Posts by Jesse Hitt
The Neighborhood Alphabet: HOA vs COA vs POA vs PMC vs CAM
If you’ve ever moved into a neighborhood or condo complex, you’ve probably stumbled on an alphabet soup of acronyms—HOA, COA, POA, PMC, CAM. It’s enough to make even the most diligent new homeowner pause and wonder, “Wait… what in the world are we actually talking about here?” Each acronym represents a different part of the…
Read MoreOutgrowing QuickBooks and Spreadsheets? What to Look for in Association Management Software
If you’re an association or property management company (PMC) juggling multiple HOAs with QuickBooks, Google Drive, and sheer willpower, you’re not alone. Most small to midsize community association companies (CAMs) and PMCs start with general tools because they’re affordable, familiar, and “good enough.” Until they’re not. Eventually, the cracks start to show: reconciliation nightmares, scattered…
Read MoreHow Property Manager Software Helps CAMs and Growing PMCs
Key Takeaways: Picture this fictional-but-likely-familiar scenario: It’s a busy Tuesday afternoon at Prominence Prime Properties, a growing property management company. Corinne, the admin, has spent most of the day helping onboard a new community, Turtleshell Terrace HOA. Things are piling up fast — the resident contact log is incomplete, the board treasurer just resigned, and…
Read MoreHow HOA Software Helps Prevent Drama (Yes, Really)
Key Takeaways: Even if you’ve been lucky enough never to be party to a neighbor conflict, you’ve certainly heard of them happening, and they may have even disturbed the peace of your neighborhood. A lack of communication and confusion about rules can breed passive-aggressive behavior that only escalates over time as tensions are left to…
Read MoreMoving Into an HOA? Here’s What You Wish You’d Known (And How HOA Software Helps)
Key Takeaways: That new family that just moved into your HOA community? They’re probably stressed. Chances are good they have packed and unpacked a lifetime of belongings and are gradually adjusting to a new job, school, grocery store, gym, church, pharmacy, hair salon, and veterinary clinic (to name a few). And they may be sad…
Read MoreHow HOA Apps Keep You Connected (without attending every meeting)
Key Takeaways: If you’re a Millennial (Generation Y, born 1981-2000), there’s a good and growing chance you’re a homeowner. Millennials are buying houses in record numbers, replacing Baby Boomers as the dominant generation of home purchasers. Even some of the older members of Generation Z (born 2001-2020) are stepping into the market. Along with this…
Read MoreI Submitted a Maintenance Request—Now What? Tracking Work Orders on Your HOA Portal
Key Takeaways: Utilizing technology in the work order process can help keep the HOA in compliance with any local regulations, avoiding unnecessary fees and fines. One of the main benefits of having an HOA and paying dues is, ideally, having a streamlined process for requesting repairs, maintenance, and other necessary work on shared community spaces.…
Read MoreWhere Does My HOA Fee Go?: HOA Software Brings Financial Transparency to Your Community
Key Takeaways: When homeowners pay their dues, they want to believe their HOA has their best interests at heart. When it comes to finances, people grow suspicious at the slightest lack of transparency. Even if the board manages HOA finances responsibly, trust breaks down when residents can’t easily see where their dues go. If your…
Read MoreLate Fees, Lost Checks, and Confusion: A Guide to Stress-Free HOA Payments
Key Takeaways: Homeowner’s association dues aren’t arbitrary expenses imposed on residents. They’re essential for the upkeep, maintenance, and quality of life in a community. This puts a lot of pressure on self-managed HOAs to collect dues on time, impose and enforce late fees, and make deposits—not an easy task for volunteers with limited time and…
Read More‘Why Can’t I Ever Reach My HOA?’
Key Takeaways: Not-So-Golden Silence Imagine at the monthly meeting of an HOA—let’s call it Hickoryhurst HOA, just for fun—the board approves a rule prohibiting trash cans being left curbside the night before pickup. At the same meeting, board members turn down the treasurer’s proposal to convert bookkeeping and communications from paper and email to self-managed…
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