tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75847712024-03-08T11:33:39.934-07:00Condominium & Townhouse HOA BoardsA blog for elected officers of condominiums and town house associations' boards of directors who want to learn and talk about HOA governance, management, politics, finances, maintenance and other isssues.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-33124974929448808992008-02-14T18:29:00.000-07:002008-02-14T18:36:51.185-07:00Minneapolis condominium votes to ban smokingIf you're not a smoker, smoke stinks and is offensive.<div><br /></div><div>This apparently why 77% of members of a Minneapolis high-rise condominium voted to ban smoking by new owners. Current owners who smoke won't be affected by the ban, which is getting <a href="http://www.startribune.com/local/15617577.html">national attention</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-30316920452124997222008-02-13T22:40:00.002-07:002008-02-13T22:54:54.794-07:00Home sellers see prices 20% below their purchase pricesBloomberg reports on potential home buyers who are finding that their homes are worth as much as <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aaKqieyMLwnc&refer=home#">20% less</a> than they paid for them three years ago.<div><br /></div><div>The boards of condominium and townhouse home owners associations undoubtedly will have foreclosures in their communities. This will drive down values of homes in those HOAs until those homes are sold.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, the HOAs will need to make sure that the banks that foreclose on homes keep them up and maintained.</div><div><br /></div><div>Consult your attorneys now.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-19523359314358538622008-02-13T21:55:00.000-07:002008-02-13T22:00:00.524-07:00Housing and recessionsThe housing industry's depression may play a role in creating a national or even world wide recession, and this might be a good time to review the history of housing depressions and general recessions. <a href="http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.25209/pub_detail.asp">John H. Makin's</a> essay is an interesting read.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-15275480572675627862008-02-13T21:02:00.000-07:002008-02-13T21:06:08.250-07:00Economists debate 'housing bubble'The housing market clearly is correcting the housing bubble of the last 10 years, but over at <a href="http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/02/was-there-a-hou.html#more">Marginal Revolution</a>, economists are debating whether there was a bubble.<div><br /></div><div>Many economists are looking for housing prices to drop another 15% to 20% and probably more for condominiums and townhouses.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1168964936394758152007-01-16T09:24:00.000-07:002007-01-16T09:28:56.730-07:00Condominium markets collapse in major citiesThe NY Times reports that demand for condos has collapsed under soaring inventories in Boston, Las Vegas and Washington, DC, but remains firm in New York City, but even there, prices are down 5%.<br /><br />This is a natural reaction to years of soaring prices, and it was to be expected regardless of interest rates or the strength of the economy or stock market. A correction was inevitable, and the actions of home builders suggest that it's far from over.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1164756354136289692006-11-28T16:25:00.000-07:002006-11-28T16:25:54.543-07:00Hands on condo and townhouse HOA boards save moneyWhen members of condo and townhouse home owners associations take charge of hiring and managing contractors, they spend their own money, and they get more for their money than boards that let management companies spend their money for them.<br /><br />Long ago, the late, great economist, Milton Friedman, noted that when politiciians or anyone else spends your money for you, you will get less than desired results. "That's government."<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1162269268216646942006-10-30T21:29:00.000-07:002006-10-30T21:42:19.903-07:00How to choose a bank for condo and townhouse HOAsMost condo and townhouse home owners associations use banks recommended by their management companies, but a fair share no doubt search the market for banks that will give them the best returns on their reserves and good deals on loans.<br /><br />An HOA's banking needs are relatively simple. <br /><br />You need a checking account that allows online banking, produces useful monthlly statements and provides access to the certificate of deposit and Treasury bill markets.<br /><br />HOAs don't speculate in the stock or bond markets with their reserves or other excess cash.<br /><br />The jobs of HOA directors is to preserve assets, not to grow them.<br /><br />Thus, it makes pretty much sense to use the bank that an HOA's management company knows and uses so long as there are no conflicts of interest between the bank and the management company or members of the board of directors and basic banking needs are met.<br /><br />Many HOAs, however, need loans to finance major maintenance and repair projects when their reserves are too low. Some banks specialize in lending to HOAs, and they should be considered by HOA boards. <br /><br />Why do you need a bank that specializes in lending to HOAs? <br /><br />The simple answer is that HOAs are run by volunteer boards who need special services and attention when it comes to lending to them. And the assets that HOAs put up as collateral are different than the assets and cash flow statements offered by other borrowers.<br /><br />Some banks make it a point of being comfortable with lending to condo and townhouse HOAs, and some don't.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1161894370010841442006-10-26T14:20:00.000-06:002006-10-26T14:26:10.190-06:00Snows challenge condo and townhouse HOA boardsSnow removal policies are always a challenge for condo and townhouse (patio home) HOA boards.<br /><br />At what point do the sidewalks and driveways get shoveled and plowed. Some common issues include:<br /><br />1. Does the HOA clear driveways as well as sidewalks?<br />2. Clear snow before it stops falling, regardless of depth?<br />3. Clear snown at 1", 2" or 3"?<br />4. Who calls for snow removal, or does the contractor come when he thinks it's appropriate?<br />5. Who decides that snow is heavy enough to bring in additional, expensive workers and equipment?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1161192723116069332006-10-18T11:28:00.000-06:002006-10-18T11:32:30.186-06:00Condos hardest hit in weakest housing marketsThree real estate economists say condo prices are falling the most quickly, and by "condos," they probably also mean townhouses, if not patio homes. <br /><br />Anyone trying to track the housing market will be interested in the wsj.com's Econoblog <a href=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB116100680840693865-Ayxj0vAytjKgXXsxWA5JpYVBx_g_20071018.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top>round table discussion.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1159809445712697972006-10-02T11:17:00.000-06:002006-10-02T11:17:26.860-06:00Retirees looking for friendly condo communities, neigborhoodsThe Wall Street Journal reports <a href=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115928035122374278.html?mod=hps_us_at_glance_most_pop>today</a> that retirees are looking beyond Florida, Arizona and the mountains for communities that are friendly and comfortable.<br /><br />Pickup today's paper if you don't have a paid subscription to wsj.com. The impact graphs for members of the boards of directors of condominium and townhouse HOAs:<br /><br /><blockquote>But today, while weather and leisure remain important, retirees are telling builders, developers and researchers that they are looking primarily for what Mr. Lydens has found in Mount Airy: a community where they can make friends and connections quickly, whether it's a small town or a walkable neighborhood in a big city. A close second and third on the priority lists: a home that's near grandchildren, and a setting where one can indulge a post-work passion, such as a second career, a newly adopted sport or even, for a growing number of people, farming.<br /><br />"Moving to a mixed-use development, a small town, or seeking an urban experience are all elements of the same thing: It's a community where you get to know each other," says John McIlwain, 62 years old, a senior resident fellow for the Urban Land Institute, a research group in Washington. He traded a Maryland suburb for a 1,000-square-foot loft downtown after his children left home. "You're walking around, and you get to know your neighbors, you get to know the shopkeepers, because you meet them on the street."</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1159505594798509442006-09-28T22:47:00.000-06:002006-09-28T22:53:15.490-06:00Condo and townhouse boards must enforce bylaws and rules or change themOne of the hardest things boards of directors of home owners associations have to do is enforce their condo and townhouse home owners associations' bylaws and rules.<br /><br />It is just uncomfortable to enforce some rules. Others are pretty easy to enforce.<br /><br />This brings up the question, what does a board do about rules that its members don't feel like enforcing?<br /><br />Bite the bullet and enforce the rules, sue people and make people mad, regardless.<br /><br />Or change the rules? <br /><br />Why change the rules? If a board member feels a rule is unenforceable or shouldn't be enforced, the board should consider eliminating the rule.<br /><br />Why not change a rule? Two reasons come to mind. <br /><br />You enforce a rule because the rule involves safety and you enforce the rule that is essential to maintaining the appearance and the value of the community.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1159375016686986322006-09-27T10:35:00.000-06:002006-09-27T10:36:57.180-06:00Condo and real estate appraisers under fire in ColoradoCondo and townhouse HOA board members will be interested in the controversy involving alleged inflationary appraisals that are putting over appraised homes at even more risk if <a href=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/real_estate/article/0,1299,DRMN_414_5023290,00.html>home prices begin to decline.</a><br /><br />The Rocky Mountain News' John Reebock reports on the plans of Erin Toll, director of the Division of Real Estate for Colorado, to go after appraisers who inflate homes. His key graphs:<br /><br /><blockquote>"The best way to stop mortgage fraud and our abysmal foreclosure rate is to crack down on appraisers who inflate property values," Toll said this week.<br /><br />"And lenders, who trust the appraisals, are often victims, too," Toll said. "They may not know there is a scam going on."<br /><br />Others, however, say that lenders often pressure appraisers to artificially inflate properties so they can justify making loans and collecting fees.<br /><br />National studies indicate that predatory lending practices, which frequently involve appraisal fraud, are especially prevalent in poor minority neighborhoods.<br /><br />Toll said she can yank the license of an appraiser who is found to be inflating values. There are about 5,500 licensed appraisers in Colorado.<br /><br />In her first case, Toll said she knows the appraiser has inflated more than a dozen appraisals, but she's trying to figure out why.<br /><br />"I don't think he is doing it for the $350 appraisal fee," Toll said.<br /><br />Asked if she thought some appraisers were taking kickbacks, Toll said: "I would not be surprised. Why else would they do this?"</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1159295809716118212006-09-26T12:36:00.000-06:002006-09-26T12:50:09.596-06:00Condo prices down, single families upEconomists and Realtors™ offer their spins on the latest housing sales figures, which show some price declines for condominiums and townhouses. (click head for free wsj.com roundup of economists's reactions.)<br /><br />In Denver, Realtors™ are seeing very weak demand for condos and townhouses.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1159210400727834012006-09-25T12:49:00.000-06:002006-09-25T12:53:21.356-06:00Huge Florida condominium HOA airs new web siteIn an effort to improve communications with its some 9,000 residents, a Floridal condominim and townhouse HOA board has introduced a sophisticated web site.<br /><br />Lede graphs from a story in The Observer News:<br /><br /><blockquote>Kings Point Community Communications Go Global<br />By Melody Jameson mitch@observernews.net <br />Sep 21, 2006, 16:13<br /><br />Email this article<br /> Printer friendly page<br />KINGS POINT – The long-standing grapevine here has been updated.<br /><br />With launch of its own colorful, comprehensive and highly navigable website last week, KP’s 9,000 or so retirees have joined the global village - and enhanced their community communications with interactive 21st century electronics. <br /><br />They now have access to a trio of communications tools unprecedented in their 35-year history. The website joins a new internal television channel – 95 - and a recently-initiated computer e-mail network dubbed KP Info, to create free-flowing, two-way means of staying in touch. <br /><br />KPSCC.COM is the latest in a series of innovations undertaken by the KP Federation’s board of directors in the last half year aimed at assuring transparency in governance and clear communications across the community. Meeting the objective fulfills a pledge made when a coalition of five reform candidates for board seats campaigned successfully early in 2006. <br /><br />The new communications system still includes Channel 20, another televised internal information vehicle providing a schedule of activities slated within the community in a scrolling power point format, according to Ruth Flinn, vice chairman of the federation’s communications committee. There are no plans to alter Channel 20 which is maintained by clubhouse personnel and transmitted to residents via cable, Flinn indicated.<br /><br />The multi-paged website, in development for several months, is the result of concerted efforts by both volunteers and a commercial firm, Flinn said. It was designed by E Solutions Corporation, a company specializing in such creations, and will be hosted by the company, meaning KP information is stored in E Solutions computers, she added. But funds to get it up and running, for example, were contributed by the KP Condominium Owners Association (COA). And a team of volunteers are to be trained to keep the website current, Flinn said. </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1159138069122758832006-09-24T16:43:00.000-06:002006-09-24T16:50:24.600-06:00Shortage of condo and townhouse HOA managers fearedThere may not be enough professional property managers available to managed the home owners associations for residents in condominium and townhouse associations and coops.<br /><br />That, at least is the warning publishe in the Toronto Star:<br /><br />Impact graphs:<br /><br /><blockquote>Millions of dollars are at stake: Asset values in a single condo corporation can easily reach between $50 million and $70 million, yet boards are under pressure from owners not to raise fees. Boards often see only the bottom line, awarding contracts to the lowest bidder.<br />"Management, at the moment, is in deep trouble," says Andy Wallace, a veteran of almost 40 years in the industry which he has helped shape since its infancy.<br />"Anyone can hang out a shingle," says Wallace, 77, who began his property management career in 1979. The vice-president of General Property Management stayed about six years before opening Wallace McBain and Associates and has spent his career focused on the issue of good governance. He now runs his own consulting firm and teaches a course in condominium law at Humber College.<br />Wallace knows of crackerjack managers, too, but insists, "There's a dire shortage of good ones."<br />He tells of one property manager fired for taking a $1,000 payoff from a cleaning company. The property manager got a job with another company two days later.<br />Another quite capable manager was caught stealing and was fired, Wallace said. When another employer asked Wallace about a reference for her, Wallace said he couldn't give one. The employer hired her anyway.</blockquote><br /><br />You can look at this story several ways. <br /><br />1. There is a shortage of trained managers.<br />2. There is a shortage of honest managers.<br />3. There is a shortage of managers over 70 years old.<br />4. The people quoted in the story got some good publicity.<br />5. Watch your check book. And that's not easy for a board to do. Need to write about theft and audits.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158944301763339162006-09-22T10:56:00.000-06:002006-09-22T11:09:27.906-06:00Condo HOA boards and directors can find lots of blogs on alternative & renewable energyUse the search bar in this blog to search blogs that are covering renewable energy. Click the head on this post to link to one of the more active ones.<br /><br />This site on alternative energy <a href=http://www.eftf.blogspot.com/>looks pretty good. Click here.</a> It offers a bunch of links to similar sites.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158850878982184912006-09-21T08:52:00.000-06:002006-09-21T09:01:19.120-06:00Condo & townhouse home owners association hot topicsCondominium prices, townhouse prices, home owners insurance premiums, insurance premiums for home owners associations, energy costs, renewable energy, the impact of interest rates and inflation on HOA reserves and finding good HOA management firms are the hot topics that we'll be covering here.<br /><br />The housing market is growing slowly compared to recent years and is quite weak in many markets.<br /><br />Interest rates are encouragingly flat to falling, which may help home sales. At the same time, however, the interest HOAs will earn on certificates of deposit and money market accounts will decline, or at best, hold steady.<br /><br />Natural gas prices are tanking, and petroleum prices are correcting, but renewable energy will continue to be worth considering by HOA boards that are running large buildings.<br /><br />Inflation seemed to be threatening earlier this year but seems to be less of a threat today.<br /><br />In many states, the government's increasing policing of illegal immigration will put HOAs and their contractors at risk. They must be sure that their vendors are employing people who are in the country legally.<br /><br />This could drive up the cost of maintaining condominium and townhouse communities. If fewer illegals are available to grounds maintenance and painting contractors, they'll have to pay more to get workers. And they will pass those costs on to home owners.<br /><br />Budget for it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158804194738604462006-09-20T20:00:00.000-06:002006-09-20T20:03:14.790-06:00Condo board purchases renewable energy creditsA Chicago condo is purchasing renewable energy credits from an Iowa wind farm. (Click head.)<br /><br /><blockquote>Following in the footsteps of major corporations such as Whole Foods and Johnson & Johnson, the building's association has approved a contract to purchase renewable energy credits from an Iowa wind farm. The clean renewable energy will go into the electric grid to alleviate some of the system's demand for coal, gas and nuclear power-producing facilities.<br /><br />Felix Friedman, the association's president, proposed the idea of creating a "green" building. The condo association brokered a deal to purchase "green credits" from Midwest Renewable Energy Credits in the amount that offsets the total quantity of electricity used by the building. Friedman said the decision was made to help the environment, and to attract environmentally-conscious real estate owners.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158801859481763722006-09-20T19:23:00.000-06:002006-09-20T19:24:19.560-06:00Condo and townhouse HOAs boards must help market their communitiesCondominiums and townhouses are the first to feel a break in housing prices in times like these for whatever reasons.<br /><br />HOA boards can use their membership meetings, newsletters and community marketing and public relations talents to let the world know why people should want to live in the community. <br /><br />It's not as obvious as you might thing. Many bright new developments are offering great price discounts to potential buyers these days.<br /><br />How do you do this?<br /><br />1. Publish and maintain a strong web site that keeps members and their friends up on the community's news and people. An HOA blog would make sense, but who will write it? A retired PR, marketing or news person, perhaps?<br />2. Make the periodic newsletter mailed to members a vehicle for promoting the community and reminding home owners to visit the web site and tell their friends how much they love living here.<br />3. Encourage a resident Realtor™ to mail promotions for homes on the market to a wide audience.<br />4. Get home owners to sit down for home design and garden design interviews with the local paper.<br />5. Oranize annual house tours that allow neighbors to visit and bring their friends to see the great places that they might buy some day.<br />6. Make sure that your community is well maintained, provides outstanding customer service to residents and has a strong balance sheet with competitive maintenance fees, and promote those benefits on your web site/blog and in your newsletter.<br />7. Have your HOA president serve on regional HOA boards and spread the word about your great community.<br /><br />These are just some quick ideas. More will come in due time.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158800915582379302006-09-20T19:08:00.000-06:002006-09-20T19:33:33.003-06:00Townhouse and condomium home owners associations may use this referral serviceHere's an 11-year-old referral service with 425,000 paid members. Click on headline.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158800355663344282006-09-20T18:59:00.000-06:002006-09-20T19:02:19.740-06:00Condo and townhouse HOAs might use vendor referal servicesA new service, getvendors.com, is creating online communities where handy men, plumbers and other services can advertise their services and members can discuss vendors and review them. <br /><br />Services like this have been available in health care for years, recommending dentists, physicians, nursing homes and home health care services. <br /><br />The problem with them is that all the recommended services are paid advertisers, not independently reviewed and checked out.<br /><br />This particular service claims that two of the five services it will recommend to members will come up as unpaid, organic searches, and the other three will be paid sponsors. Whether the paid sponsors will be clearly identified as such remains to be seen. <br /><br />Another question for the sponsors is whether home owners will turn to their site instead of or in addition to friends and neighbors? How will getvendors.com generate traffic for the advertisers?<br /><br />Advertisers will pay something like 99 cents per lead, which getverndors.com says will be screened for false leads. And advertisers can buy banners on the sites to generate traffic.<br /><br />Here is the news release e-mailed by getvendors.com:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.prweb.com//releases/2006/9/prweb438705.htm">Click here.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158783753850027932006-09-20T14:20:00.000-06:002006-09-20T19:10:08.156-06:00Hewlett-Packard's board secrecy a lesson for all condo HOA boardsI've blogged on the board secrecy and corporate spying issue over at <a href="http://www.businessword.com/index.php/weblog/ethics_hps_obsessive_corporate_secrecy_shows_how_pressure_drives_people_to/">The Business Word.</a><br /><br />If you think you have to hire a private investigator to learn about another board member or home owner, you've got a problem and should consult your lawyer and your HOA's lawyers. Hopefully, they'll keep you and your board out of trouble.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158700030230984052006-09-19T15:04:00.000-06:002006-09-19T15:07:10.860-06:00HOA reserves important to condo, townhouse valuesHomes 101 (click on head) offers a basic article on evaluating and maintaining home owners association reserves. Consultants make nice livings doing reserve studies for HOA boards.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158699408666124742006-09-19T14:46:00.000-06:002006-09-19T15:08:35.816-06:00Trust, integrity and fairness key to condo, townhouse HOA boardmanshipThe Hewlett-Packard board used pretexting to spy on a board member who was leaking information to the business press, and as the Washington Post reports (click headline), a law firm used a consulting firm to illegally obtain a partner's phone records using pretexting. Pretexting is misrepresenting a phone company's customer to get to that person's phone records. <br /><br />Home owners association boards often are scenes of acrimony and distrust, and I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them have hired "consultants" to spy on fellow board members for one reason or another.<br /><br />This is unethical, no matter the reason.<br /><br />An HOA board member is an elected member of a board and has the right to say anything he or she wants to, subject to being sued by the board or other offended parties after committing the misdead. And that's one point. If a person on the board is misbehaving, the board should remove that person by vote or a recall election or call in the attorneys. No one should use illegal or unethical tactics to get back at someone they disagree with.<br /><br />In the HP case, a board member acted unethically in leaking confidential information from the press. That board member has resigned and probably will never be asked to serve on another board.<br /><br />When you join a board, you make a commitment to work for the better interest of the organization and to work through channels. You commit to keeping information confidential that the board deems confidential unless you see wrong doing. If you see wrong doing, you call the organization's attorneys and go to your constituency during the next election. <br /><br />For HOA boards, not much should be kept confidential from members. If you have direct employees, you make personnel decisions in executive sessions. But you ultimately should make all contracts and salaries public so that all home owners can inspect them, if they wish. If an employee or vendor objects, they can leave. Secrecy has no place in local government, and HOAs are the ultimate in local government.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584771.post-1158694075378536952006-09-19T13:27:00.000-06:002006-09-19T14:45:56.706-06:00Luxury condos open in NYC's China TownServing on the board of a gentrified inner city Condo apartment building would be interesting.<br /><br />Everyone on the board will be affluent, most will work in the city and may will be frequent travelers.<br /><br />It's a good read.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Condominium & Townhouse HOA Boards</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com