Spring and summer are particularly busy times for Inland Empire property management companies as they deal with extreme weather. Almost yearly, the area is hit by summer storms that bring massive amounts of wind and precipitation. This results in a heightened risk for property damage brought about by flooding and soil erosion, not to mention water pollution coming from domestic and commercial sources.

Property management companies in the Inland Empire are mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to follow certain practices that result in low-impact development. The Inland Empire lies in a corridor with a very fragile ecosystem and thin soils; thus, low-impact development with a focus on flooding and erosion mitigation is key. For inland desert communities that are crisscrossed by water channels, pollution prevention is also important. Below are three stormwater management best practices suggested by the Housing Department for HOAs:

1. Compost blankets and silt fences. Compost blankets are layers of compost applied to hillsides or sloping ground, while silt fences are temporary fences that are built around construction areas. Compost blankets are excellent absorbers of rain energy and reduce erosion due to wind and water. Because they stimulate microbial growth, compost blankets improve the quality of the soil beneath them and provide excellent substrates for vegetation. On the other hand, silt fences control the flow of stormwater from construction areas, protecting the surrounding area from siltation and flooding.

2. Pollution prevention measures. Many HOAs implement the following measures to keep stormwater free of pollution: banning the disposal of carpet cleaning solution and non-biodegradable detergents in street gutters; implementing strict solid waste regulations and collection schedules; and asking owners of leaking vehicles to get their cars checked. These measures are all meant to prevent stormwater from mixing with waste of any form and taking them into main municipal water channels.

3. Natural filtration methods. There are both old and new ways of filtering stormwater before they go into the drainage channels. These include permeable pavement, vegetated swales, and sand filters. Permeable pavements can “absorb” water and filter it down to the sewers, leaving behind solid wastes. Vegetated swales are low-lying tracts of land that act as natural drainage channels; the vegetation catches all sorts of solid pollutants and prevents soil erosion. Finally, sand filters also remove oil and other pollutants from the water before it reaches the drainage system.

Does your HOA need assistance with stormwater management? SoCal Property Enterprises offers stormwater and drainage management services to its Inland Empire property management clients. To know more about our services, give us a call at (888) 828-9444.

Each year, Corona property managementcompanies and HOAs are busy planning summer engagement activities for residents and homeowners. These activities are designed to foster a sense of community between and among neighbors.

Summer is an excellent season for such activities, thanks to Southern California’s famed sunny climate. The clear weather opens a lot of outdoor activities for both children and adults. Here are some summer activities that will surely get HOA members out of their homes and into the clubhouse.

1. Outdoor movie nights.

Nothing beats a clear, starry sky as a backdrop for an outdoor movie night. This activity is surprisingly easy to organize – all it takes is a wide, blank wall, a good movie, an LED projector, a set of speakers, blankets, and chairs. You can even have themed movie nights for seniors featuring classic films and child-friendly flicks. Don’t forget the popcorn and soda!

2. Fourth of July events.

Everyone loves parades, and the Fourth of July is the perfect reason to hold one in the neighborhood. The HOA management should plan a parade route, with some streets blocked to traffic, and have the homes draped in red, white, and blue. Children and adults alike will have fun parading down the streets in cars and bikes clad in the Union’s colors, and even baby strollers can be decorated to show their love for America. Cap off the festivities with a party where awards for the best-decorated house, car, or bike may be given out.

3. Pool parties.

No summer in Southern California is complete without a pool party. Whether the party is for kids, adults, or both, one can expect a lot of splashing water, loud, cheerful music, and happy faces all around. For property management in Corona, it is also an opportunity to showcase how well-maintained the facilities are, especially if the party is held on the first weekend of summer. If the HOA has set aside a large enough budget for this event, add some entertainment, such as a local to get the residents into the pool. Drinks and food, such as pizza, are optional but highly recommended.

4. Ice cream and BBQ parties.

As summer draws to a close, many residents might move out of the community for work or school. There is no better way to express gratitude for being such good neighbors than a good, old-fashioned ice cream and barbecue party. Set up a table with sprinkles and toppings and watch the kids get creative with their ice cream. You can also have residents bring their own dishes to the event.

Corona property management is not just all about fixing divots and leaky ceilings; they like to make things more fun for residents too! To know more about our services, give us a call at (888) 828-9444.

A professional HOA Management Company ensures that all the duties of the association, and the responsibilities of its Board Members are performed accurately and as efficiently as possible. While one might assume that the purpose of a professional HOA and property manager is to assist the Board and its members, this isn’t necessarily an accurate representation of what a HOA manager actually does.

The more important aspect of a HOA management company is the homeowners themselves. They assist the Board and ensure that the association is organized and functional primarily to serve the best interests of the homeowners. To be more specific, here are some of the benefits that homeowners receive from a HOA manager:

1. Ensures that HOA regulations are strictly followed by all members. As a homeowner, you are a valuable stakeholder in your community. You deserve to live in a thriving community that stands out—or at least up to par with standards of living of other communities. The regulations implemented by the association are there for the upkeep of your community—to preserve its integrity.

To ensure that homeowners are following regulations, especially regarding maintenance of their property, random, as well as scheduled, property visits might be performed by the property manager from time to time.

2. You know where your association dues go. It’s a fairly common scenario where homeowners are left wondering where their association dues go. While they may be casually informed by the association about a certain project or undertaking that the association funded, they don’t actually know what the specific expenses are. A property and HOA manager takes care of the financial aspect of the association as well and this means detailed reports may be furnished to inform homeowners where their fees go.

3. You have a middleman to approach for concerns. Board Members are usually professionals with tons of responsibilities at work; they are busy people too and as such, they may not always be available when you need to discuss with them your concerns or issues—especially those that are time-sensitive. A HOA management company assigns a professional to each community, which means that you will have someone you can readily approach at a moment’s notice for your concerns.

There are numerous other benefits that homeowners will get to enjoy once their HOA hires a professional property management team. If you are a member of your HOA in Southern California, or you would like to recommend HOA management services to your Board, please feel free to give us a call at (888) 828-9444. We’ll gladly discuss your requirements in person at your convenience.

The California Association of Realtors recently reported that Corona posted the “largest annual increase in home sales” out of all the counties in California. The primary reason for this is the affordability of real estate in the county compared to other cities or counties in the coastal area of the state. A Corona HOA management should therefore be in place in order to accommodate the influx of new residents—people who moved from their city homes in California to the Inland Empire, to which Corona belongs.

Despite the distance from their workplace, a lot more people have decided to take advantage of the affordability of housing in Corona; finally fulfilling their dreams of becoming homeowners—for the first time, for most.

And for homeowners’ associations to be able to provide proper assistance to its members, they need to have a strong and solid Corona HOA management team to handle all the associations’ tasks—daily, weekly, and monthly.

Here are the top 3 most beneficial services that a professional HOA management company can provide your association:

1. Financial/Accounting, and training for Treasurers. One of the most often-neglected aspects of a homeowners’ association is the financial side of things. Record-keeping is a task that needs attention on daily basis, and on specific dates or events when funds are needed for whatever HOA-approved undertaking. Staying on top of the HOA’s finances is actually crucial to its survival—and to a certain degree, the members’ satisfaction with how the HOA handles the fees and other funds acquired through other means.

2. Site reviews (compliance, violations, and maintenance). When a new homeowner joins the community, he or she may not yet be familiar with certain rules and regulations of the HOA, and as such, site visits are required if only to ensure that all regulations regarding property maintenance, for example, are all followed. When you have a Corona HOA or property management professional dedicated specially to take care of homeowners’ compliance, you can rest easy knowing that someone reliable and trustworthy is doing the necessary site visits and inspections.

3. Homeowner participation. Being part of the HOA is so much more than simply paying association dues, following regulations, or being neighborly. The homeowner needs to be an active participant in all the events of the HOA so every member is aware and well-informed should there come a time when changes need to be made. Attending meetings, signing up for sub-committees and such are only some of the ways that homeowners are expected to participate.

If you wish to discuss your requirements for Corona property and HOA management services, please feel free to call us at 888-828-9444.

The USC Casden Multifamily Forecast predicts that apartment rental fees in Southern California will experience an increase by at least $100 within the next two years, and by 2018, counties like LA will see an average rent of $1,416. If you have property in the So Cal area, now is the best time to hire a Southern California property management team. Why? Because the time is ripe for turning your idle property into an income-generating asset, earning you passive income to augment your household income, or to put away for a rainy day.

With a lot more people relocating to Southern California, particularly millennials because of job opportunities, the demand for housing rentals in SoCal has been experiencing a steady increase. This is because most of the residents here cannot afford to purchase their own home, and turn to apartment or housing rentals as the more affordable alternative. While it’s true that rental fees in this side of California are among the highest in the country, rentals are still considered as a better alternative to high mortgage payments. At the very least, renters have no fear of foreclosures, which in itself, is a welcome reprieve.

Why hire the services of a Southern California property management company?

If you live miles away from where you property is located, you will need the professional assistance of a licensed property manager to ensure that, first and foremost, your property is cared for. Secondly, a property manager will handle all of the rental details for you and liaise with the renters on your behalf. Briefly, here is what a property manager can do for you:

• Find the right tenant for your property (show the property to interested renters, and screen the potential tenants)
• Do the paperwork (from rent or lease agreement to permits, if necessary, and all other required documents)
• Ensure that the tenants are occupying the property according to the terms covered in the lease agreement
• Oversee repairs and maintenance checks
• Liaise on your behalf for complaints or requests

As you can see, a property manager will remove the burden of overseeing everything about your rental off of you. You can simply relax in your own corner, go about your daily routine, and sleep peacefully at night knowing that your property is in good hands.

We invite you to give us a call at (888) 828-9444 to learn more about our Southern California property management services.

contact us at (888) 828-9444.

As anyone who’s worked in property management and grounds maintenance would tell you, winter is their least favorite time of the year. Among Orange County property management professionals, winter means high winds, heavy rains, and erratic cold snaps, sometimes reaching just above freezing. Because of this, the best HOA and property management companies prepare months in advance for winter.

Winter preparations start as early as late summer or early fall. The first step is often the unclogging of drains, gutters, and downspouts, which tend to attract unwelcome debris and even animal inhabitants in spring and summer due to their cool and dark interiors. Clogged drains often freeze over during winter, leading to bursting pipes and hefty repair and replacement expenses once spring comes. That being said, maintenance crews wrap exposed outdoor pipes in insulating materials. Roof and siding repair is also done in the fall to prevent slips and falls caused by winter rain and snow.

Ornamental plants and trees also benefit from early winter preparations. Large trees can be braced in the middle of fall to prevent sudden winter winds from lashing out at them, and potentially uprooting them as well. This activity can also help prevent frost from weighing down tree branches, posing a risk to pedestrians, property, and the trees themselves. This is especially important for areas like Orange County and San Bernardino County, which experience heavy snow and frost every few years.

Aside from trees and plants, lawns have to be prepared as well. The best times to plant grass seed in California are early fall and late spring or summer, and the timelines for lawn maintenance have to be planned around the optimal planting season to ensure the survival of the grass seedlings. The right grass seed, such as fescue or Bermuda, have to be purchased in advance as well.

Preparations like these have to be taken seriously. The best Orange County property management practitioners treat these preparations as large-scale projects, complete with well-defined timelines, yearly budgets, and dedicated vendors. Procurement and storage of important supplies and equipment, such as road salt, snow shovels, and snow blowers, should be done professionally to ensure that the homeowners get their contributions’ worth.

When it comes to Orange County HOA management, SoCal Property Enterprises is the top choice of homeowners’ associations and condominium associations. With decades of experience in dealing with all sorts of weather, you and your residents and homeowners can rest easy, knowing that your property will be kept safe during the winter. To learn more about the services we offer to homeowners’ associations and property developers, contact us at (888) 828-9444 or send us a message.

Swimming pools are popular among condominium and gated community owners. While they see a lot of use during spring and summer, most San Bernardino property management contractors say that they are rarely visited between December and February, even with heated water and other features such as communal saunas and steam baths. Because of this, pool maintenance falls to a yearly low as well.

Because many property owners and HOA management providers neglect their swimming pools during winter, algae growth starts to set in after a few weeks. It is true that algae grows slower in cold weather; however, slow growth is still growth, and by the time spring rolls in, many residents avoid visiting the condominium pool because of its unseemly smell and unappealing appearance. Here, we will give you a sneak peek into the techniques the best property managers use to prevent winter algae from growing in swimming pools.

1. Cover The Pool. The ideal cover should cover an area larger than the pool itself, thus keeping dirt away from the sides of the pool. An opaque cover, preferably made from vinyl, will keep your swimming pool free of debris and dirt. The opacity will also help keep sunlight away from the water, thus depriving algae of the warmth and light that it needs to grow and thrive. Also, the absence of debris will ensure that the chlorine level will stay constant through the winter.

2. Chlorinate The Pool. The ideal pH level for swimming pools is between 7.2 to 7.6. This is achieved by regularly chlorinating the water. At the same time, to nip the growth of algae in the bud, “shocking” the water (that is, introducing high concentrations of chlorine treatment) should be done every three weeks. After shocking the water, run the filter for two to four hours to make sure that the treatment is dissolved evenly.

3. Check The Pool Daily. Daily checks of the pool could reveal algae slowly starting to form on the walls, the floor, or on the water itself. It’s easier to detect algae in winter as it grows much slowly than it would in summer. If you do see specks of green floating in the water, introduce a chlorine shock treatment, run the filter, and add an algaecide the next day. The filter should also run for an hour twice daily to prevent stagnation.

The best San Bernardino HOA management companies follow the techniques above to make sure that their clients are able to enjoy their pool facilities as soon as spring comes along. To know more about how SoCal Property Enterprises satisfies its clients, visit our website or give us a call at (888) 828-9444.

As soon as winter ends, Southern California property management companies start getting busy with spring cleaning. Winter, with the rain and snow it brings, leaves behind a ton of damage, especially for older, poorly-maintained communities. It also brings a ton of debris, such as fallen branches and rocks strewn about the property.

One of the first things property managers do is to conduct an inspection of the premises, coordinating with housekeepers and grounds maintenance personnel in removing loose debris. In the case of Southern California, winter tends to be a wet and windy season, with snow and frost in some locations. This results in broken tree branches, particularly for trees weighed down by frost and hail. Sleet and hail could also cause broken windows, floor tiles, and pavement. Rain could seep inside existing cracks in stone and cement, which then expand as the water freezes in sub-zero night temperatures. While this phenomenon affects some areas more than others, an inspection of all exposed concrete surfaces is in order.

Cold weather could have other unwelcome side effects. For example, water could accumulate inside drainpipes and downspouts, resulting in clogs, leaks, and cracks. Combine this with loose debris, and property managers suddenly have a maintenance headache in their hands. Properties with swimming pools are also at risk, as little-used and cleaned swimming pools can develop an algae colony over the lean winter months. It is advisable to make declogging the drains and removing algae from pools a priority, as the transition from winter to spring in Southern California can be very brief and residents might want to use the pool once the cold snaps end.

Spring is also the time for power-washing all exposed surfaces, such as tennis courts, pool decks, and sidewalks. Rain and snow runoff can contain debris from a number of sources, and this sort of accumulated dirt cannot be washed off using ordinary garden hoses alone. This, pressurized water hoses come in handy during spring cleaning.

Finally, once everything has been cleaned, it’s time to restore the plants to their former condition. Lawns have to be reseeded, perennial plants in flowerbeds need a new topsoil cover, and sprinklers have to be up and running. Thus, spring cleaning will not be complete without checking both the soil and the plumbing.

It is the job of Southern California property management companies to ensure that everything is in tiptop shape in time for spring. To find out more about the services offered by the top Southern California property management company, visit our website.

When it comes to dealing with winter pests, LA HOA management companies have it a bit easier, as they don’t have to contend with stray wildlife such as opossums and raccoons. However, this doesn’t mean they can relax, as there are other common winter pests that can ruin the experience of homeowners and tenants alike.

Winter is the dormant season for insects such as mosquitoes and ants, so these two pests should not be a problem. However, holiday celebrations usually result in a supply of leftover food. Scavenging pests, such as mice, rats, and cockroaches, immediately try to get into residential properties in search of something to eat. Dealing with these pests shouldn’t start and stop at exterminating them – something has to be done even before residents start reporting noises made by mice on their ceilings.

Mice and rats are two of the most common rodents in Southern California. They tend to sneak inside confined spaces, such as basements, attics, and eaves, and are known to chew through plastic and rubber, and even lead pipes, just to get to their food sources. Many holiday-related fires are caused by damaged electric wiring, and mice and rats are two of the biggest culprits. In addition, they also carry serious diseases such as leptospirosis. To keep rodents away, HOA management and their vendors should seal all wall openings with silicone caulking and steel wool. They should also drain all stagnant water inside crawl spaces, as rats are attracted to moist environments.

Another problem commonly faced by Los Angeles HOA management during winter is the presence of cockroaches. While they are active throughout the year, they seem to thrive even more in cool weather, and prefer areas with a lot of moisture and food, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Cockroaches carry a host of diseases and contaminate food. They are also carriers of allergens, triggering asthma symptoms in small children. The key to keeping cockroaches away from HOA-managed properties is the regular disposal of garbage. Another step property managers can do is to minimize moisture inside confined spaces, such as cupboards, closets, and kitchen cabinets.

An experienced LA HOA management company should be able to detect these problems before they manifest themselves. It should also maintain good relations with pest control services and run regular inspection and cleaning of all areas where pests can breed. To find out more about the best practices in Los Angeles HOA management, contact us at (888) 828-9444.