Community Trends - May 2025

MANAGEMENT TRENDS In a Perfect World…

By Chuck Graziano, CPM, PCAM, Wilkin Management Group, AAMC

W ell, maybe not perfect, but if you’re typical of the respondents to the recent (2024) study commissioned by CAI’s Foundation for Community Association Research, your experience of living in a community association is quite favorable. In fact, 86% of respondents rated community association living as very good, good or neutral. Trust in Leadership and Management National in scope, the survey reflects positive experienc es in a variety of categories including the belief by 82% of respondents that their board of directors acts in their best interests. Further, 83% indicated a positive experience with their community association manager. Using Data for Strategic Decision-Making The survey, conducted every two years, provides a great deal of insightful information which is not simply interesting, but which can guide association leaders and practitioners to make smart strategic decisions about where to direct attention when planning the budget or setting project pri orities. In many cases, decision makers set priorities based upon personal preferences or perceptions, which could be limiting at best and potentially be well off the mark from reality. It is important to balance the national and regional scope reflected in the study against knowledge about the individual community and preferences of existing home owners and potential buyers. Considering both perspec tives might well result in a different strategic view. People choose to move into a community association for a variety of reasons. Maybe your motivation for choosing a community association was to live in a neighborhood that’s clean and attractive (curb appeal). According to the survey, this was the top reason nationally for choosing community Why Homeowners Choose Community Associations

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“Maybe your motivation for choosing a community association was to live in a neighborhood that’s clean and attractive (curb appeal).”

living. Perhaps surprisingly, the second most important factor was the attraction to a neighborhood that was safe and secure. Or maybe the thought of throwing your snow shovel away and not having to worry about cutting the lawn or shoveling the driveway; the third most important factor (according to over 21% of respondents). Another factor that might surprise board members and managers is that only 6.10% of respondents said that ame nities, such as pools, clubhouses and tennis courts were the most important factor to them selecting a community asso ciation to be their home. Since these statistics are national, we might expect significant swings from region to region. The eastern US, however, reflected the rating of amenities as a factor almost identical to national statistics (6.10% for the eastern US and 6.12% nationally!). The Role of Amenities in Home Buying Decisions

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MAY 2025