4 Tips to Ensure Your Community Associations are Customers for Life

Around the State

She Looted South Florida Condo Association Money to Feed a Casino Gambling Habit, Cops Say
The property manager of two Sunny Isles Beach condo buildings, police say, pilfered hundreds of thousands in homeowner association money. But Georgina Pineda didn’t just funnel the funds to her own bank account — she also gambled the money away at the Miccosukee casino, according to court... (more)

Heads Up, Floridians: Venomous Puss Caterpillars
are Back
The puss caterpillar, one of the most venomous insects in the U.S., has made its seasonal return to Florida. When you first see a puss caterpillar, it looks a lot like a lucky rabbit’s foot or even the fuzzy ear of a stuffed teddy bear. But these fluffy insects are anything but sweet and cuddly. Puss caterpillars are some... (more)

Didn’t that Used to be a Golf Course? Pasco Plan Says You Better Keep it Mowed
The birdies and eagles at a closed golf course in Hudson have given way to vermin, snakes, mosquitoes and coyotes. That is the unflattering picture John Cybart painted for Pasco County commissioners four months ago when he asked the county to help protect his neighborhood’s property values. Cybart,... (more)

Blog Bits

When Can My Homeowner's Association File an Insurance Claim?
If your home or condominium is part of a homeowners or condo owners association, the insurance coverage that is designed to protect your building or community is complex – in language and in the details. The small print that exists within the insurance coverage can often lead to delays or denials in... (more)

4 Tips to Ensure Your Community Associations are Customers for Life
As a community association manager, you must do your job to the best of your ability, but how do you compete when other management companies are trying to lure your associations away from you, especially when they are offering a lower rate? It’s hard to blame the community associations – the board... (more)

Gated Communities: What You Need to Know
When you’re looking for a place to call home, it’s crucial to consider the surrounding environment as well. There are different characteristics associated with every neighborhood, be it degree of safety, physical appearance, crime rate, etc. While certain neighborhoods can lead to the decline of a home’s value, others such as gated communities, aid in resisting market... (more)

Five Tips for New HOA Board Members
Welcome to the board! Being a new HOA board member, you are going to be wearing many different hats and stepping into a few challenging roles to help make sure your HOA is running smoothly. Now that you’ve been elected, the big question is…What’s next? For many newly elected board members it is their first time in the position, presenting a pretty steep learning curve.... (more)

FCAP Resources

Welcome to the Board Part II
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Organized Chaos! – Making Sense of Your Upcoming Asphalt Projects
Pretty much everyone in America has been affected in one way or another by a roadway or parking lot construction project. Whether it be in your own neighborhood or along the dreaded I-4 corridor, nothing is pleasant about the whole experience until the last traffic barricade is removed! We don’t like the new traffic... (more)

A Good Contract Protects Both Parties
You are on your condominium board, and the board has just approved a $500,000 reroofing project. You have a one-page proposal from the roofing contractor. Do you sign this proposal? This is a question asked by many board members throughout the course of their tenure on the board. If we think this through logically, the board is committing $500,000 to... (more)

Increase Your Community’s Property Values – What Homeowners and Condominium Association Property Managers Need to Know About Parking Lot Paving
As an HOA and condominium manager, you are responsible for maintaining the streets, parking lots, and walkways of your community. Doing so improves the safety of the residents and increases the chances of attracting new buyers... (more)

Upcoming Events

Budgeting and Reserves – Jacksonville
Come join us and learn the steps it takes to create a successful budget and reserve plan. When creating a financial plan for your association there are many things to consider, such as “operating expenses.” In this course, you will learn how to create and maintain a proper budget and reserve plan. Topics we will cover include: Budget Planning... (more)

HOA/CONDO Board Member Certification – Sarasota
If you are planning to serve on your association board, you probably know that you will need to comply with Florida’s certification requirements within 90 days of being elected. Participants will be provided with a broad overview of the many responsibilities and areas of oversight required by condominium and homeowners’ association board ... (more)

Condo Craze Day of Education
As of July 1st, 2010, newly elected or appointed CONDOMINIUM Association directors must submit a certificate of satisfactory completion of an educational course approved by the Florida DBPR, or an affidavit attesting that they read all of their governing documents. As of July 1st, 2013 HOMEOWNER Association Directors must also submit a certificate of satisfactory... (more)