Serving on your condo or homeowners association board can be both time-consuming and tiring. The job of an HOA board member often goes unrecognized or unappreciated, but that doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding or necessary in any way. Without volunteers to lead and manage the association, things would start to fall apart. Here are eight reasons why you should join the HOA board.
What is an HOA Board?
Moving into a condo or planned development often means having to join an association. This association is run much like a business, with leaders who volunteer for the HOA board. These leaders operate the HOA with the community’s best interests in mind. They fulfill responsibilities dedicated to the welfare of the association.
Who are the Members of the HOA Board?
The key members of the HOA board include:
- President. The president is the commander in chief. They run board meetings and function as the leader of the board.
- Vice President. The vice president is the second in command. They support the president and step in when the president is unable to.
- Secretary. The secretary is in charge of all documentation, including the minutes of all meetings.
- Treasurer. The treasurer is in charge of the HOA’s finances. They lead the charge in budget preparation, disbursements, financial management, and financial report preparation.
Apart from these four positions, the HOA board can also include other board members and officers with no titles.
Why Join the HOA Board?
While some are wary to become an HOA board member, others are born to lead. In fact, you may even feel a natural urge to get involved in your HOA board. If you’re still in doubt about your decision, here are the reasons to join the HOA board.
1. Safeguard Property Value
One of the HOA board’s main responsibilities is to maintain or increase the property values within the development. They do this by looking after the community with great care.
If you want to protect your property value, you can either rely on someone else to do it or do it yourself. When you join the HOA board, you have better control over community rules and maintenance, which can affect the value of your property.
As a homeowner, it’s only normal to have an interest in your investment. When you join the HOA board, you can be more involved in maintaining property values as well as your community’s standard of living.
2. Help Fellow Residents
Humans have a natural desire to help others — in whatever way they can. If you feel the same need to help your fellow residents, then get involved in your HOA board. Part of the board’s job is to hear out concerns from residents and, if possible, do something about them. You may not even know that your neighbors have strong opinions regarding a new change in the community until you take a position on the board.
People in politics often say they run for office in order to help people. An HOA is no different. By being a part of the homeowners association board, you can make decisions that have a direct positive impact on the community and your neighbors.
3. Solve Problems
Some people have a knack for problem-solving. It’s a great skill that shouldn’t be scoffed at. In fact, it’s a talent that comes in handy in any profession — even more so when it comes to the HOA board.
As a board member, you’ll be on the receiving end of complaints almost on a daily basis. You’re constantly bombarded with concerns from homeowners.
Although it’s equally important to remain patient in these situations, you can’t achieve results without knowing how to deal with problems. If you love solving problems along with the feeling of fulfillment, then that is another reason to join the HOA board.
4. An Opportunity to Learn
Learning is an intrinsic part of human life. And what better way to gain educational experience than by inserting yourself behind the scenes to see how an HOA operates? Apart from gaining impeccable leadership skills, you also learn valuable life lessons when you volunteer for the HOA board. Your interpersonal skills are developed as you learn how to work with others and be open-minded.
5. Meet New People
Serving on the HOA board allows you to socialize and network with other people. If you live in a particularly large development, getting to know everyone can be a tough task to accomplish. By becoming a board member, you widen your reach and meet new people.
Neighbors aren’t the only new people you’ll encounter, though. You also meet new people in the form of vendors and HOA managers, giving you a chance to foster healthy relationships with your community partners.
6. Good for a Resume
To join the HOA board is no mere feat. It involves a lot of hard work, dedication, and skill to be able to carry out your duties. Most of all, it’s considered volunteer work. Many employers consider such experiences valuable in a candidate. Who knew serving on your HOA board could advance your career?
7. Change the Rules
Having strong opinions on your HOA’s rules and regulations usually isn’t enough. Sure, as a regular member of the community, you can show up to meetings and bring up your concerns.
You can even send formal letters to your HOA board to ask them to address your issues. However, there’s no guarantee they’ll do anything about them.
If you want to create real change in a community, the best way to do it is to become an HOA board member. Changing the rules won’t be as simple as a snap of a finger, though, so you must still familiarize yourself with the HOA’s procedures on how you can make amendments.
8. Challenge and Teach Yourself
If you want to challenge yourself and take on responsibilities in your community, running for the HOA board is a great way to do it. Board members have a lot of duties to fulfill. It can be an avenue for you to contribute your skills and see if you can fill the position in an effective manner. It’s also a good way to learn new skills and insights.
9. Have Fun
When considering the pros and cons of being an HOA board member, a big pro is enjoyment. Although running an HOA is no joke, it can still be great fun. The adrenaline rush after making an important decision, the feeling of triumph following successful negotiation with a vendor, and the sense of fellowship at each community meeting — these are just a few examples of how much you can enjoy serving on your HOA board. It’s an experience unlike any other and, truly, one you must try.
How to Join the HOA Board
Most homeowners associations hold an annual election to fill vacancies on their boards. To join the HOA board, it’s best to start gathering insights early on. Learn the ropes by volunteering for the community in other ways, such as joining committees. You should also study the governing documents, attend board meetings regularly, and ask as much questions as you can.
Make sure to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically. While most board duties don’t require physical exertion, it can still take a toll on your health if you have a lot on your plate. Serving on the board can be very taxing and demanding, so it’s best to ready yourself for big tasks and an even bigger commitment.
After preparing ahead of time, you must then follow these simple steps:
- Understand your nomination process. In order to get nominated, you must know how your HOA does things. Do you need your neighbors to nominate you or is a self-nomination sufficient? Are nominations submitted officially or are floor nominations accepted?
- Once you’ve secured a nomination, it’s time to get the word out. Build your campaign, and make sure everyone knows about it. Inform fellow residents about your plans and what changes you want to make to the community. Demonstrate your skills and explain why you’d be a good fit for the job.
- If there are candidate forums, make sure to attend those to reach a large number of people at once. Not all associations hold candidate forums, though, so you can look into organizing your own or disseminating information some other way.
- After everything, all that’s left to do is vote and wait for the results to come out.
How to Be a Good HOA Board Member
If you want to join the HOA board, it’s best to exhibit these skills:
- Leadership. A board member serves as a leader of the community. As such, you should be able to lead people and inspire others.
- Organization. You can’t be a board member if you’re messy and all over the place. Planning is a big part of the job, so organization is key.
- Problem-solving. As a board member, you’ll be putting out fires left and right. You must know how to approach every problem, look at it objectively from all perspectives, and reach a satisfying solution.
- Communication. A board member must know how to communicate effectively, both with fellow board members and homeowners. Without communication, everything would quickly fall apart, including trust and transparency.
- Conflict Resolution. You must learn how to resolve conflicts as they arise. These conflicts can happen among board members, between the board and a homeowner, and between neighbors.
- Financial Literacy. As a board member, you manage the association’s finances. It’s important to be well-versed in financial management and even the most basic accounting.
Common Challenges of Being a Board Member
Board members often encounter difficulties like balancing personal priorities with the community’s needs, handling disputes, and dealing with legal and financial challenges. To overcome these, effective communication, teamwork, and a dedication to the community’s interests are necessary. A strong HOA board member plays a key role in ensuring these qualities are reflected in the board’s decisions, and attending HOA meetings is vital to this process.
To address these issues, you must actively look for resources and professional guidance to manage complicated situations. Maintain open and honest communication with fellow board members and residents to resolve concerns and prevent conflicts.
When you join the HOA board, you must uphold transparency, practice fairness, encourage collaboration, and pursue continuous learning. All of these things will help you achieve your objectives and become the best board member you can be.
Do HOA Board Members Get Paid?
In a word, no. Board members of an HOA do not typically get paid. Some states even prohibit board members from receiving compensation for serving on the board. Many governing documents consist of the same rule. However, there may be some communities that allow board members to get paid.
Understanding the HOA Board
An HOA board is typically comprised of volunteers from the community, which means they are not paid to serve. The absence of a salary might turn most people off to the idea, but what you get when you join the HOA board far exceeds any monetary value.
If you’ve got your eyes set on your board, you’re not alone. Today, it is estimated that over 70 million people are living in one of the 300,000+ community associations in America. Of those residents, nearly 2 million are serving on their HOA board to manage their association. Clearly, there are more than enough reasons to serve on your HOA board, so don’t let your fears hold you back.
If your association is having trouble managing your community even with a competent set of board members, consider contacting an HOA management company for help. In that case, keep us in mind.
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