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Are your HOA vendors truly serving your community or just benefiting from a trusted relationship? Listen to find out the signs that might be costing your association!
✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/

This week, Robert sits down with Board Hero, Peter Isakovic, a homeowner and board member from Colorado. He serves on the board of the CAI Rocky Mountain Chapter, and came to our attention as the author of a recent article for Common Interest, “Are ‘Preferred’ Contractors Preferred?”. The cautionary article discussed the importance of upholding the standard and integrity of your HOA’s vendors, while creating the best outcome for your community’s health and financial future. HOA Insights continues to set you up for success, ensuring you make the best financial decisions for your community by understanding blind spots that could be costing you money.

Chapters:

00:00 Why homeowner trust matters in HOA leadership
00:52 Introducing Peter Isakovic and the HOA vendor problem
03:41 How Peter got involved with his HOA board
06:21 Why homeowner voices matter in community associations
08:27 Running your HOA like a business
10:00 Why board members need to question vendors
12:25 When a management company relationship goes wrong
14:10 Death by a thousand paper cuts: hidden HOA costs
16:52 The $28,000 front door that raised red flags
18:18 Facing HOA financial reality and homeowner pushback
21:23 The importance of transparency with homeowners
22:48 Sponsor Break - Association Reserves
23:19 Reviewing invoices and finding costly mistakes
25:12 Curiosity, courage, and effective HOA leadership
27:18 Building trust through visibility and communication
28:01 Why proper licensing and insurance matter
29:27 Contract language can make or break your HOA
31:10 Building your own trusted vendor network
34:21 Final lessons for protecting HOA finances
35:41 Closing thoughts and key takeaways

The views & opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts & Guests, intended to provide general education about the community association industry. The content is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or organization.

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A Florida HOA lost $2 million to HOA board fraud. Learn the warning signs before it happens to you.
✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/

Episode #163 might just be our craziest story yet, and in a new fashion! Kevin Davis tells a story of how an unchecked board president can put you and your community in grave financial danger. This episode covers how a Florida HOA lost nearly $2 million when a small group on the inside used shell companies, hidden records, and control of the board to drain the association’s funds. When we learned what happened, we knew our listeners needed to hear this story so you can recognize the red flags early and protect your own community.

Chapters:
00:00 How did the HOA hide records from homeowners and investigators?
01:01 How did a Florida HOA lose $2 million to fraud?
02:05 How did the fraud scheme begin before the president took office?
03:09 How were shell companies used to siphon HOA funds?
04:33 Why did homeowners begin questioning the HOA board?
05:49 How did commingling funds help conceal the fraud?
07:12 How were records hidden from homeowners and police?
08:17 How did election fraud help keep the scheme alive?
09:17 What happened after the board members were convicted?
10:29 How did the HOA begin rebuilding after the fraud?
11:57 Ad Break - Kevin Davis Insurance Services
12:29 What insurance coverage should every HOA carry?
14:26 Why is directors and officers insurance so important?
15:36 How does board training prevent fraud and liability?
17:54 Why should HOAs have a fraud prevention policy?
19:10 Why is independent oversight critical for HOA finances?
20:08 How does transparency help stop fraud before it grows?
21:20 Why should boards always trust but verify?
22:18 How can conflicts of interest create major HOA risks?
23:24 What final lessons can HOA boards learn from this case?

The views & opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts & Guests, intended to provide general education about the community association industry. The content is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or organization.

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Learn the top HOA building maintenance tips that will help your board spot the dangers early and avoid costly structural repairs!
✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/

What can HOA boards do today to prevent tomorrow's building disasters? In this episode, engineering expert Greg Batista of G. Batista Engineering & Construction shares practical HOA building maintenance strategies, including painting, waterproofing, concrete repair, maintenance logs, crack monitoring, and proactive inspections. See how these early action steps can reduce costs, improve safety, and help associations avoid major structural issues.

Chapters:
00:00 What happens when HOA building problems get ignored?
02:35 Where can HOA board members find resources?
03:45 What maintenance systems help HOAs track building issues?
06:25 Are most HOA service companies proactive with maintenance?
07:43 Why should HOAs start building maintenance planning early?
09:23 Can basic maintenance technology help HOAs catch problems early?
10:05 Why is this one of the best HOA building maintenance investments?
11:22 How does familiarity blindness affect HOAs?
13:24 What hidden issues can painting reveal in HOA buildings?
14:22 Do small proactive tasks really help HOA building maintenance?
15:26 How do financial pressures impact HOA building maintenance?
16:44 Why should HOAs act quickly when they spot building problems?
17:34 What lessons can HOAs learn from real disasters & concrete neglect?
18:56 Our FiPhO - Ad Break
19:53 What is concrete spalling and why is it dangerous for buildings?
23:10 Why is waterproofing critical for HOA building maintenance?
25:08 When should HOA boards call a structural engineer?
26:15 What can help monitor structural concerns in HOA buildings?
28:30 What are the 4 C’s of effective HOA leadership for building care?
33:20 What is the key takeaway for proactive HOA building care?

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Fannie Mae’s 2027 changes could impact HOA lending standards nationwide. Here’s what boards need to know.
✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/

🏠 Condo Status Finder: https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/condo-status-finder

✉️ Fannie Mae's March 18th Lending Letter: http://www.reservestudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/LL-2026-03-Project-Standards_Insurance-03-18-26.pdf

Today we have on the show Jodi Horne, she's principal of single family collateral risk management at Fannie Mae, and that's a long title, but what that all means is that she's the one at Fannie Mae ultimately responsible for lending standards affecting community associations and their latest lending standard update in particular, so at any time Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac make an adjustment to their lending standards. It sends ripples throughout the community association and the entire lending industry. So, to lower your anxiety and to hear what's really going on, we have Jodi here on the program today, speaking publicly on this issue.

Chapters:
00:00 Why is Fannie Mae changing reserve requirements?
00:51 Who is Jodi Horne and why does this update matter?
04:03 What role does Fannie Mae play in HOA lending standards?
05:05 Why did Fannie Mae decide to make this change?
07:45 Why should HOA homeowners care about these requirements?
08:42 What are the two major reserve policy changes?
12:24 When do the new reserve requirements take effect?
14:22 Is this a national standard or a regional change?
15:24 Ad Break - Association Reserves
15:56 Why was the reserve threshold increased from 10% to 15%?
17:58 Who reviews reserve studies and reserve funding levels?
19:06 What qualifies as an acceptable reserve study?
20:45 Why is baseline funding no longer acceptable?
24:05 How do associations support mortgage financing eligibility?
25:23 How long did it take to develop these changes?
27:00 Was the Champlain Towers collapse the reason for this update?
28:59 What should HOA boards do next to prepare?
30:49 Where can boards find the Fannie Mae resources discussed today?

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Think your HOA contract covers everything? Many boards misunderstand what “full service” means…

With us today is Rolf Crocker, the president of Omni Community Management, an association management company located in Northern California. This week we thought we would regale you with all of the information we have about HOA management companies, their relationships with HOA boards, and how an HOA contract might not be what you think.

Chapters:

00:00 Why is there a bandwidth problem in HOA management?
00:54 What does “full service” HOA management really mean?
04:12 What is portfolio management and how does it work?
05:58 Why is time the only real “widget” in management?
06:54 Why can’t small HOAs expect unlimited service?
08:35 Should boards create a wish list before hiring management?
10:01 Why is HOA management still partially self-managed?
11:14 Why do board expectations suddenly change over time?
13:00 Why are some HOA management tasks billed separately?
14:44 Why do rising labor and operating costs matter to HOAs?
17:50 Why is trust essential between boards and managers?
19:15 Ad Break - Community Financials
19:46 Why can’t boards always choose their portfolio manager?
22:27 What is the “span of control” problem in management?
24:24 Why is finding great HOA managers becoming harder?
27:29 How did HOAs become such a massive institution?
30:43 Why are volunteer HOA board members so important?
31:27 How much influence do HOA board members really have?
32:42 What is the biggest takeaway for HOA boards and managers?

Podcast Links:
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Small HOA board mistakes can become massive lawsuits! See how poor decisions escalate legal and financial risk.
✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/

Poor HOA board decisions can quickly escalate into lawsuits costing tens of thousands, or even millions, of dollars. Learn how communication failures, inconsistent rule enforcement, deferred maintenance, discrimination claims, and breaches of fiduciary duty create serious legal and financial exposure for community associations.

Chapters
00:00 Why should HOA boards get training and advice?
01:10 What happens when an HOA board makes no decision?
03:08 How much does a ‘simple’ HOA claim really cost?
04:21 How do procedural mistakes create HOA lawsuits?
08:35 Why is communication critical for HOA boards?
09:56 How can small HOA conflicts become six‑figure lawsuits?
11:18 How do special assessments trigger HOA legal disputes?
12:47 Why do HOA disputes get more costly over time?
15:00 How do inconsistent HOA rules create liability?
15:50 When should an HOA board call attorneys or risk managers?
22:38 Ad Break - Kevin Davis Insurance Services
23:04 What really causes million‑dollar HOA lawsuits?
24:12 How does structural damage becomes a legal disaster?
26:57 How do discrimination claims impact HOAs and boards?
28:57 What is breach of fiduciary duty for an HOA board?
29:23 How can HOAs end up on Fannie Mae’s blacklist?
30:52 How can HOAs reduce lawsuit risk?
32:18 Why HOA board education and training are necessary

The views & opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts & Guests, intended to provide general education about the community association industry. The content is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or organization.

Podcast Links:
Full Episode List
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Engage in the conversation!

Call our 24/7 voicemail line at (805) 203-3130 or send an email or voice memo to podcast@reservestudy.com

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Julie Adamen

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What should your HOA do when ICE shows up? Here’s what boards need to know about ICE and HOA responsibilities.
✅ Is a Reserve Study right for you? 👉 https://www.reservestudy.com/

Complying with law enforcement or people in uniform is something that we just do as part of living in our ordered society, but that has traditionally been for issues having to do with life safety. You got to think about letting a fireman into your house, or when a policeman pulls you over for speeding, or when the FBI raids the office of a corrupt politician. So without touching the political sensitivities of this topic today, we'll learn if we should put ICE officials in the same automatic compliance category for your HOA, or if they belong in a different category.

Contact Sandra at: slg@sghoalaw.com or 800.372.2207 x202

Chapters:
00:00 What should you do if ICE shows up at your HOA?
00:45 Why is this topic becoming relevant for associations now?
03:09 Why should HOAs prepare policies for law enforcement access?
04:18 How did real late-night ICE situations create panic?
06:36 Why should HOAs slow down instead of reacting quickly?
08:26 What legal factors make ICE situations more complex?
10:00 Why can oversharing create liability for associations?
10:56 Why is having a written ICE protocol so important?
12:17 Are ICE agents using fear as part of their strategy?
13:44 Who is the HOA actually responsible for protecting?
15:00 How can vendor situations create unexpected risk?
17:13 Ad Break - Kevin Davis Insurance Services
17:41 Why is access control critical when ICE arrives?
18:13 What is the difference between administrative and judicial warrants?
19:35 Why should HOAs request documentation and copies?
20:20 Why is this not an emergency situation?
21:19 When should HOAs step aside if force is involved?
22:50 Should ICE be treated like other law enforcement?
23:52 Why should all requests be documented in writing?
25:00 How should front desk staff respond in the moment?
26:01 What if your attorney is unfamiliar with these situations?
27:21 What is the most important takeaway for HOA boards?

The views & opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts & Guests, intended to provide general education about the community association industry. The content is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or organization.

Podcast Links:
Full Episode List
Watch On Youtube

Engage in the conversation!

Call our 24/7 voicemail line at (805) 203-3130 or send an email or voice memo to podcast@reservestudy.com

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Julie Adamen

Kevin Davis, CIRMS

Robert Nordlund, PE

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