Recently I joined the board of the Homeowners Association in my neighborhood and discovered what many others have discovered about their HOA: a lot of frustration around management of the community and the lack of support the residents receive from the board. According to the Community Associations Institute trade association, it is estimated that HOAs govern 24.8 million American homes and 62 million residents. This leaves about twenty percent of Americans living in a community managed by an HOA.
On each HOA, the board of directors are required to make decisions regarding the association, including management of the association’s finances, protecting the associations tangible and intangible assets, and enforcing the governing documents. Often times, the board of directors contract a community management company to help manage the finances, complete work orders and maintain a standard of living in the neighborhoods they manage.
Wanting to make it easier to complete work orders in the community, know all my neighbors, and help maintain a standard within my own neighborhood, I created a couple Fulcrum apps to help with these tasks.
Sharing Resident Information
Our HOA Resident Directory App is designed to put all neighbor contacts at your fingertips. The app allows each board member to access names, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses for all residents. When property managers receive app access, they can update property records with histories, late payments, fines, or other important details. Board members can quickly capture violations by taking photos directly within the app.
They can also paste pre-written letters and email residents about the violations in just a few clicks. The app records every warning letter sent, along with photo evidence, for future reference. If violations occur again, board members can easily access the full history of prior warnings.
An additional app that I highly recommend using in conjunction with Fulcrum is Nextdoor. Nextdoor is free private social network for your neighborhood community. If the HOA supports the adoption of Nextdoor, it will help gather the contact information for the HOA Resident Directory app quickly.
People are using Nextdoor to:
- Quickly get the word out about a break-in
- Organize a Neighborhood Watch Group
- Track down a trustworthy babysitter
- Find out who does the best paint job in town
- Ask for help keeping an eye out for a lost dog
- Find a new home for an outgrown bike
- Finally call that nice man down the street by his first name
Managing neighborhood assets and amenities
The HOA Asset Report App enables HOA boards to quickly catalog neighborhood assets like light posts, signs, and equipment. Begin by adding board members to the account and assigning them to collect nearby assets near their homes. I completed this process after just a few walks around my neighborhood. When assets need repairs, members can change their status to “Needs Attention” for easy tracking and communication.
If integrated with Zapier, the app can automatically email property managers to initiate repairs or replacements. This setup ensures swift action and keeps everyone informed and accountable. After resolving the issue, property managers update the asset’s status, notifying board members of the completion.
Using Fulcrum and Nextdoor together allows board members and property managers to address issues transparently and efficiently. With improved communication and accountability, HOAs can better support and serve their communities.