Community Associations Network Industry News

As year-end holidays approach, the spiritual "reason for the season" will be on display in lobbies, entrances, hallways and other common areas of the majority of condominiums and homeowner associations throughout the state of Florida, according to results of a statewide survey of community association members released today.

Nearly 80% of respondents to the survey, conducted online from Nov. 5-20 by the Community Association Leadership Lobby (CALL), an organization representing more than 4,000 Florida condominium and other community associations, said their communities choose to place holiday decorations in common areas of the property during the month of December.

Of those, fully 78.8% said the display includes Christmas decorations, while 36% said their association displays Hanukkah decorations in December, indicating that many condo buildings and homeowner associations (HOAs) choose to publicly celebrate both the Christian and Jewish holidays. An additional 1.7% said their association would celebrate Kwanzaa.

While 37.2% said the holiday display in their association would remain non-denominational, survey organizers said the responses show that the religious and spiritual messages of the holidays remain substantial in most Florida community associations.

"Clearly, most community associations in Florida recognize the spiritual origins of the holidays and tend to deal with different religious and ethnic traditions in a spirit of tolerance and inclusion," said Donna D. Berger, Executive Director of CALL and a community association attorney and shareholder with the Florida-based law firm Becker & Poliakoff. "The survey also showed that the display of decorations is sanctioned by association tradition in 40% of the cases, while the association leadership establishes the decorations policy more than half the time, either by a specially designated committee or a decision by the association's elected Board of Directors."

A total of 459 property owners in condominiums, HOAs and other community associations from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys responded to the survey, conducted in an effort to identify trends and "best practices" in how Florida community associations deal with issues related to year-end holiday decorations, association parties and employee gifts and bonuses.

Key survey findings include:

- While more than 60% of associations shy away from throwing a year-end
party, of those that do go in for a community-wide holiday bash only
16.8% are willing to foot the bill directly out of the annual budget.

- Nearly half (44.6%) of respondents said their association earmarks less
than $100 in their annual budget to spend on these year-end holiday
items, with 28.3% spending from $100-$500 and 27.1% saying their
association spends more than $500 each year.

- Slightly more than half (55.1%) of associations give year-end gifts or
bonuses to association employees -- of those, 52.2% have created an
annual budget item for that purpose, while 47.5% fund employee gifts or
bonuses through voluntary contributions from association members.

"A clear consensus is yet to emerge among associations on the question of whether and how to provide year-end holiday gifts or bonuses to employees," said Ms. Berger. "Often at issue for those that do provide employee gifts or bonuses is how to do so equitably, and on that point associations appear nearly evenly split between those that prefer to guarantee an amount through an annual budget line item and those that leave the amount to be determined by voluntary contributions from individual unit owners."

The survey also found that fully 65% of associations place no restrictions when it comes to holiday decorations and of those that do, nearly 80% said their association takes no action or sends a warning letter with no follow through in the case of a property owner who flaunts the restrictions.

"We found it interesting that the survey responses showed a more relaxed attitude on the part of community association leadership regarding enforcement of restrictions on what individual owners can display on doors, balconies and front yards," said Ms. Berger.

The survey's sponsor, CALL, is a statewide organization established in 2003 to advocate on behalf of the interests of Florida's community associations by the law firm Becker & Poliakoff, which has the largest community association law practice in the state.

The full report on the survey results is available online at the website of the Community Association Leadership Lobby: www.callbp.com.

About the Community Association Leadership Lobby (CALL)

The Community Association Leadership Lobby is the leading organization working to enhance the quality of life and protect property values for Florida's community association residents. CALL advocates on behalf of more than 4,000 member communities, including condominiums, homeowners' associations, mobile home communities and cooperatives throughout the state. More information on the Community Association Leadership Lobby can be found at www.callbp.com

Posted by Joe at 11:56 AM | Permalink

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pitcairn Properties, developer of The Ellington luxury condominium tower in Center City, today announced what may be the first blog ever launched for a residential development.

The Ellington's blog, an online diary of information and ideas viewable at www.EllingtonCenterCity.com, allows The Ellington's staff to communicate with buyers, brokers, the media, and the growing numbers of people who follow real estate and the Center City revitalization in a truly democratic fashion.

"We are one of the first residential properties to use a technology that's changing how people communicate," said Greg Dwornikowski, Senior Vice President, Pitcairn Properties, The Ellington's developer. "Blogs have emerged as a truly 'interactive' means for talking and learning. That's why we're very excited about having a two-way dialogue that brings things to an entirely new level."

Among the subjects that The Ellington blog will cover: the emergence and power of single women buyers, Center City shopping and entertainment, holiday events and sponsorships, a perspective on the current market for Center City real estate, and the introduction of bi-level penthouse homes at The Ellington/ Interaction with posters will also be viewable.

The Ellington's blog launch is yet another triumph for the renovated building at 1500 Chestnut Street. It is now more than 50% sold, with 88 of the 160 available homes either sold or under contract. In September, The Ellington was named Best Condominium Home of the Year Under $500,000 by the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia (BIA) and won a total of five of the association's 2006 William Penn Awards of Excellence.

To schedule an appointment to view home models in The Ellington's sales center, or for more information please call 215-569-8174.

About Pitcairn Properties. Based in Jenkintown, PA, Pitcairn Properties is a national developer with a substantial portfolio of residential and commercial real estate holdings. Pitcairn has a prestigious client roster that includes many on the Fortune 500, and a proven value-added investment strategy. Over the past 37 years, they have developed more than 45 million square feet of commercial real estate, including a number of Class A high-rise commercial and residential buildings, as well as a variety of suburban office campuses. For more information, go to www.pitcairnproperties.com.

Posted by Joe at 10:40 AM | Permalink

A Chandler company's expertise is helping landscape the roofs and terraces of an 11-building, 700-unit condominium development north of Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Windswept Organix is blowing dirt as high as seven stories using powerful vacuum trucks.

The 13-acre site contains nine seven-story towers and two six-story structures, all stone and glass facades.

"The intent of the architecture is to take that urban context and with the use of garden roof systems to soften it and bring a lot of greenery into the project for the enjoyment of the residents as well as for the benefit of the surrounding community," said Thaddeus Lenick, senior vice president of Phoenix-based Optima, the developer.

The trees, shrubs and ground cover being planted in Scottsdale will benefit the environment, Lenick said. The landscaping counteracts heat, absorbs rainwater and adds oxygen back into the air.

The condos' sizes range from 800 to more than 3,000 square feet, and costs range from the mid-$500,000 range up to $5 million.

The Scottsdale job is only one of the projects under way by Windswept Organix, which works with commercial and home builders, civil engineers and the state Department of Transportation in controlling dust and water runoff at construction sites.

"What (builders) have to do is prevent erosion from happening in the first place," President Kevin Stumpf said. And any water that does run off the site has to be filtered to remove pollutants such as cement or paint.

Stumpf says his firm uses recycled and organic products, including Filtrexx Filter Soxx, a mesh tube (at least 8 inches in diameter) that he fills with ground wood waste and lawn and tree trimmings. He encircles a construction site with the tube so that water flows through it and comes out clean.

To prevent erosion in the first place, he covers the ground with organic composts such as recycled green waste, wood chips and mulch.

Dust control is a major issue in metro Phoenix and can contribute to particulate air pollution.

"The old way was to spray water on everything, but that uses a lot of water and it's not good for our water situation," Stumpf said. "We use several types of polymers, different types of spray-on products to bind the dirt to hold it down, so wind . . . doesn't blow it away."

Besides the Chandler headquarters, the company, which he began in 2003, has offices in Tucson, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Salt Lake City.

To get clients, Stumpf trains engineers, builders, contractors, subcontractors and DOT designers.

A graduate of Creighton University in Omaha, he used to work as an information-technology professional in Lincoln, Neb., and then started looking for business opportunities.

"By dumb luck, we stumbled into it," he said. "It's a good fit."

Posted by Joe at 8:07 PM | Permalink

NOVEMBER 20, 2006 -- Destin, Fla. -- Condo Cruise Lines International, a one-year-old locally based company, has signed a contract to purchase a prematurely retired cruise ship, which the firm, along with Tillberg Design, an architecture firm based in Sweden, will convert into condominiums. Renovations, which will total $22 million, are estimated to be completed in June of 2007, when the Murano is scheduled to depart for a two-year cruise around the world.

“This is a very new concept,” Erin LeCel Jones, executive vice president of Condo Cruise Lines, told MHN. “The idea is to create and expand beachfront properties, which have become in high demand.”

Condo Cruise Lines International is comprised of several development companies. Tillberg renovated the Queen Elizabeth II and designed Disney’s first cruise ship, Disney Magic. Sophlex Ship Management and Marine Growth Ventures will manage The Murano, which will spend one day at sea and two days docked at locations such as Venezuela, Argentina, Spain, France, Italy, India, Thailand, Australia, China and Japan.

Condo Cruise Lines’ one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums range from $382,000 to $1.3 million. Owners may live in their units, turn them into floating offices, use them occasionally, or rent them to the vacationing public through Condo Cruise Lines’ affiliation with worldwide cruise travel agencies. Owners will have access to on-site casinos, pools, entertainment areas, bakeries, libraries, fitness centers, sundecks, jogging tracks, salons, dining halls, medical centers, bars, spas, card rooms, cocktail lounges, shops and boutiques.

LeCel Jones said that the firm had originally targeted the condominiums to retiring baby boomers. But surprisingly, she said, the units have been primarily sold to the 35- to 55-age bracket. “It’s a great opportunity for them to purchase real estate that provides high rental income, but it’s also a fun vacation the family can take,” she said. Currently, the Murano’s units are 90 percent sold.

Condo Cruise Lines does not charge for electric, water, phone and cable usage, and insurance is included in units’ price. Residents will not pay property taxes. Homeowner association fees range from $9,000 to $20,000 per year. A designated number of staterooms will not be converted into condos, and will be booked by travel agencies. That revenue, along with onboard passenger expenditures, such as alcohol, duty-free shopping, shore excursions and casino usage, will contribute to the ship’s everyday operating budget.

According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), ships frequently leave port booked at 106 percent occupancy. Mark Boyd, president of Condo Cruise Lines, said the cruise industry is booming, and manufacturers are producing larger ships at a fast rate. Over 10 million people take cruises each year and 80 percent of them are American.

“It makes a lot more financial sense to build and operate one ship that can handle 3,000 passengers than 10 ships carrying 300,” Boyd said. “So, many lines retire their midsize ships early—most with decades of useful life left.”

LeCel Jones estimated that the Murano’s life cycle should be at least 30 years. “In order to take people across the ocean, cruise ships have to pass many codes,” she said. “When at some point, the homeowners association decides it is not worth it to bring it up to code, the ship will be docked in a nice location and used as a floating condo/hotel community.”

Posted by Joe at 8:51 PM | Permalink

DESTIN, Fla., Nov. 15, 2006 -- "Own your own cruise ship" the company slogan goes. Condo Cruise Lines International is a Florida-based company that takes cruise ships that have been prematurely retired and refurbishes them while at the same time combining its staterooms into 1-3 bedroom luxury suites.

The cruise industry is booming and they can't build ships fast enough. With nearly 30 new ships planned for the next ten years, it is estimated that only then will the cruise industry begin to get caught up with its colossal demands. And the ships are getting bigger. Most new ships carry over 3,000 passengers and bigger are on the way. Some now have their own zip codes!

"It's an economy of scale for the major cruise lines," says Mark Boyd, President of Condo Cruise Lines. "It makes a lot more financial sense to build and operate one ship that can handle 3,000 passengers than ten ships carrying 300. So, many lines retire their midsize ships early, most with decades of useful life left. We will buy these ships and spend 15-20 million dollars reconfiguring them with luxurious multi-room suites, then turn around and sell them to individuals that want to own their own home on a world-class cruise ship. Visualize sightseeing over Africa in the ship's hot air balloon, a train trip across Spain, whale watching in the North Pacific, a jeep trip through the Outback in Australia... all that, and you're home for dinner!"

According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), ships frequently leave port booked at 106% occupancy. Over ten million people cruise each year and eighty percent of them are American. That makes owning a condo on a cruise ship an intriguing "real estate" deal. Imagine having a waterfront condo that goes all over the world and brings in around $4,000 a week when you're not using it. And, unlike a true real estate deal, you pay no property taxes, no electric/water/phone/cable bill, no insurance, and you make around three times your mortgage payment as opposed to less than half with a beachfront condo. Plus... all your meals are cooked by a gourmet chef and are free!

Condo Cruise Lines' condominiums start at $382,000 and go as high as $1.3 million for a 3-bedroom Executive Suite. Homeowners Association fees run around $9-20,000 a year depending on the type of unit. The ongoing ship operating costs are covered by a certain number of staterooms that are not converted to condos and will be booked by travel agencies to the cruising public. All that revenue plus onboard passenger expenditures such as alcohol, duty free shops, shore excursions, and the casino contribute to the every day operating budget so the owners should never need to contribute beyond their annual association fee.

Boyd says there are two types of condo purchasers. "The first is the avid cruiser. Many of our customers cruise several months a year and this just makes good sense. The other is the savvy real estate investor. This is the best real estate deal anywhere," he says. "You have rental property where there is already a huge existing demand."

He's right. A large suite on the new Royal Caribbean Freedom Of The Seas was booked into 2008 before the ship was even launched! Other than the last-minute bargain basement fares thrown into the market by tour brokers, most people have to reserve a stateroom six months in advance in order to get a desired itinerary. On luxury ships like the ones Condo Cruise Lines is marketing, the wait is nearly a year.

The company has a booth in the upcoming Donald Trump Real Estate Wealth Expo this weekend at the Javits Center. The expo is produced by The Learning Annex and is conducted in a number of major cities nationwide each year. Prospective speculators can learn just about everything they would need to know to succeed in the world of real estate investing in just a single weekend. Condo Cruise Lines has exhibited at many of their shows across the country and sold over $12 million in condos in two days at last summer's San Francisco event.

Condo Cruise Lines International is headquartered in Destin, Florida and has representatives in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Dallas. The company's toll-free number is 877-350-5392. Their website is: http://www.condocruiselines.com and their location in the Trump Expo is booth 509-511.

Posted by Joe at 10:59 AM | Permalink

Merit Property Management, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, has opened its eighth office location at 39-249 Leopard Street, Suite A, in Palm Desert. Owned by Melinda Masson, the 25-year-old firm manages large gate-guarded residential communities. Information: 834-2482

Posted by Joe at 10:16 AM | Permalink

Raleigh, NC, November 07, 2006 --(PR.COM)-- Andy Ammons, president of Ammons Development Group and Debbie Houston announce that the Heritage Wake Forest Homeowners Association has won the 2006 Association of Distinction award from the North Carolina Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI). The award was in the Large HOA category. Representatives for the Heritage Wake Forest HOA received the award at the CAI-NC Annual Chapter Conference Sept. 15 at the Marriott Executive Park in Charlotte.

“We are excited that the Heritage Wake Forest Homeowners Association has earned the 2006 Association of Distinction award,” said Ammons. “This award demonstrated that the group’s efforts are appreciated by their peers statewide.”

About Heritage Wake Forest:

Heritage Wake Forest is located near the downtown district of Wake Forest and has homes priced from $180,000 to $1 million built on the beautifully designed Heritage Golf Course. The community offers many recreational amenities including a swim and tennis club and numerous parks and playgrounds. Heritage also maintains 120 acres for soccer fields as well as walking and biking trails. You can visit their Web site at http://www.heritagewakeforest.com.

Posted by Joe at 11:53 AM | Permalink

Irvine, Calif. -- Keystone Pacific Property Management Inc., based locally, has been awarded the property management contract for Portola Springs, a 2,600-acre community being developed here by the Irvine Development Co. for an undisclosed price.

Andy Larkin, senior community association manager with Keystone Pacific, will oversee the Portola Springs’ property management. Keystone Pacific will provide day-to-day management, including property supervision, administrative services and financial services, as well as the construction and maintenance services for the development’s Web site.

“Portola Springs is going to be a charming village located in one of Orange County’s most idyllic locations,” said Cary Treff, president of Keystone Pacific. “This is a significant account for our firm, and we are excited to provide our new development management expertise and hands-on service to the future residents of this distinctive community.”

Portola Springs will be comprised of more than 4,000 condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, John Christensen, senior director of media relations for the Irvine Development Co., told MHN. Portola Springs’ units will be priced in the mid $400,000s. They will feature Monterey, Spanish Colonial, Santa Barbara, Tuscan, Northern Italian and Provencal architectural designs.

The community is located on The Irvine Ranch, which consists of 50,000 acres of land owned by the Irvine Development Co. and where four other villages are being built. The master-planned project is slated for completion in 2012.

The Irvine Ranch is being developed near Lomas Ridge, a scenic trail that provides hikers with panoramic views of Orange County. More than 50 percent of The Irvine Ranch is permanently preserved as parks and open space on the well-known Irvine Ranch Land Reserve. Each enclave will surround 100 acres of open land and will be situated adjacent to a 25-acre community park. The park features an 18,000-sq.-ft. multi-purpose building, lighted soccer and baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts and picnic areas.

Posted by Joe at 11:38 AM | Permalink

(PRWEB) November 6, 2006 -- condoDomain.com LLC today announced that the Company has reached an agreement in principle to merge its new condo project information contained within its www.condoDomain.com portal with Vancouver, Canada based Global CondoCenter Corp's portal www.globalcondocenter.com as well as provide future content of new U.S. urban condo developments to both sites utilizing Global's proprietary data and graphics uploading software.

Global CondoCenter Corp. founder, Cliff Bowman says "it is a win/win for both the general public and developers alike. Now the public can visit either site to see the same new condo product in the United States on either site or link directly through condoDomain.com to www.globalcondocenter.com to view new urban and resort condominiums across the U.S and around the world"

Tony Longo, founder of condoDomain.com LLC noted, "We are in a changing marketplace housed in a world catered to 'Search' (on the Internet). Through our combined strengths and the drive to offer the latest technological advantages in the digital world, we are both dedicated to one goal. That is to provide a greater, cost-effective and transparent way to market our client's condominium product via the Internet to the millions of homebuyers searching for condominiums today, both urban & resort, domestic and international.

By combining our services, developers receive a reduced rate for being on both sites, each of which direct visitors to a developer's sales teams. Now U.S. developers using Global CondoCenter's technology platform, allows them to access and edit their content and digital graphics 24/7 ensuring their information is current and accurate for the general public's benefit."

Bowman says, "this new arrangement allows Global CondoCenter to focus their sales efforts on attracting U.S. resort developments as well as attracting both urban and resort developments from across the world." This past week, Global has added new projects from UAE, Nicaragua, Columbia and Dominican Republic to other offshore projects ranging from Mongolia, India, South Africa, Brazil and Panama.

condoDomain.com also offers advanced Internet marketing initiatives and other "new media" such as video marketing services for condo developments that can be seen on either portal. Another service provided by condoDomain.com is a daily concentrated electronic distribution of condo product through a series of 10 other real estate partner websites as well as "The Condo Blog," a the 2.0 weblog highlighting the US condominium marketplace.

condoDomain.com LLC launched www.condoDomain.com in October of 2005 starting with Boston and has since grown to represent new urban condo developments and urban lifestyle trends now in 33 US cities with the goal to serve the top 200 regional condo markets in the USA. condoDomain.com operates out of 2 main offices in Boston and New York and several satellite offices in Orange County, CA & Atlanta, GA.

After two years of beta testing, Global CondoCenter Corp launched www.condocenter.com to the general public on July of 2006. In October the company changed the portal's domain to www.globalcondocenter.com after Bowman's research showed there was growing international interest and need for one single global portal for all information on all new apartments, villas and condos for sale in both resort and urban developments beyond North America.

"This global portal presents many of the "Lock and Leave Lifestyle" options desired by global baby boomers as well as others with the financial resources and currency advantages who seek new ownership and lifestyle experiences both locally and globally" Bowman stated. Global CondoCenter operates out of Vancouver, Canada and satellite offices in San Diego, Mexico City and Capetown. Additional representative offices are planned for in Europe, South America and Asia as the company expands to service its global clientele.

Media Contacts:

Cliff Bowman
Global CondoCenter Corp.
604 681 9554

Posted by Joe at 11:29 AM | Permalink

(Farmington Hills, MI) - Two members of the Alliance Management Network, a national consortium of community association managment firms, were honored with prestigious awards recently.

RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc., (dba CMA) was selected as a 2006 recipient of the prestigious American Business Ethics Award. CMA was honored as a winner of the Greater Dallas Business Ethics Award earlier this year.

The Society of Financial Service Professional (www.financialpro.org.) recognizes the ethical corporate behavior of businesses that can serve as role models for others. The Society established the American Business Ethics Award in 1994 to honor and showcase companies that exemplify high standards of ethical behavior in their everyday business conduct and in response to specific crises or challenges.

“CMA’s core values and the character of our people enable our company to ‘do the right thing’ as our standard operating procedure for serving clients,” said Judi Phares, president and CEO of the company. “It’s a great honor to be recognized, but earning the trust of customers is our best measure of success.”

CMA employs a staff of more than 100 at its corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas, and on site at properties the company manages in the Dallas, Collin County, the Mid-Cities and South Texas. Its clients include a roster of homeowners’ association boards and developers of more than 160 exclusive residential communities. The 23-year old company serves residential and commercial developers and homeowners associations by managing the administrative and financial affairs of the non-profit organizations that govern homeowners’ groups.

Entries for the ABEA award are evaluated by an independent panel of judges composed of individuals with expertise in business ethics and are drawn from the business, academic, public service media and consulting communities. Winners must demonstrate their commitment to a corporate code of ethics in their conduct and communications through an extensive submission and evaluation process. Past winners have included large corporations such as Trammell Crow, EDS and Whirlpool, as well as outstanding small and mid-size companies in a variety of industries across the U.S. CMA, RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc., www.cmamanagement.com

National Association of Women Business Owners - presented a Remarkable Women Award to Melinda Masson, CEO of The Merit Companies. Women manage and own businesses, raise families, volunteer their talents and time, run for office, and contribute to the community in many other ways. Thousands of women participate in more than one hundred women's professional and trade organizations throughout Orange County. In 1996, to recognize the outstanding members who contribute their time and talent to these associations and to the community, NAWBO-OC established the Annual Remarkable Women Awards. Constituents from all over the county gather together to honor their organization's Member of the Year at this event. The goal is to create strong affiliations among members and leaders of these organizations, and provide them with valuable community exposure. This year's winner, Melinda Masson, CEO of The Merit Companies, represents the success that is in direct proportion to the firm's ability to distinguish itself from the competition.

When Masson started in the early 1980s, most property managers ran apartments or office buildings. She focused on working with real estate developers from the initial stages of large planned communities and working directly for homeowners associations of condominiums or planned communities.

By being on the ground floor of some of the largest planned communities, including Rancho Santa Margarita Ranch, Merit has become the largest privately held community association management company in the nation. The Merit Companies - www.themeritcos.com

The Alliance Management Network is proud of the honors given to two of its members. The Alliance members have an extraordinary reputation for establishing long-term relationships with the communities they serve. This can only be accomplished through hard work, dedicated professionalism and an understanding of how to deal with the needs of individual community associations and the home owners who live in them. "The members of the Alliance Management Network came together to create a strong national identity that would attract and retain a nationwide customer base due to unmatched professionalism through value-added service programs." In addition to RTI/Community Management Associates and The Merit Companies, the Alliance numbers Legum & Norman, Inc., Association Managment, Inc. and Rampart Properties, Inc. among its members. www.alliancemanagement.net

Posted by Joe at 12:16 PM | Permalink