Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tip Tuesday - times 8! Communicating with your Community Association

You don't want to be frustrated in your home. Read these great tips we found from Four Points Blog!


8 Tips for Communicating with Your Community Association


How you view a condominium or homeowners association is going to depend on what you have heard and what you believe. Some people think that community associations are the best form of residential living because the association is responsible to provide services that you would normally have to do yourself. On the contrary, some people believe that homeowner's associations are not a good idea because the people who make up the board and management have a reputation for being power hungry and that they usually do not care about the general upkeep of the property.
In order to assist you in communicating and dealing with the common misconceptions of community association living we’ve prepared our 8 Tips for Communicating with Your Community Association.

Tip #1:
You need to communicate with the board and management. If you do not
communicate, you are never going to have a good relationship with them, nor
will your opinion ever be heard. Never hesitate to ask questions or to question
what the board is doing, but you do need to remember that in order for your
opinion to be heard you must maintain a courteous and positive communication
level.

Tip #2:
Get involved with the association and participate. In order to maintain a
positive relationship with your association you are going to need to get
involved with the board. This can be as simple as attending membership meetings
and voting when necessary. You can also attend the monthly board meetings, join
or form a committee, or even become a board member. There are many ways to get
involved with your association which can help you maintain a positive
relationship with the association and management.

Tip #3:
Never assume that the board or management does not care. It’s important to
remember that the board and management will always consider any circumstances
that affect property maintenance, violations, or anything else that can
negatively affect the community. However, unfortunately, there are always
matters out of their control that may be cause for delay. Additionally, the
board and management may not always have a realistic understanding of the
urgency of some items, therefore, it’s important that you maintain constant
communication with them about what is going on so that they can work with you
on the issue.

Tip #4:
In order to fully understand what the association is and what they do you need
to take the time to learn about them. There are numerous things that you can do
to learn about an associations including reading books, attending board
meetings, and attending educational seminars. By learning about the
associations, you will find out that although some can be power hungry, most
associations work hard to make their community a great place to live.


Tip #5:
Always expect the best out of your association. Remember that the board is made
up of your own neighbors, who want the best for their community. Since you are
paying for the services you should expect the best, if things aren't going as
expected make it a point to talk to your board or manager to see if things can
be changed, but be prepared to provide specific issues and examples that can be
addressed.


Tip #6:
If you have something that you want to take up with the board or management be
sure to plan ahead. The reason for this is that time is needed to research and
to respond to your requests and questions. By giving plenty of notice, they can
provide you with the best answers and assistance.

Tip #7:
Learn to appreciate your board. The board members are there to help you resolve
problems and to fix things for the best of the entire community. Board members
do not get paid for their positions, they simply volunteer what time they have
to serve the community.

Tip #8:
If you do not like how things are going then you need to do something to help
change it. By running for a position on the board you can start making the
changes that you feel are necessary. You can also begin to make your board or
management aware of what you think is needed to make positive changes. In order
to better serve the community, they are always welcoming feedback and input on
what is going on throughout the community.



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