Blog - Educational Community for Homeowners (ECHO)

Mandatory or Voluntary Reserve Funding?

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, September 2010 Hawaii made it Mandatory—Sort of: Is it California’s Turn? The prognosis, issued almost seven years ago, that association reserve accounts would fail to keep […]

Make HOA Rules Both Enforceable and Good

Educational Topics

Rules Must Be Enforceable What makes a rule enforceable? An enforceable rule meets the requirements of the law and governing documents. What makes an enforceable rule a good rule? A […]

Short Sales in HOAs

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, September 2010 Some Straight Thinking What happens to the delinquent assessments in a short sale situation? There has been much commentary on the web about […]

Ethics Code for HOA Board Members

Educational Topics

Ethical issues occur in everyday administration, management and governance of any homeowners association. In order to navigate these complex ethical dilemmas, HOA board members first need to be able to identify problems of […]

Court Cases on Developer Drafted CC&Rs and Binding Arbitration

Educational Topics

California has a growing body of law where courts have refused to enforce provisions in developer-drafted CC&Rs that deny homeowners and homeowners associations the right to have their disputes with […]

Two Common Contract Clauses that Trap HOAs

Educational Topics

Management of condominiums requires HOAs to enter into a variety of contracts with different vendors and suppliers to provide essential services (laundry room facilities, landscape maintenance, etc.) to condominium residents. […]

Xeriscaping Saves Money and the Environment

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2010 How can homeowners and communities alike make changes that will have a positive affect on the environment, reduce the dependency on our natural […]

Bans on Smoking in Multi-unit Residential Communities Continue to Pass

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2010 The regulation of secondhand smoke is becoming increasingly more common, far-reaching, and restrictive of smokers. With zero discussion, the Menlo Park City Council […]

Steps to Managing Your HOA’s Major Construction Project

Educational Topics

Managing repair or reconstruction in your association requires frequent communication between all involved parties, an established payment schedule, and proper documentation. Learn how to keep your HOA in the loop […]

Governor Declines to Interfere With CID Operations

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2010 In California, it takes a veto by the Governor to reject bills approved by our legislature. On September 30, 2010, the last day […]

Creative Problem Solving Requires Identifying the Real Problem

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2010 Have you ever said or thought, “So, what’s his problem?” The comment is usually made in frustration but is a very legitimate question. […]

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, December 2010 Life consists of choices. We make decisions every day. Those decisions reflect our life experience and the way we think. Depending on the […]