Articles

Good rules make good community members. The most important factors in association policy making are clarity and sensibility. The board must be clear – and clearly united – on the policy being crafted and then must communicate that policy to all residents. Whether the policy is about designated smoking areas, amenity usage, overnight guest parking or approved high-rise flooring, the guiding principles for creating good policy and successfully enforcing it are the same.

How many homes in your building are empty? Even a few is too many. Empty units can lower your curb appeal and lead to security issues; no one wants to live in a dark building. Empty units also reduce the feeling of community and engagement among your residents, so it is important to keep every unit occupied.How do you keep units consistently full? Whether your building stands in historic Rittenhouse Square or sought-after Society Hill, the solution is to put time and effort into marketing your building to attract new buyers. Not sure how to start? See below for some ideas to make marketing your building a piece of cake.

Creating an annual budget for your association can be a source of stress, but it can also offer a great opportunity to protect the financial well-being of both your association and your homeowners. Proper community association management hinges on this financial tool for both short-term and long-term planning, so it’s important to follow some guidelines.

Summer is winding down quickly – school starts in Pennsylvania at the beginning of September! As a parent, you know what back to school means. Sure, it’s a change in schedule, but it’s also a change in your whole world: rushing out the door, speeding through homework, running back home for forgotten permission slips, gym clothes and lunch money. A little organization and planning can go a long way toward minimizing back to school insanity – and make this time of year more fun for everyone.

Far from science fiction or fantasy, electric cars are becoming more affordable and more common on America’s streets. Incentives such as the PECO Smart Driver Rebate for electric car owners and publicly-accessible charging stations at the Philadelphia International Airport will only serve to make electric cars more convenient to own and increase consumer demand for them. Consequently, this is now a hot topic for many homeowners associations (HOAs), community associations and condo boards in Pennsylvania and across the country.

 Summer is slipping away quickly – it’s time to hit the road! Beautiful weather and a break from school provide the perfect opportunity for rest and relaxation. Maybe you’ll take a road trip to the sun and sand at the Jersey Shore or the shady cool of the Poconos or even an urban adventure in Philadelphia.

Before enjoying fun in the sun, there are a few important things to take care of. Making the effort to properly prepare your home can save you money and worry in the long run. Whether you live in a high-rise condo or in a master-planned community, it’s important to know how to prepare your home for your time away from it. No matter where you live, here are some simple tips to help ensure your home is safe and well maintained while you are off enjoying the summer sun.

FirstService Residential is proud to announce L.E.A.D.S. 2016 will take place on Thursday, September 22^nd at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey.  This biennial educational, networking event is focused and shaped on the attributes of Learn, Evolve, Achieve, Deliver, and Succeed.

As the hazy days of summer start to pass and temperatures go down, it’s essential that your community association begins to change its maintenance activities. Using the fall to prepare for winter just makes sense – despite an occasional lingering warmth in the air, we know that cold weather is just around the corner in Pennsylvania. An early start on your fall and winter prep will help keep your operations running smoothly as the seasons and temperatures change – and that will keep your residents happy as well. Here are a few maintenance tips to keep your building or community at its best as the seasons change.

As a board member, one of your chief frustrations is probably surprise maintenance issues (and the costs that come along with them). Even those issues you can count on regularly – like ongoing landscaping and amenities upkeep – can take a toll on your finances. There are a few ways you can approach maintenance issues at your association. Let’s take a look at them.