Monthly Archives: June 2023

hoa board members attending a community association meeting

Foster Unity With Community Association Meetings

Community association meetings play a pivotal role in fostering a sense of belonging, unity, and shared decision-making among homeowners. These gatherings serve as platforms for keeping residents informed, discussing matters concerning common property, and establishing best practices for peaceful and effective meetings.

Let’s look at the importance of holding condo and HOA association meetings and share some best practices from the experts at Goodwin and Company.

Keeping Homeowners Informed Through Solid Association Management

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any thriving community association. Homeowners should be well-informed about the agenda, upcoming decisions, and any relevant updates. Here are some strategies the HOA board or association management can use to keep homeowners in the loop:

Regular Newsletters

Publish newsletters or bulletins to provide updates on community initiatives, ongoing projects, and upcoming meetings. Include information on common property maintenance, neighborhood events, and any proposed changes to the community guidelines or policies.

Online Portals and Forums

Create or obtain an online platform where homeowners can access essential documents, participate in discussions and stay connected with the association. Encourage open dialogue and promptly address concerns to foster transparency and inclusion.

Social Media Presence

Establish a strong social media presence to reach a broader audience. Share engaging content, upcoming meeting details, and community highlights to encourage homeowners to actively participate and stay informed.

Making Decisions About Common Property

Community association meetings are ideal opportunities to make decisions about shared property, including maintenance, improvements and any changes that impact the entire community. Consider the following tips to ensure effective decision-making:

Prioritize Collaboration

We care for what we care about, and therefore an intensely collaborative environment will help your residents feel more connected, responsible and involved.

Encourage homeowners to voice their opinions and concerns during meetings.

Foster an inclusive environment where every member feels valued and heard by asking open questions, getting face-to-face time and taking time to register the needs and complaints of quieter members.

Emphasize consensus and finding common ground when making decisions about common property.

Engage Experts

Seek input from professionals such as property managers, architects, or landscapers. Their expertise can provide valuable insights on maintenance, renovations and sustainable solutions for common areas. Expert advice is much more likely to garner an effective response.

Conduct Surveys

Conduct surveys or polls to gather feedback from homeowners on proposed changes, ensuring groups make all decisions with the community’s collective interests and preferences in mind.

Best Practices for Peaceful, Effective Meetings

Meetings don’t have to be a drag, as some might think. They exist to inform, encourage discussion and collaboration, and come to a conclusion on matters of import. For community association meetings that are productive and harmonious, consider the following best practices:

Clear Agendas

Distribute meeting agendas well in advance, outlining the topics under discussion. This allows homeowners to prepare their thoughts and research any relevant matters, leading to more informed conversations. Take advantage of the digital age when sharing this information.

Time Management

Start and end meetings on time to demonstrate respect for homeowners’ schedules. Allocate specific timeframes for each agenda item and enforce talk-time limits to maintain efficiency.

Open Dialogue

Transparency and trust should be the core goal of your board meetings. Encourage respectful and open dialogue among homeowners. Set ground rules for discussions, like letting each person speak without interruption and emphasizing constructive criticism.

Meeting Moderation

Appoint a neutral moderator who can guide the meeting, maintain order, and ensure all voices are heard. They’ll also enforce meeting rules and keep discussions on track. This can be anyone from the community or association.

Goodwin & Company Knows Community Association Management

Productive community association meetings are crucial for fostering a strong and engaged homeowner community. By keeping residents informed, making informed decisions about common property, and implementing best practices for peaceful and effective meetings, associations can create an environment that encourages collaboration and unity.

If you’re seeking expert assistance in community management solutions, look no further than Goodwin & Company. With our extensive experience and dedication to fostering thriving communities, we can provide tailored solutions to meet your association’s needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services and take the first step towards creating a harmonious and prosperous community.

community texting for HOA

Benefits of Community Texting in HOA and Community Associations

Effective communication is vital when you’re fostering strong relationships and creating thriving communities. While traditional communication methods like email and phone calls are still important, community texting has emerged as a game changer.

The text chain has revolutionized the way residents, board members, and property managers interact. With its convenience, speed, and widespread accessibility, community texting has become indispensable for optimizing neighborhood communication.

Let’s explore the benefits of community texting and see just how you can leverage it to enhance engagement, streamline operations and build a stronger sense of community.

Instant and Direct Communication

Unlike emails that might go unnoticed or phone calls that can be missed, text messages are delivered directly to your mobile device, ensuring prompt and reliable communication. Whether it’s an important announcement, a community event reminder, or urgent notifications, community texting allows for the quick dissemination of information, increasing the likelihood of timely responses and action.

Increased Community Participation

Community texting provides an effective solution here by reaching residents directly on their phones, a device almost always within arm’s reach. With text messaging, associations can easily share updates, gather feedback, conduct surveys and promote community events, fostering a higher level of engagement with association management, the Board, and fellow owners.

Enhanced Accessibility and Reach

In today’s digital age, almost everyone has a mobile phone, making community texting a highly accessible communication method. Unlike emails that might be overlooked or phone calls that might not reach everyone, text messages have a significantly higher open and response rate. This ensures essential messages, announcements, and alerts reach a broad audience, including those who may not frequently check email or prefer not to engage through other channels.

Streamlined HOA Board Operations

Community texting offers property managers and HOA boards an efficient way to streamline operations by using a dedicated texting platform to schedule messages in advance, automate reminders for payment deadlines or community meetings and send personalized communications tailored to specific resident groups. This automation saves time and resources, giving management teams time to focus on other critical tasks while ensuring that essential information reaches residents in a timely and organized manner.

A Stronger Sense of Community

Effective communication is the foundation for building a strong sense of community. Community texting can foster connection, encourage collaboration, and promote a shared sense of belonging. You can use text messaging to celebrate community achievements, welcome new residents, organize neighborhood events, and even address concerns or conflicts.

By fostering open and transparent communication, community texting helps build trust, unity, and a positive community spirit.

Goodwin & Company is Here to Help

At Goodwin & Company, we understand the importance of effective community management. As a leading community management company, we are dedicated to helping associations create vibrant, thriving communities.

Our team of experienced professionals is well-versed in leveraging innovative solutions to enhance communication, improve operations and build stronger relationships within neighborhoods.

We’re ready to show you how we can help your association maximize communication, engage residents, and create a sense of belonging that elevates your community to new heights.

Contact us today to learn more about our services.