Blog - Educational Community for Homeowners (ECHO)

Serving on the Board: It’s About Team Building and Leadership

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, May 2013 Whether you are a newly elected board member or one who has served for several years, you should come to the table with […]

Changes At DEFH, And Why It Matters To You

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, May 2013 The acronym “DEFH” is becoming increasingly known to homeowner’s associations, and in a most unhappy way. The California Department of Employment and Housing […]

Why AB 2237 Does Not Require California Community Association Managers to have a General Contractor’s License Unless…

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, May 2013 The blogosphere has been burning up lately over a new law that some commentators say might require California community association managers to have […]

Top 5 Reasons Your Association Needs ECHO

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, June 2013 5. Managing an HOA is difficult. Doing it alone is impossible. With ECHO, you’re not alone! Did you know that there are over […]

Maintenance Do’s and Disasters

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, June 2013 The following article is a composite of experiences from members of the ECHO Maintenance Resource Panel (MRP) of actual events. As a long […]

A Construction Manager Looks at Reserve Studies

Educational Topics

Published in ECHO Journal, June 2013 We recently took on the responsibility for specifying and managing the repairs and partial re-paving of the roads and parking areas in a fairly […]

Annual Financial Statement Review: Working with your CPA

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2013 The California Civil Code, under Section 1365(c) [new code §5305] of the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, requires that: “A review of the […]

Lessons from the Field: Winning Strategies for Managing Maintenance Costs

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2013 Building maintenance in common interest developments can be a burdensome task, particularly in older developments. Often it is neglected due to a lack […]

When Good Intentions Go Bad

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2013 This article addresses ten real-life examples of situations faced by boards of directors. Not all decisions are easy. Be careful not to ignore […]

Reserve Analysis and Implementation

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, November 2013 The most important function of the board of directors is preservation of the property for the quiet enjoyment of the residents. And the […]

Mandatory Funding?

Educational Topics

Board Funding Is Mandatory in California Did you know that California has a mandatory full-funding statute for community associations? Civil Code §5600 says: The association shall levy regular and special assessments sufficient […]

Proactive Landscaping: Conducting a Walkthrough on Your Property

Educational Topics

Regular site walkthroughs with your landscape service providers are essential. Site walkthroughs help HOAs communicate their desires, stay informed about site issues, and be proactive and strategic in determining priority […]