HOA Insights: Common Sense for Common Areas

Send us Fan Mail HOA fraud happens more often than most boards realize. Here's how to make your community a harder target! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ In Episode 165, we're joined once again by repeat guest Russell Munz of Community Financials. Serving associations nationwide, Community Financials provides financial management and a variety of re...

Send us Fan Mail Are your HOA vendors truly serving your community or just benefiting from a trusted relationship? Listen to find out the signs that might be costing your association! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ This week, Robert sits down with Board Hero, Peter Isakovic, a homeowner and board member from Colorado. He serves on the board of the CAI Rocky M...

Send us Fan Mail A Florida HOA lost $2 million to HOA board fraud. Learn the warning signs before it happens to you. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Episode #163 might just be our craziest story yet, and in a new fashion! Kevin Davis tells a story of how an unchecked board president can put you and your community in grave financial danger. This episode covers...

Send us Fan Mail The best HOA board meetings handle disagreement without creating division or drama. Learn how to handle conflict! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ I'm here today for Episode #162 with a return special guest, Jim Slaughter, who joined us in the early days of the podcast for Episode #7. He is the President of Law Firm Carolinas, practicing t...

Send us Fan Mail Learn the top HOA building maintenance tips that will help your board spot the dangers early and avoid costly structural repairs! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ What can HOA boards do today to prevent tomorrow's building disasters? In this episode, engineering expert Greg Batista of G. Batista Engineering & Construction shares practi...

Send us Fan Mail Fannie Mae’s 2027 changes could impact HOA lending standards nationwide. Here’s what boards need to know. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ 🏠 Condo Status Finder: https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/condo-status-finder ✉️ Fannie Mae's March 18th Lending Letter: http://www.reservestudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/LL-2026-03-Project-Standa...

Send us Fan Mail Think your HOA contract covers everything? Many boards misunderstand what “full service” means… With us today is Rolf Crocker, the president of Omni Community Management, an association management company located in Northern California. This week we thought we would regale you with all of the information we have about HOA management companies, their relationships with HOA boards,...

Send us Fan Mail Small HOA board mistakes can become massive lawsuits! See how poor decisions escalate legal and financial risk. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Poor HOA board decisions can quickly escalate into lawsuits costing tens of thousands, or even millions, of dollars. Learn how communication failures, inconsistent rule enforcement, deferred maintenanc...

Send us Fan Mail What should your HOA do when ICE shows up? Here’s what boards need to know about ICE and HOA responsibilities. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Complying with law enforcement or people in uniform is something that we just do as part of living in our ordered society, but that has traditionally been for issues having to do with life safety. You g...

Send us Fan Mail HOA votes shouldn’t feel like a battle. Here’s how to run them smoothly and avoid costly mistakes. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ 🔎 Learn More About The Inspectors of Election 👉 https://inspectorsofelection.com/ Why should a board put in long hours preparing for HOA votes of any kind and then struggle to support or defend it? There's s...

Send us Fan Mail HOA loan approvals aren’t guaranteed. Here’s why more communities are being turned down… ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Today, we have two industry professionals, former managers, both with the prestigious pcam credential, and they're both now in the banking industry, Michelle Underwood and Marcy Kravit. We asked them to join us on the s...

Send us Fan Mail Every HOA board has conflict. The best ones use diversity to make better decisions. Here’s how to turn your board diversity into success… ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Today, Julie Adamen and Robert Nordlund will be addressing a common challenge among board members:  seeing the world differently from one another. The question is, will that t...

Send us Fan Mail HOA finances suffer when boards delay decisions. Learn the legal and financial risks of inaction. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ HOA finances are at risk when boards avoid making decisions. Kevin Davis and Sherry Branson break down how “no decision” leads to legal exposure, deferred maintenance, and financial strain. Learn how fiduciary respo...

Send us Fan Mail What does a reserve study tell you about your HOA? See how it predicts costs, reserve funding needs, and financial risks. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ A reserve study shows more than numbers. It lays out your HOA’s financial health, future expenses, and risk of special assessments. Learn how to read your HOA reserve study, understand what y...

Send us Fan Mail Most underfunded HOAs stay stuck. This HOA Board Heroes story shows you how to break the cycle! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Struggling with underfunded reserves, deferred maintenance, or the chaos of a self-managed HOA? In this episode, board hero Hal Hovey shares how his association went from $89 in the bank and no reserves to a healthier...

Send us Fan Mail Every HOA Board decision impacts home values and risk. Are you making the right ones? ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Kevin and Robert started this podcast in response to the tragic Champlain tower South collapse. They wanted to create another pathway where board members could be encouraged and equipped for the hard work they do, leading their...

Send us Fan Mail CAI just released free HOA Board Member Training that could change how your board leads. Learn more! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ We’re here today for episode 149 to share news about a new free course from CAI, the National Community Associations Institute. If you're not familiar with it, they're a trade organization. It's ca...

Send us Fan Mail Can your HOA save money without cutting corners? Here’s what smart boards are doing right now… ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ 📝 Link to Russell's "How to Save Money Guide" 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Episode-148-Russell-Outline.pdf This episode was inspired by Jeff from Lake Tahoe, who wrote in:...

Send us Fan Mail How did one HOA Board Hero win support for a 20% dues hike without backlash? Here’s what they did right… ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Association Reserves finished a reserve study for a 66‑unit townhome association in Las Cruces, New Mexico, earlier this year. It was their first engagement with this property, and they ended up recommending...

Send us Fan Mail Great HOA board meetings build trust. Bad ones create frustration, conflict, and doubt. Which does your association have? ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Today, we'll be continuing our early 2026 series on top HOA trends that we expect you'll be dealing with this year. In this episode, we'll be addressing rebuilding trust by run...

Send us Fan Mail Rogue HOA Board Members can expose your association to liability. Learn how boards should respond before damage is done. ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ When HOA Board Members act alone, bully others, or ignore proper process, the entire association can be exposed to serious legal and financial risk. In this episode, HOA attorney Tom Ware expl...

Send us Fan Mail Cyber scams are quietly draining HOA funds. Learn how to spot fraud, stop phishing, and protect your community before it’s too late! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Cyber scams are one of the fastest-growing threats facing HOAs today. From fake invoices to AI-powered voice fraud, boards and managers are being targeted like never before. Kevin...

Send us Fan Mail Great HOA Boards don’t happen by accident. Learn how education and persistence protect association communities from costly mistakes! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Strong HOAs are built by board members who are willing to learn, ask questions, and stay persistent even when decisions are difficult. In this Board Heroes episode, Robert Nordlund...

Send us Fan Mail HOA incivility can spread fast in your community. Learn when tension becomes toxic and how boards can lead with clarity, kindness, and control!  ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Incivility inside an HOA is more than bad behavior. It’s contagious, corrosive, and can quietly undermine leadership and decision-making. Robert and Kevin explore how d...

Send us Fan Mail Roof replacements are one of the biggest HOA decisions. Learn what HOA Boards need to know and prepare before timing, budgeting, or hiring go wrong! ✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/ Replacing a roof is one of the most expensive and risky decisions an HOA Board will ever make. In this episode, roofing expert Jeremy Lara from Baja Roofing shares...