good use.
A well-run HOA is one that keeps the peace in the community and ensures home values do not deteriorate due to elements that are within the homeowners’ control. When HOAs utilize the help of an HOA management company like ours, they often find that their HOA is more effective at keeping the community maintained, making necessary repairs, and bringing the community together in general.
To give you an idea of what we can do for your HOA, 360 Community Management handles all HOA manners concerning the following:
- Administration tasks including maintaining a homeowner/renter database; mailing statements, CC&R violations, ballots, and other important documents; coordinating meetings and keeping a record of meeting notes; maintaining a 24/7 emergency phone line; and more.
- Managing all manners related to accounting, including maintaining the HOA reserve and checking accounts, executing a budget, preparing tax filings, paying vendors, creating monthly and year-end financial reports, and answering homeowner inquiries concerning financials.
- Collection of funds, fees, and fines and managing any issues that arise in regards to late fees, missing assessments, financial disputes, and the like.
- Handling of home resale and disclosure protocols, including informing potential homebuyers of the HOA policies and fees, distributing important documents to new members, and disclosing other important information in accordance with local laws and HOA regulations.
- Maintaining the community website which allows members to access payment portals, important documents and forms, meeting notes, financials, and other vital information.
- Maintenance services including landscaping community areas, maintaining pools and parks, enforcing CC&R regulations within the community, handling architectural and insurance claims, and performing other maintenance tasks as needed.
Let Us Help Your HOA Run Smoothly
If your HOA is having trouble keeping up with necessary duties and tasks or can’t seem to stay organized, or if you are trying to get a new HOA up and running without any hiccups, we can help. Our Phoenix HOA management company has a wealth of experience when it comes to helping HOAs thrive and creating happy communities, and we’d love the opportunity to prove that to you. Reach out today for a proposal or to inquire more about our HOA services.