HOALendingXchange.comhas made financing for community association capital maintenance needs easily accessible. Financial institutions that are truly skilled in serving this unique industry can be particularly flexible to the differing needs of each community. Not only does each association have a unique culture but the projects all need to be approached in a tailor-made fashion to suit what they desire to have accomplished. The financing available is typically low cost because the transactions are acknowledged to be of low risk and the associations often provide the institutions with deposits that allow for buying down the interest rate or loan fees. The one aspect that permeates the vast majority of all communities… Read More
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The Needy, The Greedy, & the Seedy. HOA & Condo Collections
Not all HOA & Condo delinquencies are created equal and each one has it’s unique circumstances. However, in most cases the delinquent owners can all fall in to one of three categories: The Needy, The Greedy, and The Seedy. The only question remains is: How do we handle these HOA & Condo Collections? The Needy member of an association may have fallen into bad circumstances either due to unforeseen financial events, unfortunate circumstances, or even by circumstances that often happen at community associations. People lose their jobs and sources of income or have their investments go bad due to no fault of their own, their family economy suffers a loss… Read More
Continue ReadingSuggestions for Changing Boards of Common Interest Communities
As communities Boards change over time there is often a change in direction for a community with regards to how common areas are funded or which projects are most important to the present community membership. A reserve study completed for new Boards will help to guide them in their specific direction as a reserve study provides an outline of the costs Associated with replacement of common area components as well as includes funding plans based on the client’s goals, statutory requirements and our recommendations based on our experience with similar communities. Just Completing a Reserve Study is not Enough Just having a reserve study completed is not enough for… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Fight Against Inflation – A Silent Assassin
Is the title overdramatic? Perhaps, but inflation is the reason many communities are in such dire financial straits, it’s silent, invisible and hits your pocket book right when you least expect it. The community that has been saving for a roof replacement for twenty four years but doesn’t tackle this silent assassin will find out they only have half the amount needed to replace the roof – slice…inflation… What is Inflation? Inflation is the reduction in your purchasing power over time which causes prices to increase. It’s the main reason why your house is worth more, the car you drive is more expensive and a candy bar is double… Read More
Continue ReadingProtect Condominium Values – Utilize a Reserve Study
Making the appropriate decisions to adequately fund a reserve account is one of the most basic responsibilities of a Board. Reserve funds are utilized to pay for projected common area expenses like roof replacement, paint or asphalt overlays. Unfortunately for most condominium communities this basic community need is not being met as the majority of communities are severely underfunded, where reliance on special assessments and loans is highest. We have seen that the communities which have lower funding levels (ie. their reserve fund balance is significantly lower than an ideal amount) also have issues with financing units for sales/refinance, have marketability issues with Brokers & Buyers and are typically impacted… Read More
Continue ReadingFire Sprinkler Installation and Earthquake Retrofit – Are They Reserve Account Expenses?
Without a doubt installation of fire sprinklers and earthquake retrofits make buildings safer and could save lives when and if they should ever be needed. Some municipalities have passed rules for installation/upgrading/modernization of these systems but most have chosen to forego putting anything into law as the cost to the owner(s) of the building can be very high. The question we are tackling from our perspective is; should the installation of these systems be paid for from the Reserve Account? Most often we advise that these system installations projects should not be budgeted for and paid from the Reserve Account as they are not current components; the past/current members have… Read More
Continue ReadingDeck / Lanai Refurbishment, Replacement, Maintenance – A Common Budgeting Mistake
Decks / Lanais systems are typically one of the larger project expenses a community will face. Budgeting for their short and long term care is not always as straightforward as it appears to be as the degree of deterioration of this component is heavily reliant on historical maintenance trends in the community. I will touch on one of the more common budgeting mistakes we see on a regular basis. Maintenance and proper care will actually save a community a significant amount of money in the long run; deciding who (and how) this component is maintained can have a significant impact on the budgeting recommendations in the reserve study as well… Read More
Continue ReadingCondo’s Underfunded Reserve Creates Many Problems
C.R. from outside of Connecticut writes: Dear Mister Condo, I live in a condo building with 58 units. There are zero adornments except for a very nice meeting room. We have two elevators which travel eleven floors up and down. I am currently serving on the board. Our Reserve fund is at 18K which in my eyes is very low. We will need a major elevator repair in a few years and increasing insurance as well as a rooftop service plan. We have decided to increase HOA dues 15% = $3000. more each month or 20% increase equaling an extra $4000. per month. We want to propose this to our… Read More
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