Mike Stonestreet, CMCA, PCAM, AMS, is Founder/Co-Owner of CAMS (Community Association Management Services). CAMS began in 1991 with Stonestreet and a few employees in a small office in Wilmington but has since grown to over 300 em
Architectural guidelines, review, and enforcement are undoubtedly some of the more confusing and contentious responsibilities of volunteer community leaders. Though reviewing applications, approving o ...
There’s no doubt that Board members are well-educated people who have spent years devoted to their various professions. And most likely, the education you received specifically prepared you for ...
Serving on your community association’s board is a tough job, regardless of whether you’ve done it before or not. And, unfortunately, there are some mistakes that board members can inadver ...
Being on your community association’s board of directors can be a tough (and sometimes thankless) job. However, you don’t have to go it alone. Choosing an experienced management company to ...
As a homeowner, you probably expect that certain elements of your home will have to be repaired or replaced over time, and the same rings true for common elements and structural components of communit ...
As a volunteer community leader, you probably never pictured yourself acting as the "town sheriff." But community associations have governing documents which must be enforced, and someone mu ...
One of the most important aspects of being on the board of your community association, aside from carrying out the business functions of the association, is adhering to a set of ethical standards. As ...
As a community association board member, you’ve likely received requests from members to see various association documents. Though these requests can seem simple on the surface, there are laws a ...
Since CAMS was founded in 1991, the company has grown from a one-man operation in the Wilmington area to its present-day status of operating in eight regions across the Carolinas. When I reflect on my ...
In a recent “Ask the Experts” webinar, Attorneys Hope Carmichael and Nute Thompson of Jordan Price, PLLC, discussed some best practices for board members to employ when it becomes necessar ...
In a recent “Ask the Experts” webinar, we discussed best practices regarding handling water leaks in condominiums. Though this piece will discuss some North Carolina laws, there’s al ...
For homeowner association volunteers, a very real concern is the possibility of legal threats that may be levelled against the board. In a recent “Ask the Experts” webinar, Attorney Chris ...
Community Associations Find Creative Solutions to Issues Presented by Pandemic As Covid-19 arrived in the United States in early 2020, people were forced to make adjustments to their usual ac ...
In a previous article, we discussed some of the topics board members must be familiar with in order to serve successful terms on their community’s board of directors. This second part of “ ...
In a recent CAMS "Ask the Experts" webinar, Attorneys David Wilson and Steven Black of Law Firm Carolinas addressed a multitude of topics that are crucial for board members - both old and ne ...
When Covid-19 arrived in the United States, many businesses had to quickly figure out how to continue operating in the age of social distancing. In the months that have followed, conducting business r ...
One of the most important responsibilities a community association’s board of directors can be faced with is selecting a professional management company. Choosing a management company is somewha ...
In a recent article, we began our discussion of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as they relate to community associations. A large part of understanding the FHA ...
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) was created to ensure that Americans receive equal treatment when seeking housing and thereby made it illegal to discriminate against people based upon certain protected cla ...
If you own property in a community association, you've probably had some form of contact with your community's board of directors. And, while you may have a general grasp of the role the board ...
Architectural rules and guidelines can be a tricky topic to navigate for board members and committees charged with leading community associations. In order to properly govern their communities, those ...
Though filing claims of lien against property owners isn't something that associations ever want to have to face, the reality is that it will likely become a common occurrence in the coming months ...
Though the United States, along with the rest of the world, is in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses and other organizations have had to do their best to continue to operate. These operat ...
With Americans spending more time at home than ever these days, being a good neighbor is of the utmost importance. Sure, not many people are actively trying to be bad neighbors, but if you sit down an ...
Reserve studies are essential to ensuring the financial security of community associations. When conducted properly, they aid in preparing associations for large future repairs and create a timeline s ...
In Part 1 of Communicating in a Crisis, we discussed ways community association board members can define a crisis, how they should prepare crisis communications, who should put forth these communicati ...
In our July "Ask the Experts" webinar, we heard from Attorney Morgan Bryant of McCabe, Trotter & Beverly, P.C. on Communicating in a Crisis. Though this topic is particularly relevant in ...
In Part 1 of our series "Online Meetings: When & How", we discussed some best practices for holding virtual board meetings during this time of social distancing. But what about membershi ...
In our latest "Ask the Experts" webinar series, we invited attorney Steven Black with Black, Slaughter & Black, P.A., to discuss several options for holding board meetings and conducting ...
Though providing homeowners with the option to pay their HOA assessments online certainly isn't a new concept, recent world events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have driven home just how essential ...
With the Coronavirus pandemic affecting nearly every aspect of daily life, people are turning to technology to facilitate many activities that were once conducted in person. This has of course become ...
Communities that are considerably bigger than your average neighborhood are, in the community management industry, referred to as large-scale communities. And, as you might imagine, the needs of these ...
For those who own property in homeowners’ associations, it is important to understand the different types of association meetings that take place throughout the year. It is especially important ...
Those living in communities with homeowners’ associations may sometimes wonder what exactly is the role of the community manager versus the role of the board of directors. Put simply, an HOA' ...
If you own a home in a homeowner's association or condominium owner's association and are thinking about renting it out, you probably know that there are several factors to consider before you ...
One of the most complex issues faced by HOA boards of directors is securing appropriate insurance coverage for the association. A number of factors go into determining what types of policies are neede ...
Those serving on HOA boards need to have a keen understanding of how essential a balanced budget is to the success of their associations. Drafting and ratifying a budget can often seem like a daunting ...
Having a proper, fiscally responsible budget in place is necessary for the successful operation of any homeowner’s association. Just as with any budget, income and expenses must be considered &m ...
Insurance coverage is one of the many important aspects of managing and protecting community assets that HOA boards of directors must keep in mind. If associations are faced with large deductibles, on ...
What are reserve funds and what are they used for? Reserve funds are broken down into capital and non-capital expenses; capital would be replacing a roof; non-capital would be painting. These are IRS ...
Homeowners can often have differing views of their community associations — some positive, some negative — depending on their source of information and experiences in the community. ...
At CAMS, we’ve seen through the years how positive — and necessary — change can be for homeowner’s associations (HOAs). Generally, we recommend every association do what we wou ...
Tax season isn’t just a fun time for residents and businesses in North Carolina, it’s also a big piece of the financial puzzle for homeowners associations (HOAs). As complicated as federal ...
If you live in a community with a homeowner’s association (HOA), you no doubt have seen signs, received emails, or even had people knocking on your door to alert you about HOA meetings. There ar ...
Homeowners often have differing views of their individual homeowner’s associations (HOA). One thing everyone can typically agree on is that one of the primary responsibilities of an HOA is to ma ...
Serving as a board member of a homeowners association (HOA) can be an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience. That said, it is serious business as there are of responsibilities associated with p ...
Community management companies, like the rest of the world, are being targeted for fraud and the threats are growing. This includes people attempting to cash fake checks at local banks, embezzlement, ...
Homeowners associations (HOAs) provide many benefits to residents, from managing amenities to maintaining common areas and enforcing the association’s rules and regulations. Homeowner compliance ...
With all the new construction in the Wilmington area and throughout our great state, it comes as no surprise that we are seeing increases in the number of homeowners’ associations (HOAs). HOAs a ...
The concept of flood zones has been changing as more areas which historically haven’t flooded have begun seeing more instances of water intrusion whether it be from rain, nearby bodies of water ...
Many in the Carolinas are still catching their breath after Hurricane Florence, even as we enter into another season of hurricane preparedness. Here at CAMS, we’re taking what we’ve learne ...
As we at CAMS know all too well, at times it can seem as if community management professionals are speaking their own language. HOA, POA, CAI, AMS, CMCA… all that acronym-speak can be harder ...
Let’s face it, we all need rules. Knowing what’s acceptable and – perhaps more importantly, what isn’t – helps set standards and define expectations and consequences. ...
Maybe you bought your property as an investment. Perhaps your circumstances in life have changed, and you now need to downsize – or go bigger. Or your job could be relocating you across the coun ...
Want to give the exterior of your home a fresh new look… in your favorite shade of pink? If you live in a community association, chances are you can’t break out the paint cans just yet ...
Summer is the season for outdoor celebration. Between backyard barbecues, pool parties, graduation shindigs and 4th of July festivities, your calendar may already be full of weekend and after-hours ...
Remember shag carpet? Wood paneling? Avocado-green kitchens? Once the “in” choices in home décor, these styles have since – and, perhaps, fortunately – fallen by the ...
The coastal Carolinas affords lots of opportunities to surround yourself with picturesque views right from your patio. Unfortunately, that scenery can sometimes come with a few unwanted guests &nda ...
You’ve settled into your dream house and with the free time you now have to do some volunteer work, you have decided to join your community association board to be active in – and an adv ...
The trick-or-treaters have come and gone, and there is an ever-so-slight briskness in the air. That means the holidays – and all the twinkling lights, festive decorations and parties that com ...
Over the years, technology has dramatically changed the way community and condominium associations bill and receive payments for owner assessments, sometimes referred to as dues. When I first sta ...
As a professional community manager for the past two decades, I have seen a rapid growth in the number of service animals within condominium and community associations. Currently, about 79. ...
Being involved with a condominium or community association can sometimes make you feel like a Jack-of-all-trades. Homeowners often expect professional managers and community volunteers – offi ...
Spring has arrived, which means swimming pool season is just around the corner. Pools are an attractive and important amenity for a lot of condominium and community associations, since it i ...
There are various opinions on the role of community and condominium associations. But, generally speaking, the main purpose and authority of the association are to maintain common elements and ensur ...
One of the most important responsibilities of a property or condominium association board of directors is protecting the association’s funds. In doing so, it is important for the board o ...
A recent North Carolina Sales Tax law has a direct impact on the budget of just about every property owners association. On July 1, the state legislature passed House Bill 1030 - Current Op ...
There are many reasons people buy a home in a condominium or community association. Some great reasons include the availability and shared expense of recreational amenities, architectural style, affor ...
For every association, there is a point when members should take over leadership and control from the developer. An association’s declaration and bylaws will stipulate when the developer is re ...
Managing startup condominiums and communities is a unique job. There should be a community manager with experience working as part of a team, and that team should include other professionals in addi ...
A condominium or community association’s annual membership meeting requires thorough preparation to be successful. One of the first things a manager or board should do is review th ...
In my previous two articles, I discussed preparation for catastrophic events and post-event site assessment. There are a few final steps to disaster recovery for associations, though, and those are se ...
Does your association have a post-hurricane and disaster event plan in place? As I discussed in my last article, preparation is key for property owner associations when it comes to being ready for cat ...
Is your association ready for a disaster or catastrophic event? A plan is critical year-round, but for the Cape Fear region, it is particularly important to be prepared for hurricanes and floods. &nb ...
When it comes to community and condominium associations, one of the hottest topics is assessments, often referred to as dues. After 25 years of managing associations, we’ve learned that whe ...
Community and condominium associations are implemented by the developer of the community or condominium. For some associations, this can mean that they are governed by documents that may be quite old, ...
If your association has landscaped common areas, then you should have a grounds maintenance (landscaping) contract for the association in place. The key to being successful long-term with any landscap ...
When it comes to your property owners association, there are a lot of terms that may be new or perhaps not clear. As you look through relevant documents and governing contracts, you have to understand ...
CAMS is thrilled to be celebrating its 25th year of operation, a decided rarity in the community association management business. These days, most community association management companies have a lif ...
Most condominium and community association developments along the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina were created and developed beginning in the mid-1980s. Many of these associations are now a ...
Is your condominium or community association required to manage a stormwater system? This can be a tricky issue to navigate. In 1991, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ) establ ...
If you own a boat slip in a boating facility with other boat slip owners, you are probably part of a marina association. This type of association is commonly referred to as a marina association but it ...
If you live in a condominium or a community with multifamily buildings, it is important for the condominium or property owners’ association, as well as the individual owners of the units, to kno ...
Community associations are commonly referred to as homeowner associations, property owner associations, townhome associations, planned community associations or single-family neighborhoods. The vast m ...
Common areas of a community are vitally important. Not only do they ensure a better quality of life for residents, they also help the resale value of properties. So it makes sense that two of the most ...
As far as the effective management of a condominium or community association is concerned, it’s critical to hold an organizational meeting of the board of directors following its election. In fa ...
In my last article I shared my disbelief that there isn’t a law requiring property owners associations to conduct reserve fund studies. Managing an association without a reserve fund study is ak ...
Considering that it’s a good idea to have reserve funds for long-term capital and maintenance expenses, I am always surprised when I am asked that question. The answer is even more surprising, s ...
It’s that time of year when board members and financial committee members convene to start the annual budget preparation for their property owners associations. Setting a budget can be an intimi ...
One of the chief complaints I hear from potential clients is that it’s a confusing, time-consuming chore to ensure their property owners association is in full compliance with local, state and f ...
The short answer is no. A professional management company such as Community Association Management Services (CAMS) will assist in the successful operation of the homeowners’ association by carry ...
From leaky roofs and broken seawalls, to poorly written contracts and special assessments, there are many aspects of association management that require experience and a depth of knowledge. For tho ...
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The 2021 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.
