Taking the Headache out of HOA Management.

The day to day responsibilities of running a homeowners' association (HOA) can be quite challenging. This is especially true for large to mid-sized communities. If you are weighing the pros and cons of hiring a community management company, here are some points to consider.

• Management Experience - A community management company such as Alaska Management Group will help you more clearly define the rules and regulations of your HOA for the homeowner. They can assist your homeowners’ association in deciding the most effective policies and procedures and can assist you in the implementation of guidelines, regulations and how to efficiently communicate any changes to the members of your community.
• Community rule enforcement – The most successful HOA’s are consistent in how they enforce the rules and regulations. A community management company will help to define and enforce the rules and help the HOA make decisions if issues arise. Additionally, they can help to enforce rules in a timely and efficient manner holding all members of the community to the same expectations.
• Legal understanding -  Knowing the day-to-day functions of an HOA is crucial to creating regulations that are legally enforceable. A community management company has a clear understanding of not only what is fair and reasonable for an HOA but also a knowledge of local and state laws. They also are able to keep HOA board members up-to-date on any changes to ordinances that might impact the decisions they make.
• Experience – Partnering with a community management company brings a full range of experience to your HOA. They bring both oversight and administrative services, taking the hassle of dealing with the day-to-day issues out of your hands.
• Committed to excellent – At Alaska Management Group, we believe that we are only as good as the communities we serve. Because of this, we take our community management responsibilities very seriously and work to serve the best interests of both the HOA board members and the residents of the community.

Creating the best environment for homeowners starts with working with a reputable community management company. Alaska Management Group can provide your HOA expertise and knowledge as well as clarity and consistency both the development and enforcement of regulations set in place for your community. This will help to facilitate a  harmonious environment for every homeowner.

Gain Peace of Mind by Having the Right Condo Insurance

Imagine coming home from work and finding your condo’s front door broken and your new television missing. Once you recover from the shock, you’ll probably think to call your condominium association about replacing the door and lock, but what about your personal property and any damage inside the condo? Typically, the condo association’s policy will cover external areas and, depending on the association, may help with the interior damage. Personal property, however, must be insured by the condo owner. 

Some condominium associations offer coverage  referred to as “all-in”, which covers not only the exterior of the unit, but also some of the things inside the condo, such as carpeting, appliances, and fixtures. Other associations offer coverage for only the exterior, which means that the condo owner is responsible for essentially everything within the unit. It’s critical to know what type of insurance coverage your condo association offers before you speak with your insurance agent. 

Not only will condo owners’ insurance cover loss or damage to your property, it should also cover damages in the event that someone is injured in your condominium. This would include someone slipping and injuring himself on a wet floor, for example, including resulting medical bills and possible legal actions. 

When purchasing a condo policy, first determine the value of your belongings. The best place to start is to make an itemized list of those belongings that would need to be replaced. Keeping serial numbers and photos of items will make things much easier if you ever need to make a claim. Bear in mind that most policies will pay “Actual Cash Value” (or ACV) for your belongings, which means that depreciation is taken into consideration. Replacement cost coverage is also available, typically at a somewhat higher cost. If you have items of very high value, like jewelry or artwork, you may need to purchase additional coverage. Insurance will cover loss or damage to your property for some weather events, with the exception of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and landslides. If your area is in a zone that is prone to these events, you may need to purchase extra coverage.

Condo ownership is different from traditional home ownership in many ways, including insurance requirements. Your insurance agent can help you select the right policy and give you the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your condo. 

For over 35 years, Alaska Management Group has been meeting the property management needs of associations and planned communities throughout Alaska, including Anchorage, Palmer, Eagle River, Wasilla, and more. To learn more about us, please visit http://www.bonanzarealty.net/ or call (907) 333-1244. 

Ward Against Winter Burglars

“Oh the weather outside is frightful…”  Winter weather can conjure up images of cozying up indoors with a hot bowl of soup, a mug of hot chocolate, and a warm blanket.  Braving the cold can be a daunting task.  While crime decreases overall during the winter months, certain factors such as increased utility costs and seasonal unemployment can engender a different kind of desperation. 

Time Your Lights: With darkness falling long before most people get home from work, set some of your home lights to a timer.  Keep your blinds closed so burglars can’t notice the ruse.

 

Close Your Blinds: This one is worth repeating.  With the increased darkness, open blinds when you are home is an advertisement to anyone passing by.  You can’t see out, but they can see in to your new plasma screen TV, expensive laptop, or pricey portable coffee maker.

 

Secure All Doors and Windows: While leaving a window open in sub-freezing temperatures isn’t a risk, forgetting to lock them is.  Lock your windows and doors, including the interior door from the garage to your home.  Reinforce the security of sliding doors by laying a wooden dowel or two-by-four in the groove.

 

Don’t Hide a Key: This is a golden ticket for burglars.  It’s a risky enough measure during the warmer months, but what about after snowfall?  If you need to dig around for the spare key even once, the conspicuous patterns in the snow is a give-away.

 

Secure Your Yard: Avoid giving burglars extra coverage.  If you notice overgrown shrubs and trees now, add it to your maintenance list for the warmer months.  Keep things well-lit during all seasons and consider installing a motion-sensitive floodlight.

 

Know Your Neighbors: Neighborhoods that are closer-knit are more likely to keep an eye out for one another and notice suspicious persons.  If you don’t know your neighbors yet, fight cabin fever by hosting an indoor block party!

 

Report Anything Suspicious: Odd footprints in the snow at your neighbor’s house?  Give them a call.  At your own home?  Let the police know.  Police are more likely to drive through neighborhoods with reported crimes, but alert them to suspicious actions  and they’d be happy to drive through the neighborhood to keep an eye on things.

 

From your friends at Alaska Management Group, stay warm and stay safe during this winter season!

Time Management Tips for Community Association Managers

A community association manager takes on many roles. They deal with homeowners on a 24/7 basis, ensuring a community is properly maintained, disputes are handled and all financial matters are in order. With a long to-do list, it’s easy to see why the role of community association manager can become overwhelming. Here are some time saving tips and efficient tricks that will help you manage your community more efficiently. 

Organize Emails – It’s easy to get lost in emails but a community association manager’s main focus should be spending face-to-face time in the community. A great way to be email efficient is by having responses already written for common questions. This way you can copy and paste a reply rather than rewriting the response each time. If you manage several communities and have a hard time keeping track, organize your inbox with category tabs and folders.

Utilize Telecommunication Technology – Voicemail to email technology allows you to stay on top of incoming calls by receiving email and text notifications for missed calls. You have the ability listen to the voicemail as an audio file or read the message in an email. It’s a great tool for days when you are out of the office.

Go Paperless – Do you struggle to keep track of paperwork? Going paperless can help you save money and keep track of information more efficiently. This way you are able to immediately pull up copies of expenses, contracts, and homeowner information with the click of a button. The downside of going paperless is not every individual (specifically those over the age of 65) has access to modern technology. However, you can offer your community members the option for print mail or email.

Management Technology – New management tools can allow you to access all of the information you need across a variety of devices including smartphone and laptop. This means no more spreadsheets of homeowner information and no more sifting through cabinets for financial records. If you have a question from a homeowner, you can easily access the information at your fingertips.

At Alaska Management Group, we utilize the best industry technology and personalized service to assist your association with project oversight. We provide association specific websites that allow your residents to have access to their dues statements, association rules and documents. To learn more about what Alaska Management Group can do for you, contact our team today!

Hiring A Management Company

When hiring a management company for your condominium, townhouse, or other types of property in a planned unit development like a gated community or subdivision, a number of factors come into play. How big is your property? Are the duties a lot to take on? Do you have people within your elected board of officials who can handle certain aspects, like accounting? Property management companies provide a range of services, most are equipped to handle monthly collection of homeowners association (HOA) dues, fines and fees; management of HOA financials; creation of an annual budget; development of long-term capital improvement/replacement plan; ongoing maintenance; finding and managing contractors; and monthly reporting to the HOA board.

Are you unsure whether your HOA would benefit? Here’s a list of common situations that may make you want to consider hiring a management company:

●      Homeowners don’t have the time or experience necessary to serve on the HOA’s volunteer Board of Directors. Members of the Board should usually have some background in areas like finance, operations, law, vendor management, and conflict resolution.

●      The HOA is responsible for managing complex building systems, amenities, or multiple properties and facilities.

●      The HOA has a significant membership and routine billing, correspondence, enforcement of HOA rules, and management of complaints that is particularly time-consuming.

●      A property management company can leverage its existing relationships to get the HOA discounts on services like insurance or with contractors like lawn maintenance companies.

Hiring a property management company shouldn’t feel like a daunting task. Typically, both the HOA or community board and the management company want the same thing - a healthy working relationship that runs smoothly and leaves everyone happy. It’s important to keep in mind that hiring a management company doesn’t mean you give up any of the power over your property. The board still sets the policies and makes the rules, it’s just the management’s job to enforce them and handle the day-to-day operations of the building or community. As the owner or HOA, you also have the option to set the terms. If there are certain duties you want to stay within the board of directors’ responsibility, you can hash out which tasks you’ll be needing the management company to tackle.

A well-matched management company should understand the HOA’s values and long-term goals, and strive to meet them. At Alaska Management Group, our mission is to continually provide unsurpassed management services to ensure a safe and comfortable lifestyle while maintaining the value of the community for all residents. We provide both full-service and financial management as well as Board of Directors consultation services. Let us know if we can assist you in maintaining the value and comfort of your home and association by completing our management request form here.