Community Associations Network Industry News

Raleigh, NC, USA, June 19, 2006 -- BulkTV.com [Bulk TV & Internet] continues to lower the price of television and internet services for condominium communities. Today the company successfully launched their digital bulk plan, combining their bulk television services with digital technology and high speed Internet.

“Most of the condominium boards we talk to want a fair priced bulk package and a high-tech digital living room for their residents,” said Matt Zemon, President, Bulk TV & Internet. “These days they almost always also want affordable high speed internet access. When a community comes together they are able to secure a price that is up to 70% less than what the local cable company charges. In this economy that type of savings is compelling.”

Bulk TV & Internet is now able to deploy their community system featuring a quality basic television package that feeds all television outlets on and a high-quality digital receiver for each unit. All the basic channels can be watched on the digital receiver as well as any upgrades the resident selects. The full range of Dish Network programming is available to all residents including movies, pay-per-view, sports, international channels, etc… All residents also receive blazing fast high speed internet service either wirelessly or through a cat-5 or coax modem.

“With our system a condominium board can pick from a large a la carte channel menu and put together bulk a package that makes sense for their residents,” said Matt Zemon, President, Bulk TV & Internet. “After that each resident can upgrade as they desire. Everyone wins with this program.”

Bulk TV & Internet is a nationally licensed wholesale distributor for both DIRECTV and Dish Network satellite and local television programming to as well as a nationally licensed distributor for GUEST-TEK, one of the largest providers of High Speed Internet covering more than 450,000 units in the U.S. and Canada. Bulk TV & Internet offers a la carte programming as well as comprehensive packages for apartments, condominiums, mobile home communities, hotels, assisted living facilities, correctional facilities, hospitals and student housing. For more information: www.bulktv.com.

Posted by Joe at 10:24 AM | Permalink

The new cruise line that pioneered affordable luxury cruise ship condominiums is already working on its next two medium-sized ships. Erin LeCel Jones, Executive Vice President of the company, says, "We sold almost 80 percent of the available condos on our first ship in about twenty weeks - more than enough to go ahead and start the re-design and renovation process.

"The ship will be drydocked in Singapore and the renovations should be complete by early December," she added.

The as-yet-unnamed ship will then be delivered in mid-January to its homeport in San Francisco where it will begin the first of its two-year-long worldwide voyages.

The young cruise line gained notoriety last January when it announced it was taking semi-retired cruise ships and converting about two-thirds of the staterooms into multi-room luxury condo suites.

Condo Cruise Lines has four more ships targeted for conversion to condos, and the next two are already being re-configured by its world-class maritime partners. To do the renovations the company has enlisted the talents of one of the most renowned maritime interior designers in the world. Tillberg Designs, the marine interior designers that created the luxurious interiors of the Queen Mary II and many more of the newest mega-ships, will develop the condo suites.

The first ship's condo prices started out at $349,000 and went as high as $529,000 last January, but after two price increases, the condos that are left range from $562,000 to $1,280,000, according to Thomas Blackburn, the company's Senior Vice President and director of finance. "We didn't sell a single $349,000 suite as most people were looking for the higher rental income from the larger suites," he said. "So we eliminated the small, single suites and converted them to larger three-room penthouses and sold out."

Many real estate investors are opting for this variation to the pre- construction condo purchase because the rental income is about five times higher than a beachfront condo on the Gulf of Mexico.

Plus the ships move out of the way of hurricanes!

More information on the company can be seen at its website: http://www.condocruiselines.com.

Posted by Joe at 10:07 AM | Permalink

Kyle Kinney may have left behind his paid position as Pelican Bay Foundation's president, but he has no intention of stepping out of the spotlight. In addition to nurturing his private property management business, Kinney said he is scheduled in September to launch a cable TV show addressing condominium and homeowner association issues.

Kinney, 42, left the foundation late last month to pay more attention to Park Avenue Property Management, a company he co-founded in December 2004 with partner Russ Burland.

"It was my decision to move on. My partner and I started working on this two years ago. I have remained a silent, but managing, partner since the beginning. In all fairness to the foundation, I could not renew my contract and really go full steam ahead on the company," Kinney said earlier this week. "Without advertising, we have almost 1,500 condo units under management and we really only hit the market four or five months ago."

Park Avenue clients include Crown Colony Golf & Country Club, Pelican Isle Yacht Club, and two Fort Myers high-rises. Crown Colony is in Fort Myers.

Friday morning, Kinney met with directors of one Pelican Landing condo community. That contract is scheduled to be ratified Tuesday, he said.

He and Burland expect to have 300 more units by July 1, he said. They have studied the market and there's a tremendous need for first-rate management services, he said. Park Avenue is for associations that want hands-on local management, because he and Burland have noticed numerous national companies trying to break into Florida's growing market, Kinney said.

One example of that is a management company's reporting style. Kinney said he and Burland promise clients that they will have association board minutes within seven business days of their previous meeting. It is not unusual for such minutes to show up months later, Kinney said. That's why Park Avenue will send along a manager with a laptop computer, instead of a large yellow, legal pad, he said. The past month has been "exhilarating," Kinney said Friday afternoon.

A former Ritz hotel and resort manager, Kinney found his way, by accident, into community association management seven years ago. He was managing the Windstar Country Club and mentioned to his wife one day that the Pelican Bay Foundation was looking for a general manager. "I sent in my resume to appease Sherry," Kinney said, referring to his wife.

The most visible of Pelican Bay's paid professionals — he lives in Lely in East Naples — Kinney became widely known during Pelican Bay's two-year drive to become part of Naples. Naples City Council members rejected that annexation effort on a 4-3 vote on Dec. 7. Kinney acknowledges that the defeat played into his full-time attention to Park Avenue Property Management.

"If annexation had occurred, I wouldn't have moved on. With that no longer being on the table, and the growth of (my) company, the timing was just right to jump on the train," Kinney said. Pelican Bay leaders say they're sorry to see Kinney go. Pelican Bay Foundation board member Jim Carroll, a former Pelican Bay Services Division chairman who was anti-annexation, said Kinney's departure was a sad surprise.

"We were all pleased with (the job) he had done," Carroll said Friday morning. "I enjoyed working with Kyle."
Kinney said his TV show will be on UPN. On May 25, Burland and Kinney moved Park Avenue's offices to Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs.

Posted by Joe at 9:53 AM | Permalink

Instead of an article from RFund this week, the RFund people are offering a free components list. This is a 600-item list of repair and replacement elements for community association planners, reserve specialists, managers and boards.

Graham Oliver of RFund says …”It isn’t all that rare to have a reserve fund plan that has somehow neglected to list all the components for which cost estimates are required. This list is intended to make sure that you cover all the bases”.

To learn more about the Component List and how to obtain your no-charge copy, click here.
http://www.oliver-group.com/rfund/rfund_clist.html

Posted by Joe at 12:11 PM | Permalink

The Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development Task Force on Common Ownership Communities investigating problems in common ownership communities has met and now wants to hear from the public.

Public meetings will be held on June 15,20, 29, and July 20, and 26, 2006. This is an opportunity for homeowners to voice your concerns and influence Condo.homeownner association/Co-op public policy. Marylanders can voice their opinions at public hearings, or send in their opinions via email or letters.

This is an opportunity for Maryland homeowners to influence Condo/Homeowner Association/Co-Op public policy and right many wrongs.

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 15, 2006
4 pm to 7 pm Holiday Inn
6700 Coastal Highway
Ocean City, MD 21842
Holiday Inn Conference Center on 67th & Coastal Highway on the Ocean Side of the Highway

Tuesday, June 20, 2006
4 pm to 7 pm Stamp Student Union
1133 Stamp Student Union
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Room: Atrium

Thursday, June 29, 2006
4 pm to 7 pm
Joint Hearing Room
90 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

Thursday, July 20, 2006
4 pm to 7 pm
Winchester Hall
1st Floor Hearing Room
12 East Church Street
Frederick, MD 21701

Tuesday, July 25, 2006
4 pm to 7 pm
Beth El Congregation
8101 Park Heights Ave
Baltimore, MD 21208

This is an opportunity to be heard. All concerned Maryland homeowners should make their views known to this Task Force.

ABOUT THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPEMENT TASK FORCE ON COMMON OWNERSHIP COMMUNITIES

Senate Bill 229 entitled, "Task Force on Common Ownership Communities" mandated that a task force be created.

The task force is charged with studying:

1) The education and training needs of common ownership community boards and new and
prospective owners of homes and dwelling units in common ownership communities;

2) Alternative dispute resolution services for common ownership communities;

3) The desirability of adopting provisions of the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act of 1994;

4) Issues facing aging common ownership communities;

5) Issues relating to the collection of assessments.

6) Issues related to the resale by owners of homes located in common ownership communities.

Posted by Joe at 10:02 AM | Permalink

FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2006--While ants top the list of pest concerns among homeowners, those in the South were more likely to mention having problems with them during the past year according to a 2005 survey by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

With 60% of Southern homeowners mentioning having problems with ants during the past year it is no surprise that professional pest control usage is highest in the South at 60%. This same study revealed that more than half of all homeowners have had problems with ants - making them the most prevalent pest nationwide. "Ants are one of the most difficult pests to control especially as temperatures rise and they become more active," said Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for NPMA.

Two of the most common pesky ants are odorous house ants and pavement ants, which most homeowner encounter as they readily infest structures. Southern homeowners should particularly watch out for fire and carpenter ants. Fire ants, found mainly in the south, are vicious and can sting repeatedly if disturbed. Carpenter ants attack wood that is or has been wet or damaged by mold and can build tunnels through dry, undamaged wood causing costly property damage. Mannes advises, "A pest professional will be able to identify which species of ants are present and can help treat problem areas."

Tips for minimizing invasion by ants:

- Keep kitchen clean: seal containers, wipe counters frequently, empty the garbage religiously, and avoid leaving pet food dishes out for long periods of time.
- Keep wood and debris away from exterior siding.
- Eliminate sources of moisture or standing water.
- Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house.
- Seal up cracks and small openings along bottom of the house.
- Store sugar, syrup, honey, baked goods, and other sweets in closed containers that have been washed to remove residues from their exterior surfaces.

For more information on other ant species and preventative tips visit www.pestworld.org.

The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 5,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry's commitment to the protection of public health, food and property.

Posted by Joe at 9:40 AM | Permalink

Alliance Association Management, a leading provider of community management services in Austin and Central Texas, has opened a new office to better service its growing market. The new office is located at 115 Wild Basin Road, Suite 308 Austin, Texas 78746.

Founded in 1986 and currently one of the largest professional community association management companies in Texas, Alliance is known for its quality management services in the Central Texas region including properties in Round Rock, Leander, and Austin. The staff in Alliance's Round Rock office will continue to serve communities in the north Travis County and Williamson County areas.

As a part of the Grand Opening, Alliance held an exclusive New Board Member Orientation on May 24th, 2006 in the new office. Newly elected board members, as well as seasoned veterans benefited from the information that was shared regarding topics from legal responsibilities to financial reports. Of the move into the new office, Sherrill Schafer, Vice President of Alliance, said, "We cannot wait to share our training facilities with our clients. We will make the 60 person training room and two board rooms available to our board and committee members for meetings of any size."

In 2000, Alliance became a member of a growing group of community association management companies -- known as Associa -- from around the country. In conjunction with the 60 other company offices located throughout the United States, Associa provides a diverse and professional pool of experience and talent to assist in the day-to-day operations of community associations.

Founded in 1979, Associa is America's leading community association management and developer services company. With offices all across North America, Associa is the largest company in the United States devoted exclusively to the management of community associations, representing thousands of communities from coast to coast. For more information, please visit http://www.associaonline.com .

Posted by Joe at 10:37 AM | Permalink