2018 has been a year of great change for community associations, with no slowing down in sight. Everything from the appearance of a community to how the community members live are rapidly evolving. Here are three of the top Homeowner’s Association (HOA) trends to watch for the rest of the year.
1. HOA’s Functioning With Management Software
Property owners and property managers alike are reaping the benefits of property management software. This software helps community managers with more complex tasks like expediting documentation and billing processes to smaller tasks like automating common tasks.
Most of these HOA softwares store important information like HOA rules, documents, building plans, and allow residents to pay their bills online or request maintenance.
These property management software programs have seen great success, and many believe will be a common component in all Homeowner’s Associations in the future.
2. Residents Want Looser HOA Rules
Homeowner’s associations have a reputation for creating rules that are meant to protect the value of the property and create a uniform culture. Starting in 2017, however, many residents have begun to found HOA rules to be too strict.
Debates over political signs, solar panels, and flying flags were hot topics last year. This has created so large of a debate that several state governments took up the questions themselves.
Because of these new questions toward an HOA’s restrictiveness, many HOAs and COAs are reviewing their current rulebook.
3. Increasing Demand for Certified Property Managers
The demand for licensed property manager has boomed in the past few years, mostly due to the homeowner’s association management industry believes that licensing helps managers provide continually superior customer service, better manage association money, and uphold a professional industry brand.
In most states, community association managers do not need a certification. HOA managers in 2018 want to stand apart from their competition – and a license is a sure way to attain that goal.
Thinking of Hiring a Property Manager?
From collecting dues to dealing with legal matters, homeowner’s association boards have many big responsibilities to undertake. If your HOA board can’t run on volunteers alone, it may be time to call a HOA manager.
If you have questions about our management and consulting services, please give our HOA partners and property management experts a call at our office located in Los Gatos, CA. We have proudly been serving communities in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa, and Contra Costa counties for decades and will be happy to help you, too.