Reserve study guides

Plain-language guides for self-managed HOA and condo boards.

• How to do a reserve study yourselfA step-by-step method for a board-prepared reserve study: list components, cost them, project 30 years, and find the contribution that keeps the association funded.
• What percent funded meansPercent funded compares an HOA's reserve balance to the amount its components have already worn out. How to calculate it, with an example, and what it does not tell you.
• Reserve funding methods: baseline, threshold and full fundingThe three common reserve funding goals for HOAs and condos, what each costs owners, and the difference between the component and cash flow methods.
• Reserve study component listA checklist of common HOA and condo reserve components with typical useful-life ranges, and the test for what belongs in a reserve study.