Homeowners associations (HOAs) have become increasingly popular over the recent decades. With well-maintained amenities and shared areas, rules that benefit property owners, a safe, welcoming neighborhood that’s perfect for raising a family, and more, there’s a lot to love about living in an HOA community.

There’s more to HOA communities than meets the eye, however. Below, we list down 10 little-known yet fascinating facts about HOA communities.

1. Of 92 percent of HOA community residents, 70 percent consider living in such communities a positive experience.

2. 90 percent of HOA community residents have a good relationship with their association’s board of directors. 88 percent are of the opinion said board endeavors to serve the community’s best interests.

3. 76 percent of such residents believe the rules and regulations of their HOA enhance and protect the value of their property. This is because HOAs usually don’t allow homeowners to make extreme aesthetic or structural modifications to their homes.

4. 22 to 24 percent of United States citizens live in HOA communities.

5. Every year sees the establishment of over 8,000 new HOA communities across the United States. In fact, there are now an estimated 344,500 communities governed by HOAs. This is an enormous rise in the number of such communities in the country, especially considering there were only around 10,000 of them in the 1970s.

6. Homes in HOA communities are often higher in value than homes in non-HOA communities. As of 2017, HOA community homes have a value of $5.88 trillion.

7. There are currently between 7,000 and 8,000 HOA management companies in the United States. They provide employment to between 95,000 and 100,000 people.

8. HOA communities boast a multitude of amenities, including parks, basketball courts, tennis courts, football fields, swimming pools, barbecue pits, walking trails, clubhouses, playgrounds, playrooms, gardens, cafes, business centers, and more. You can also expect recycling bins, cooking classes, art workshops, pet-grooming services, and the like.

9. Today, many HOA communities encourage eco-friendly solutions to common issues, such as solar panels and the use of energy-efficient appliances. They also prioritize the development of green systems, such as water irrigation that prevents the wasting of water and drastically lowers your water bill.

10. HOAs host community activities, gatherings, and festivals to give residents opportunities to form friendships with their neighbors. This strengthens the sense of community within the neighborhood.

If you’d like to know more interesting facts about HOA communities, please don’t hesitate to contact So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc. through its corporate website or give us a call at 951-270-3700. We’d be happy to hear from you!

When a Home Owner’s Association (HOA) is unable to effectively juggle managing a corporation and ensuring a community’s needs are met, it turns to an HOA management company for assistance.

An HOA is generally responsible for the maintenance of the community’s amenities and other shared spaces. It also enforces rules, collects fees, covers continuing expenditures, and amasses the funding for larger expenses. These functions are overseen by the HOA’s board of directors, which is comprised of volunteers from the community. As you can see, the board has a multitude of obligations to attend to.

Thankfully, HOA management companies are licensed to provide much-needed aid to HOAs. Read on to know the responsibilities of such companies, and why they can be of great benefit to HOAs.

Neighborhood management

The failure of homeowners to observe the HOA’s rules can lead to poorly maintained facilities, unkempt parks, and more—all of which can cause a reduction in the community’s value.

Thankfully, HOA managers help the association enforce their rules in an effective manner. Their responsibilities include conducting investigations regarding issues related to maintenance and rule violations; ensuring service providers adhere to contractual specifications when caring for pools, lawns, and other amenities and common areas; and coordinating tasks authorized by the board of directors.

Administration

HOA management companies also provide expert administrative services. Through adept communication and organization, managers excel at supervising operations designed to maintain and improve the state of the community.

In addition to assisting the board in their preparation of the yearly financial plan, HOA managers can provide regular management reports; schedule and participate in board meetings; communicate with homeowners regarding their specific concerns; and help enforce the community’s rules as mentioned above.

Accounting

Most HOAs know the handling of association and community finances can be a complex affair. HOA management companies can help simplify matters by managing the community’s bank accounts; providing accurate estimates of expenditures related to community maintenance; generating financial statements on time; reviewing monthly fees; offering direction when it comes to preparing the board and community’s long-term financial plan.Of course, not all HOA management companies are the same. While the above list discusses their basic services, you can expect different companies to have other ways of contributing to the maintenance and betterment of the community.

If you’d like to know more about the responsibilities of HOA management companies, please feel free to contact So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc. through its corporate website, or give us a call at 951-270-3700. We’d be glad to hear from you!

One of the best things that an HOA’s Board of Directors can do for the association and its members is to hire the services of a property management company as they have the experience and expertise to handle not only the daily responsibilities of the homeowners association but more importantly, to expertly handle challenges as they come; which could include crises and disasters.

With that said, it’s important to be careful about the property management company you hire as their professionalism could either make or break your HOA. Remember that they are there to help you handle the responsibilities of an HOA. And on that note, here are the top four questions you should ask during the selection process:

1. What is the scope of your services?

First off, know that not all property management companies provide the same services, or if they do, the scope of each specific service may be limited compared to others. It’s important to know all the specifics of the services they offer, so make sure to write down the particulars you’d like to focus on and discuss each one with the property management company as thoroughly as possible.

2. How long have you been serving HOAs?

Often, longevity in any business and industry translates to good service. A business wouldn’t have survived for as long as it did if consumers/customers do not trust them and do not find their services/products reliable. This doesn’t mean however that a new player does not deserve to be considered. It’s always best to keep your options open, hence; the thorough vetting process.

3. Who are the professionals behind your management team?

There are two things to determine here. First, the type of professional service, i.e. accountant, finance expert, an on-site contractor for auditing HOA maintenance, and so on. Next, the actual professionals assigned to various aspects of HOA management. This should entail meeting some of them face-to-face for some of your questions.

4. How many HOAs does each team handle?

For your HOA to receive optimal services from the property management team assigned to you, you need to make sure that the team, especially the lead property manager, does not have too many jobs on their plate. You will need a property management team that will be available to you 24/7. While you may not need them on-site all day, every day, there are times when you need to contact them at ungodly hours for emergencies. They should be accessible to the HOA anytime.

If you wish to learn more about the services of a property management company, please feel free to send your questions online or contact So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc. at 951-270-3700.

First, what is an HOA?

Briefly, a homeowners association or HOA is a non-profit organization established (usually by the developer and then passed on to the homeowners) to oversee the management of a particular residential community. An HOA covers condo units, single or multi-family homes, townhomes, and other residential property.

The HOA is primarily responsible for the following:

• Ensure that the community/neighborhood maintains a certain standard to make it up to par with other premier communities in the state and across America
• Reasonable fees are imposed on the homeowners, and dutifully collected on the agreed schedule
• Maintain peace and order in the community
• Ensure everyone’s safety and security within the community at all times

How does an HOA accomplish all these (and more)? Through bylaws and conditions, which are more formally known as Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs). The stipulations covered in the CC&Rs may differ from one HOA to the next so homebuyers need to review these carefully before purchasing or leasing the property.

What does a property management company have to do with an HOA?

Most residential real estate today belong to an HOA, which means homebuyers and future homeowners will automatically become a member of the HOA once they decide to purchase or lease the property.

In a nutshell, a property management company will provide a professional team to oversee the day-to-day activities and responsibilities of an HOA. They help ensure that the HOA is fully serving its community according to conditions stipulated and itemized in the CC&Rs.

A property management team will especially be helpful in addressing complaints and concerns in a timely manner, which basically means as soon as they come. In doing so, they are preventing these issues from escalating and possibly turning into a costly legal dispute.

Here are other ways a property management company may be able to help an HOA:

1. Provide appropriate training for the Board of Directors, especially on finance and accounting
2. Review CC&Rs and suggest edits, updates, or removal of certain stipulations as deemed fit and necessary
3. Contact contractors, suppliers, and vendors for the HOA and its members, whenever necessary
4. Vet potential tenants for rental properties or potential buyers for houses for sale covered by the HOA
5. Ensure that members of the Board are dutifully performing their particular tasks, and assisting them if and when necessary

If you wish to learn more about how a property management company can help an HOA, please feel free to send your questions online or contact So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc. at 951-270-3700.

In the United States, the rise in popularity of homeowner associations means an increasing number of Americans make their homes within such communities.

As an organization formed by a property developer, the homeowner association, or HOA, is extremely useful in that it helps said developer in the managing, marketing, and selling of homes. However, HOAs provide a number of benefits to homeowners, as well, so much so that many actively seek to purchase homes that are members of such organizations.

Below, we list the top 4 pros of living in an HOA community.

1. Amenities

An HOA will provide homeowners access to a variety of amenities, such as clubhouses, basketball courts, tennis courts, football fields, swimming pools, playgrounds, playrooms, gardens, parks, cafes, business centers, and more. You can also expect recycling bins, cooking classes, art workshops, pet-grooming services, and the like. Such features offer a cheaper and more convenient alternative to seeking similar facilities and niceties outside the community.

2. Good neighborhood

Every good HOA imposes regulations designed to improve safety and homeowner experience in the community. Anything that diminishes the quality of life—from littering to disruptive behavior—is prohibited and penalized. To ensure fairness and preserve the best interests of the entire community, the rules are applied to every homeowner. Homeowners are also given the chance to air their grievances and participate in the betterment of the neighborhood.

3. Resolution of issues

If any problems arise between homeowners, the HOA intervenes to resolve the dispute. For example, you can approach the HOA if your neighbor tends to play obnoxiously loud music at night. Depending on the situation, the HOA may enforce relevant rules, or help the aggrieved parties come to an amicable settlement by finding a solution that benefits all affected by the issue.

4. Property value protection

To ensure the value of the property doesn’t diminish, homeowners aren’t allowed to make aesthetic or structural modifications to their homes without the HOA’s approval. Guidelines also exist that advise homeowners on how keep their homes clean, safe, and visually appealing in a way that conforms with the community’s high standards.

In short, an HOA can vastly enhance your experience within a community. To make sure an HOA meets your specific needs, it’s a good idea to research on it before purchasing your new home.

If you’d like to know more about HOAs and property management, please feel free to contact So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc. through its corporate website, or give us a call at 951-270-3700. We’d be glad to hear from you!