Many Americans associate HOAs with unreasonable rules and arbitrary enforcement of them. This perception is largely fueled by sensational stories highlighting neighborhood squabbles about HOA rules. For example, Texas Monthly tells the story of a homeowner here in Houston who fell out with his HOA over a World War II-era Sherman M4A4 tank that he had parked on the street.
While stories like this are amusing, a well-manged HOA is seldom this petty. If you want to ensure this kind of conflict doesn't happen in your community, you need competent association managers on your side. This article describes how skilled community leadership could help your HOA be the best it can be.
Expert Financial Planning
When residents lose trust in the HOA, it can kill the sense of community in the neighborhood. One of the main ways people lose trust is because of financial mismanagement. Effective community leadership needs to have a well-planned budget that makes great use of HOA dues.
They'll need to accurately forecast expenses, have a long-term plan for investing in improvements and upgrades, but they should also keep a reasonable amount of cash in reserve to cover any unexpected costs.
Residential association management should foster trust by being totally transparent with how HOA dues are spent.
They Engage the Community
One of the most important community management tips is to actively engage with the community. Many HOAs are ineffective due to their lack of involvement with residents. Most HOAs hold regular meetings, but these are often poorly attended.
Expert community guidance means finding ways of encouraging people to participate. For example, some people might not attend because of work or family obligations.
It might be possible to reach these people through online or hybrid meetings, it if that's not possible you should at least keep them in the loop through regular newsletters or emails.
Fair Enforcement of the Rules
When the HOA in Houston fought to have the Sherman tank removed, the public largely sided with the owner. Coverage of the situation suggested the HOA were trying to find any rule they could to get rid of the tank. If residents think the HOA are selectively enforcing the rules, or trying to bend them to their advantage, may distance themselves from HOA activities.
The key to good community leadership is to have consistent rules that are fairly enforced. The best association managers know how to handle disagreements about HOA regulations, and they'll often bring in neutral mediators to ensure impartiality and consistency.
You Need Pro Association Managers
As you can see, effective community leadership isn't an easy task. You'll need to use effective association management strategies like engaging with the community, creating a fair and balanced rule book while meticulously managing HOA finances. All these responsibilities mean that even the most well-meaning amateurs can lose the trust of the neighborhood through inadvertent mismanagement.
Working with professional association managers is the key to having a well-run HOA here at PMI Bayou City, we know what it takes to build a community. We're a full-service property management company, so we have all the necessary expertise to create a trusted and effective HOA. Contact us today and let's talk about how we can improve your neighborhood.
