February 15th, 2019
We’re living in the golden age of DIY—do it yourself. With the right tools (and a Google search or YouTube video), you can learn to remodel your bathroom, give your car an oil change, and bake cakes like a pro. Self-managing an HOA is similar. With the proper technology and support, you can expertly handle all of your HOA business, and enjoy these benefits:
- Save time and minimize stress. The right tools help you complete HOA tasks quickly and efficiently.
- Save money. No need to hire a property management firm.
- Have somewhere to turn when questions arise. When you take the DIY HOA management route, it’s inevitable that tough questions will come up. What are the state laws that impact our HOA? Does our HOA budget include all the necessary line items, or are we missing something? It’s important to use technology that includes resources and support that help you handle questions and feel reassured that you’re doing things correctly.
Google has answers—but not all of them
Some HOAs rely on Google searches provide the guidance and reassurance they need to self manage. Google is great, but it’s not the most reliable, up-to-date source for mission-critical HOA management information.
The online messaging and file-sharing methods you currently use may not be secure
Does your HOA board use work and personal email addresses to correspond about HOA business or share files? That’s not ideal. If you’re sending messages about homeowners and their financials from a work email, the content might be available to your employer. That’s a data privacy issue.
If you’re sharing HOA documents over email, those docs can be hard to find later. Is the file I need in this email thread, or that one? Without a centralized, online document sharing and storage system that all your board members can access, you probably spend a lot of time digging through old email threads for the files you need. There may be multiple versions of important files floating around, creating confusion. You might also have boxes of paper documents, which are harder to access and organize than digital files, and can be unsecure.
Free online document storage tools have a price
Storing your HOA documents on a free cloud-based portal might sound appealing. You can keep all your HOA docs in one place, and everyone can log in to view them. Nice! But the price of using these free services may be your HOA’s and homeowners’ security. Free storage portals do require a password, but they don’t always have the layers of security and data encryption that other, more robust document storage services (like Basecamp) offer.
Make sure you’re using the best HOA management technology
To successfully self-manage your HOA, you need software that includes:
- A secure way to email HOA board members and homeowners
- A simple, secure way to store and manage HOA documents
- A financial reporting system that allows you to easily track revenue, costs and homeowner accounts
JSP Toolbox has it all
JSP Toolbox uses Basecamp, Gmail and QuickBooks to help you self-manage your HOA securely and easily. Everything you need is in one centralized, online location, which all HOA board members can access. The software we’ve packaged into JSP Toolbox has all of the security features you need to keep your HOA data private and safe. JSP Toolbox is affordable—a subscription costs a fraction of what you’d pay to use Basecamp and QuickBooks separately, and includes many additional resources.
JSP Toolbox was created by JSP Properties, a full-service property management company that’s been doing business for over two decades. Why does this matter? We know all about managing HOAs, and we used our expertise to choose the very best tools for your DIY toolbox. Included in JSP Toolbox is a robust resource center, which features:
- Financial models and templates
- Getting-started guides
- “Ask an Expert”, where you can submit a question and receive expert advice
- Members-only blog posts with timely topics
Our goal is to empower you to self-manage like a pro. If you ever need support that exceeds what you can find in the resource section of JSP Toolbox, we’re here to help.
Start your free trial of JSP Toolbox
ABOUT JASON PARR
Jason is the co-founder of JSP Toolbox and a principal of JSP Properties, a full-service property management company based in St. Paul, MN. He has over 20 years of experience in HOA management, real estate, and investing throughout the USA. Jason has co-authored books about real estate, taught real estate classes, and mentored up-and-coming real estate professionals.
Posted In: Technology