What are HOA Management Companies? Are they for homeowners who don’t want to deal with the hard work of a public relations specialist or want better control over their organization? These companies help you coordinate community activities such as neighborhood events, lawn care, budgeting, and marketing. They also can help manage your community’s security and surveillance systems. If you’re unhappy with how your HOA is run now, you may want to discuss ways to improve how it runs and manages its money and property assets. Keep reading if you’d like to learn more about HOA Management Companies and what services they offer.
HOA management companies are not necessarily the entire HOA board themselves but instead, an addition to the existing board members already elected. The homeowner’s association is typically responsible for making the whole governing code within their community. The HOA management firm plays no role in shaping the laws regarding appearance, standards of area maintenance, and any other topics within the neighborhood. However, the firm does handle all aspects of communications between the homeowner’s association and community members.
How are these companies selected? Generally, the board with the most clout will choose management companies for themselves. Sometimes, the HOA board will choose independent consultants to do this task or hire outside firms specializing in these areas. You’ll find there are several different types of firms out there specializing in different aspects of these responsibilities.
One of the most common areas where HOA managers and consultants come into play is community security. This includes keeping an eye on gates, fencing, swimming pools, hot tubs and patios, security lighting, guard dogs, and other common areas within a neighborhood. Depending on how many gates, fences, and such a common area are in the neighborhood, the HOA manager and consultant will have different duties. Some examples of these common areas are:
Another area where HOA communities depend on the services of management companies are those dealing with eco-friendly initiative. There are many different ways these firms can go about this task. There are some that will be responsible for things like creating a checklist of all gardeners within the neighborhood, posting a sign whenever any new tree is planted in the gated community, collecting monthly yard reports to ensure the trees and shrubs are healthy, and maintaining a database of trees in the area. If you want a more hands-on approach, many of these firms also have landscape companies that do everything from plant seeds to mow the lawn. These types of firms also take on some of the more delicate garden duties such as planting flowers, picking the right flowers for your climate, and more.
Another way HOA community association management companies help homeowners is by helping them avoid foreclosure. Foreclosure occurs when the mortgage holder, either the bank or a self-employed investor, defaults on the loan and the homeowner is left without a place to live. The HOA manages many common areas in the neighborhood that the homeowner would not normally use. For instance, it might have a common area that is used for meetings, a garden space where the gardens are lovingly tended, or a swimming pool in the back yard that is rarely used. Through communication with the bank or other lending institutions, these managers help homeowners who are facing foreclosure get their financial house in order.
Homeowners associations help the homeowners themselves by making sure they pay their expenses and taxes on time. In addition, these firms help by cleaning up common areas, mowing the lawn, painting the walls, and any other duties that can be assigned. Many homeowners associations also offer educational seminars to educate people on maintaining their home in good condition. They may come out once a year to talk about the importance of keeping the roof in good shape, fixing the drainage system, etc. It is important to have an HOA manager because the task of maintaining these common areas can be overwhelming. The manager will take on this responsibility alone.
While many homeowners associations do the actual work of maintaining these common areas, there are other HOA services that are available. These services include but are not limited to, emergency services, budgeting, communications, security, landscaping, and many other services. If you are in a situation where you need to hire a firm to take care of your responsibilities, then looking into HOA services is the best way to go.