Running your community’s HOA is no small task!
Home Owner Association (HOA) management is usually performed by volunteers but requires skilled work.
Some eager neighbors jump at the chance to help manage their neighborhood without understanding all that’s involved with the job.
To build a truly effective home owner association, several roles must be filled by capable volunteers.
This skill set of the volunteer board and committee members of a home owner association should include:
- Operations
- DIY property maintenance
- Finance
- Management
- Public relations
- Legislation/laws
Do you see the wide variety of skillsets needed to operate an HOA well? That’s why its worth considering contracting out the entire business to a local, reputable HOA Management Company.
An HOA needs to be able to handle inquiries from community residents, correspondence, complaints from home owners, foreclosures and delinquencies, conduct it requires legal action and more. Its easy to get in way over your head as a member of an HOA board.
When It’s Time to Consider Hiring the Job Out
Perhaps your HOA board members can take care of some of the responsibilities in the above areas, but don’t have the bandwidth to handle all the work that needs to be done.
In this case, it would be a good idea to consider hiring out some of the workload to a professional management company and giving the rest of the work to the volunteer board members who like to take on certain responsibilities.
You may have a professional real estate broker or real estate attorney as a board member of your HOA who can keep up with the laws and legislative aspect of your board, but you may need help in all of the other areas. Let them do what they do well as a member of your board and then hire out the other roles true professional HOA management company.
If you have a community that is larger in size than your board members can handle on a volunteer basis you may find that there’s too much work to be done for you to be able to do. These are all good reasons why you should consider a HOA management company.
Checklist of Reasons to Hire an HOA Management Firm
With the ever increase complexities of running an HOA, particularly in larger residential communities, it’s a good idea to consider hiring a professional HOA management company.
There are several good reasons to consider hiring a professional HOA management company:
- Large number of properties, units and/or amenities. Quite simply, there just may be too much for your board members can do and still be effective without help.
- Volunteer HOA board members don’t have enough free time to commit to manage the various needs and responsibilities of the community.
- HOA board members don’t have the necessary skills or expertise to manage the various duties required: including finance, collections, laws, public relations and more.
- Gain discounts and incentives that HOA management company may offer your HOA for services you need.
At all times it’s important for you to make the best decision that will benefit your community.
If you do choose an HOA management company it’s important to ensure that their number one focus its to take direction from your HOA board and work to implement based on the desires of the board.
Why HOA Management Companies Exist
Prospective residents and long-time home owners of the neighborhood will appreciate a well- maintained community. It’s the job of the HOA to set and enforce standards that result in well maintained residential properties, landscapes and common areas.
You will attract better quality future residents and maintain higher property values when your HOA is well operated. These are all the benefits of an HOA property management company.
HOA members know the benefits of operating at the highest standards possible, but often times don’t have the bandwidth or the skills needed to make everything happen day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
That’s why an HOA property management company can be the ideal solution to make all of the above happen with skill and consistency.
The Time is Now!
There are benefits to becoming a board member of an HOA, but there are also drawbacks. If you have a larger community, many amenities, too large of a list of tasks that need to be handled and more, then you should consider hiring Utz Property Management to be your full service HOA management company.
Making this decision lets you enjoy the benefits without suffering from the drawbacks of being overworked for no pay, or worse, suffering the consequences of failing to uphold the standards of your HOA. Utz Property Management takes care of the complexities, skill duties and labor intense tasks that come with HOA management.
This lets you be a board member and enjoy playing a vital role in the care of your community without all the work that comes along with the job.
