Welcome to Ungated
Thursday, June 21
Hitting the Numbers in Nevada
by
Tom Skiba
on June 21, 2007 05:07PM (EDT)
Last week, Nevada Community Associations had a noteworthy victory. After a groundswell of homeowner complaints, industry concerns and some furious grassroots lobbying, Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons took a bold move and vetoed a sweeping bill that would have greatly expanded the state’s regulation of community associations.
The legislation, which passed both chambers nearly unanimously, would have:
- Allowed unit owners to alter the facade of their unit, even if it was a common element of the association.
- Regulated association newsletters, requiring them to print opposing views without limitation or ability to edit out inappropriate content.
- Prohibited transfer fees assessed when a unit or home is sold.
- Banned association from enforcing speed limits and other moving violations on association roads, endangering public safety.
- Limited a board’s ability to protect and build association reserve accounts by only allowing reserve assessments in a limited set of circumstances.
In the end, the effective efforts of all parts of the CAI team were able to convince the governor to veto the bill. The Nevada Chapter, the Nevada LAC and CAI’s national staff stepped up with alerts and talking points on the bill’s substantial negatives. Association volunteer leaders also worked diligently to get the word out to homeowners. It made a difference. On Friday, June 15, the governor vetoed the bill.
Of course the challenge is just beginning. The bill sponsors have vowed to overturn the governor’s veto when they reconvene in 2009. CAI’s Nevada members will be working hard to build bridges between sessions. In the meantime, I congratulate them on the success of their efforts.
Friday, June 8
Does CAI Support Homeowners?
by
Tom Skiba
on June 8, 2007 11:30AM (EDT)
One of the frequent criticisms we face is that CAI does not support homeowners and is beholden to and run by the some small cabal of attorneys, community managers, demonic board members, or (insert your favorite group to hate here) for their personal benefit.
Of course this couldn't be further from the truth, but as the Soviets proved for over 70 years, the "big lie" actually works better than the small and inconsequential lie. They demonstrated that if you say something often enough and powerfully enough, and don't allow any deviation from the message or alternative viewpoints, eventually people will come to accept it as truth or "pravda". That is the tactic we face with some of the folks who would abolish every association tomorrow and destroy trillions of dollars of equity in the process just because they don't like the idea of community associations and/or how their particular association is run.
The truth (which is much more prosaic and boring) is that CAI's governance, public policies, and programs are set by a broad-based group of volunteers including homeowners, managers, and a wide variety of business partners. Each of these groups contributes to and participates in the leadership of CAI. In fact, one of our most frequent challenges is finding consensus among this very diverse group of members, particularly on critical and controversial public policies. But when we do, it can be a very powerful statement, because it brings together many voices in a strong message.
A quick example: Recently the Colorado Legislative Action Committee was successful in supporting the "Homeowner Protection Act of 2007". This important bill not only protects and maintains the rights of every association in Colorado, but it also protects every single individual homeowner in the state as regards construction defects in their home and their ability to have problems corrected in a timely manner. So how is it that we don't care about homeowners? And this is just one example in one state.
The reality is that CAI's legislative activities, educational programs, and books and other reference materials support strong, effectively managed, and fiscally efficient associations. By making associations better and stronger we help make communities better places to live, ensure boards are responsive to all their residents, and help preserve community value and values.
Tuesday, June 5
CEO-MC Retreat: And only 30 spaces remaining
by
Tom Skiba
on June 5, 2007 03:32PM (EDT)
Our annual CEO-MC Retreat is coming up in just over 2 weeks. If you haven't registered yet you probably should hurry as there are only 30 slots remaining.
Thursday, May 24
New Home Sales UP in April?
by
Tom Skiba
on May 24, 2007 11:09AM (EDT)
Not sure what to make of this story in the context of the overall housing market, but new home sales were up over 16% in April, versus expectations of 0.2%. It looks like a sharp decline in prices has jumpstarted the market at least for the short term. Also, it is important to remember that new homes are only about 15% of overall real estate activity.
New homes sales rise 16.2 percent in April
Reuters
Thursday, May 24, 2007; 10:30 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new homes rose 16.2 percent in April, the sharpest climb in fourteen years, while prices fell a record 11 percent, according to a government report on Thursday that showed home builders taking extraordinary steps to move houses.
New single-family home sales rose to an annual rate of 981,000 units from a revised rate of 844,000 in March, the Commerce Department said.
Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting April sales to rise to an 860,000 unit pace from a previously reported rate of 858,000 units in March.
In April, the median sales price of a new home fell $28,500 to $229,100 from $257,600 in March.
There were 538,000 new homes for sale in April, a fall from the 546,000 reported in March. It would take 6.5 months to clear that inventory at the current sales pace, less than the 8.1 months recorded in March.
Thursday's data comes a day ahead of another key report that measures the pace of existing home sales -- which represent 85 percent of the housing market. Analysts polled by Reuters are expecting April existing home sales to rise to 6.14 million unit pace from the 6.12 million in March when that data is released Friday.
Sales were mostly up across the regions, with the South recording the largest gain at 27.8 percent. The Midwest saw a decline of 4.0 percent while the Northeast was up 3.8 percent and the West was up 8.5 percent.
Tuesday, May 8
Next Up - CEO Retreat
by
Tom Skiba
on May 8, 2007 11:07AM (EDT)
Now that conference is behind us, we are putting the finishing touches on our next big event. Every June, the week after Father's Day, CAI holds a retreat for CEO's of management company and their senior staff. This years event will be held from June 21st through 23rd in La Jolla, California at the Hilton-Torrey Pines.
The CEO-MC Retreat is designed to help business owners and managers make their companies more successful. Whether the topic is building strong customer relationships, leveraging technology, or building effective control system, the Retreat can help you make your management company even more effective and efficient. You can learn more about this years event, the educational lineup, and hotel information on our CEO-MC Retreat page on the web site.
As has become a Retreat tradition, we will also be holding a golf event before the retreat begins, so if you are a golfer you can join us on the fabulous Torrey Pines course.
Wednesday, May 2
Viva Community - The Debriefing
by
Tom Skiba
on May 2, 2007 01:51PM (EDT)
Well, I am finally back in the office after almost a week at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
I am not sure where to start my summary of last weeks 56th National Conference. If you missed it, you missed our biggest and best event ever. And you missed the opportunity to meet and learn from experts in the community association industry from across the country and around the world.
Las Vegas by the numbers:
1,300+ attendees including attendees, sponsors, and vendors
950+ full registrants (50% more than last year!!!)
222 first-time attendees (another record)
112 exhibit hall booths
98 Chapter Executive Directors and Presidents-Elect getting training
25 breakout sessions
19 board, committee, and other meetings
6 receptions, parties and events
4 other countries represented including Australia, Canada, England, and Mexico
2 engaging and entertaining general session speakers
Most importantly, one CAI
All in all a fabulous event for CAI and all of our members, and as is traditional we managed to have a great time as well. Check out our conference blog, Live From Las Vegas, for more information and photos, along with snippets from the many outstanding educational sessions.
If you were there, we really appreciate your support and participation, and if you weren't it is not too early to begin planning for next year in Orlando from April 30 to May 3.
And a special thank you to all of our sponsors, without whom we could not put on such a successful event.
Platinum Partner
U.S. Bank
Gold Partners
Community Archives, Inc.
Eugene Burger Management Corporation
Preferred Property Programs
SmartStreet, a Division of RBC Centura Bank
Event Sponsors
Thursday's Keynote Speaker Sponsor—Featuring Afterburner
Feinberg, Grant, Mayfield, Kaneda & Litt, LLP
Friday's Keynote Speaker Sponsor—Featuring Matt Weinstein
Associa
Manager's Exchange Sponsor
NCB
Manager's Reception Sponsor
Kevin Davis Insurance Services
Chapter Leadership Breakfasts Sponsor
Colonial Bank
Welcome Reception Sponsors
Association Voice
Jenark
U.S. Lawns
Wednesday, April 18
Viva Community - With more than 1000 of your friends and colleagues
by
Tom Skiba
on April 18, 2007 09:31AM (EDT)
Our conference in Las Vegas is shaping up to be the biggest in CAI history. To date we have more than 870 individuals registered for the full conference. Add that to a couple of hundred single day registrations and more than 250 exhibitors and sponsors from the sold-out exhibit hall and you can see that you will be able to tap into an amazing body of knowledge of our industry.
We encourage everyone to attend the Wednesday afternoon welcome reception. It is a great place to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones, make plans for the rest of the week, and get the conference off to a great start.
With so many attendees, we have added a new feature this year. You can visit our web site and see a list of all the currently registered attendees, either alphabetically or by state. Just go to the conference web page: http://www.caionline.org/events/conference/index.cfm and click on one of the registrant list items in the left margin.
See you all next Wednesday in Vegas.
Monday, April 16
GI Bill Benefits for Managers
by
Tom Skiba
on April 16, 2007 09:11AM (EDT)
In 2001, Congress approved changes to the GI Bill that allowed eligible veterans to be reimbursed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for taking approved certification and licensure examinations. We are happy to announce that, as of March 15, 2007, NBC-CAM and the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) program were accepted as an approved certification program.
What does this mean for our candidates? Candidates who are veterans eligible for GI Bill benefits can apply to be fully reimbursed for the CMCA examination cost. Candidates can be reimbursed for either the paper and pencil or computer-based exams and reimbursement is provided whether they pass or fail the CMCA examination. The CMCA is a nation-wide certification that demonstrates competency in the field of community association management.
To find out more about how to apply for reimbursement you can visit the GI Bill web site at: www.gibill.va.gov or you can contact Ann-Marie Johnson in the NBC-CAM office at amjohnson@caionline.org for additional information.
Thursday, April 12
The Real Foreclosure Problem
by
Tom Skiba
on April 12, 2007 08:42AM (EDT)
The sub-prime mortgage market continues to generate calls for reform, growing numbers of foreclosures, and reactions/solutions from every quarter. With almost 2 million loans due to reset rates this year and next, I expect it will be a while before we turn the corner on this problem. In other mortgage foreclosure news:
USAToday reports how increased foreclosures can make victims of even those who are current on their mortgages.
Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America pledges $1 billion to help low-income families avoid foreclosure.
And Senator Schumer wants to spend your tax dollars to bail out those in foreclosure.
Wednesday, April 11
Communications is Key
by
Tom Skiba
on April 11, 2007 11:04AM (EDT)
One of the key success factors in well-run associations is effective communications. CAI constantly stresses the need for better communications in our various training programs. In fact, in our training of board members, we frequently use the concept of "transparency" to describe how a board should operate and keep all members of the community informed. Here's an article about a community in Arizona that has made communications with its members a principle goal for the year.
The Homeowners Association at Cottonwood Palo Verde at Sun Lakes sets goals each and every year -- and topping this year’s list is more communication.
The board has a TV station, Web site, weekly flier and scheduled meetings the public can be involved with but board secretary, and spokesman for the board, Richard Hawkes said the board is hoping to go further by working with local publications such as the Chandler Independent.
Read the whole article.....
Not every community has the resources for a TV station, but this board clearly demonstrates their commitment to ensuring that all of their homeowners are as informed as possible.
Wednesday, March 28
Fed Chairman Doesn't See Subprime Loans Affecting Broader Economy
by
Tom Skiba
on March 28, 2007 01:20PM (EDT)
I was interested to see Fed Chair Ben Bernanke downplay the overall affect of continuing issues with sub-prime loans and lenders on the overall economy. In yesterday's testimony to Congress, Bernanke said the growing troubles in the market for risky mortgages thus far doesn’t appear to be spreading to the overall economy. “At this juncture ... the impact on the broader economy and financial markets of the problems in the sub-prime markets seems likely to be contained,” he said.
The full AP article can be found at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17831069/
Wednesday, March 21
Viva Community - And Save $50 Before March 30
by
Tom Skiba
on March 21, 2007 12:29PM (EDT)
Registering for CAI's 56th National Conference and Exposition couldn't be easier. Just go to our conference page to register online with your credit card or to download a copy of the registration form and mail it in if you would prefer to pay by check.
And if you register by March 30th you qualify for an early bird discount of $50 off the full registration fee.
The exhibit hall is sold-out, the speakers are polishing their presentations, and Vegas is ready for CAI. I hope to see you there. And don't forget to check out the conference blog to preview the great speakers, get into the groove, and review some Rat Pack lingo.
Thursday, March 15
Viva Community - Important Housing Update
by
Tom Skiba
on March 15, 2007 04:51PM (EDT)
Just a reminder that the hotel block for CAI's upcoming National Conference in Las Vegas expires tomorrow, Friday March 16th. We ran out of rooms last week, but were able to get Ceasar's Palace to add some additional rooms to our block at the negotiated rate. But after tomorrow the rate will increase and availability won't be guaranteed.
So if you haven't made your room reservation yet, now is the time.
See you all in Vegas baby..........
Viva Community - The Blog
by
Tom Skiba
on March 15, 2007 04:48PM (EDT)
Last year at CAI's National Conference in Palm Springs we tried something new. A real-time blog about the conference as it was happening. We were able to highlight sessions, post photos of all the fun, and generally provide a vehicle to get folks into the spirit of the event.
And of course give significant consideration to Common Ground Editor Chris Durso's obsession with In-N-Out Burger.
Well, this year we are going to do it again (hopefully without the paeans to In-N-Out Burger). In fact, we have already begun with information on the hotel, our exciting general session speakers, and of course some of the attractions of Las Vegas. So check out the Live From Las Vegas blog today.
Tuesday, March 13
Your Home Is Your Castle
by
Tom Skiba
on March 13, 2007 10:35AM (EDT)
But that is some kind of scary moat. Sorry, but I couldn't resist posting this. Looks like a trip to the market will require Sherpas and you will need some kind of crazy 4-wheel drive to get the car in the garage.
Actually this homeowner in China was the sole holdout unwilling to sell to a developer for a new housing project. You can read more about it here.
Monday, March 12
AARP, Community Associations, Rights, and Responsibilities
by
Tom Skiba
on March 12, 2007 11:12AM (EDT)
By now you probably are aware that AARP has recently published a policy paper on a so-called homeowners bill of rights. Unfortunately it doesn't address the corresponding "responsibilities" homeowners have in a community association, or the costs and implications of implementation. In addition, it attempts to prescribe a universal set of conditions that would apply to all associations, whether they had 2 units or 20,000. A couple of other things that you might not know about this report:
- As a product of AARP's Policy Institute, the paper does not represent official public policy for AARP, but is, as they have described to us, a document designed to initiate conversation about critical issues and bring together a variety of perspectives on critical issues.
- The paper was prepared by a homeowner advocate attorney in Texas, and not by AARP staff. As you might imagine, there was very limited input from industry representatives including CAI, NAHB, the National Council of Commissioners on Uniform State Law (who drafted UCIOA and similar legislation) and others.
- AARP has not adopted the proposed Bill of Rights as an official legislative position, although the report has been sent to their state offices.
- Sadly, the paper also seems to intimate that mature Americans are incapable of managing their own affairs and protecting their own interests. Personally, I think that seriously underestimates AARP's own members.
Yet the report raises some important issues and includes some potentially beneficial ideas on ensuring that communities serve all of their owners fairly, equitably, and harmoniously.
While we disagree on many of the details, we believe that this process can have positive outcomes. The attached file contains our formal response to AARP regarding this paper, our offer to work with them to develop and deliver education specifically targeting their members, and suggested alternatives to ensure that all the members of an association are treated with respect and consideration. I am pleased to note that the initial responses we have received from AARP staff regarding our proposals have been positive.
(Click on the paperclip icon below to access CAI's response letter to AARP in PDF format)
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