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So much of the field of Reserve Studies and reserve fund budgeting is about being fair. The core goal is attempting to have the owners enjoying the use of the association’s assets pay for the deterioration that occurred to those common area assets during their time of ownership. So should an association ever implement a reserve fund policy perceived to be unfair?

Conventional wisdom says the client is always right. Customer service principles support that concept: please the client, nurture relationships for repeat business, etc. But what if it is your job to provide professional counsel, and the nature of the news you deliver is that it often causes the client some discomfort?

In preparing to speak to two different audiences in two days, both made up of new boardmembers and new managers, I wanted to make sure I was communicating the simple truths about Reserve planning. It forced me to get down to the real basics, and in almost 30 years I found I had never crystallized my thoughts on the matter. What indeed are the underlying rules, on which all the details are based? So after some pondering, reflecting on questions I’ve recently fielded, and problems I’ve recently helped solve, I came up with this short list. I believe it defines the underlying reasons why Reserve planning, Reserve Studies, and National Reserve Study Standards are important:

In a recent webinar, an attendee remarked how simple it seemed to get on the path to appropriate Reserve funding. They were right! The problem of underfunded Reserves in community associations across the country can eliminated in five years with the $10 solution. Follow along as I explain.