48 episodes

Most people are not equipped to understand the seemingly endless facets of an HOA. That's why, in The Uncommon Area, we’re here to help you become uncommonly prepared to serve your HOA.

The Uncommon Area Action Property Management

    • Business

Most people are not equipped to understand the seemingly endless facets of an HOA. That's why, in The Uncommon Area, we’re here to help you become uncommonly prepared to serve your HOA.

    How HOAs can prevent homeowners from getting financing

    How HOAs can prevent homeowners from getting financing

    Don’t let your HOA get into a position where homeowners cannot get Fannie Mae re-fi’s and mortgages. Attorney Jeff Kerrane addresses how to avoid this pitfall for your HOA.

    Resources:

    https://kerranestorz.com/

    • 23 min
    Avoid Contract Catastrophes

    Avoid Contract Catastrophes

    Missing something small in a contract can lead to enormous consequences. Attorney Sandra Gottlieb talks about how to avoid big mistakes in contracts.

    • 25 min
    Hot Take: Questions

    Hot Take: Questions

    Questions don't have to drag out your board meetings.



























































    Read Transcript





    Too many board meetings go way too long, and one of the main reasons is lack of preparation, and this can be true of both a manager and the board members. Managers, one of the most important things you can do is to find out what information your board members need in order to make decisions at the meeting, so be sure to give them information well ahead of time.

    But don't leave it there. Contact your board members before the meeting and ask them if they have any questions about anything on the agenda or any of the material that you sent to them. Find out ahead of time what they need to know so when you get to the meeting, discussions can be shorter and you can get to votes on the matters faster.

    And board members, there's no value to wait until a meeting to test your manager and see what they know. Let them use the resources at their disposal on their team and ask all of your questions before the time of the meeting. Give the manager time to pull together information or do any needed research.

    Bottom line, if managers solicit questions ahead of time from the board, and if the board members proactively ask their questions in advance, the chances are much better that the board will be prepared to make decisions more quickly at the meeting.

    • 1 min
    Hot Take: Priorities

    Hot Take: Priorities

    A practical way to give attention to what really matters.



























































    Read Transcript





    If everything is a priority, then nothing is. Yet many associations and many managers operate as if everything is a priority. The reality is that neither board members nor managers have the bandwidth to pursue every objective in an association has equal priorities. However, too few managers and too few boards ever discuss how to prioritize what is being addressed in the association.

    This can be remedied by regularly reviewing the priorities in a ranked order at each board meeting. It's a good thing to do at the end of a meeting. Having this discussion each month ensures that all board members and management are on the same page regarding what will get the most focus and attention in time.

    A manager can set the priority list each month and get pretty accurate at forecasting what the board will prioritize. Ultimately, this discussion can be relatively short each month if the board agrees with the manager's priority order, but the discipline of discussing this a few minutes at each meeting ensures that everyone is on the same page and gives opportunity for course correction if board members don't all agree with each other or if the manager does not have the priorities in line with the board's desires.

    Having clarity and agreement with priorities goes a long way to ensuring the right progress is made on the right things at the right time.

    • 1 min
    The Future of HOAs in California

    The Future of HOAs in California

    Nathan McGuire talks about California's changing climate and its impact on the future of homeowners associations in the next ten years.

    • 37 min
    Does your HOA have a clean bill of health?

    Does your HOA have a clean bill of health?

    Sarah Morales from Personal Touch Cleaning and Maintenance talks about how the right cleaning and maintenance programs keep your HOA healthy and your assets living longer.

    Resources:

    https://www.ptchoa.com/

    • 20 min

Top Podcasts In Business

Ramsey Network
BBC Radio 5 Live
Money News Network
NPR
iHeartPodcasts and Warner Bros
Dan Fleyshman