How To Foster a Sense Of Community In Your Hoa

Some homeowners don’t feel a sense of community or see value in their homeowners’ associations. But A community spirit can encourage them to get involved and work for the common good.

Image source: Pixabay.com

Promote open communication

A community association could work towards and promote open communication among members, with the board and management providing avenues for feedback and suggestions from everyone. They Board should be open to ideas, not just talk to members.

Create fun events

Help neighbors get to know each other, especially in communities that are quite large that only immediate neighbors’ names and faces are familiar. Organize enjoyable events on holidays, special times of the year, or during the HOA anniversary. Come together regularly and interact!

Form a welcoming committee

Establish a voluntary Welcoming Committee that will help create goodwill among new homeowners and will better persuade them to become active in the association in the future. It doesn’t have to be much elaborate: come over with a fruit basket or other small gestures to welcome them in the community.

Communicate HOA rules in new ways

Have a Committee Member Create a Newsletter that will report what’s happening with the Board and the HOA, as well as offer news and updates about the community. Create a special Website, too that will give members access to HOA documents and information on upcoming events and activities.

Image source: Pixabay.com

AMMCOR, Inc. is a Homeowners Association management company that provides top-notch services for over 15,000 homes in Orange County for more than 30 years now. For related reads, click here.

Housing Outlook And Trends For 2018

2018 is here, and with it comes significant and most-welcome shifts in the housing industry, including an ease in the housing inventory shortage. The industry would see more manageable increases in home prices and an acceleration of home sales. Hereunder are more trends to watch this coming year.

Image source: realtor.com

Analysts from Realtor.com, the popular real estate listings website, predict that millennials will begin to increase their market share of homeownership in 2018. They also see home prices appreciating by as much as 3.2 percent this year. Because of this, home sales are seen to pick up by 2019.

Existing home sales are forecasted to rise 2.5 percent as the trend in low inventory begins to reverse its course. In line with this, mortgage rates are expected to average 4.6 percent throughout the year but reach 5 percent for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage by the end of 2018. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, these rates will continue to rise and could pass four or even five percent over the next few years.

Even as existing home sales increase, new home sales will increase further, meaning housing projects will also rise. Housing starts are predicted to increase by 3 percent over the year, but single-family home starts will increase more at 7 percent. The same 7-percent trend is expected for new home sales.  

Finally, one bit of good news: homeownership rates will stabilize at 63.9 percent after having hit rock-bottom in the second quarter of 2016.

Image source: straight.com

Homeowners Association management company AMMCOR, Inc. is a gem to the community as it holds memberships in various organizations such as the Rotary Club, American Humane, ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Mission Hospital, and South Coast Literacy Council. More housing news via this Twitter page.