www.caionline.org | © COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS INSTITUTE | 12016 HOMEOWNER SATISFACTION SURVEY
HOAHOASWEET COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATIONS
REMAIN POPULAR WITH
AMERICAN HOMEOWNERS
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84%
69%
88%
87%
For the sixth time in 11 years, Americans living in homeowners associations and condo-miniums say they’re overwhelmingly satisfied in their communities:
» of residents rate their overall community association experience as positive (65%) or neutral (22%).
» say members of their elected governing board “absolutely” or “for the most part” serve the best interests of their communities.
» say their community managers provide value and support to residents and their associations.
» say their association’s rules protect and enhance property values (66%) or have a neutral effect (22%); only 5% say the rules harm property values.
These findings objectively refute the unfounded and unsubstantiated myth that the community association model of governance is failing to serve the best interests of Americans who choose to live in common-interest communities.
Results from almost identical national surveys conducted in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2016 are strikingly consistent and rarely vary a standard margin error for national, demographically representative surveys.
Community Associations: Preferred Places to Call Home
The results are in!
The 2016 survey was conducted by Zogby Analytics for the Foundation for Community Association Research. The following illustrations compare results from the six surveys conducted since 2011. Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding and “don’t know” answers.
For more information and data about
community associations, visit www.caionline.org/
aboutcommunity associations
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87%
On a scale of one to five, with one being very bad and five being very good, how would you rate your overall experience living in a community association?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Negative (1+2) Neutral (3) Positive (4+5)
10 912
8 10 12
19 19 1722
2622
71 72 71 70
64 65
The Association Experience & Effective Board Leadership
Overall, would you say you are on friendly terms with your current community association board, or would you say you are on unfriendly terms with them?
Friendly terms
Unfriendly terms
0
20
40
60
80
10090 89
91 91 92
81
4 5 3 58 8
Do you think the members of your elected governing board strive to serve the best interests of the community as a whole?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Absolutely For the most part
Not at all
54
4744 44
35 36 35
41
45 44
55
48
9 107
10 10 10
» of residents rate their overall community association experience as positive (65%) or neutral (22%)
81%» say they are on friendly terms with their association board 84%» say members of their elected
governing board “absolutely” or “for the most part” serve the best interests of their communities
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Association Assets: Community Managers
In your view, does your community manager provide value and support to residents and the community as a whole?
Yes No
0
20
40
60
80
100
7873
7673
83
69
13
2118
2117
22
Was direct interaction with your community manager generally a positive experience?
Yes No
0
20
40
60
80
10088
79 7781
88
82
10
20 2017
12 13
69%
82%
» of residents say their community managers provide value and support to residents and their associations
» of residents who had direct contact with their community manager say it was a positive experience
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Insist that every homeowner pay the assessments,
involving attorneys only if delinquent accounts are not
brought up to date after sufficient notification
Curtail services and amenities such as reducing
pool hours, delaying improvements and spending
less on landscaping
Make up the loss by increasing assessments for
paying homeowners
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80 77
70 7173 74
70
53
53
20
4 58
1012
6
11
Too much Just the right
amount
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Too little
3633
3
7
60
55
Association Assets: Community Managers Assessments: Acceptable Amounts
Thinking about the amount of your overall assessments that you pay for the services provided by your association, do you feel the amount of your assessments is too much, too little or just the right amount?
What do you think your community should do when residents neglect to pay their assessments?
62%» of residents say their association assessments are “just the right amount”— or “too little”
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Association Governance: Under the Right Control
The governance of community associations is subject to differing state laws and regulations. Would you like to see more or less government control of these associations, or would you prefer no change?
Do the rules in your community protect and enhance property values, harm them or make no difference?
74%
88%
» of residents prefer either no change or less government control within their association
» of residents say their association’s rules protect and enhance property values (66%) or have a neutral effect (22%); only 5% say the rules harm property values
More government control
No changeLess government control
0
10
20
30
40
50
1416
37
30
49
44
Protect and enhance No differenceHarm
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80 7874
70
76
7066
13 2 3 4 5
1922
27
21
2622
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Association Superlatives: Best and Worst
Worst aspects of living in a community associationBest aspects of living in a community association
200520072009201220142016
200520072009201220142016
Restrictions on exterior home improvements
Paying dues The rules
Restrictions on parking
Dissatisfaction with board
Restrictions on landscaping
Meetings Dealing with neighbors/members
Nothing bad
Other/not sure
15 15 11
4 4 2
22
25
20
200520072009201220142016
23 15 13
76 4
4 4 2
8
14
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With more than 34,000 members, CAI works in partnership with 60 chapters, including a chapter in South Africa, as well as with housing leaders in a number of other countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. We work to identify and meet the evolving needs of the professionals and volunteers who serve associations, by being a trusted forum for the collaborative exchange of knowledge and information, and by helping our members learn, achieve and excel. Our mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in associations that are preferred places to call home. Visit www.caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321.
Permission to reprint the data in this publication is granted provided no changes are made and the material is cited: “Reprinted with permission of Community Associations Institute. Learn more by visiting www.caionline.org, writing [email protected] or calling (888) 224-4321.”
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