Maintenance &amp; Repairs

Consent Agendas for HOA Boards: Cut Meeting Time in Half

A well-built consent agenda can move 10-15 routine HOA items through in under 5 minutes, cutting a two-hour meeting closer to 45 minutes.

💧 🔧 Maintenance & Repairs

Cold Water Sandwich: Why Tankless Heaters Run Cold Then Hot

A cold water sandwich sends a burst of cool water between two hot bursts, and it happens because your tankless heater cycles off between uses.

Change-of-Address Checklist: Who to Notify When You Move (2024)

USPS mail forwarding takes 7-10 business days to start, so notify roughly 20 organizations at least two weeks before your move date.

Can You Deduct a Loss When You Sell Your Personal Home?

The IRS treats your primary home as personal-use property, so a loss on its sale is never deductible on your federal return, unlike a rental loss.

Can an HOA Borrow From Its Reserve Fund? 5 Rules to Know

Most states let an HOA board borrow from reserves for a short-term shortfall, but many require repayment within 12 months and written notice to owners.

HOA Board Email Voting: Is It Legal Between Meetings?

Most state HOA statutes bar boards from casting official votes by email unless the bylaws allow written consent instead of a meeting.

Buying New Construction: 12 Questions to Ask Your Builder

A 10-year structural warranty is standard, but the 1-year workmanship warranty is where most new-construction problems actually surface.

Vacation Home vs Rental: How to Decide in 2025

The IRS uses a 14-day rule to decide if your second home counts as personal use or rental — and it changes your tax bill significantly.

Buyer Walk-Through Before Closing: What They're Really Checking

The final walk-through happens 24-48 hours before closing, and buyers spend most of that time checking outlets, water flow, and repair receipts.

Buy vs. Rent: How to Run the Real Numbers Yourself

The 5% rule compares annual ownership costs to rent in seconds — here's how to calculate it and the four numbers most buyers forget.

Baseline, Threshold & Full Funding for HOA Reserves Explained

Full funding means an HOA's reserves match 100% of the value of aging components, while baseline funding just avoids running the account to zero.

At-Risk Rules for Landlords: When Your Losses Get Limited

IRC Section 465 caps your deductible rental losses at the cash, basis, and personal-liability debt you actually have at risk in the property.