Home Owner Associations will typically have few common areas that require infrequent but large scale projects. These larger projects can be extremely costly to a community which has not adequately reserved for them. It's been our experience that the infrequent expenses are the most problematic for an HOA and are often not considered in long term budgeting projections. Even though they provide the longest time scale to adequately reserve for, many communities are either unaware of the expenses or keep pushing them off for others to worry about at a later date.
A reserve study takes all of the common areas into consideration and projects a long term (30 year) financial model to pay for them. These infrequent projects are narrowed down into easy to read and understand monthly & annual reserve recommendations. The "surprise" common area expenditures are eliminated and a Board can confidently vote on matters related to reserve requirements and keep the community on sound financial footing.
Below are common area maintenance, repair and replacement suggestions for some of the more typical common area projects we see in Home Owner Association Communities of single family homes.
Sample Reserve Data Analyst Homeowner's Association Reserve Study Here: Sample HOA Reserve Study >>>
Detention / Retention Ponds
Detention and retention ponds typically require periodic vegetation removal as well as larger scale projects every 10-20 years for removal of sediments.
Landscaping
Landscaping with underground sprinkler systems typically require large scale refurbishment every 15-20 years due to drainage, root intrusion and aesthetics.
Fencing
Regular maintenance schedules for paint/stain and minor repair help to extend the useful life of fencing which is constantly exposed to the elements.
Playground Areas
Playground equipment and the area it is situated on require annual inspection and repair/refurbishment for safety as well as to extend the useful life of this component.
Parks
Community parks are appealing and add recreational opportunities to a community but also come with maintenance and liability concerns that are ongoing and require attention by the Board.
Tree Maintenance
As a community ages the trees that were once small and out of the way can soon grow to sizes that cause hazards at walkways (root intrusion), near utility lines and public gathering areas.
Asphalt
Asphalt can be a long life component of over 25 years if adequately maintained with periodic sealcoating and annual cleaning of oil/gas patches that break down the asphalt surface.
Signage
Depending on the quality and materials used in manufacturing the sign this can be a component which requires little maintenance or one that requires period refurbishment or replacement (particularly wood signs).
HOW YOUR HOA CAN BENEFIT FROM A RESERVE STUDY
Our HOA Reserve Study Professionals provide studies with long term cost and project timelines so that the community can adequately plan for large common area projects years in advance.
It has been our experience that most HOA communities run into trouble with adequately planning for infrequent but more costly larger projects related to landscaping refurbishment, irrigation lines, retention ponds, asphalt overlays and utility lines.
These components which may have longer useful lives are often either overlooked or ignored with the assumption that a Board at some point in the future will address them. The result is often an underfunded community which then has to rely on assessing the community members unfairly (past members did not pay their fair share).
Our 30 year studies can be utilized to fairly assess members in the community while adequately budgeting for these large scale projects years in advance.
Our studies include a Assessment and Funding Disclosure form which complies with statutory requirements for the Boards annual disclosure to the membership of the community.
Washington, California, Hawaii and many other states have passed regulation for disclosure to the community members. Our studies include a disclosure form which comply with these requirements.
Typical disclosure requirements include the adopted budget amount, reserve allocation amounts, the adequacy of the reserve allocation versus the reserve study recommendations and loan/special assessment planned or implemented.
Without a reserve study a Manager or Board member will have to conduct their own reserve study to adequately comply with these disclosure requirements that are extensive and require knowledge of common area components and the concepts like "Percent Funded"
The comprehensive site inspection and detailed inventory of components in the study provide the Board with a reliable and accurate document to based funding decisions on.
The component list developed during the comprehensive site inspection provides a full list of common area components and their respective costs.
Our studies provide projected costs, useful lives and remaining useful lives of the components over a 30 year period so that the Board and membership is aware, well in advance, of predictable common area expenses.
Finally we develop numerous funding models to show how an HOA can adequately pay for these common area expenses in a realistic manner while complying with National Reserve Study Standards and all Statutory requirements. Implementing and following a funding model is much easier when there is a set document to guide the current and future Boards in the same direction.