Whether you are an experienced manager or a brand-new board member, navigating the ever-growing world of HOAs can be challenging. It is a challenge because each year there are new laws and regulations to follow, updated budgets to stay on top of, and codes to be aware of. 

However, did you know that there are many resources available to you? Here is a list of websites and online resources (and one in-person suggestion) to take advantage of when you need the information at your fingertips. 

1. The CAI Exchange Forum: The CAI Exchange is a resource for community association members to exchange knowledge and share solutions. This website is a text-based question forum (similar to Quora or Reddit) where users can post questions and comments for the community to respond to. The most popular community on the forum is the ‘CAI Members Open Forum’, and at the time of publication, there are currently 54,000 members contributing to over 75,000 discussion topics. This is a helpful resource if you have a question about any HOA or Metro-related topic since there is most likely someone else who has already asked your specific question. Please note that you must be a user to utilize the posting feature - https://exchange.caionline.org

1. Colorado Department of Real Estate HOA Center: The DORA HOA Center is a resource center for homeowners and board members of a Homeowners Association. DORA designed this to be a centralized location for HOA-related information, resources, and tools, with the goal of helping homeowners and board members navigate the complexities of HOA management and make informed decisions The page provides information on various aspects of HOA management, including:
   1. Governance and policies
   2. Financial management
   3. Elections and voting
   4. Dispute resolution
   5. Record keeping and retention
   6. Education and training for board members
   7. Registering an HOA

More information can be found here - https://dre.colorado.gov/hoa-center

1. CAI Service Provider Finder: CAI Service Provider Finder is a helpful resource available for free to anyone who is in need of a centralized website that lists service providers who specialize in serving HOA communities. For example, are you in need of a fencing contractor that serves HOAs in Colorado - the finder tool yields about (22) different contractors that are available to help you. What is nice about the finder tool is that it can narrow your search query to a specific set of parameters depending on your service needs and location. Find more here -  https://caidirectory.onlinemarketbase.org/

1. Business Partner Websites: Another great option is to utilize the business partners’ websites as a resource. If you have a question about how a new piece of legislation regarding collections will impact your HOA, most likely a collections attorney will have an updated article or blog post addressing your question. You can also subscribe to these blogs and receive updated articles straight to your email inbox. 

1. CAI Conferences: Lastly, what if you are looking for something offline? Make sure to mark your calendars every Spring to make sure that you can attend the CAI Rocky Mountain Chapter Spring Conference, and every Fall to attend the CAI Rocky Mountain Chapter Mountain Conference. Both conferences host classes and training sessions that are handpicked to be relevant to the current situations that Colorado HOAs are experiencing. In addition, these conferences are a great way to catch up with and connect with local service providers.