HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - October 30, 2009
Published: Fri, 10/30/09
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Recruiting HOA Board Members: How One Board Has Succeeded
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For a new article we asked board members from around the country
to share their tips on recruiting good HOA board members. This
week's tip is from Karla Jo Helms, a board member at Sunset Point
Town Homes in Clearwater, Fla.
She told us, "I get people to volunteer by picking the happiest,
most productive people I know--because in my observation,
happier, busier people get things done and complain the least--
and elicit their help by pushing their "responsibility buttons."
In other words, most people want to help, so asking them to help
is pretty easy.
"But I also tell them that one thing to think about is that if
they don't help, someone else will step up to do the job in a
way that could make their lives hell. It's happened. You know
the people who have nothing better to do than to sit on their
porch or by their window and document every tiny infraction,
making the neighborhood a living hell. That usually does the
trick.
"Another key factor is the property manager. We hire a real
stickler for the law and any rules that could get us in trouble
with state or federal agencies if not followed. I like that.
It's his job to make sure rules are followed, handle most
everything for the board, keep us in line, and let us know the
law. That's a big factor in getting volunteers.
"If you don't have a property manager, the board's workload is
much greater, and your likelihood of getting and keeping
volunteers will be much lower. We pay $500 per month for ours,
but he saves us soooo much money every year with insurance
negotiations, hiring workers, handling all our potential
liability issues, and so on. And I don't get homeowners coming
to my door to tell me anything. It all goes to the property
manager."
Karla Jo concluded, "It didn't used to be this easy for us. The
recipe for us has been having great volunteers who get things
done, reserves in the bank, and making sure the laws and rules
are followed. It's a pretty happy neighborhood now."
Find out what four more board members and association experts
had to say about their experience. Read our new article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/350.cfm
And in a related article, we give you Six Ways to Recruit Strong
Board Members: http://www.hoaleader.com/members/351.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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Six Ways to Recruit Strong Board Members for Your Condo or
Homeowner Association
There's no doubt it's a challenge to get volunteers to agree to
serve on condo and homeowner association boards, especially in
today's economy. There are practical tools you can use to build a
good farm team of HOA volunteers. Here, attorneys and property
managers offer six of their best tips.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/351.cfm >
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In the Trenches: How HOA Boards are Getting Volunteers to Serve
You can beat the too-common problem at associations of a dearth
of volunteers willing to step up to the plate and serve on your
board. Here, HOA board members from across the country and an
expert in associations reveal what they've learned about the best
ways to convince owners that serving on the board will benefit
both them and the community.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/350.cfm >
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HOA Contracts: Can One Board Member Contractually Bind Your
Homeowners Association?
Can one board member, without the board's knowledge, bind the
association to a contract? The short answer is yes. However, our
experts have suggested practices you can implement to prevent it
from happening at your association.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/349.cfm >
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HOA Boards: Four Ways to Prevent and Ease Board Burnout
Let's face it. In many condo and homeowners associations, a
handful of people carry the load for the rest of the community.
Those heavy lifters can sometimes become burned out. What can you
do to prevent burnout? And what can you do to ease the burden
when HOA board members are feeling drained? Here are four
suggestions.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/public/348.cfm >
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HOA Governance: How to Negotiate--and Save Money
Looking for tips that will help you negotiate more effectively
and save money on association contracts in the process? One
expert recommends you focus on a process for effective
negotiation rather than a few tactics that might help you "beat"
your opponent. Here's what he means, and how it can help your
condo or homeowners association.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/345.cfm >
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