Top 5 Qualities of Successful HOA and Condo Association Boards

As HOA and condominium management specialists, we have certainly dealt with our fair share of very different people who make up our community’s board of directors. They come from all walks of life and from all different backgrounds. Some are very productive and accomplish numerous things for their community, while others struggle to make even the smallest decisions.

During our 25 years of working with our board of directors, we have learned what it takes to have successful community leaders. We’ve created the top 5 qualities that make up a successful HOA or condominium association board of directors.

5.- Libra

An efficient board of directors always has a good balance in this regard. A balance of men and women of different ages and backgrounds helps keep things interesting. Younger people tend to be more aggressive with their ideas and look for alternatives to their current situation, where older board members tend to be a bit more conservative and less resistant to radical change. Mixing the two helps avoid total chaos.

Diverse backgrounds help add practical knowledge to the group. Someone with a construction background would certainly be interested in a construction or redesign project while someone with an accounting background would certainly be interested in the association’s long-term financial success.

A diverse board of directors helps bring a different perspective to the table and helps ensure that the community is fully represented by all association members.

4.- Common sense

It is important for a board of directors to have some “street smarts” or common sense when making community decisions. There are times when you have to stop, take a step back and think about the situation.

Community documents are written when the community is first established. Some HOAs and condo communities have been around for 50 years, and over time, things change. If your community has rules or policies that are outdated and no longer relevant, it’s important for a board to know about them in order to stop the madness and make the appropriate changes.

Having common sense usually also means not being stubborn and looking at the big picture. For example, let’s say you have an insurance claim because a storm tore down part of your community fence. Your community has a $1000 deductible, which is pretty standard. If the damage is $1850, it would be a wise decision as a group to pay cash for the repairs instead of making a small claim. Why would they do this? Because ultimately the following year your premiums will likely increase and quickly eat up the $850 of short term cash savings that the community experienced in the short term.

3.- Communications

A board of directors that does not communicate effectively does not accomplish what it is meant to do for your HOA or condo community. This means not only with each other as a board, but also working in sync with the current management company.

Any reputable association management company should have a plethora of communication options available to both the homeowners in their community and the board. When a board decision is needed, it’s crucial that the board make sure they can come together and make that decision. Whether a board meets in person, emails back and forth, or even in a live chat room, it’s important that the board be able to communicate all the details of the issue, make a decision, and do all of this in timely.

Conveying what the board wants to achieve to the management company is just as important as the board making community decisions. Some associations work best with an assigned point of contact at the board to communicate with the management company, to avoid variation of opinion and additional confusion.

2.- Disinterested and impartial

Being an HOA or condominium association board of directors means being a volunteer representing the entire association in which you live. However, even though you are a volunteer, you have minimal responsibilities that you must maintain.

There is no place on a community board of directors for anyone who has something to do. Don’t even run for your association’s board if your only goal is to get your neighbor into trouble all these years of pestering him with his antics. Being elected to the board also doesn’t give you permission to hire your friend as a landscaper and recommend community improvements that only affect your area of ​​the neighborhood. All decisions must be made taking into account the general interest of the entire community.

I have even witnessed extreme cases where board members, after serving their term on the board, attempt to enter the property management industry and attempt to take their community with them to another company. This is a very greasy business tactic and does not speak well of the ethics you might be bringing to your new venture. If you’re not currently in the industry, and then you wake up one day thinking “I can do this,” think again. Just as you may think you know your community, imagine serving the needs of 10 more communities that are completely different from yours with unique needs and expectations.

1.- Active

This stands out as the number one factor in the success of an association board. Like most things in life, you get out of it what you put in.

For a community to thrive, it must have active participation among leaders. This means more than anything, doing all the little things:

• Attend as many HOA-related meetings as possible – if your schedule doesn’t allow it, don’t volunteer
• Giving your vote when a decision is needed: making basic community decisions is a primary function of being a board member
• Attending community events that you help plan: This sends the right community message to other homeowners.
• Obey the scripture restrictions: Don’t be hypocritical, they apply to you too.
• Maintain Financial Responsibility – You don’t want to be on the association’s aging report for board members to see, as it causes hostility among board members.

There’s also a fine line between being active and involved and being obsessed with your position. Remember, you are a volunteer responsibly; This Isn’t Your Career If at any point you feel like you’re taking on too much, or doing everything, that’s when you need to make some adjustments. Talk to your association’s management company to make sure you’re on the same page with them. If something that the management agreement requires is not being done, bring it to their attention. Also, don’t be afraid to distribute duties among board members. There are some people in a group that will sit until called. They are your fellow board members, they are also there to help.

There is no perfect recipe for a good HOA or condominium association board of directors. A well-run community begins with a committed group of community volunteers who lead the charge and make wise decisions for the community as a whole. Upholding core values ​​and upholding the responsibilities of an HOA or condominium association board of directors will lead to a well-run association.