According to data from the Foundation for Community Association Research (FCAR), there are about 370,000 HOA communities in the US, with roughly 22,300 of those being in Texas.
HOA communities can be a great place to live as long as things are going smoothly. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case. HOA boards can face various challenges that make it difficult for them to juggle all of their duties. One of the best solutions to this issue is to hire an association property manager to assist the HOA board and help the community succeed.
So how can an association manager help you and your HOA community? Let's take a look.
Looking After Common Areas
Within HOA communities, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their individual properties. Common areas, however, fall to the HOA. These are areas that residents can use at their leisure, and often consist of things like:
- Dog parks
- Swimming pools
- Fitness centers
An association manager can provide property oversight of common areas. This includes setting up routine maintenance schedules and hiring contractors when needed. By doing this, they ensure these facilities are always safe and fit for use.
Dealing With Administrative Duties
HOA boards typically have a range of administrative duties that they need to deal with. These are often fairly straightforward, and include tasks like:
- Organizing HOA meetings
- Taking minutes
- Planning community events
- Responding to messages
- Answering calls
Despite these being quite simple, they can often be very time-consuming. Association managers have a good understanding of association management best practices and can effectively complete these tasks. The HOA board will then have a lot more time to focus on their other responsibilities.
Enforcing Policies
HOA leadership involves setting policies for all residents. These can focus on things like disruptive behavior or property modifications to help ensure everyone in the community is happy.
HOA boards can set these policies with ease but often have a harder time enforcing them. As community volunteers, they're often friends with other residents, and this can get in the way of them dishing out penalties when they should.
An association manager can step in here to enforce policies as needed. They have no biases, so they can keep things fair for everyone.
Managing Finances
One of the most difficult tasks that HOAs have is managing finances. Without relevant experience, it's hard to do this effectively and without making mistakes.
Association property manager skills cover this, so they can manage finances on behalf of the HOA. Some common examples include:
- Setting budgets
- Collecting HOA fees
- Organizing financial records
Having an association manager oversee this helps ensure things will be done correctly, resulting in the best financial outcomes for your community.
Achieving Success With an Association Property Manager
An association property manager can take on several responsibilities on behalf of your HOA. They can also offer expert guidance to keep your HOA board on track.
PMI Values Your Casa has a team of experienced association managers who employ the most effective property management strategies. We can tailor our services based on your community and your goals to help drive the best results.
Take a look at our association management page to find out more about how we can help your community in Cypress, TX.
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