Community Association Management

I believe that much of the turnover we have in the association management industry is related to communications and expectations.

Boards have the expectation that management will do what they say they will do, some of which is “visible” and some of which isn’t so much. If the Board really understood just how much Manager’s do, would they be less likely to criticize? I think so. And the reason I think that is for some years I was on the Board and then the Board President for an association comprised of 13 buildings, 116 units, on 7 acres.

What drove me nuts, and finally motivated me to join the management industry, was the simple fact that our association managers didn’t do what they said they would do. If we said “write a letter” at the January meeting, we would come to the February meeting and it wouldn’t be done. If we asked for bids at one meeting, it could take 2 – 3 months to get them. Simple things identified on walk throughs or called into the management company could take weeks to fix or resolve. Most importantly, calls weren’t returned to homeowners and the Board took the flak.

As I came to find out, these problems were (and still are) common industry issues, particularly when an association contracts with a company that assigns properties to their managers in “portfolios”. A portfolio is a collection of properties (varying in size and make up) that could be anywhere from 5 – 14 associations. Some might have monthly meetings, others quarterly or even annually. Some have active committees, some none.

Each time a different portfolio manager was assigned to my association, it was like we were starting at zero. They had no history, no understanding of our community issues, or relationship with the Board. Suddenly, a new person would show up at our meetings and tell us that he/she was our new manager. It was beyond frustrating and I ended up spending more time “training” our new managers than I did managing my own small consulting business.

18 years later, I am still the property manager for this association. Our management policy is that every call gets logged and returned within 24 hours, every homeowner that writes gets a written thank you, and the board is kept apprised of our activities.

Every month the board gets a packet at least 72 hours before the meeting that includes a Manager’s Report, the previous Month’s Minutes, current Financials, copies of correspondence (including copies of ALL letters received from homeowners and the management response if it is not a standard rule violation letter) and Association Reports for activities from our last meeting date (from our CAM*Pro database) that includes the following:
o Owner Occupancy
o 90 Day Calendar which includes scheduled Board Business (such as an
annual meetings, budgets due, etc.), Contracts Expiring or up for renewal,
Scheduled Maintenance (from the reserve study), and outstanding Work
Orders.
o Rules Violation report (both opened and closed)
o Architectural Requests report
o Completed Maintenance report

The result is a board that appreciates the scope of work we do because they get to see it, read about it, and understand it. If there is a problem with a homeowner we can include a call log history on the issue. If there is a problem with rules enforcement, we can include a history on the matter or the homeowner. It helps the board to put things in context.

These tools, and the other reports available from the database help us, as the management and maintenance team, stay on top of things and make sure they get done between meetings. If they aren’t done, there is a reason other than “we just didn’t get to it”.

There are a lot of great managers out there doing super work for their associations. Unfortunately, many of them get overwhelmed and/or burned out simply because they don’t have the tools to do the job they are asked to do.

Software can (but doesn’t have to) be expensive. However as the number of associations needing our service grows, everyone knows that keeping a client (just like keeping a good employee) pays for itself over and over again. The cost of turnover is extremely high and it is our associations, the boards, and our members that pay for it. Information is power! The more we have, and the more we share, the better able our boards and our members are able to appreciate all the great work we do. Be your own best advocate. Make sure your Board knows how hard you work!

If you don’t have the systems in place to do so, spend some time researching the alternatives available. You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” and the investment in technology and support can help you keep your clients and grow your business.

Gayle J. Hasley
Community Association Manager
Community Association Homeowner
www.campro.us
gayle@campro.us

Everything you wanted to know about databases… well, ok, maybe, not everything. But I wanted to write just enough for a new user to understand what the difference is between a database and a software program and to help people who are looking for either to have a few more “tools” in their tool belt. There is tons of information available in Wikipedia to help people understand all of the aspects of databases and software programs so if this article tickles your interest that is a great place to find out more.

Simply put, a computer database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. The structure is achieved by organizing the data according to a model, the most common of which is the “relational” model (as opposed to a “”hierarchical” or “network” model).

A computer database relies upon software to organize the storage of data. This software is known as a database management system (DBMS) – the “engine” if you will, with the specific type of software program being the car that is built around it. You might have the same engine (Microsoft Access, Oracle, SQL or Filemaker are all popular engines) but the car could be a bus, van, Escort or Lexus. That is where the programming comes into play. Computer programmers are often referred to as architects because they are designing the body of the car using one of these engine products as the engine for their program. Yardi, CAM*Pro, CondoManager and Tops 2000 are all examples of HOA specialized software built with different capabilities and different “engines” powering them.

Just as an 8 cylinder engine differs from a 4 cyclinder engine in size, power and capability, there are differences in these DBMS “engines”. A great deal of the internal engineering of a DBMS, however, is independent of the data model, and is concerned with managing factors such as performance, concurrency, integrity, and recovery from hardware failures. There can be large differences between these basic “engines”.

Databases are used in many applications, spanning virtually the entire range of computer software. They are the preferred method of storage for large multiuser applications, where coordination between many users is needed. Even individual users find them convenient, and many of our electronic mail programs and personal organizers are based on standard database technology.

A software program using Microsoft Access as the engine, could be as simple as information related to vendors containing the data relating to each such as name, address, phone and email.

Software can be used for accounting (including large scale calculation abilities), or to manage associations (or a combination thereof). Software development is not cheap and (as long as the DBMS product used is sufficient for the task) the better the engineering (architecture) is on the front end, the fewer problems you have on the other end.

One of the most important aspects of database software is that it is only as good as what you can get OUT of it. This is called its “query ability”.

Querying is the process of requesting various information from different perspectives and combinations of factors. Examples: "How many of our units are rented?" “How much money did we spend on deck coating in 2007?” “What rules violations are outstanding right now?” “How many fines have we imposed on this one owner?” As long as you have the necessary fields completed, and a hefty reporting capability built into the programming, you can get that answer, especially if you have protocols in place to ensure the consistency of data at the time it is entered.

A database query language and report writer allows users to ask questions of the database, analyze its data and update it accordingly. It also controls the security of the database.
When programs are customized for each data entry and updating function, the software can also leave an audit trail of actions or provide the kinds of controls desired in a multi-user organization.

Understanding the basics and knowing what you need are the keys to getting the right software. If you are happy with your accounting software, or you outsource this function, perhaps all you need is the management capability. Until recently, there hasn’t been a specialized software for managers that was not built onto an accounting package. Now, CAM*Pro and a few others are filling that void.

As more software becomes available, knowing your needs can help you get the software you need at a cost you can afford. Creating a comparison chart will help you figure out what features each software has and also compare costs to some extent. Software varies hugely in its cost but there IS affordable powerful association management function software out there. It is worth the time and effort it takes to research this type of investment in your management future!

Gayle J. Hasley,
Community Association Manager
Community Association Homeowner
gayle@campro.us
www.campro.us