HOA & Community
Boards, reserves, meetings, and living in an HOA.
HOA Board Can't Agree? 5 Ways to Break the Deadlock
A deadlocked HOA board usually traces back to a flaw in the bylaws, not personality clashes, and most boards can fix it in one meeting.
How to Take Over an HOA With No Board in Years
Many states let as few as 3-5 owners petition for a special meeting to elect a new HOA board, even after years of total inactivity.
Homeowner Recording Board Meetings? Here's What to Do
Most states let any owner record an open HOA board meeting on a phone, so boards need a written policy, not a confrontation, to manage it well.
Get Neighbors to Volunteer for the HOA Without Begging (7 Tactics)
Most HOAs lose board members because the job looks like a 10-hour-a-week commitment — break it into smaller pieces and neighbors say yes.
How to Answer an Angry Homeowner Email: 4 HOA Board Templates
A calm, 48-hour reply to an angry homeowner email resolves most HOA disputes before they reach a lawyer or the next board meeting.
HOA Snow Removal: Who Clears Sidewalks, Driveways & Mailboxes?
Most HOA governing documents assign sidewalk and common-area snow removal to the association and driveway clearing to individual owners.
HOA Group Text or Email List: Rules That Keep It Civil
One unmoderated reply-all chain can turn an HOA group text into a liability — here's how boards set ground rules that keep 50+ neighbors civil.
HOA Fireworks Rules: What a Board Can Ban and Enforce (2026)
Most HOAs can legally ban fireworks entirely, even where state law allows them, as long as the restriction is written into the governing documents.
HOA Common Area Damage: Who Pays When a Homeowner Breaks Something?
Most governing documents make the homeowner who caused the damage pay for repairs, even when the HOA's insurance covers the loss first.
HOA Board Burnout: Share the Work Before Someone Quits
Roughly 1 in 3 HOA board members quits within two years, and the usual reason isn't conflict — it's an uneven workload that never gets fixed.
Can the HOA Enter Your Backyard? Easements Explained (2026)
Most HOAs can't just walk into your backyard — entry usually requires a recorded easement, a CC&R clause, or an emergency, and often 24-48 hours notice.
Why Did My HOA Dues Go Up? 7 Common Reasons (2024)
HOA dues often rise 5-15% a year due to inflation, insurance costs, reserve fund shortfalls, and deferred maintenance catching up all at once.
Get HOA board tips by email
Meeting prep, reserve funding, and the governance stuff nobody explains clearly. No schedule, no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer to dive in? Get started free →