Tips for Nuisance Neighbors

Nobody wants to deal with nuisance neighbors after coming home after a hard day of work. Nuisance neighbors can have many adverse effects on the quality of your life. Noisy neighbors, for example, can disrupt your day by being too loud and invasive. A study found that being annoyed by neighbor noise can cause physical and mental ailments in people. 

If you want some how-to-deal with-nuisance-neighbor tips, we here at CMA have you covered. You can use any of the following suggestions to handle your uncooperative neighbors.

Soundproofing

If your neighbors make too much noise and you want to deal with the disturbance without a confrontation, then you can look into sound-proofing your place. You do not have to invest a lot of money; a little insulation will go a long way in helping you. You can even DIY some soundproofing tools and seals. If your neighbors live beneath you, use some heavy rugs so that there are some extra layers for the noise to travel through. 

Have a patient conversation

It is easy to get enraged when your neighbors are being inconsiderate but sometimes you have to calm down in order to deal with the situation effectively. Conveying your problems to your neighbors patiently is important. Unless your neighbors are deliberately going out of your way to irritate you, they will be willing to hear you out. Instead of taking a hot-headed approach, remain calm and explain how the noise is making your life difficult. Tell them about your daily schedule if they tend to make noise at inconvenient times. 

Write a note

In case you do not feel comfortable confronting your neighbor directly, you can write an old-school note or letter of complaint. Remember to sign the note with your name and apartment number so that the reader takes it seriously. Be cordial but detailed in your complaint. Your neighbor will approach you if necessary after reading the note. You can also choose to remain anonymous, but that might not be as effective.

Opt for light background noise

If you feel distracted because of your neighbors talking or making noise, you can set up your own background noise in your space. This will help you stay focused because the external noise will be drowned out. You can invest in a white noise machine, or simply keep your radio or television switched on at a low volume.

Keep a record of the problems

Once you find that your neighbors are not trying to be better, it is time for you to maintain a meticulous record of all their nuisance acts. Keep a timeline of every measure you have taken to deal with the problem. You can also go the extra mile and record the disturbance caused by your neighbor. 

Approach management

You have to secure backup when dealing with uncooperative clients. Approach the management and explain your problem. You can also provide them with the records you have maintained to back up your claims. 

Opting for the best property management Atlanta services will give you an upper hand when dealing with nuisance neighbors. 

With summer starting soon, community association management services begin to spike. That’s because landscaping is already challenging. Maintaining the looks and feel of your outdoor efforts merely adds to the difficulty.

Everyone has excellent advice for landscaping. However, we’ll provide some of the best strategies we’ve found working with our clients. Make sure you create an approach with your community association based on these tips.

Focus on proper watering

Notice that we say “proper” instead of “more.” That’s because quantity isn’t the best solution for healthier gardens and lawns. Start by checking your irrigation and other watering systems.

While watering, you might benefit from a lower frequency. That’s because you must focus on slow drips for deep hydration—Additionally, water in the evening or early morning to avoid evaporation.

Aim for green and living colors

Healthy grass looks green and vibrant. The same is true for your flowers. You want your garden to look as colorful as possible, but you might cut corners with certain decisions.

To start, don’t cut the grass too short; keep it around 3.5 inches in height. Go for organic fertilizer as well, and don’t over-fertilize your spaces. Schedule lawn checks to find any weeds that could steal your plants’ nutrients.

Consider outdoor amenities

Outdoor living spaces, like event rooms and children’s parks, can reduce your lawn work. They make your community’s areas more entertaining while reducing garden work.

However, it’s still a hefty investment. The best community association management services can help you optimize your amenities without spending too much.

Perennial plants are better

When planning flower beds, it’s best to prioritize longevity. You can save lots of time and money in the long term by buying perennials, not annuals.

These flowers, like the purple coneflower, require less maintenance. Sure, annuals tend to be prettier, but you need to assess how much your community association can spend. Perennials require pruning now and then, and that’s it.

While speaking of low-maintenance plants, also remember to plant native species to make your life easier.

Potted plants are also good

For many, potted plants lack some of the charms of a “natural” garden. While we can understand that, potted plants offer unique advantages.

Firstly, they need less maintenance. You can also move them wherever you want with minimal effort. Even if you prefer to plant everything on the ground, keep a few pots for parties and events.

Check for any pests

Remind your staff to check for pests while performing regular maintenance. Removing dead matter and weeds makes an excellent opportunity to find unwanted visitors.

It’s much better to catch pests early, as it can make treatment much more straightforward. Additionally, opt for organic solutions if you need to treat said pests.

Enact rules and guidelines

Finally, community association management services usually place rules and guidelines around open areas. These recommendations can save a lot of time and effort in maintenance.

For instance, forbidding smoking and drinking alcohol in the open can keep cigarette butts and beer cans off your lawn. Think about regulations that could protect your landscape and make them visually available for everyone.

With communities finally looking beyond the pandemic, more people are impatient to go back to their hot summer’s day dip at the community pool. 

Now, these pools are not only a great source of relaxation for residents, but also significantly increase the asset value of properties within your Homeowner’s Association (HOA).

If you’re planning to open a community pool post the pandemic, there are a few things you should know.

Getting a permit and adhering to statutes 

Should you be planning to build an ingrown swimming pool, you need to get specific licenses and permits from your local municipality. Talk to your municipality for all the necessary documentation and receipts you will need. 

Additionally, you will have to adhere to the regulations set by your federal, state or local authority for running a swimming pool post-pandemic. Click here to know about maintenance requirements recently implemented by the California Legislature that community pools within large HOAs need to abide by.

You can use CMA’s services to get your HOA an on-site manager who can take care of all the licensing related to opening a community pool. CMA currently has nearly 150 state-licensed association managers working in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. 

Setting guidelines 

Your HOA needs to develop a comprehensive set of guidelines that residents can follow while using the swimming pool. 

Some rules that you can incorporate into your guidelines are:

• Restrictions for children to use the pool without adult supervision.
• Restrictions to take play toys, food items or drinks inside the pool. 
• Using proper safety gear required for swimming.
• Identification check before entering the pool. 

In addition to this, you need guests to maintain social distancing protocols in and around the swimming pool. For this, you can have time and maximum occupancy restrictions while using the pool area. 

If you are a large HOA, playing catch up with the rules and regulations can be tough. Taking the help of a community management consultancy like CMA will make this process a lot easier for you. 

Staffing 

Ensure the safety of your residents by having adequate staff in and around your pool. The team shall include lifeguards to prevent accidents and attendees from looking into inconveniences faced by residents while using the pool. 

If you are a large HOA with many people using your community pool, you may want to hire a pool management company. 

Management 

Pools can enhance your property’s aesthetic value and marketability but may also lead to accidents and mishaps. Maintaining a community pool safely and efficiently requires a great deal of commitment from an HOA. 

Building and maintaining a pool for your community requires a significant investment. CMA’s unique corporate structure offers boutique-style custom services that let you reap the best out of your pool experience. With CMA, you can enjoy the benefits of a community pool within your HOA without having to go through the trouble involved in setting up and maintaining it. 

 

Your heat, ventilation, and air conditioning system is an invaluable ally during the summer heat. Your homeowner association management should prioritize its efficiency to keep residents happy during the season.

However, it’s also a challenge. Summer tends to push HVAC systems to their limits. Luckily, you’re not out of luck. Learning how to run a responsible community is easy these days, and it can take your homeowner association to the next level.

Before summer

With summer on the horizon, proper preparation is the first step. It’s best to ensure your HVAC system runs at its best before it’s necessary. That’ll allow you to guarantee proper functionality during the season.

Additionally, you can assess what needs fixing, and maintenance before problems arise. Trying to assist several residents simultaneously can feel impossible. That’s why getting everything ready beforehand should be a priority.

Preventative maintenance

The first step is to go through primary maintenance: checking thermostats, changing filters, and more. Homeowner association management must schedule these checks with enough time to go through all spaces before summer hits.

Additionally, give homeowners enough time to run their systems and check for issues before the season.

Flexible staffing

Preparing the HVAC system in your community can take a while, depending on its size. Try to hire enough staff to cover constant shifts to prevent burnout during the preparations.

Many people also take vacations during the summer. Having a flexible staff pool allows you to respond to requests regardless of when they come.

Replacing old HVAC

Getting an outdated HVAC system in shape can save you costs in the short term. It can come in handy in a clutch, but it’s not the optimal approach.

Replace outdated installations whenever possible. It’ll help you save money and time in the long run. It’s also more reliable during the summer months.

Inventory assessment

Finally, make sure you can meet the increase in demand during the summer. Maintenance and repairs are more common. You don’t want to be running around finding the parts and equipment you need.

Before the season begins, list everything you’ll likely need for any request. Keep a decent stock, and streamline your inventory management for when things get rushed.

During summer

On the other hand, you shouldn’t let your guard down because you set up everything correctly before summer. You can still do several things during the season to keep your HVAC systems running and residents happy.

Homeowner association management needs to provide constant care and support for every space in the property. Thankfully, a few simple tips can make your life considerably more manageable.

Replacing filters regularly

Constantly running HVAC systems takes a toll on their filters. It’s often more viable to replace them regularly than providing lengthy maintenance.

Programmable thermostats

You can make everyone’s life easier with programmable thermostats. It allows residents to automate temperature settings for specific times.

Saving energy

Finally, don’t place too much stress on your HVAC system. Keep heat-producing appliances away from thermostats and encourage residents to use their fans to minimize energy costs.

 

 

Image credit: Freepik

Getting a community association manager license means working with communities while caring for the properties and spaces. Naturally, community associations require managers to monitor the association and neighborhood’s projects and growth.

Community association managers are responsible for implementing conditions, covenants, and rules. Their tasks also include ensuring homeowners abide by the association’s rules.

Learn about the career

Your first step is to understand what community association managers do. You probably know the career’s nature, but understanding their roles and responsibilities lets you assess what you need to learn.

Essentially, they provide expert guidance, consultancy, and oversight for the associations’ members and homeowners. These managers aren’t volunteers; community organizations hire them to ensure they reach their goals.

Its usefulness

Community association managers deal with daily tasks and project management. That includes overlooking shared area care, budgeting, and linking the board with homeowners. As managers, they also take care of financial management and communications.

They take a hands-on approach to community management, and this usually means dealing with homeowners directly. Collecting fees, inspecting sites, overlooking resident compliance, and resolving disputes are everyday tasks.

Its place in the real estate sector

While community association managers aren’t part of the purchase process, their performance can affect a home’s value. Their efficiency affects a property’s perceived value.

Furthermore, prospective owners might be interested in knowing the manager. They’ll regularly interact with them, so a good manager can help sell a property.

Understand how you’ll work

Understanding your work environment and schedules after getting a community association management license is vital for tailoring your goals.

Most community association managers work from offices, but it’s not optimal to spend all your time in one. Onsite management is still a crucial side of the job, and it requires working directly on the properties and speaking with neighbors.

You’ll also have to deal with janitors, board members, owners, real estate agents, and prospective buyers. As such, it requires strong social skills, patience, and personal organization.

Organization

Naturally, managers need strong organizational skills. You’ll often have to schedule multiple tasks in one day and different locations. Assessing your time to meet all these requirements is crucial for an effective manager.

What you need

Knowing what skills the community association manager license demands is the best way to prepare for the career. Taking courses and developing these skills before starting your career can make your life easier.

We’ve already mentioned many of the capabilities you’ll need financial knowledge, social expertise, and organizational skills.

Education

You’ll need a high-school diploma (or equivalent) for most positions, but hiring college graduates is also common. A degree in finance, real estate, accounting, or business or public administration can be an outstanding advantage as well.

Of course, work experience in related occupations is also helpful.

Skills

The most common skills mentioned by prospects and sought by employers relate to general management duties. That means vendor, property, financial, and committee management are essential skills.

Learning to use standard digital tools in the industry, social skills, invoicing, and reporting is advantageous.

Pro tip to keep in mind: some states require additional licensing so make sure you research your state’s requirements for a career in Community Associations. 

The community management association is a fundamental consideration if you plan to buy a home. You’ll likely have to take part in it as well.

 

What can you expect from living in a community association? That’s what you’ll learn today, as well as a few tips on how to build a better association.

It depends on the type of community association

The Community Associations Institute splits community associations into three types in its introduction to association living.

 

The association category depends on space ownership by the homeowners.

• Planned communities

The most common type of community management entitles homeowners to the property, residence, and its lot. Residents own their interests separately from their neighbors.

However, membership is mandatory, and common areas belong to the association, though members still have obligations with them.

• Condominiums

In condos, homeowners usually own the space within their homes. However, the land underneath their unit and its physical boundaries are not their property.

However, owners usually act as co-owners for common areas. The association may still own properties, but it depends on state law.

• Cooperatives

In the rarest community association category, a corporation owns all properties making up the cooperative. Homeowners are entitled to shared interests and occupation rights.

Board members are more similar to shareholders, and the association owns more than common areas.

Rules and fees

Most homeowners relate their community management association with regulation. Assessing your association’s rules is the first step to get along with everyone.

Let’s go through the most common types of rules.

Esthetics

Most community associations are relatively strict with what homeowners can do with their homes’ exterior. It’s more prevalent in condominiums, but you should always ask about outdoor decorations before breaking any rules from your association.

Pets

Not all communities are pet-friendly, but even the ones that are might have restrictions. Check whether pets are allowed and which races are permitted.

Occupancy

Your community association may limit whether you can rent your home for short or long terms. Some communities may also restrict the number of people per unit.

Vehicles

Finally, some associations restrict specific vehicle categories, like food and business vehicles, boats, and trucks.

Governance

Governance depends on the type of community association, but most communities follow the same approach. All homeowners are members of the board, and they’re responsible for partaking in meetings and decisions related to rules and community developments.

Community management

Finally, we can split management approaches into three categories. A community management association can come in many ways.

Homeowners aren’t always direct managers. The association can come from volunteer work or third-party services.

• Volunteering

Volunteer community associations work from the homeowners’ will. The board manages the association directly, or they can create committees with groups of residents.

• Association employment

Some associations prefer to employ a dedicated community manager. This manager works under the board’s direction for a salary.

• Management firms

Finally, the community association can hire a management company. These companies send a representative who acts as the community manager.

For many, homeowner associations are necessary for any neighborhood. They help keep everything organized. Today, many prospective buyers look solely for homes tied to an HOA. However, the pros and cons of HOA management companies still require consideration.

You might think that an HOA increases a property value due to its advantages. While it mostly does that, it’s somewhat more complicated.

What does a homeowners association do?

Essentially, HOAs keep neighborhoods organized. They aim to protect homes’ market values from damages and other adverse impacts coming from homeowners. They enact rules to guarantee a community’s cooperation and healthy relationships.

HOAs often impact neighborhoods’ curb appeal positively. Without them and their rules, keeping good-looking properties can be more challenging.

That translates into better communities

HOA rules usually hold communities to higher standards. Many homeowners admit to improvements in the neighborhood after creating or hiring an HOA. That goes beyond the moral and social implications, as property values usually improve as well.

HOAs often focus on property value

Most people believe that an HOA merely works toward harmonious neighborhoods. However, the financial benefit of HOAs is their value protection. Most HOAs focus explicitly on ensuring market values.

 

However, we’re still analyzing the pros and cons of HOA management companies. Therefore, we’ll dive into the negatives in a bit.

Value goes beyond numbers

When a home’s value, we need to consider more than its market numbers. Many people are willing to spend more on a home if they know they’ll get along with neighbors and won’t have to worry about property damages.

Improving properties

Speaking of damage, HOAs protect homes from deterioration—both from the surroundings and owners. HOA companies help guarantee that the property is in good shape for future buyers.

How does the price reflect this?

In the end, supply and demand drive market values. HOA management helps keep properties’ attractive, which entices more buyers. As such, an efficient HOA can benefit homes’ prices noticeably.

HOA and property taxes

When analyzing the pros and cons of HOA management companies, people tend to overlook taxation. The relationship between HOA and property taxes is relatively complicated, but we’ll do our best to summarize it.

 

Essentially, HOAs can result in double transactions due to common areas owned by the association. These organizations can avoid this issue by separating properties and alerting authorities about inequities.

Legally complicated

The tax implications from HOA require study and legal consultancy in most cases. HOAs need to take several steps to ensure the community doesn’t suffer from double taxation, and the process can be lengthy.

Lower property value by law?

A primary law principle is that property values decrease with rights carved from the assets to benefit other parties or properties. The latter would acquire this lost value, and HOAs could account as said third parties.

What can communities do?

The best approach for communities is to appeal to property separation between what’s owned by individuals and the HOA. Additionally, appealing the transfer valuation can help lower property taxes in the community.