Articles
Practical, plain-language governance guidance for volunteer community association board members — free to read, no login required. Start with one featured piece from each topic below, then search the full library.
One read from every topic
A starting point across 21 governance topic areas. The full collection lives in the Open Library.
Assessment Liens and Foreclosure in Colorado: § 38-33.3-316 and the Limits Added Since 2022
How Colorado association assessment liens and foreclosure work under CCIOA § 38-33.3-316: the six-month priority, no foreclosure on fines, t…
Read articleBoard FundamentalsThe Stage Self-Assessment: A Lifecycle Diagnostic Your Board Can Run in One Meeting
An evidence-based diagnostic built on CIC-SC Working Paper 2026-01. Six questions, the documents that answer each one, and what every answer…
Read articleBudget & Assessment StrategyFlorida Special Assessment Rules for Condos and HOAs: Notice, Purpose, and Use of Funds
Florida special assessment rules for condos and HOAs: 14-day notice requirements, stated-purpose limits on spending, excess funds, and the S…
Read articleCapital Strategy & ContractingDeferred Maintenance Is a Loan. Here Is the Interest Rate.
Deferring a repair does not save money — it borrows money from the building, at a rate nobody disclosed and the board never voted on. Here i…
Read articleColorado LawWho Can Serve? Board Candidate Eligibility in Colorado Communities
Under CCIOA § 38-33.3-303(3)(a), the board may not set its own members' qualifications or terms. Eligibility comes from the declaration and …
Read articleCommunity RelationsSelf-Managed or Professionally Managed? Evaluating the Real Costs and Risks
The most overlooked governance decision in community associations — not vendor selection, not budget setting, but whether to self-manage or …
Read articleCost Analysis & ContractingThe Fixed-Cost Trap: What You Take On When You Put Someone on Payroll
The five-year model says hire. This is the argument against it. The in-house option is 100% fixed and the contract is 100% variable, and an …
Read articleDeveloper TurnoverDeclarant Control and Turnover in Colorado Under § 38-33.3-303: Triggers, Deliverables, and the Receiving Board
Colorado declarant turnover under C.R.S. § 38-33.3-303(5)–(9): the 75 percent and two-year triggers, the 25 and 50 percent owner seats, the …
Read articleElections & GovernanceThe Election Clock: Notice and Candidacy Timelines for Colorado Boards
A board-level walkthrough of the Colorado election calendar, run backwards from election night: the 10-to-50-day owner-meeting notice under …
Read articleEnforcement & ViolationsFines in Colorado: The Enforcement Policy, Cure Periods, and the Limits After HB22-1137
How Colorado association fines work under CCIOA: the written fine policy, notice and an impartial hearing, no daily fines, the 72-hour and 3…
Read articleFinancial OversightThe Association That Ran Out of Money
The financial-oversight library describes warning signs. This article describes the endpoint. Two condominium communities — Lynnhill in Temp…
Read articleFlorida LawFlorida Community Association Board Member Governance Guide
A hub for new Florida condominium (Chapter 718) and HOA (Chapter 720) directors: education and certification after HB 1021 and HB 1203, fidu…
Read articleIndustry AnalysisColorado's 2027 Session: What's Coming for Community Associations
The Colorado General Assembly convenes no later than January 13, 2027, for a session capped at 120 days. What the 2021–2026 sessions already…
Read articleInsurance & RiskA Paid Claim Is Not a Funded Rebuild: Custody of Insurance Proceeds and the Sell-or-Assess Vote
Metairie Towers collected roughly $43.5 million after Hurricane Ida and still could not restore its 211 units. What the record alleges about…
Read articleLegal FrameworkMetro Districts and HOAs: The Two Governments Behind a Colorado Subdivision
A board-level explainer of Colorado metropolitan districts under the Special District Act (C.R.S. Title 32, Article 1) and how they differ f…
Read articleManager PracticeThe Job Nobody Described to You: Five Working Tools for the Manager's Week
The professional-discipline system from Chapter 1 of The Career Association Manager — the Eisenhower Matrix, the Weekly Reset, the Daily Fro…
Read articleMeetings & ProcedureExecutive Session: When to Use It and When You Can't
A practical guide to the closed portion of a board meeting in Texas and Florida: the topics Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0051(c) and § 82.108(b) al…
Read articleResearchCalifornia Chose to Regulate a Word
The largest market in the country considered manager licensure for three years and deliberately chose something smaller. The reason is the m…
Read articleReserves & CapitalThe Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 2026 Condo Reset: A Board Member's Timeline to January 4, 2027
What Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-03 and Freddie Mac Bulletin 2026-C changed for condominium projects, which pieces are already in effec…
Read articleTexas LawTexas HOA Board Member Governance Guide: The Statutory Map for New Directors
A hub for new Texas HOA and condominium directors: where board authority comes from (Property Code Chapters 202, 204, 209, and 82; Business …
Read articleVendor ManagementThe Five Contract Provisions That Matter Most: What a Board Reads Before It Signs
Most vendor contracts are signed on the strength of the proposal, not the agreement. Five provisions decide most of the association's risk: …
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