I wrote this book to serve as a "primer" on the basics of what you can do to: - Make your personal time on the board more satisfying - Produce value for the homeowners in your HOA - Encourage other homeowners to volunteer to make their HOA a better place to live. This is a "foundation" book. I want you, as a volunteer board member, to have a foundation of knowledge in what a homeowners association is and how it should work. I have seen too many homeowners associations in which new board members have no basic knowledge in association best practices and they get caught up in the emotions of making decisions for their neighbors. Their volunteer time turns in to a frustrating experience and the existing problems persist with the association. With a good foundation, I believe you will be able to learn more about community associations and the common issues that confront them. With this book, you will have an outline that will help you organize your thoughts, build on a solid framework and make your volunteer time valuable to you and to your neighbors.

A Framework for HOA Management is a comprehensive look at the many issues which face current and prospective board members of a typical homeowner association. On completion, the reader will have the necessary tools and understanding to manage their HOA and the ability to confront even the most unexpected situations effectively.--

This HOA book provides an understanding of the hierarchy of state laws, their relationship to the Homeowner Associations' CC&R's, and how those relationships affect a board members ability to serve and make educated decisions. It is a study guide for learning how an HOA operates and how directors of the HOA should be conducting the business.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

A study of political and social issues posed by the rise of CIDs (common interest housing developments) in the US. The work explores the consequences of CIDs on government and argues that private, residential government has serious implications for civil liberties.

Two gun buffs go shooting in the southern Arizona desert. They are found dead, their bodies riddled with bullets. Pima County detectives Juan Caldera and Sam Junior Collins work the case with the help of their colleagues, Barbara Sanchez and Richard Grogan. They discover that the victims had a history of bullying members of the Fantasia Homeowners Association. Members of the HOA, as well as Calderas' team, cannot believe that someone would commit murder over trivial HOA arguments, but Juan cites a case where such a murder occurred in the Phoenix area. He nevertheless has to consider alternative theories. Were the victims involved in gun or people smuggling across the nearby Mexican border? Were they Minutemen attempting to intimidate wannabe immigrants from Mexico or minutemen sympathizers who were killed for some reason associated with such activities? When more deaths occur in the HOA, the puzzle becomes complex.

In 2000, Jakob Nielsen, the world’s leading expert on Web usability, published a book that changed how people think about the Web— Designing Web Usability (New Riders). Many applauded. A few jeered. But everyone listened. The best-selling usability guru is back and has revisited his classic guide, joined forces with Web usability consultant Hoa Loranger, and created an updated companion book that covers the essential changes to the Web and usability today. Prioritizing Web Usability is the guide for anyone who wants to take their Web site(s) to next level and make usability a priority! Through the authors’ wisdom, experience, and hundreds of real-world user tests and contemporary Web site critiques, you’ll learn about site design, user experience and usability testing, navigation and search capabilities, old guidelines and prioritizing usability issues, page design and layout, content design, and more!

Do you thrive or barely survive in a community governed by an association? With humor and down-to-earth facts, this guide offers real-life scenarios and solutions.

Community associations enforce rules and restrictions to ensure a high quality of life for residents and to preserve property values--not to harass residents. Rules are there to prevent homeowners from painting their houses pink or storing washing machines in their yards--but those same rules should not become overzealous or inflexible. "Be Reasonable" shows you how to write and enforce rules that won't get your association in trouble and won't cause residents to hold recall elections. "Be Reasonable" is a compendium of expert opinions from over 30 leading community association attorneys, managers, and directors. You'll learn effective strategies for drafting and enacting reasonable rules, identifying unreasonable rules and restrictions, and working with residents. You'll also find out more about reasonable enforcement procedures--from making exceptions to providing due process. Practical applications are illustrations through discussion of court cases and real-life controversies. Some of the topics include: Writing Reasonable Rules, Understanding Rules and Restrictions, Reasonable Enforcement Strategies, Mediating Disputes, Levying Fines, Controversial Rules and Restrictions, Children, Holiday Decorations, Satellite Dishes, Vehicles, and Eliminating Unreasonable Rules.