Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Property or Community Management Hire

[Christine Johnson (christine-johnson]

Diana Carroll <dianaecarroll [at] gmail.com> wrote: 

>...typical process is for finding a property manager? A couple people in our 
>coomunity put together an RfP for exactly what we want someone to do, 
>including a detailed list of facilities problems that need to be addressed,

That’s an excellent beginning.  If you don’t get clear answers on what they 
will/will not provide plus detailed and reasoned responses on how facilities 
problems should be addressed, then that company would be one you’d not want to 
contract with.
 
>...Do you typically start with calling a company and meeting with them or…?

I would definitely plan on meeting with the owner/sales rep and the proposed 
manager.   Get answers/responses to your RFP twice if necessary.  Be attentive 
for owner/rep saying one thing and manager saying another.   

Community management and property management are different businesses and the 
scope of management offered will differ.   Both however, typically have 
standard contracts which you should ask to review prior to your meeting.  

For community management, one common stipulation is that the manager is to 
report to/be accountable to, the ‘president of the Board’ or named officer.   
Quite rightly, a manager will not take direction from a committee!   

In short, even if you have a paid manager, someone in your community still has 
to manage the manager.   Sharon’s accounts of the problems with overseeing 
management are common stories.   So common that if you are going to contract 
for management, have your oversight plan and people in place before bringing 
your new management on.  And as Sharon points out, you likely will be training 
someone — again.

Christine Johnson
Stone Curves Cohousing
Tucson, AZ