Spring is here! With spring officially beginning on March 20th, it is the perfect time for homeowners to think about getting to those cleaning, maintenance, or improvement projects that sat idle all winter long. A house is one of the biggest purchases a person will ever make, and most want to keep their homes looking beautiful not
With spring right around the corner, homeowners may be contemplating doing that home repair that has been left unattended all winter. If this repair is not covered by your Association, you may be wondering where to start in your search for a contractor. Let Hammersmith help. With all the different companies and contractors out there, it’s tough to find
As we wrap up our series on Keeping the Peace in your community association, it seems that no matter how much effort is put into resolving conflicts peacefully or preemptive measures taken to welcome new neighbors and invite the entire community to events, there are the inevitable struggles that arise between neighbors. In Part 5
Talking with immediate neighbors is an easy thing to do. When you are next door, you see them most often either coming to or going from their house and you can quickly say hello, or ask a brief question. But what about those neighbors a few houses down? You may not get the chance to
In community associations, neighbors may come and go without many of their other neighbors even noticing. In Part 3 of our "Keeping the Peace" series, we discuss how just the smallest act of welcoming a new neighbor or family to the community can make all the difference. Be Welcoming. HOAs should engage their community with
In any Association there will probably be certain behavior that brings with it complaints from neighbors. Resolving these conflicts quickly and effectively is key to keeping the peace in your community. The questions are what can be done to reach a resolution and does the Association, Board of Directors, or community manager have an obligation to step
If your HOA has never had a neighbor dispute, congratulations and please share your secret, or plan on raising the price of the real estate because everyone wants to live there. Neighbor to neighbor disputes are inevitable, but getting ahead of them and coming to a quick resolution limits the negative effects. Plus it helps
Community management companies and the managers they hire can be a large part of the success of a homeowner’s association and board of directors. Unfortunately, the reverse effect can also take place. That is why it’s important to understand the roles of the community manager and the board, and how they best work together to
Now that your Annual Meeting has been held, budget ratified, and new board members elected, it’s time for those new board members to get comfortable in their roles and help positively influence your association. There are several keys to becoming an effective board member, and we will address many of them throughout the year. Even
As we enter 2014, Hammersmith Management would like to welcome everyone to our blog, The Art and Science of Community. This blog is designed to educate, inform, and hopefully entertain through a wide variety of topics that surround the Homeowner Association industry. Hammersmith Management is a full-service HOA management company in Colorado with offices in