Duane McPherson


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Duane McPherson

RealManage

68 Mitchell Boulevard, Suite 100
San Rafael, CA 94903
Tel: (415) 444-1614
5510 Fort Apache, Suite 32
Las Vegas, NV 89031
Tel: (702) 558-4101

Duane McPherson is President of the Western Division of RealManage, a property management firm that specializes in the management of hundreds of community homeowner associations throughout the United States. RealManage is committed to "Green Communities" and has developed paperless, Board and Resident Portal technology environments. The RealManage HOA management package includes a bundle of services that are all fully integrated into the company's best people, best practices and best technology approach to managing your community.

With over 25 years of experience, Duane has been certified by the Community Association Institute as a Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM®) which is the highest professional certification available nationwide to managers who have advanced skills, knowledge and experience.

California branch offices are located in San Rafael, Walnut Creek and Campbell. The Nevada branch office is located in Las Vegas.

Duane has contributed his expert opinion and experience to the HOAleader.com articles below.

Your HOA's Money: Tips for Collecting Interest on Unpaid Fees
June 2010
If your condo or homeowners association board is considering tacking on interest charges when owners are in arrears for assessments, fines, or other fees, be sure you know whether you have the power to do that. Here's the scoop. . . . keep reading

HOA Fees: What to Know Before Setting Up Electronic Withdrawal of Association Fees
May 2010
Would the electronic transfer of money due to your condominium or homeowners association enable you to collect more money in a more timely way? Maybe. Here we explain the pros and cons of implementing an automatic withdrawal system and offer tips to keep in mind if you're about to arrange for one. . . . keep reading

HOA Rules: Airing Out Clothesline Disputes
May 2010
With warmer weather, homeowners in more areas of the country may want to air their clean laundry on clotheslines. Can your homeowners association interfere with owners' efforts to air-dry clothes? Here are tips on creating a sensible policy. . . . keep reading

9 Tips for Better HOA Financial Reporting and Management
May 2010
What financial information should the your condo or homeowners association board track, and how? Here are nine tips for creating and understanding the association financial statements that help you monitor and control your association's financial health. . . . keep reading

Parking and HOAs: Avoiding the Terrible Tows
May 21, 2010
This week's tip offers advice for condominium and homeowners association boards considering hiring a towing company to police their parking lots and roadways to haul away parking scofflaws. . . . keep reading

HOAs and Parking: What Your Homeowner Association Board Should Know About Towing
May 2010
Here's what you need to know about creating a towing policy that complies with your local laws and provides owners proper notice before their car gets hauled away. We also provide tips if you're entering into a contract with a towing company. . . . keep reading

HOA Communications: Tips for "Selling" a Special Assessment
May 2010
If your board is convinced your condo or homeowners association needs a special assessment, it must take the process of getting buy-in seriously. Here's how to "sell" a special assessment by being transparent, having community meetings that allow members to understand the issues and ask questions, and knowing how to overcome objections. . . . keep reading

HOA Leadership Roles and Duties: A Guide to the Positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Board Member in Condo and Homeowners Associations
We're hearing from a growing number of association members who want more detail about their responsibilities--or who want an easy way to educate their newly elected fellow board members about what, exactly, board members do. What's the president supposed to do? How about the vice president, secretary, and treasurer? . . . keep reading

HOA Elections: What's Cumulative Voting, and Should You Use It?
November 2009
Most people don't even know what cumulative voting is and probably couldn't tell you if it's allowed in their state or their association. Here, we explain the procedure, discuss its pros and cons, and offer insight as to whether to change your bylaws to include or exclude it. . . . keep reading

Six Ways to Recruit Strong Board Members for Your Condo or Homeowner Association
October 2009
There's no doubt it's a challenge to get volunteers to agree to serve on condo and homeowner association boards, especially in today's economy. There are practical tools you can use to build a good farm team of HOA volunteers. Here, attorneys and property managers offer six of their best tips. . . . keep reading

Recalls, Part II: If You Must Do a Recall Vote, Read This First
August 2009
In November 2008, a California appellate court held invalid an association's requirement that director recalls required a 60 percent supermajority of the association's total voting power. Here's what you need to know about that case even if your association isn't in located in California, along with tips on how to properly conduct a recall vote. If you're a board member who has gotten wind of a potential recall effort in your community, you'll find advice for you too. . . . keep reading

How Should Your HOA Deal With Developers' Improper Promises? Discussion Forum Follow-Up
August 2009
A frequent thread on the HOAleader.com discussion forum deals with the all-too-common problem of associations that are left holding the bag after developers have bent the rules by making promises that violate the association's governing documents. Developers tell potential buyers they'll make an exception to association rules to close a deal. Then, after the developer turns the property over to an independent board, the new board is left trying to explain why some owners can break the rules while other owners have to follow those same rules. What can be done? . . . keep reading

HOA Lawsuits: Why Defamation Lawsuits are (Mostly) a Bad Idea
August 2009
What would you do if an angry homeowner made a broad but vague claim your condo or HOA board was incompetent and unfair? What if the claim were more specific, say, that board members were unethically assigning association work to friends and getting referral fees? . . . keep reading

HOA Board Recalls, Part I: Heading Off a Recall Vote
August 2009
Are there rumblings about a recall vote at your condo or homeowners association? Before you launch the painful and contentious process of recalling a board member, remember that you may not have to go through the entire recall process to get what you want. In the first of a two-part series dealing with recall votes, we discuss how associations can avoid recall votes. . . . keep reading

HOA Reserve Studies: What You Need to Know
August 2009
Just what is a reserve study? What should it include, and how often should it be done? We've got answers. . . . keep reading

Pets and HOAs: Have You Seen These Pet Problems?
June 2009
Insiders reveal the most common--and the most unusual--pet problems they've seen at homeowners associations. They also offer tips for resolving pet issues at your HOA. . . . keep reading

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HOA Finances:
Best Practices for Getting Your Homeowners Association through Difficult Economic Times

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