7 Online Resources For HOA Board Members To Keep Tabs On

For an HOA board with a lot of questions, hiring a property management company can be a great way to iron out any issues or uncertainties. Sometimes, though, board members want to do their own research and educate themselves further on running an HOA. For these instances, there are some great online resources for HOA board members to utilize as they head their community.

 

Refer to These Online Resources for HOA Boards

The roles and responsibilities of an HOA board are seemingly endless. Generally, the board must maintain the community with the goal of increasing property values. More specifically, though, the board takes care of the HOA’s financials (including budgeting and collection of dues), vendor contracts, and conflict resolution. These duties may not seem like much, but, to a full-time parent with a 9-to-5 job, the tasks can start to pile up.

It is understandable for board members to feel overwhelmed with the long list of day-to-day processes and tasks to fulfill, so a property manager can relieve a lot of that burden. But, if the HOA does not have the money to hire a property manager or would simply like to run the association themselves, there are plenty of helpful HOA board resources that exist online. Not everyone knows where to look, though, so here are the best online resources for HOA board members:

 

1. HOATalk.com

 

Board members can engage in online discussions at HOATalk.com, a website with thousands of articles and topics for sharing ideas and discussing issues. They also have more than 45,000 members, so it shouldn’t be hard to find answers to any questions or concerns your board has.

HOATalk.com has been around since 2005, which means HOA board members can rely on over a decade of experience. Sign-up is easy, with only a few fields to fill out. Plus, registration is free of charge. The website also has a team of professionals to help board members navigate the often-complicated world of community association management.

 

2. HOALeader.com

 

This website can be helpful in preventing and resolving conflicts in your community, avoiding legal trouble, and staying updated on HOA laws. Although a management company can usually give the best advice pertaining to your community specifically, HOALeader.com can be a great resource for individual research.

This online resource caters to all sorts of leaders within a community association, hence, their name. While a wide range of informative and helpful articles are available to visitors for free, members can enjoy exclusive content and access to a network of other HOA board members and advisors.

Membership costs $11.99 a month, but interested parties can save more by going with their annual membership, which costs $119 per year. The website also offers a group membership, which allows members to add 9 other people to their account at no extra fee. Not ready to commit? Try their 7-day free trial for now.

 

3. HOAmanagement.com

HOAmanagement.com allows visitors to view resources and directories across the country, filtered by area. This is perfect for HOA board members who are searching for HOA management companies, vendors, or lawyers in a certain locale. There are also informative articles, free HOA templates, resources for self-managed HOAs, and information on state laws specific to homeowners associations.

Both homeowners and HOA leaders can also participate in the website’s forum, where everyone can share questions, answers, and ideas. Beyond that, visitors can submit questions to an HOA manager through the website’s Ask an Expert section. Answers will be sent via email and posted on the website as well.

HOAmanagement.com is truly a comprehensive and all-around resource for homeowners, board members, and even HOA managers.

 

4. Community Associations Institute (CAI)

 

This international organization, with over 33,500 members, provides board members and homeowners with education, information, and resources for running their HOA. Community Associations Institute also offers workshops and seminars for continued HOA board education.

CAI has 63 chapters located around the world, including South Africa and the Middle East. Membership perks include insider knowledge on the latest HOA news, essential tools that can save both time and money, and access to discussions with other members. For HOA board members, annual membership starts at $135.

 

5. Educational Community for Homeowners (ECHO)

 

Educational Community for Homeowners or ECHO provides valuable resources for board members of community associations. This website offers informative articles about running an HOA, laws pertaining to HOAs, and more.

While access to articles is free without sign-up, there are some perks to a paid membership. These include access to exclusive content, printed copies of the ECHO Journal, regular e-newsletters, and free or discounted ECHO events. Plus, all association members — board or otherwise — can also enjoy complete online access. Annual membership begins at $150.

 

6. NOLO

 

NOLO is the one-stop-shop for everything law-related. The website does not exclusively serve homeowners associations, but that does not mean it cannot offer anything of value. In fact, it is one of the best online legal resources for HOA board members to refer to when they have questions about the law. There are legal articles about virtually everything — from real estate and foreclosures to landlords and tenants.

Apart from legal articles, NOLO can also connect board members with attorneys who can handle their issues. Visitors only need to select the field of law they are having trouble with and then enter their zip code. NOLO will ask for a brief overview of their case and then match them with a list of attorneys for the job. All there is left to do is hire one from the list.

 

7. Community Associations Network

While this website does not exactly write their own HOA articles, Community Associations Network does compile them from various other websites. Visitors can filter articles by state, browse for topics by category, or type in the search bar for more precise results.

For those who do not particularly like to read through a bunch of long articles, Community Associations Network also provides links to videos related to HOAs.

 

Make Use of Resources — Both Online and Offline

It can be beneficial for HOA leaders to do their own research on running an HOA. However, it still takes extra time and energy from board members who already have a hectic schedule. These online resources for HOA board members should help cut down on the trouble involved when it comes to self-research. While some of them require paid memberships, all of them offer free content that is just as valuable.

Most associations turn to HOA management companies for help with running their organization — no guesswork or internet searches required! For good service, expert knowledge, and years of experience, contact us today.

 

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