Neighborhood Notices

Help for Association Homeowners!

admin — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 21:27:57 +0000

Help! For Homeowners New to Association Living

Your new home meets all of your goals relating to location, amenities and conveniences. It is so exciting and you waste no time adding a few warming touches. First, you paint the front door Wedgewood blue, which seems to be appropriate in this gardenlike setting. Next you add a new wreath to the door and, finally, your favorite lamp-bearing statues to the front garden. It is impressive how much more welcoming your home now appears. So, imagine your surprise when a most unwelcoming letter arrives just three days later stating that your home is “in violation”! The letter states that the color of your door and the newly-mounted wreath are non-compliant and the garden in which you placed your statues is actually something called common area and must be removed! When you call the number on the letter, the customer service specialist reminds you that you have purchased a home in a community association. A bell goes off as you remember the large notebook you received titled Restrictive Terrace Condominium Association. You locate it among the closing documents and begin reading it and quickly realize that it may have been a mistake not to use the week prior to settlement to review this information.

Sound familiar? It happens more often than you know. Purchasing a home in a community association has many benefits , including deed restrictions that govern the community with which every owner should be familiar. It is a lifestyle choice that should be taken seriously when considering this home purchase option. Just a little preparation can ensure that you make a well informed decision.

Here are a few things you’ll need to consider:

• Governing Documents (Articles of Incorporation, Declaration, Bylaws, etc.) These are documents that determine how the association is organized and operated. They include helpful information about definitions, governance, budget, preparation, maintenance, and use restrictions.

• Rules & Regulations and Architectural Guidelines. These are usually more specific than the general provisions in the above-described documents.

• Assessments. These are fee that must be paid to the association to cover common interest expenses. It is possible that a home belongs to more than one association (master or umbrella association and specific community association), resulting in multiple assessments.

• Board of Directors. The association has a governing body referred to as the board of directors who are usually volunteers appointed or elected to govern the affairs o the community. Or, it could be composed of developer representatives, or some developer representatives and some homeowners, if the community is still under development.

• Management Company. Most community associations are managed by a professional management company, the responsibility for which is to manage the day-to-day operations of the association. The manager and management staff can be very beneficial in helping you understand association living. If you are reading this article you may have chosen Acri Community Realty. We can help!

• Get Involved. There are many opportunities for you to volunteer and participate in operation of the association. Make it a point to attend board meetings and volunteer when possible. The more productive and cooperative volunteers an association has, the more successful it is.

Community association living offers a wonderful lifestyle. Being an informed association member can make it an even more enjoyable and rewarding experience for you

Is your Neighborhood Association Website Responsive?

admin — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:24:08 +0000

The Best Association Websites Utilize Responsive Design Practices.

Neighborhood Notices Association Websites

First off what is Responsive Web Design?< see wiki definitions

A responsively designed website is optimized to recognize and adapt to fit any device displaying it. Simply put the end-user or homeowner, is able to view your association website in it’s entirety everywhere and anywhere. Have you ever pulled up a website on your mobile device only to be frustrated by the amount of “stretching and scrolling” you need to do to view content? According to technology research firm Gartner, by 2013 more people will access websites with mobile phones than with desktop computers. Our premium sites are optimized to showcase your content. The site perfectly re-sizes itself to whatever device the person is using. Hence content is formatted to be seen “responsively” allowing ALL of the site content to be accessed. There is no annoying App or mobile version of the site to download. That’s powerful stuff.

If your website is difficult to navigate on mobile phones, if images or pages don’t load, or if users have to scroll or zoom excessively to view content we have a fix for you. The design team at Neighborhood Notices has implemented Responsive design technology on our Premium Content sites. Members increasingly want your association in their pocket. When they’re not at a desktop computer, they want to find and read what they need.

Ask Neighborhood Notices today for their insight on responsive design and the steps you can take to make your website mobile user-friendly.

Go ahead and test drive a site today. Wait, don’t go anywhere. Chances are you are reading this post on a mobile device right now. Neighborhood Notices is a responsive mobile-tablet friendly designed site. Use the contact form and get started.

To learn more, check out these resources:

Net Magazine’s Responsive Web Design article about 15 top trends for web design
What can a website do for your Homeowners Association?
Google’s Recommendations for building Responsive smart-phone optimized websites gives out advice about responsive designs.
Mike Essex writes “Why Google loves Responsive designs (and you should too)“

Michele Roperon

What can a website do for your association?

admin — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:22:15 +0000

Quick Tip: Are you asking yourself what an HOA Website can do for you?

How about helping the residents of your association feel like they are part of their association.

Too often residents complain about not being informed about association matters. Of course board meetings occur, projects are being worked on and periodically new accomplishments can be noted in the neighborhood. But, what does the resident who doesn’t hear about the board’s progress, has issues with the dues or whatever their neighbor is doing wrong have to say about the association?

Could it be that we as our board members get caught up in daily issues and new projects that they forget to keep residents truly informed on the details? From the residents’ perspective it will always be easier to sit in their house and complain. But, it’s also easier for them to complain when they only receive the periodic newsletter that barely skims the details of what the board is dealing with, what they’ve accomplished and what they’re working on. This only fuels the residents’ discontent which either results in apathy (which is seen in low vote turnouts) or the rogue resident who decides they’re going to “do something about that board”.

Keep Neighbors informed

Keep information and details always at your resident’s fingertips. Give residents no excuse to not know how you’re making things better. Let them see what’s going on in their neighborhood including both the good and the bad, but just keep them informed with the details. This also goes a long way to help residents see the purpose and the benefits for following the rules, taking care of their homes and voting on the issues.

This is where an HOA Website can be an excellent communication tool. A website…any website…keeps information at its visitor’s fingertips. You’ll be able to post your meeting minutes, projects lists and much more for 24/7 access. But, your HOA Website is not only for your current items. Easily archive your past items on your website as well. Looking at your older minutes can even help you realize your current accomplishments.

An informed resident is a happier resident. A happy resident feels part of their association.

Michele Roperon

This can be you!

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:46:41 +0000

Portray you community as a modern, pro-active and vibrant place to live and play. Many homes have been sold due to active site presences illustrating HOA member involvement and Board Transparency.

Here is how it works:

Our professional photographer visits your site. Beautifully rendered photos are taken on location that showcase your property. Our graphic illustrator designs a custom logo for your site, an important real estate brand identification and promotion tool. Content pertaining to your site is edited and uploaded.

No other property management firm offers this level of communication and site management services for the minimal fees charged. Don’t be fooled by other offers. You will be responsible for the content, graphics photos and updating.

Leave everything up to your professional management team to have all of your information posted in real-time as it happens when it happens.

All for you, all about you, that’s what we are about.

You better watch out….

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:36:27 +0000

Are you ready for the winter weather?

The following “tips” are designed to assist you in winterizing your unit/home:

Insulate pipes – Water pipes, especially those installed next to or on an outside wall, should be wrapped or insulated. Don’t forget those outside faucets. Be sure to turn the valves off and drain the line.
Cabinet doors – Pipes located behind cabinets have the potential to freeze. Leaving the cabinet doors open during extreme cold will allow the heat within the unit to reach these pipes.
Faucets – During periods of extremely cold weather, it is advisable to allow faucets to drip slowly. By keeping the water moving through the pipes, there is less of a chance for an ice build-up in the lines, which could cause a line to rupture.
Frozen pipes – If the pipes do freeze up, they can usually be thawed by applying heat with a space heater, a hair dryer or light bulb. Although the use of a flame or gas torch may seem the most rapid way it is not advisable.
Shut of valves – Know the location of the shut off valves so they can be quickly accessed if a pipe rupture does occur.

Get your Community Noticed

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:37:27 +0000

For a relatively small monthly fee, your community can enjoy the benefits of a professional community website that would normally cost several thousand dollars.

The community website is packed with great features!

Great Features!

Custom Logo
Bulletin Board – keep current on community happenings
Rules and Specifications
Contact Page
Governing Documents
Minutes and Meeting Notices
Latest HOA Newsletter
Local News and Weather Feed
Latest Association Documents
Clubhouse Reservations (if applicable)
ACRI’S LIST OF PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDER
Online e-forms – submits information the quick and easy way
Pay fees via ACRI Direct Debit or ACRI payment solution partners
Helpful Links

Premium Site Features

Property Manager Mail Blast for quick updates.
Community Association Update Subscribers Sign up
HOA (Homeowners Association) Members Only Area (visible to registered users only)
Community Forums Pages – Comment on issues (comments are moderated)
Searchable site content, Password Protection, Printable, Online Community
Directory, with easy Opt-In registration
Contact Info (contact your manager directly from your site no email client
needed)
Advertising/Sponsor Pages
Event Calendar

Customized Solutions are Available!

All of the features and functionality outlined above are included in the community association premium website design services. These are just the typical features requested by most of our managed communities. We can also set up the features listed below. Depending on scope, it may involve a small additional fee to create the following features:

Photo Galleries
Community Classifieds
Community Surveys
Administrator Accounts
Custom Pages
We even make movies and videos!

TOUR a premium full service Community Association Website here.

How to Get Yours…

To get a community association website designed for your community, simply contact ACRI’S web admin at admin@acrirlty.com. We will be able give you a quote on the fee for this service.

AND….WE DO THE WORK…

We do all of the work for you, your content is managed by ACRI COMMERCIAL REALTY, INC. No other outside maintenance is required of you. We do it all. Due to the scope of business Acri preforms on a day to day basis, we have may have local business sponsors interested in advertising on your site.

See an example of a totally free site funded by community sponsors.
Here is an example of a partially funded site.

You will have the opportunity to portray you community as a modern, pro-active and vibrant place to live and play. Many homes have been sold due to active site presences illustrating HOA member involvement and Board Transparency.

Here is how it works:

Leave everything up to your professional management team to have all of your information posted in real-time as it happens when it happens.

All for you, all about you, that’s what we are about.

Michele Roperon

Thinking about a new website or revamping a new one?

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:43:22 +0000

Consider calling Neighborhood Notices today. We can customize a site to your preferences and price constraints. From editable templates to the full site including logo design….we do it all.