How Do You Approach Technology

How Do You Approach Technology

It’s Time to Take a People-First Approach to Technology

 

Property management is a service industry that hinges on personalized interactions. In 2020, many companies accelerated tech adoption to stay afloat, opening the door for future solutions, such as artificial intelligence, that can transform the industry. However, companies must find the balance between convenience and personalization. Any solution must enhance the customer and employee experience, which requires taking a people-first approach.

Design your technology around the employee experience

Technology shouldn’t be about replacing people. Customers still want to talk to a human being, especially when they’re emotional or the matter is urgent. Recently, a number of companies have removed the option to speak to someone via phone, which is a huge mistake. In a recent Vox article, Michelle Shell, visiting assistant professor of operations and technology management at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, notes, “Eliminating human contact when people are feeling anxious causes them to be dissatisfied with their own decision-making, even if they’re making good decisions.”

While it’s certainly more expensive to hire people than it is to implement technology, people will always be the backbone of your company. Instead of looking for ways to use technology to cut back on your workforce, use technology to find efficiencies, streamline operations, and automate menial tasks to free up their time so they can focus on your customers.

Don’t view technology as a silver bullet

Technology is a high priority for most companies, but it’s important to figure out what you want—and actually need—before ponying up the cash. Before you buy, have a clear plan that outlines your goals and how any new solution will get you there.  But remember, technology alone won’t solve your problems and the latest software won’t automatically unlock results. You have to change and grow to get results from your tech stack, which means designing and iterating your processes to work with your tools.

In addition, be mindful of the stage your company is in and find the balance between what will serve you well today and in the future. It may be tempting to purchase a number of one-off solutions, but with every new tool, you open yourself up to potential security or compliance issues. Often, a suite of integrated solutions can put processes and guardrails around security and compliance, which can be helpful as you scale. However, you’ll have to decide if you need a best-of-breed solution or if you can settle for good enough.

Adopt cautiously

Managing spend is important, especially during periods of economic uncertainty, so you have to choose your providers and technology wisely. For example, generative AI is all the rage now, but is there an actual use case for your organization and does it integrate into your overall strategy? Anything you adopt should function cohesively and in a flywheel motion. If you rush to adopt new solutions and don’t know how they fit into your overall strategy, they can easily become a cog in the wheel.  

Know your demographics

Every community is different, which means they’ll have unique technology needs. One demographic may be interested in adopting your new online tool or using a chatbot for help, while others won’t. For example, if you serve a number of active adult 55+ communities, you need to think about how tech proficient your users are before deploying customer-facing tools. About 85% of people over 65 want to talk to someone over the phone, and a mere 16% say they will use chatbots or apps to communicate with a business. Before you phase things out or in, be sure to get a pulse on what your customers want and design a process that works for them and you.

Technology can be an incredible asset to any property management company. However, when viewed as a replacement for people you risk compromising the personalized service that your customers have come to expect. By taking a people-first approach to technology, you can still stay ahead of the adoption curve while creating a better customer—and employee—experience.

 

By: David Galy, MBA

Sparta Services LLC

 

Sparta Services: A next-generation Microsoft MSP offering services on Microsoft 365, Azure, SharePoint, Power Platform, Zero Trust Security, and proactive help desk support. Based in Seattle, WA, supporting clients globally. Our strategic, collaborative, and solution driven approach sets us apart.

 

Community Planning for a Major Construction Repair

Community Planning for a Major Construction Repair

  • Planning for a major construction repair seems to be a daunting task. If you approach the process responsibly, it will make your project successful.  Whether it be a simple deck repair, siding replacement, or complete building envelope replacement, the following steps will help your HOA successfully plan for project from concept to execution.

Concept – Your community needs to consider what the objectives of your project are and hire a design professional to assess their validity. An experienced designer will ensure the repairs you implement take into consideration the unique aspects of your building structure. It’s important the work your community invests in, provides a return whether it be in a financial or other positive outcome. If your project involves building envelope repair or replacement, hire a professional that has design expertise required to ensure the repair correctly addresses the factors causing issues in the first place. .

Preliminary Design – The designer will need to understand your main objective and understand the shortcomings of the current design or construction. This may entail removal of finishes along with visual inspections to completely understand what is happening to your building structure. The designer will then consolidate and act on this information to prepare a preliminary design that is specific to your building’s needs.

Budget based off of preliminary design –  Once the preliminary design has been reviewed and accepted by the owner, a budget should be estimated.   This is commonly known as a Rough Order of Magnitude or ROM.  A qualified contractor, who is familiar with the type of construction or repair needed, should be hired to provide the ROM. A thorough ROM should provide guidance to both the designer and owner not only for the overall budget, but also cost categories to allow greater understanding of budget during the design phase. .    Design decisions can then be modified as they fit the owners’ needs and budget using this ROM.

Preliminary Funding Approval – Often times, the owner will need to obtain financing for a major repair.   Banks will need to know your scope of work, size of the community, number of rented vs owned units, amount of delinquent payments for homeowner dues, a copy of your bi-laws and declarations, and a copy of your community’s most recent reserve study and association financials. It is important to not deplete your reserve accounts, as the lenders want assurance you have the ability to pay for any delinquent homeowner dues and have funds to properly care and maintain your investment once renovated.   Having a bank involved early in the process also allows them to identify issues that need more action and allows the HOA to resolve the issue concurrently  with the design and final steps listed below.

Final Design Documents – Final design is a more comprehensive set of construction documents which specifies and shows the details of what is taking place and how the components will fit and work together.   They should consider the current building code requirements which will be enforced by the local authority.  They should thoroughly explain the scope of work, provide elevations showing the completed design, detailing of components,  and incorporate any assumptions to be made.

Allowing for Permitting Process –  The time to obtain a building permit has grown since COVID-19.  The City of Seattle for example has an appointment time needed of several weeks just to submit for the permit.  Then several more months for review to obtain the permit.   If this is not considered in your planning it could affect the time when the project can begin.

Obtaining bids, check references and contractor selection –  Once the final design is complete then the design is used to precure contractor bids.  This usually involves a group meeting with all bidding contractors to review and discuss the work which is planned to happen at the project site.   From there takeoffs, vendor and subcontractor quotes are obtained and the project is bid by the General Contractor.    These bids are reviewed by the designer or construction manager.   Often times contractor interviews are conducted, references checked on the contractor’s similar performed work and contractor selection made.    The contractor selected needs to be the best fit for the project, not necessarily the lowest bidder.    In my 30 years plus of contracting, I have learned that not always is the lowest price the best.   The decision of contractor selection also needs to consider several factors.   1) Honesty 2) Thoroughness 3) Experience or History 4) Safety Record 5) Ability to work as a team with the owner and designer and 6)price.   The contractor is a major key for the project’s success and is why all these should be considered.

Sign contract and execute –  A major construction renovation needs a good contract for all parties, (Owner, Contractor & Architect/Designer).   Often AIA contracts are a good place to start.   It should establish the contract amounts, scope of work, duration, listing of construction documents, payment terms, insurance requirements, cause for termination, and warranty requirements as a minimum.

Taking on a major renovation in an occupied community is a big task.   Using the above planning steps will help ensure your project is set up to be successful and enjoyed by all.

  • Written by Jon Walkley, Experienced Building Envelope Repair Contractor
    • Pacific Building Envelope

Making lasting impressions on occupied communities.

After The Fire: Starting The Restoration Process For Your Home Or Business

After The Fire: Starting The Restoration Process For Your Home Or Business

[ Blog/News ]

After The Fire: Starting The Restoration Process For Your Home Or Business

If you’ve experienced fire damage or smoke damage in your home or business, you may be wondering where to go for assistance and what to do next. Even a small fire can cause serious damage to a home or business. Flames, heat, smoke, and water used to put out the fire can have destructive effects on personal belongings as well as structures. 

Fire & Smoke Damage: What to Expect

In the wake of a fire, don’t attempt to clean up and complete repairs yourself. It’s important for your health and safety to call in a restoration expert to assess the damage caused by fire, smoke, and water.

While we tend to think of the flames as the primary cause of destruction, smoke and soot can worsen the damage even after the fire has been put out.

Smoke:
  • Smoke spreads to rooms that the fire didn’t reach, carrying with it destructively high temperatures, acidic components and corrosive properties that are damaging to metal items such as kitchen fittings and pipes.
  • Smoke often discolors porous materials as well, including plastics, countertops, tiles, porcelain, and hardwood flooring.
  • Along with a lingering unpleasant smell that can soak into carpets, rugs, drapes, furniture, clothing and other personal items, smoke residue can even degrade wallpaper and paint.
Soot:

Soot, a byproduct of fire, can be equally as damaging. Like smoke, soot has corrosive properties that can severely damage walls, floors, ceilings, insulation, rugs, carpets, furniture, mattresses, pillows, clothes and more. Soot can even cause electronics to short circuit.

Health Risks of Fire, Smoke & Soot

It’s important to understand the risks to your health and safety following a home fire or business fire. To avoid these risks, be sure not to re-enter your home or place of business until you’ve been told by the proper authorities that it’s safe to do so. Once inside your home or business, do not attempt to turn on gas, water, lights, or any utilities again until the authorities have given you the green light.

Be especially careful in the presence of soot, which comes with a wide range of health hazards. While not always visible to the naked eye, soot contains tiny particles that can be inhaled into the lungs. Soot can also contain a whole host of nasty chemicals. Prolonged exposure to soot has even been linked to a higher risk of cancer and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Given the ongoing damage and health risks that can happen even after the fire’s been put out, you will want to start the restoration process as soon as possible. You’ll also want to reach out to your insurance company to get the claims process started. Photographing and documenting all fire-damaged spaces and items can help streamline your claim.

Dealing with the aftermath of a fire can feel overwhelming. There are many Restoration Teams that will work quickly and expertly to inspect your property and create a plan for restoring your home or business. You don’t have to face the damage from a fire alone. End Of Article

By Superior Cleaning & Restoration / COIT Services

By Superior Cleaning & Restoration / COIT Services

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Fraud Is On The Rise & Your Accounts Could Be At Risk!

Fraud Is On The Rise & Your Accounts Could Be At Risk!

[ Blog/News ]

Fraud Is On The Rise & Your Accounts Could Be At Risk!

Do you know who has access to your funds and what steps to take to protect your assets? Over the last couple of years, we have seen fraud and the attempt at fraud nearly double. Following are tips on how to be a good steward of association funds and fulfill your fiduciary duty.
Piggy Bank IconSo Just Where Is That Reserve Account?

Occasionally an Association changes its management company. Their operating accounts may change but frequently the reserves are left behind. Have you reached out to the bank to change the mailing address? Are you getting statements for review?

Document Signing IconWho Are The Signers On The Reserve Accounts?

Signers should be updated annually with the new Board. We highly encourage as a routine part of the annual meeting and Board elections to note in the annual meeting minutes who are or will be the authorized signers on the reserve accounts.

The minutes should specify which board members to delete as signers and who to add. Authorized signers should be documented even if there are no changes. Send this to your banker annually and be sure that the treasurer of 10 years ago who long since moved is no longer a signer on the account.

Online Banking IconDo Board Members & The Management Company Have Access To On-Line Banking?

If so, know who has access and what fraud prevention tools are in place to protect the possibility of hacking. On-line banking, mobile banking, etc. is all to make your life easier but strong policies need to be in place to prevent unauthorized access.

Checklist IconAdopt Best Practices!

Reach out to your banker and put in place best practices to protect your funds. End Of Article

By Columbia Bank

By Columbia Bank

Chapter Happenings Sponsor, November 2022

Written By: Jill Jones, Senior Vice President, HOA Loan Officer

Columbia Bank is your local HOA lender — Working in your community, for your community.

Visit us online: www.columbiabank.com
Call: (425) 691-5025

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Reserve Study Site Visits & How They Improve Your Reserve Study

Reserve Study Site Visits & How They Improve Your Reserve Study

[ Blog/News ]

Reserve Study Site Visits & How They Improve Your Reserve Study

By now it’s no secret that most associations within Washington State are required to do annual reserve study updates, with a site visit performed by a reserve study professional every 3rd year. But did you know the ways that the site visit helps make your reserve study that much more useful? You might be surprised!

With a few exceptions, Washington State community associations which have significant assets are to perform annual reserve study updates, with a site visit performed by a reserve study professional every 3rd year. But did you know how truly helpful that site visit is to your association’s reserve study?

First, it is important to note that a reserve study site visit is a limited visual review in which no testing or structural evaluation is performed. Your association should reach out to the appropriate building envelope or structural experts for assistance with these items.

Initial Site Visit

At the initial level 1 full reserve study site visit, your reserve study professional will quantify the association’s assets through measurements and counts. Component quantities are required to be included in the reserve study by Washington State statute and are the most effective way to calculate cost allowances.

The quantification process is typically not repeated in subsequent site visits as this data is carried forward throughout future reserve study updates, even if you switch reserve study providers.

Visual Review

Each of the association’s assets has a typical useful life and your reserve study professional is looking for visual signs that the item will last as long as average, shorter, or longer. This helps adjust the remaining useful life for that component to narrow down the timing for the project for budgetary purposes. As an example, if the average exterior paint cycle is performed at 8-10 years but the paint at your association is peeling at 6 years, your reserve study professional will update the remaining useful life for that paint cycle accordingly.

Determining Cost Adjustmnets

The reserve study site visit is also helpful in dialing in costs for your association. Absent a cost history from the association for a recent project, your reserve study provider will likely use average industry costs for the report. These costs often need to be adjusted for each specific association based on observations made during the site visit.

As an example, a fence that is installed in an area which is difficult to access will likely cost more to replace. Or, asphalt that is significantly deteriorated may need to be removed and replaced rather than ground down and overlaid, which is significantly more costly. All of these cost adjustments are made based on observations from the site visit. End Of Article

By Accurate Reserve Professionals, LLC

By Accurate Reserve Professionals, LLC

Chapter Happenings Sponsor, November 2022

Written By: Karen McDonald, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, RS, President & Founder of Accurate Reserve Professionals, LLC

Karen is a Past President of the WSCAI Chapter and serves on several committees. Outside of the office she lives on a hobby farm with her husband, best doggy friend Zeke, and a collection of animals.

Visit us online: accuratereserves.com
Call: (509) 765-6601

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Water Damage Checklist: What You Should Do Immediately

Water Damage Checklist: What You Should Do Immediately

[ Blog/News ]

Water Damage Checklist: What You Should Do Immediately

Water damage is one of the most frustrating and damaging events that can happen in your home or business. Water damage can result from a variety of different situations. Each situation is a little different and comes with different clean up procedures. No matter what caused the water damage, there are some routine procedures that you can follow until help arrives to prevent further damage.

Water Damage Checklist (What You Should Do Immediately):

Icon - Check Mark In Box Find the Source

The first thing you need to do immediately after you see standing water in any area of your house is to find the source of the water. To prevent further damage to your house and belongings, you should stop the water immediately. This may mean turning off all the water to your home and calling a professional right away. Stopping additional water entering your home is always the first step.


Icon - Check Mark In Box Take Care of Your Home

To prevent further damage to your home or business, you need to take preventative steps. You should turn off the power, if possible. You will want to move all your valuables to an area of the home that was not exposed to water, or to a friend or family’s home until your home is restored.


Icon - Check Mark In Box Call for Help

Once you have the situation under control, you should contact your insurance company, and a professional mitigation company. If you need assistance finding a mitigation company, ask your insurance for references of the companies that they use. Be sure to take pictures of everything so that there is no question later about what was damaged or not.


Icon - Check Mark In Box Start Repairing the Water Damage

Start the repairs as soon you can to prevent mold and structural damage. Contact a professional mitigation restoration company to help you clean and repair your home properly. Professional companies have the experience necessary to fix the water damage issue and look for mold and other hazardous issues.


Icon - Check Mark In Box Watch For Mold

Mold only takes about 24 hours to grow. You should thoroughly inspect your home for mold in the carpets, walls, drywall, flooring and more. If you do see or suspect mold, contact a professional mold remediation company to look for mold and help you remove it.

Water damage, regardless of severity, needs to be addressed immediately. Water remediation and removal should not be left as a DIY. While some people attempt to undertake the process by themselves, many realize later that the root of the problem is far more complicated.

Trust a professional to get your home or business back to its pre loss condition, they have the knowledge, expertise, and capacity to fix even the most complicated water damage. End Of Article

By Superior Cleaning & Restoration

By Superior Cleaning & Restoration

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Written by Bobbi Hutchison | (425) 260-2141

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Is Customer Service Dead in the United States?

Is Customer Service Dead in the United States?

[ Blog/News ]

Is Customer Service Dead in the United States?

When was the last time you felt like you received outstanding customer service? Try to think of an example. Was it a restaurant? Your mechanic? Your doctor or dentist? How about your church? What about your job? Should you expect great customer service at your job?

Why is great customer service dead? Do people not care anymore, or think it’s not important? A large cable provider is considered to be one of the most hated companies in the US, and they did a study and found that improving their customer service had no impact on their bottom line! Personally, I find that unbelievable.

I have traveled to many countries and found that customer service in Latin countries is far better than the United States. As an example, in Quito, Ecuador, I went to an Ace Hardware store. I was met at the door by a young employee and was asked, how she could help me. I told her what I was looking for. She led me to the item and asked if there was anything else she could help me with? When I said no, she led me to the cash register, rang up my purchase and walked me to the door. I was so amazed, I wanted to go back and buy something else. Buy anything, so that I could experience that fantastic customer service again.

Obviously, this it taught and done very intentionally. Would you pay more money, to have a world class customer experience? How much more? Obviously, people will pay more for quality, or Nordstroms would go out of business and the line would be out the door at Walmart.

It is very difficult in this day and age, to impress people. Amazon Prime set a new standard and created a multitude of impatient people, including me! Uber, Doordash, VRBO, and other companies, are at your immediate whim, to provide you with food, transportation, and housing. So, how about the rest of the service industry? Why is my doctor asking for 5-star reviews? Can a construction company impress you?  We invite other companies to revive great customer service in their companies, too. End Of Article

By Transblue

By Transblue

Chapter Happenings Sponsor, September 2022

Written By Tim Lyon

Transblue is a company that works very hard on our customer experience. We want our customer to feel the difference! We are going for the WOW factor. Our motto is to provide world class customer service. We will continue to work hard at this and improve daily.

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Why a Leak Log Is Essential for Community Management

Why a Leak Log Is Essential for Community Management

[ Blog/News ]

Why a Leak Log Is Essential for Community Management

When condominium board members & community association managers move on, they often take vital institutional knowledge with them. That’s why it’s essential to keep a running record of maintenance incidents, including pipe leaks.

A community leak log shared with your incoming board members and community management team is an easy way to help preserve your community’s value, every owner’s investment, and residents’ health.

Community managers or maintenance staff should use the leak log to record every leak and plumbing issue along with related costs. In addition, boards and managers can use it to ensure that the piping in the community is maintained, repaired, and replaced in a timely manner.

Some Leak Log Best Practices
  • While the board and property management team share responsibility for their community’s leak log, community managers typically take the lead in keeping it current. They often field calls from homeowners, handle the responses, and interface with the maintenance crews.
  • At regular intervals, the board and community management team should review the leak log together. For example, they can use it to set a realistic maintenance budget and to inform reserve studies and capital improvement planning.
  • Ensure that sharing the log is part of any board or management transition. This way, no matter how often people change roles, the association has quick access to its plumbing history.
Pick Your Format

Your leak log’s format comes down to personal preference. Some find that a paper log printed from a PDF, for example, is easier to fill out and access. Others prefer a spreadsheet or similar digital document for easy data entry and simpler sharing through email or an internal network. Some teams take a hybrid approach, logging incidents by paper and later entering the data electronically.

No matter what form your tracker takes, use it to record all leaks, big or small. Even seemingly minor incidents can help the experts pinpoint major issues. End Of Article

By SageWater

By SageWater

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CA Day Exhibitor Registration Form

CA Day Exhibitor Registration Form

CA Day Exhibitor Registration Form

WSCAI CA Day - Vendor Theme: Through The Decades - October 15 2022
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Chapter Magazine

journal may 2023

May 2023 Issue

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Why Do I Need A Snow & Ice Contract In Puget Sound?

Why Do I Need A Snow & Ice Contract In Puget Sound?

[ Blog/News ]

Why Do I Need A Snow & Ice Contract In Puget Sound?

Many HOA and condo boards ask themselves every year if they need a snow contract? After all this is Seattle, it will melt off by noon. Let’s look at a few issues before deciding. There are 1 million slip and fall claims every year, in the US. The average slip and fall claim is $48,000. What is your association liable for? Are you insured for this?

Liability Control

As a property owner or community association manager, including the board, you are obligated to provide “reasonable care” in providing a safe environment for your homeowners and tenants. Look at your common areas. Do you have steep hills? Lots of stairs? Are your sidewalks flat? Think about the age ranges of your homeowners. Can your elderly population get safely to their car, and out to the public streets? If you decide not to address this, are the board members liable if there is a slip and fall? We live in a very litigious society these days.

Liability control will give you the upper hand in defending lawsuits and will give you the opportunity to decrease insurance costs associated with your facilities.

Slip & Fall Injuries

Slip and fall injuries are extremely common in and around common areas:

  • The national safety council estimates that approximately 8.9 million trips are made to emergency rooms annually from slips, trips and falls.
  • Secondly, they report that slip and trip falls resulted in 25,000 deaths in 2009 and is listed as the second leading cause of accidental death.
  • Slip and falls can lead to increased insurance premiums or cancellations of policies.
  • Slip and falls can result in lost sales and damage to the stores bottom line.
  • Slip and falls can also lead to the loss of key employees during critical industry time frames.
Custom Risk Management Plans

Be sure to have a strategic risk management plan in place. As each association is different, customization is important. End Of Article

By Transblue

By Transblue

Chapter Happenings Sponsor, August 2022

Transblue has created a 150-point check list that once in place will allow you to view your assets from the point of “liability control.” Reach out if you’re interested.
Visit us online: transblue.com
Call: (425) 658-0098

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journal may 2023

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Tips To Help Avoid HOA Fraud

Tips To Help Avoid HOA Fraud

[ Blog/News ]

Tips To Help Avoid HOA Fraud

Community associations and their management companies are not immune from online and email fraud attempts and scams. The good news: There are steps you can take to help avoid common fraud tactics and better protect yourself and your communities. We’ve compiled some scams to watch for and tips to help avoid them.

Unfortunately, fraud is a reality – and many communities and homeowners associations (HOAs) experience scam attempts firsthand. The good news is that by learning more about common fraud tactics and steps you can take to avoid them and staying vigilant, we can better protect ourselves and our communities.

Three Common Scam Examples

[1] Phishing

Phishing is a prevalent scam that involves fraudulent communications designed to trick people into divulging personal or business financial information

[2] Email Account Compromise (EAC)

Email account compromise (EAC) scams target commercial customers’ personal accounts, especially those who conduct large transactions.

[3]Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Business email compromise (BEC) can be linked to other types of fraud, including lottery, employment and rental scams
Key Steps To Avoid Phishing, EAC and BEC Scams
Here are eight steps that can play an important role in keeping your associations safe.
  1. Install anti-virus protection.
  2. Create – and use – secure passwords.
  3. Limit access to sensitive data.
  4. Sign up for fraudulent activity alert notifications.
  5. Enable two-factor authentication.
  6. Use a secured network.
  7. Pay close attention to website URLs to avoid suspicious sites.
  8. Avoid unknown links or requests sent via email or text.
Protecting Electronic Transfers
While transferring funds electronically can streamline transactions, fraudsters may attempt to order wire transfers via illegitimate emails, phone calls or texts. They may even refer to specific individuals or business functions – sometimes sending such emails late in the day, just before a holiday or weekend or when the purported sender is out of the office – to create a sense of urgency. The best way to keep your electronic transactions safe is to check the authenticity of all requests before performing any wire transfers. And for any wire request, it’s a good idea to trust your instincts; if something doesn’t feel right, the request may not be legitimate. If you’re looking for more information on current fraud issues, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website for free online security tips at http://onguardonline.govEnd Of Article

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank. For any matters concerning your specific needs and objective, you should seek the professional advice of your own independent legal counsel, insurance advisors or other consultants.

By Kris Gjylameti

By Kris Gjylameti

CIT, A Division of First Citizens Bank — Chapter Happenings Sponsor, August 2022

As a leader in the industry, our Community Association Banking Team provides individualized service, award-winning technology, smart savings solutions and operational efficiency to help community association management companies best serve their homeowner associations and their residents

Visit us online: www.cit.com/commercial/solutions/community-association-banking
Call: (206) 650-1368

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The Copeland Group LLC

Assistant Site Manager

[ Job Bank ]

Assistant Site Manager

Company Name: HOA Community Solutions
Company Website: www.hoacommunitysolutions.com
Position Title: Assistant Site Manager
Job Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Status: Full Time
Experience Level: Entry Level
Salary Range: $52,000 with growth potential to $63,000 within one year
Special Requirements: CMCA or equivalent experience preferred
Contact Name: Janet Biggs
Contact Email: janet@hoacommunitysolutions.com

Job Details:

The Assistant Site Manager is a growth-oriented position with a premier, large-scale property. The Assistant Site manager is an on-site position and is responsible for coordinating and maintaining homeowner relationships, overall positive community relations and assisting with the day-to-day operations management. The successful candidate must be detail oriented and have strong emotional intelligence and leadership skills.

Responsibilities:

The Assistant Site Manager reports to the Site Manager and Senior Manager and performs the following duties:

  • Maintain consistent contact with all Board members regarding association business and important matters to affect a timely response. Inform Board of all appropriate Committee comments, requests, suggestions, or complaints from owners.
  • Collect and process homeowner assessments. Make daily bank deposits of checks received. Use credit card payment system to process card payments.
  • Assist association residents with questions, comments and concerns.
  • Maintain good rapport with property owners, responding promptly to their requests.
  • Maintain accurate record of RV lot spaces and assignments. Update billing department when changes are made. Process new RV agreements and key deposits.
  • Assist new owners with access to the Gate security and guest entry software, supply with copies of Community Rules and Policies and issue remote access tags for the gate.
  • Assist with sourcing vendors and placing service orders with vendors/contractors.
  • Handle telephone calls/requests and emails that are received onsite.
  • Receive reports of rules violations and maintenance items needing attention and issue appropriate letters/fines in accordance with policy when indicated.
  • Assist with the coordination of visits, inspections and appointments with vendors and contractors.
  • Communicate with security officers and assist in the development of monitoring processes to ensure compliance with post orders.
  • Assist in developing preventative maintenance schedules and needs to be used for budgeting and prioritizing expenditures.
  • File association documents and keep accurate records, as well as maintaining the official records for the association.
  • Update Association website weekly with meeting minutes, other documents and add new owners to resident directory.
  • Act as liaison between the ACC Committee and residents. Receive and review ACC Applications for completeness. Prepare agendas for ACC Committee meetings. Attend all ACC Committee meetings as well as occasional site visits with the committee when indicated. Prepare all correspondence between the committee and homeowners. Keep complete and accurate records of all ACC correspondence with homeowners.
  • Assist in preparation of meeting notices, memos, other correspondence & mailings, meeting packets, and community newsletters and updates.
  • Coordinate Annual Meeting details to ensure a successful meeting.
  • Attend committee meetings and provide status reports to board and Site Manager.
  • Inventory and order supplies for HOA on-site office.
  • Respond promptly to security issues on properties.
  • Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned that include assistance with administrative management issues and policies including administrative projects and tasks as assigned by the Site Manager.
General Information, Qualifications & Requirements

The Assistant Site Manager must have good organizational skills and be able to juggle multiple priorities. A strong understanding of community management is needed and additional training courses may be required in the management field. Prospective Assistant Site Managers should have a experience in the HOA industry. A college degree and/or industry designation such as CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) or a state equivalent certification are a plus.

  • Must exhibit a professional demeanor at all times.
  • Effective communications (oral, written or otherwise) skills.
  • Ability to work under deadlines and consistently meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrate organizational skills and ability to work independently and prioritize daily workload.
  • Demonstrate problem-solving abilities.
  • Must be proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite
  • This position will require the successful candidate to be in the office 5-days a week.
  • Professional business attire is required.
  • Occasional extended hours or evening hours may be required for meetings and special events.
  • Salary dependent upon experience.
  • McLeod Construction - Building Relationships: One Project At A Time - Your Condominium and HOA General Contractor Small Service work, water mitigation, insurance repairs, and building envelope replacement. - www.mcleodconstruction.com - 206.545.7837 - Emergency Services - 206.545.7837
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Chapter Magazine

journal may 2023

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The Copeland Group LLC