While some homeowners chafe when confronted by rules they don't like, 70 percent say their association rules “protect and enhance” property values, while only 2 percent say the opposite. Twenty-seven percent believe rules have no impact. Often called Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), rules in community associations typically address issues such as architectural guidelines, yard upkeep, pets and parking.
Although the enforcement of association rules can generate discontent and calls for more stringent regulation of community associations, only 10 percent of those surveyed want additional government control of association-governed communities. Almost 90 percent oppose more government involvement.
The best and worst
Asked to name the best aspects of living in an association, residents most often site neighborhood attractiveness (23 percent), less maintenance for individual homeowners (22 percent), community safety (13 percent) and property values (11 percent).
Asked to name the worst aspects of their associations, 37 percent say there is nothing bad. That is followed by restrictions on exterior improvements (14 percent), dealing with neighbors (12 percent) and paying assessments (10 percent). Association homeowners pay assessments for services and amenities provided by the association. Services can include landscaping, building maintenance, garbage pickup, snow removal and street lighting. Amenities can include pools, club houses, tennis courts, playgrounds and association-sponsored social functions.
Conflict among neighbors
Of those who cite neighbor-to-neighbor issues, 24 percent say conflict relates to the appearance of homes. Other leading reasons for strife include parking (12 percent), personal habits and noise (11 percent, respectively).
“Conflict and dissention make headlines, and that’s what many Americans read in newspapers and see on television about community associations,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, chief executive officer of Community Associations Institute (CAI). “But when you ask residents themselves, the news is largely positive. While there are serious issues in some communities, this research affirms that vast majority of homeowner board members and professional managers are doing good work for the community associations they serve.”
Homeowners who are unsatisfied need to “step up and play a constructive and positive role in their associations,” Skiba adds. “You get out of your communities what you put into them. There’s no substitute for active and constructive homeowner involvement and no better way to build a true sense of community.”
Based on telephone interviews conducted in December 2009, the survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percent. Zogby International has been tracking public opinion in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe since 1984.
Created by CAI in 1975, the Foundation for Community Association Research is an independent, nonprofit organization devoted to common-interest community research, development and scholarship. CAI, with almost 30,000 members and 58 chapters across the country, provides education, resources and best practices to the homeowner volunteer leaders and professionals involved in the governance and management of common-interest communities.
For comparative data on the 2005, 2007 and 2009 national surveys, see What Residents Say About Their Community Associations.
For members and general inquiries, contact the CAI member service team:
Community Associations Institute
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 548-8600
Fax: (703) 684-1581
E-mail: CAI-info@...
The decision to incorporate this new technology into their service was a result of an intensive surveying campaign the company launched in recent months. Company founders Jeff and Susan Sanders have built the foundation of their business by frequently relying on client feedback to let them know the direct needs of what communities want to see out of a website service. The fact that no other professional Community or Association Management Website provider offers these capabilities again shows AtHomeNet to be an innovative leader in community association technology.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional Association Manager or a Board member in a Homeowners Association, if you’re one of those people who want to stay in touch everywhere and anywhere, you’re going to love this. I think anyone would want to be able to send out bulletins, update information, and check on the status of various community business from any location, at their convenience,” commented Director of Technology Jeff Sanders when asked about the value of AtHomeNet Everywhere to communities.
CEO Susan Sanders added, “The decision to do this and the features that will be available on both platforms have been completely driven by the fantastic response we received from a communications technology survey we sent out recently. We received tons of responses and we heard loud and clear what community website administrators, board members, and professional association managers want and need; which is essentially uninhibited access to important features of their community websites from mobile devices.”
About AtHomeNet
AtHomeNet® is the nation's premiere provider of customized, affordable websites for communities and Professional Association Management Firms. The company was founded in 1998 by husband and wife team Jeff & Susan Sanders. With their websites now being used in over 1.5 million homes in and over 6 countries, AtHomeNet continues to grow as a company and enhance their services in the ever expanding world of online technology.
For more information on AtHomeNet Everywhere please visit www.AtHomeNet.com or contact Susan Sanders at SusanS@AtHomeNet.com or call 1-800-556-7852
]]>The rural subdivision, a gated community with 800 residents, was experiencing excessive afterhours loitering and vandalism at the three community pools, a high-rate of vehicle break-ins and recurring damage to entry gates caused by unauthorized cars attempting to enter the grounds. After the services of a roaming security guard proved costly and ineffective, The Vineyard contracted Pro-Vigil to install and remotely monitor an intelligent network video surveillance system.
Following a detailed site survey, Pro-Vigil opted for a complete IP system comprised of AXIS Q1755 Network Cameras, Axis Camera Station software and Pro-Vigil’s I-Vigil software to remotely monitor eight entry and exit points as well as the swimming pool areas and pavilion. To complete installation, Pro-Vigil chose Motorola Canopy Access Points to enable wireless connections to the gates for ease of installation and to avoid excess cable-trenching costs.
Centrally located Pro-Vigil personnel now oversee up to 16 video feeds from each viewing station and can immediately contact police to report suspicious activity. The team also leverages the motion detection capabilities of Axis network cameras to create after-hours security alerts. Additionally, video is stored for two weeks for forensics purposes.
As a result, problems have virtually been eliminated at the pools and there has been no further damage to the community’s gates, saving the association money on unnecessary repair costs. In addition, by reducing the need for security guard service, The Vineyard has already seen a rapid return on its investment.
In conjunction with the network cameras, Pro-Vigil installed public announcement (PA) systems complete with sirens at the pool locations to remotely issue pool closing announcements or warnings from their central surveillance center to loiterers lingering after hours. Sirens are used to deter illegal activity and disperse groups.
Pro-Vigil’s Ben Molloy, vice president of Business Growth and Development, noted, “We selected Axis network cameras because they are cost-effective, reliable and provide high resolution images that are actionable.”
The AXIS Q1755 Network Cameras provide high-definition views of the monitored areas in both day and night. Images are of such high quality that Pro-Vigil can identify automobiles, individuals, license plates and even community-issued parking decals, when necessary.
Based upon the positive results obtained to date, The Vineyard may expand the use of Axis network cameras to the community’s streets.
“Network video is a very cost-effective means to ensure the safety of communities,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager of Axis Communications Inc. “HDTV network cameras provide the necessary detail at a reasonable bandwidth using H.264 compression, and can pinpoint problems and provide customers and police with the information they require to reduce crime and maintain safety.”
]]>Associations generally have easement or access agreements in place giving providers the right to access their private property for a specified time period. In the past, local telephone companies provided telephone services and local cable companies provided cable television services. For an association, selecting a service provider was relatively easy since choices were few. But in recent years, that's all changed. "Regulatory changes by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), state-wide cable/video franchising, plus new technologies and increased competition from cable, satellite and telephone companies have created confusion and new opportunities for many associations," stated Mr. Abbazia, Principal at Broadband Agreement Specialists. "Now cable companies provide quality Internet and phone services, while phone companies also offer quality television and Internet services. Add satellite TV and other competitive service providers to the mix, and the decision and evaluation process becomes much more complex", added Abbazia.
Many associations and their managers negotiate new and renewal agreements on their own, with a final review by association legal counsel. But that scenario is quickly changing. Broadband Agreement Specialists, an independent, unbiased telecommunications consulting firm is now helping associations to preserve their private property easement/access rights, while saving money and securing competitive voice, video and data options for their communities. "Although our representation and negotiation services have traditionally been provided on a contingency-fee basis, a number of associations and property owners have come to us stating that they have already negotiated an agreement on their own, but are uneasy about signing the contract without first having it reviewed by an industry expert. Not just a review by their legal counsel at the end of the process, but also by someone with hands-on experience from inside the cable television and telephone business itself. In response, we have introduced our Agreement Expert Review Program for association and property owners," stated Abbazia.
For a one-time "flat rate" fee, the Agreement Expert Review Program provides clients with a review of their proposed video, Internet and/or telephone service agreement. In addition to the agreement terms and conditions, additional areas of evaluation typically include technology, access rights, termination rights, distribution ownership rights and other important issues that may positively or negatively impact the association and its residents over the contract duration. The agreement financial "deal points", terms and conditions review, with the resulting detail summary analysis document can be completed about a week. With this information, clients then go back on their own and work to complete the negotiation.
"Considering that a typical cable television agreement can have a term length from 5-10 years, it is money well spent to have the proposed contract reviewed by an industry expert", added Abbazia. Nonetheless, Broadband Agreement Specialists advises clients that the comments and analysis provided under the Agreement Expert Review Program are for information purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal advice. In addition, the company also advises that it is important that the association review any and all agreements with qualified legal counsel before they sign them, for an accurate and legally reliable evaluation of rights and obligations. For additional information with regard to the Agreement Expert Review Program, please visit http://www.broadbandagr.com/expertreview
About Broadband Agreement Specialists, Inc.
Broadband Agreement Specialists, Inc. is an independent, unbiased, telecommunications consulting firm dedicated to preserving private property rights, while saving money and securing competitive voice, video and data options for residential communities. With industry expertise derived from over 25 years experience working for premier cable, telephone and cellular telecommunications companies, the company is committed to advising property managers and association boards with regard to today's telecom issues. Based in South Florida, the company provides contingency-based and flat-rate fee consulting services to residential developers, multifamily owners, condominium and homeowner associations. For additional company information, please visit http://www.broadbandagr.com.
The buildings were certified by the NAHB Research Center, a subsidiary of NAHB.
The bronze-level certification was awarded to the first two buildings completed in the Park Run community at McKay’s Mill in Franklin, Tenn. When completed, the development will comprise 23 buildings for a total of 92 condominium homes. The Jones Company, a top-100 single-family builder, also has certified dozens of single-family green homes.
"Green certification has value to all home owners, both single-family and multifamily," said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a builder and developers from Tulsa, Okla. "Growing numbers of today’s home buyers want the benefits of a home that’s built with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind."
The National Green Building Standard is a scoring tool and certification protocol that assures projects have met stringent benchmarks in energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality and lot and site design. In addition, the builder must provide education and a manual for home owners to help ensure the home is operated and maintained to retain its green advantages.
The standard was developed by NAHB and the International Code Council and is the first such system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute. It covers single-family homes, apartments and condos, residential land development and home remodeling projects, and is administered by the NAHB Research Center, which also accredits local verifiers around the country.
"The National Green Building Standard provides a rigorous definition of residential green construction, whether it be for single-family homes or multi-story apartment buildings," said Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center. "As the first and only existing national green building rating system that can be used for every type of residential project, the standard allows the Research Center to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for builders, remodelers and developers who want third-party validation for their green projects."
It is important for builders to explain to their prospective customers the value of green, according to Peder Jensen, director of the green building program at the Jones Company, who holds a Certified Green Professional educational designation from NAHB. "Home buyers are most interested in the features they can see, of course – the energy-efficient windows, Energy Star-rated appliances and lighting, and low-flow shower heads and faucets."
But Jensen also points out the less obvious features. "They appreciate our emphasis on indoor air quality – the low-VOC carpet and flooring, and a passive radon system. And they appreciate that we check for air leaks with a blower-door test."
The certified condo buildings also took a resource-efficient approach to materials, many of which featured recycled and green content. All unused construction materials were recycled offsite. And the development’s landscaping plan uses native plants and limits water use and runoff.
Photographs are available upon request. The standard scoring tool and details about National Green Building Certification are available at www.nahbgreen.org.
]]>PR Log (Press Release) – Dec 21, 2009 – “We receive a lot of great feedback from our customers” said Kritsch, Neighborino co-founder. “We’re very excited to announce the addition of new features that will help HOA’s run their website more effectively and help residents connect and communicate with each other.”
The most impactful new feature is the addition of forums. Residents can now register for their community website and have access to view and comment on existing topics, or start their own topic of interest within a dedicated forum area. Forums allow neighbors to converse on a variety of subjects, and site administrator’s have the ability to manage the forums and content how they see fit.
Another popular request was the ability to post ‘private stories’ that are for neighbors only and not viewable to the general public. Website administrators can now simply click “Private” when creating a story, and their story will be viewable only to logged in neighbors.
For communities with a variety of documents that need organizing, tagging is now available. Tagging a document groups all similar document types, making it much easier for neighbors to sort and find the document they’re seeking. Website administrators still have control to designate documents as publicly viewable, for residents only, or for board members only.
Lastly, enhancing the photo galleries was accomplished by giving website administrators more control over how the galleries are viewed and participated in. Administrators now have the ability allow or disallow uploads from residents, and can also make the gallery viewable to the public or to neighbors only. They also have the ability to edit photo descriptions and delete photos.
“We’re committed to listening to our customers and improving our software and features on a regular basis” said Kritsch. “Our commitment is to the HOA boards and the communities they serve. Our goal, as a trusted HOA website provider and partner, is to help them better communicate while lessening their workload and the time it takes to manage their website.”
About Neighborino
Founded in 2007, Neighborino is an Indianapolis-based software development firm committed to a fresh approach to homeowner association websites. Developed by three veteran web developers and homeowners association members, Neighborino’s web-based software packs powerful features into an intuitive interface that makes community communication easy to create and manage. Neighborino is a member of the Community Associations Institute. For more information about Neighborino’s web-based software, visit www.neighborino.com.
# # #
Neighborinos provides on-demand web-based software that allows non-technical users to design, edit and publish homeowner association (HOA) and community websites in a fraction of the time and money than traditional web development applications.
]]>"Staying Afloat: Strategies for Helping Your Community in Difficult Economic Times," the series of free, half-day day educational seminars, is designed for board members, property owners and managers of condos, HOAs and other associations struggling to maintain financial stability against a rising tide of delinquent payments and foreclosures.
Focusing on strategies for communities to deal with the economic crisis, the presentations in 14 locations across Florida will address the critical issue of collecting association assessments in today's economy. The presentations will include discussion of the most recently developed methods for improving collections such as collecting rents instead of assessments, appointing receivers for an entire community, and even depositing rent checks with the Court to protect the association's rights.
Other topics include the liability of owners for non-payment of assessments and the impact of mortgagee foreclosures on the association's ability to recover delinquent payments.
Additionally, attorneys with a wide variety of experience in different legal areas will answer questions on issues relating to employment law, covenant enforcement, dealing with local governments and the 2010 Legislative Session outlook, in addition to construction defect claims and related issues.
"Common-ownership residential communities in Florida today are facing unprecedented economic challenges," said Ken Direktor, Becker & Poliakoff attorney who heads the firm's statewide Community Association Law Practice. "Board members, residents and professional managers need to have better information, more business-like operational strategies and improved financial management techniques if their communities are to endure this downturn. These are topics we'll be addressing in this year's annual conference series."
The first conference will be held on January 15 in Ft. Myers with the concluding program on March 27 in Daytona Beach. The programs have been approved for two continuing education credit hours in Insurance and Financial Management for Community Association Managers. Other attendees will receive a Certification of Participation from Becker & Poliakoff.
All events begin at 8:30 AM with registration and breakfast. The presentations begin at 9:00 AM and end at 12:30 PM. There will be an exclusive "Client Only" breakfast at 8:00 AM with Firm Founder Gary Poliakoff (schedule permitting) who will be speaking about and signing his new book, "New Neighborhoods, The Consumer's Guide to Condominium, Co-Op, and HOA Living." Each Becker & Poliakoff client received one complimentary copy of the book by mail and others will be available for sale at the conferences.
Following are dates and locations for each of the 2010 Community Association Leadership Conferences:
Friday, January 15, 2010 - Barbara B. Mann Center, Ft. Myers Friday, January 29, 2010 - Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, St. Petersburg Saturday, January 30, 2010 - Port St. Lucie Civic Center, Port St. Lucie Saturday, February 6, 2010 - Hilton Naples, Naples Saturday, February 6, 2010 - Hawks' Cay Island Resort, Duck Key (Florida Keys) Friday, February 12, 2010 - Emerald Coast Conference Center, Ft. Walton Beach Saturday, February 13, 2010 - Hyatt Sarasota, Sarasota Friday, February 19, 2010 - The Boardwalk Beach Resort, Panama City Beach Friday February 26, 2010 - Hilton Orlando, Altamonte Springs Saturday, March 6, 2010 - Signature Grand, Ft. Lauderdale Friday, March 12, 2010 - Holiday Inn - Viera Conference Center, Melbourne Saturday, March 13 2010 - Kravis Center - Cohen Pavilion, West Palm Beach Saturday March 20, 2010 - Hilton Miami Airport, Miami Saturday March 27, 2010 - Plaza Resort, Daytona Beach
For more information or to register for this FREE educational conference, go to www.becker-poliakoff.com/events/ca/.
About Becker & Poliakoff P.A.
Becker & Poliakoff is a diverse commercial law firm with more than 130 attorneys in 13 Florida offices, New York City, New Jersey, Nassau, Bahamas, Prague and affiliated international offices. Celebrating its thirty sixth (36th) year of serving clients, the firm has seven primary areas of practice: Real Estate, Construction, Community Association, Customs & International Trade, Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Securities, and Government Law & Lobbying. For more information, visit: www.becker-poliakoff.com.
]]>Associa's Eco Recovery Operation (AERO) was established in 2008 to bring together various environmental practices at local branch offices to meet Associa's desire to improve overall environmentally conscious practices company wide. Through AERO, Associa has been able to reduce waste, promote recycling and reuse, cut down on electricity usage, engage in local clean up efforts, promote eco friendly items to clients and purchase recycled or partially recycled office necessities.
Associa has extended to its clients the opportunity to make a positive impact through programs to reduce waste and the association's carbon footprint. Community association clients have the option to utilize electronic tools such as community websites, electronic statements, only payment options, online account look up and other web based tools. Associa also offers electronic newsletters to keep owners up to date on community news while still reducing the amount of paper and energy usage.
Associa is proud of its employees and clients for taking an interest in reducing business and personal environmental impacts. Associa employees and clients have actively worked together to reduce waste and improve efficiencies in order to meet the criteria and approval process for the Green Business Alliance "Greenify" Designation.
About Green Business Alliance
Green Business Alliance is a national firm helping companies "Go Green." They have assumed a leading role in enabling organizations to Greenify their daily business practices. Their proprietary guidelines give specific direction to companies who are looking to implement more environmentally responsible business practices. Upon completion of their Guidelines to Greenify, member organizations receive the "Greenified" seal, placement in the GreenVisibility Directory as well as other recognition premiums. To Greenify not only helps the environment, it also provides a compelling reason for prospective customers to work with a business. The organization is based in Boca Raton, Florida and can be found on the web at www.greenbusinessalliance.com.
About Associa
As one of the first management companies to specialize in common interest communities, Associa is America's leading community association management and developer services company. With more than 100 offices across the nation and growing, Associa is the largest company in the United States devoted exclusively to the management of community associations, representing thousands of communities coast to coast.
Associa's clients receive personal service from the local management staff while taking advantage of the strengths and resources of a national company. Associa's client programs such as insurance, websites and other communication channels help increase efficiencies and reduce association expenses. For more information, please visit www.associaonline.com.
]]>“We appreciate the support of our partners, Keep Pearland Beautiful, Save Our Beach Association and Association Management Inc., (AMI) in our goal to collect the more than 20,000 Christmas trees needed to reconstruct the dunes devastated by Hurricane Ike,” said Brazoria County Parks Department Director Richard Hurd.
Houston-area citizens may drop off their Christmas trees (no artificial or flocked trees, or decorations, please) at AMI-Pearland’s new office, 12234 Shadow Creek Parkway, Building 3 (in the Shadow Creek Development), the Pearland Recycling Center, 5800 Magnolia Street or any county precinct barn (Angleton, Alvin, Brazoria, Clute, Manvel and West Columbia.) The drive will be held December 28 – January 23 at the Recycling Center and barns and December 26 through January 9 at AMI. County precinct crews will transport the trees to the beach.
According to AMI-Pearland Director Alex Taylor, AMI will encourage homeowners in its 26 Pearland area communities to help keep this holiday season “green” by recycling their Christmas trees. Recycling the Christmas trees will not only help keep Pearland “green” but it will also play an important role in saving the sand dunes along the Texas Gulf Coast.
The sand dunes on Brazoria County’s beaches saved a significant amount of property from the sudden surge and battering waves during Hurricane Ike. The dunes helped protect property, roadways, and wetlands, but at a heavy cost — the windblown sand was lost.
“The dunes are coming back due in large part to last year’s Dunes Day efforts, but they still need help,” explained Hurd. “Should Brazoria County land another big storm in 2010, the dunes will need to be in the best condition possible to help protect Brazoria County and its beaches.”
Dunes Day volunteers will meet at Quintana and near Surfside at 9 a.m. on Saturday, 23 January, to position and stake the discarded trees in place to catch windblown sand and rebuild the dune line. Volunteers must bring a hammer and gloves; the County will provide stakes and twine. Trees also may be dropped off at Quintana Beach County Park or with the City of Surfside, according to the Save Our Beach Association. Some area cities are collecting trees as well – contact your city hall for information.
For more information, contact Rich Tillman at (979) 864-1558 ext 112 or James Glover at (979) 864-1541 ext 3. For information about the AMI drop-off, call (713) 332-4675.
Houston-based Association Management, Inc. (AMI), the only professional management company for homeowners associations to have an office in Pearland, is the Houston area’s oldest and largest privately owned company offering a full range of professional management services to a wide variety of communities. One of the first Accredited Association Management Companies (AAMC) in the nation, AMI was acknowledged by The Community Associations Institute (CAI) as an outstanding professional community association management company based on its experience, professionalism, and continuing education. The company currently has a corporate office in Houston, as well as regional offices in Kingwood, The Woodlands and Austin.
Association Management Inc. (AMI) will encourage homeowners in its 26 Pearland area communities to help keep this holiday season “green” by recycling their Christmas trees. Recycling the Christmas trees will not only help keep Pearland “green” but it will also play an important role in saving the sand dunes along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Website: http://www.amitx.com
HydroPoint will co-present the webcast Serrano Homeowners’ Association and Total Irrigation Management Solutions on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 2 pm ET/11 am PT.
This 30-minute webcast will outline how the Serrano HOA communities of El Dorado Hills and Folsom, California partnered with HydroPoint and Total Irrigation Management Solutions to install 300 WeatherTRAK smart landscape irrigation controllers. Today, the controllers reduce water bills by an average of 25 percent. Serrano homeowners report their enthusiasm for paying less for improved landscape appearance and the time savings they achieve through precisely automated irrigation. Serrano HOA management provides these benefits to homeowners without depleting association reserves.
“At Serrano, we make carefully considered choices when maintaining our communities to ensure that quality of life is enhanced for our homeowners,” said David Sanders, maintenance manager, Serrano Homeowners’ Association. Mr. Sanders continued, “Faced with the need to dramatically curtail water usage, we required a proven solution. That’s why we chose WeatherTRAK.”
HydroPoint’s WeatherTRAK solution provides customers with a simple approach to smart irrigation, eliminating the expensive and wasteful practice of landscape over-watering. The WeatherTRAK controller creates a custom irrigation schedule for each landscape, based on plant type, soil type, sun exposure and slope. Irrigation adjustments are dynamically triggered as the controller receives daily local weather data via the WeatherTRAK ET Everywhere™ service. The HydroPoint Customer Service organization proactively works with landscape professionals and customers to ensure that they receive optimal performance from their WeatherTRAK solutions.
“HydroPoint is pleased to partner with Total Irrigation Management Solutions and other landscape and irrigation companies that bring money-saving Smart Water Management solutions to their customers,” said Sharon Thompson, vice president of marketing for HydroPoint. Ms. Thompson added, “Together we’re demonstrating that water efficiency is the key to beautiful, sustainable landscapes.”
To register for this webcast featuring Serrano HOA and Total Irrigation Management Solutions or to learn about other HydroPoint webcasts, visit: HydroPoint.com/webcasts
About HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
HydroPoint, founded in 2002, is the market and technology leader in Smart Water Management. The company’s WeatherTRAK solution uniquely delivers a multitude of financial and environmental benefits by revolutionizing management of the area of greatest waste in urban water use: landscape irrigation. Proven in 23 independent studies, including the vanguard pollution runoff study led by the EPA, the WeatherTRAK solution saves water, reduces energy demand and protects water quality while it minimizes liability and expense exposure. In 2009 alone, WeatherTRAK subscribers will save 11.3 billion gallons of water, 45 million kilowatt hours and 60 million pounds of CO2. With water rates ranging from $2 to $6 per 1000 gallons and additional related expenses due to overwatering damages ranging from $500 to $10,000 per site, WeatherTRAK has been identified as the green initiative with the fastest payback by leading companies across the country. Headquartered in Petaluma, Calif., HydroPoint is privately owned and operated. For more information, visit www.hydropoint.com.
WeatherTRAK is a registered trademark of HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
]]>Insurance agents are hesitant to offer low condo insurance quotes to high-risk client, according to a recently published article on InsuranceAgents.com. Low and affordable condo insurance rates are always offered to low-risk clients. Do you know what factors affect your pricing?
The first thing insurance agents will look at is your credit score.
“Oftentimes, condo insurance agents will look up your credit report and score before offering you a condo insurance rate quote,” according to the InsuranceAgents.com article. “This is to determine whether or not you are a responsible or otherwise high-risk potential client. A strong credit report and score will reflect a person who is responsible, who pays their bills and loans on time, consistently, and in full. This will allow them to offer you lower condo insurance rates, ones that fit into your budget and save you money.”
The InsuranceAgents.com article, “Factors That Affect Condo Insurance Rates,” provides policyholders with several factors that will drastically affect how much they spend on condo insurance. Along with credit score, another is the location of your condo unit. For example, units nearer to a fire station or hydrant may be able to get lower condo insurance quotes.
“The location of your unit is very important; if a fire were to erupt in your condo, having help nearby would minimize the damage done to your property. This is seen as a lower financial risk to insurers, who will be more forthcoming in offering you lower condo insurance rates,” according to the article.
Other factors that affect how much you spend on condo insurance include safety features, the material of the building, and the neighborhood crime rate.
In this day and age, it’s all about saving money. Try to change as many factors as possible to save as much money on your condo insurance as possible. Another way to save money is looking online for condo insurance quotes.
“When it comes to finding the most affordable condo insurance rates, it won’t get any easier than looking online on reliable comparison web sites. These sites can help you find multiple condo insurance rates and quotes that fit your budget and policies that fit your lifestyle needs,” according to the InsuranceAgents.com article.
]]>The company partnered with the Chestnut Homeowners Association, located in Stallings; Canterbury Homeowners Association, in Matthews; and The Reserve Homeowners Association, in Marvin. The combined food drive collected 790 pounds of non-perishable canned goods, equivalent to feeding a family of four for 131 meals, or providing 524 individual meals.
Henderson Properties provides professional association management services for the Chestnut, Canterbury and Reserve homeowners associations.
In June, Henderson partnered with two other community associations it manages, Ardrey and the Village of Stonegate, to collect nearly 2,000 pounds of non-perishable canned goods for Second Harvest.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina strives through education, advocacy, and partnerships to eliminate hunger by the solicitation and distribution of food. The organization provides a regional distribution warehouse and branches that supply food and grocery items to charitable agencies that assist people in need.
Henderson Properties is a full-service real estate company founded in 1990 in Charlotte, N.C. Its services include community association management, rental property management, leasing, maintenance and home sales. Over the years Henderson Properties has continued to grow while maintaining its commitment to the firm's original vision -- to make a difference in the real estate industry by providing quality, professional real estate services to owners and investors throughout the greater Charlotte area.
For more information about Henderson's association management and other real estate services, please visit www.HendersonProperties.com or call 704-535-1122.
]]>Calculating the reserve assessment that owners must pay is often a daunting task when the community's Reserve Plan is not up to snuff. And, there are many reasons for a Reserve Plan to go off track. Unforeseen expenses, insurance requirements, safety and security issues, and changes to a project's timing or scope are just a few. "When changes in the Reserve Plan go unchecked, then good luck come budget time," said Gerry Alfiero, founder of Guidance Association Services. "It's not uncommon for a reserve assessment to be derived from one of two methods. The first is called a 'WAG' (or 'wild a?? guess' in the vernacular) and the second is 'Ready - Fire - Aim.' The value of either method is Slim to None, and Slim left town," quipped Mr. Alfiero.
On the other hand, the Ready Reserve$™ program continuously monitors an association's Reserve Plan. It accounts for actual inflows and expenses throughout the year and incorporates changing project outlooks by the Board of Directors. So, the Reserve Plan status is always accurate with up to date data. Armed with reliable information, it's easy for a Board to decide whether to maintain or adjust reserve assessments for the coming year.
You can learn more about Ready Reserve$™ by visiting www.readyreserves.net. About Guidance Association Services.Guidance Association Services specializes in working with community associations primarily through the Board of Directors to help assess, develop, and implement management solutions that enable the Board to better serve the association members and all community stakeholders. Contact: Gerry Alfiero, CAMGuidance Association ServicesTelephone: 941-592-6927 Website: www.readyreserves.net
]]>“The Heron Bay Community Association along with the support of the Heron Bay Committees have made it a goal to host several events and seminars throughout the year to encourage our residents to meet their neighbors,” said Sheila Wolfe, Heron Bay’s HOA Manager. “While the Sunset Picnic will provide a beautiful ambiance, it will also provide a wonderful opportunity for our residents to learn more about their neighborhood committees and community leaders.”
The Lakefront Park is the newest of many amenities residents at the Atlanta lake community enjoy, including an aquatic center, Tennis Center, miles of sidewalks and nature trails and a 5,000 sq. ft. Community Lodge with fitness center. Residents may also choose to join Canongate at Heron Bay, a beautiful and challenging 7,300 yard, par-72 golf course. Home owners also have access to fishing and non-motorized boating on Henry County’s 1,100-acre Cole Reservoir, which is adjacent to the beautiful master planned community. Find more about the amenities at Heron Bay at http://www.heronbayinfo.com/amenities/index.php.
To visit the South Atlanta master-planned development, take I-75 South to Exit 216. Turn right and proceed five miles to Heron Bay Golf & Country Club. Heron Bay is on the right.
Jul 22, 2009 – ATLANTA – Heron Bay Golf and Country Club, a master planned development in Locust Grove, along with the Heron Bay Community Association and the Heron Bay Community Liaison Committee hosted a Sunset Picnic from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lakefront Park located on the Cole Reservoir. The picnic was designed to create an understanding of the various neighborhood committees and to also encourage residents to support their community by nominating themselves or their neighbors for the upcoming term.
Residents from the Henry County new homes were encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and stocked picnic baskets to the community event. The Heron Bay Community Association provided all residents with ice cream. Read more about the picnic on the Heron Bay blog at http://www.heronbayblog.com/2009/07/17/sunset-picnic-thi ....
Named the “Community of the Year” in 2005 by the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, and awarded the 2006 Grand Award for Outstanding Development by the Georgia Urban Forest Council, Heron Bay Golf and Country Club, developed by Minerva Properties, is a master-planned community that is setting new standards for development in the Atlanta marketplace. Heron Bay includes a variety of neighborhoods designed for every life stage and features a full complement of unparalleled amenities in a resort-like setting in Locust Grove, Ga., just south of Atlanta. For more information, visit http://www.heronbayinfo.com or call 770-957-5633.
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