The current frenzy of real estate development in the United States means homeowners associations are being incorporated at record rates. Unfortunately, the field of professional community management isn’t growing at the same pace.
Today, more than 50 million Americans live in about 250,000 homeowner-governed neighborhoods – from small homeowners associations and large, master-planned communities to condominiums and cooperatives. Thousands more are formed every year.
These communities often are managed by professional community managers. But when a professional can’t be found, or the association can’t afford one, the volunteer board has to manage, as well as govern, the association.
Managing these communities involves collecting assessments, maintaining architectural guidelines, enforcing rules, landscaping, facilities maintenance, snow removal, trash collection, even settling squabbles between residents – and that’s just for starters. Fortunately, there is help from Community Associations Institute, a nonprofit group that supports not only the professionals who manage associations, but also the elected volunteers who...