Community Manager Job Opening

HERE WE GROW AGAIN AND WE NEED YOU.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

As a progressive stable property management company we have an opening for a Community Association Manager. We are seeking someone who has two or more years’ experience in community association management industry. We are not looking for just anyone to fill this role. The average just won’t do.

The Community Association Manager’s responsibilities will include managing and supporting the assigned homeowner controlled community/communities, attending Board and annual meetings, obtaining bids and monitoring contractors, managing maintenance of community common areas, enforcing rules and regulations, administrative duties, and responding to and homeowner requests.

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have:

A Bachelor’s degree and/or 3 years related work experience/training

Strong leadership and teamwork/collaboration skills

Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to interface and communicate effectively, internally and externally

Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced, changing environment

Must be extremely flexible, and highly responsive to changing demands

Proficient with Microsoft Office Products

Georgia CAM license or RES is required

Developer and Homeowner Association experience preferred

Strong ability to plan and organize effectively

Must be a self-starter, and work in a disciplined organized way with an attention to detail

We offer a convenient location, a fun culture and positive work environment, outstanding benefits which include medical and vacation. Bring your “A game” and work with an outstanding company. If this sounds like an opportunity that you should not pass up – you’re right.

To be considered, forward your resume with salary requirements to lmiles@riversidepropertymgt.com.  No resume’s will be considered with salary requirements.

Applications will be kept confidential.

Best Association Management Practices

A Juggling Act

Association management calls for expertise and knowledge as well as skill since different clients come with different and specific needs. The management aspect comes in regarding the different aspects of the community and the fact that all needs must be met and all concerns taken care of. To make management easier and more successful, specific things must be taken into consideration.

Security:

One of the most important aspects of a community is security. Every association concerned with property management must put this as a top priority. Clients look at how secure they feel as well as at their property. Added security measures should therefore be put in place as a way of managing the community effectively. A place that has no security is likely to keep losing clients or tenants, for that matter. It is therefore important for security to be handled with utmost importance.

Maintenance:

The management of a community also requires proper maintenance. The responsible association members should ensure that every maintenance aspect is taken care of. This should not just taken care of the exterior areas of the community but also the internal. When clients are satisfied with what they see and what they get, they will stay on the property for a long time. The proper people should therefore be hired to handle the maintenance needs of the property which should include things such as garbage collection and painting, among others.

Safety:

To properly manage a property, the proper safety measures should be put in place. For instance, the association should be in a position to come up with a plan for emergencies such as fires, making it possible for the clients to get to safety when the need arises. This is especially important in high-rise buildings where it can be challenging for people to exit when safety is compromised.

Customer Care:

The relationship between the association members and the clients who are the tenants in this matter should never be taken for granted. The stay of most tenants depends on how appreciated they feel and how well they are treated, especially when they have questions or concerns regarding their units. It is important to create strong relationships based on mutual respect and this can only be accomplished by ensuring that every need of the client is addressed.

Management of any association is made easier by having the right strategies in place and putting client needs ahead of any other need.

Provided by the Cedar Management Group and brought to you via http://www.stockmarketsreview.com/realestate/2011/04/27/best-association-management-practices/

How to Maximize HOA Collections Without Breaking the Bank

The Key to Collecting Past Due Assessments Without Over Paying Your Attorney

Atlanta,GA–The current economic downturn has affected all aspects of life in our country, and homeowner associations have taken the brunt of some of the worst of it. The majority of community associations throughout the country are now having to deal with increases in past-due assessments, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and short sales. Homes are losing equity, banks are afraid to lend, and owners find themselves having to pick and choose which bills they will pay, as the threat of losing their houses looms over them. The refinancing options-once homeowners saving grace-are no longer available to these struggling homeowners. The end result is that homeowner associations are often the last to be paid resulting in budget shortfalls and forcing some associations to levy special assessments to make ends meet. On top of these difficulties, many associations are dealing with costs for construction defect litigation and repairs on aging buildings, which often necessitates large special assessments.

Everyone in the industry is sharing in the pain that homeowner associations are experiencing. Managers and association relationships are being strained as managers scramble to come up with quick solutions to enduring problems. Boards get easily upset with managers who are unable to make significant improvements in collections. Both the board and managers want their attorneys to be able to collect faster than they are able to do so. Meanwhile, attorneys are pushing legal action as a means of resolving all of the homeowners association problems but are unable to dramatically improve collections regardless of what they do.

We are all, essentially, trying to milk a dry cow. There are situations where there is no money to be collected. However, if associations act quickly and creatively, they place themselves in a situation where there is the hope that money will be collected at some point, allowing associations to get their accounts receivables current.

It is important for attorneys to explain the collection process to both the board and managers. Managers need to realize that, with this economy, boards cannot count on all the debt to be collected. Managers need to set realistic time-lines and help boards come up with manageable budgets, while factoring in bad debt. It is time to start thinking creatively. The proven method of demand letters and liens are not as effective as they used to be. There are things that both boards and managers can do to help prevent a bad situation from turning worse.

How to Respond to Homeowner Requests for Documents

Don’t Panic When Homeowners Ask to Inspect Documents!

Atlanta, GA—Homeowners Association and Condominium Owner Association boards are often asked by non-Board members to provide copies of all financial statements and collection reports.  As a Board member, you need to what the Board can and should turn over and what should the board should withhold.  Atlanta Property Management companies see this dilemma arise recurrently, often with the demanding homeowner seeking to sue the Association in order to view or obtain said documents.   If these matters are not handled correctly, you may unwittingly find yourself  with a problem homeowner.

While HOA boards would usually prefer to refuse these document requests, the Covenants typically give homeowners the right to inspect and copy the Association’s records.  Another question that arises under this predicament pertains to which documents that the Association must have readily available to their homeowners.

For the benefit of Association boards, however, there are a few boundaries that can be legally placed upon document requests.

First, the Association should require that all requests be submitted in writing and include a short explanation as to the purpose of the request. This simple hurdle may dissuade owners from making frivolous requests, or then pursuing them extensively.  The request should be submitted at least ten days before they need the documents.   The management company may need additional time to locate older documents if they’re in storage.

Second, the community manager for the management company should contact the homeowner and set up a time during normal business hours to review the documents.  They can view original documents at no charge.  If they want copies of pages from the original documents, have them make a list or mark the pages they want with a paper clip or sticky note.  They should be charged per page for copying. They may also want copies of documents mailed to them, so bill them for copying each page and mailing.

Third, the community manager should not produce any confidential documents or other  sensitive information, such as personnel files, owners’ ledgers or legal files. Furthermore, communications between the Association and its attorney should never be open to the public; by disclosing attorney-client communications–even when the communications do not seem particularly sensitive–the Association may inadvertently waive attorney-client privilege.  This protects the association and the resident from liability. The exception is requesting documents about themselves.

Once you understand what documents need to be made available for inspection and copying and what should not be produced, responding to requests for documents can be handled quickly and efficiently.

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia. Riverside is also an expert Georgia association management company and high rise Atlanta association management company. To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did. KUR926RCPCBM

Spring Cleaning for Homeowner Associations

 

Professional Covenant Enforcement

“Building Better Neighborhoods… Block By Block

Spring brings for many of us the natural urge to spruce up, organize, purge, dust off, rearrange, beautify and generally clean up our homes and yards.

Spring Cleaning

Strengthen your property value by protecting and improving your neighborhood.

The best way to prepare for Spring Clean-up is to take a hard look at your own home.

1.  Mailbox: Is it dull, faded, flag missing, numbers missing, rusty or just in need of a facelift?

2.  Shutters: Are they faded, warped, missing, paint chipped?

3.  Window Frames/Dormers/Garage Door Frames: Is the paint chipped or the wood dry- rotted? Or do they need to be painted, replaced or repaired?

4.  House/Fence Paint: Is the paint faded or are there mold or algae stains?  Does the fence need repair?

5.  Yard: Has the winter debris been removed? Are your flower beds conditioned to plant new spring life? Is the lawn mower serviced and ready to go? Have you lined up the teenager to cut your grass, rake the leaves, and pull the weeds?

As you all know, we, at Riverside perform monthly inspections of your community. Come May 1st, we will be addressing the above issues in our inspections. If you have any doubt about Spring Cleaning around your home, ask a neighbor, ask a Board Member, ask the mailman, to take a good look at your home – put on the glasses of a potential buyer – what do you really see? Be aggressive and make your home sparkle!

If any of the above requires attention, please prepare to fix.  If the repair is in need of an estimate from a professional, please start getting them now.  If you need recommendations, please contact Lisa Robinson at (404) 783-0194 or lisa@riversidepropertymgt.com.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia.

To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to http://www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did.

Be a Well Prepared Board Member

Members of all homeowner associations’ board are bequeathed with directing business and being knowledgeable. Since the board members are usually directors of a multimillion dollar corporation (in assets), they should always carefully consider all options before acting or reacting. HOA or Condominium Association (CA) business is sometimes inundated with political ramifications so no decisions should be made on the whim.

In some community organizations, retreats are used as a way of getting a group to focus and prioritize the goals and issues. Retreats were originally designed to talk about philosophical issues and not to transact business. A retreat needs to be assembled apart from day to day activities that can obviously interfere: ringing of phones, the kids’ making noise and barking dogs make it quite impossible to focus. Consider meeting in a community room. Libraries are a good place that has them available for little or no charge with the advantage of an available copier and peace. Local churches are also options.

A “Board Manual” is a must. When it comes to having critical information at hand, a Board Manual fills the bill. This manual is a collection of necessary information that can be easily and rapidly accessed in order to respond to questions and emergencies. Here is some of the essential components:

• Governing Documents (Declaration, Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation)
• Rules & Regulations
• Current Operating Budget & Reserve Study
• Insurance Coverage Recap & Agent Contact Information
• Management Planning Calendar
• Maintenance & Insurance Areas of Responsibility
• Current Financial Report
• Meeting Minutes (last 12 months)
• Newsletters, if available. (last 12 months)
• List of board members and contact information
• Management key contact, phone #s, email address
• Utility companies (trash, water, power, gas, cable, telephone) contact information
• List of preferred vendors and contact information
• Site map showing streets, buildings, homes, utility meters, fire extinguishers, underground plumbing, equipment, etc.
• Security Information (keys, passwords, etc.)
• Tool and Equipment Inventory
• Equipment Information (elevator equipment, parking garage door, pool equipment, etc.)

Organize this up-to-date information by subject in a three ring binder or portable computer file so updates can be easily made. Provide a full copy to each board member. With this information readily available, most questions and crises can be addressed without scrambling.

Prepare for the Meetings. All board meetings should have a well outlined agenda and related materials already distributed to the directors at least a week before the meeting for review so that the board doesn’t founder from the topics that are at hand. At the meeting, stick to the agenda. Do not allow guests to propose issues at the meeting and expect an immediate decision. Architectural changes and rules enforcement issues should only be considered after full and complete written request is received and reviewed.

Get competent and educated advice. One area where boards often falter is the failure to seek out good advice. Use your insurance agent, an attorney specializing in homeowner association law, a CPA, reserve analyst, engineers and architects when the subject matter is beyond the expertise of the board. Do not get creative to save a few dollars. There is too much riding on the outcome and the homeowners are depending on all of you. The board is not expected to know everything. It is charged with making well informed and thought out decisions. Use experts, gather and use key information for a board manual and get in the know.

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia. Riverside is also an expert Georgia association management company and high rise Atlanta association management company. To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did.

Budget Planning For Your Community Association

Appoint Your 2012 Budget Committee Now

Atlanta, Georgia–With the first quarter already coming to a close, it’s not too early to start thinking about budget planning for Atlanta business community associations and homeowners associations. A tip to help with the process is to utilize a properly run budget committee. The budget committee is comprised of members of the community association, which enables residents to have a say in how their money is spent. How does the budget committee work and who serves on it?

The Treasurer’s and Accountant’s Roles
It makes sense for the board treasurer of your Atlanta community association to chair the budget committee. As chair, it’s the treasurer’s job to keep everyone on track as the budget is prepared. The treasurer also presents the budget for approval to the board and members. If your community association works with an accountant, he or she may offer consulting, but the accountant really has no significant role in the process of devising the budget.

Who Should Be on the Association’s Budget Committee?
The owners who serve on the budget committee should represent a cross-section of your Atlanta community association. Of course, if there are members willing to serve who have expertise in areas such as insurance, landscaping, contracting,  that’s even better. When it comes to size, a good general guideline is that the committee shouldn’t be so large that it becomes unwieldy.

What the Budget Committee Does
The treasurer of your Atlanta community association should make sure that all committee members understand the three basic components of the budget:

1. Non-Discretionary Operating Expenses. Funds needed for daily operation of your Atlanta  community association, such as common area electricity and water, landscaping maintenance, Atlanta association management, insurance, and general maintenance. These expenses are either contractual or can be reasonably estimated based on experience. One important consideration when looking at items in the operating budget is the level of service sought by your Atlanta community association.  Do owners want a landscaper who is on site three times a week or once a week?  Do your Atlanta association homeowners want a landscaper who is a “blow, mow, and go” type, or do they want a landscaper who provides a higher level of service?  Do your Atlanta homeowners association members want a lifeguard present at your association pool for twelve hours everyday or want to allow owners to swim at their own risk?  These decisions will significantly impact the your Atlanta community association’s operating expenses.

2. Future Reserves. Funds needed to maintain your Atlanta community association’s reserves at sufficient levels are essential for preserving the value of Atlanta condominium and homeowners associations. Reserve funds provide money for the repair and replacement of the community’s assets—such as the pool, roofs, pavement, etc. and must be set aside in the budget to be able to meet future expenses as they become due.

3. Discretionary Expenses. Funds for additions or enhancements to the existing property. This is a function of what members of your Atlanta community association wants and is willing to pay for. The community should provide input and approval for this component.  For example, you may want to erect a gazebo on the common grounds or install a new water slide at your community association pool.  These expenses are discretionary and should be included in your Atlanta community association’s budget only if there is money left over to pay for them after payment of all non-discretionary expenses and reserve funding.

How to Crunch the Numbers
Armed with this knowledge, your Atlanta community association’s budget committee should be able to estimate total expenses for the coming year and compare that sum to your Atlanta community association’s potential revenue (assessments, interest on investments, swim and tennis team income, and so on). If expenses are greater than revenue, the budget committee needs to look for ways to lower expenses without compromising services. If that doesn’t balance the budget, the budget committee may have to make a tough decision—whether to increase assessments or levy a one-time special assessment.

Riverside Property Management is a Homeowners and Condominium Association management company management company proudly serving Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta and all of North Georgia. Riverside is also an expert Georgia association management company and high rise Atlanta association management company. To find out more about Riverside Property Management and why it is one of Georgia’s fastest growing property management companies, go to www.riversidepropertymgt.com. You’ll be glad you did.