<strong>CAI</strong> GreAter <strong>Los</strong> AnGeLes ChApter • www.cai-glac.orgnoTe From The eDiTor’s Desk...Summer is half over and, <strong>as</strong> we transition into fall, it’s timeto take stock of the year and where we are headed throughthe remaining months.It seems <strong>as</strong> if every car manufacturer is coming out with electric vehicles thesedays. With more of these vehicles on the road, big changes are needed inhow community <strong>as</strong>sociations handle the needs of the electric vehicle owners.Jeff Beaumont and Russell Higgins write about the “Electric Vehicle Charging(EVC) Station Law,” which would prevent condo <strong>as</strong>sociations from prohibitingEVC Charging Stations.How much does an EVC charging unit cost? How does it work? These questionsand more are answered by Todd Ritter <strong>as</strong> he explains in detail the variousins-and-outs of charging an electric vehicle.Summer is the time where insects are out in full force. What to do? Isaac Camachowrites about the latest trends in pest control to keep you in-the-know.Beautiful landscaping is a top priority in Southern California. We can neverlearn enough information about landscaping and how to keep our gardens andplants in top-notch shape. Lindsay Biren writes an article with watering tips.With brush fire se<strong>as</strong>on right around the corner, it’s always good to hear tipson how to protect your community <strong>as</strong>sociation from brush fires. Kristen Raiggives a first-person account of how her community <strong>as</strong>sociation got ready <strong>this</strong>year for fire se<strong>as</strong>on.Even though we had a good rainy se<strong>as</strong>on l<strong>as</strong>t year, one never knows what thenext year brings. Water conservation is a top priority in the world of landscaping,and Dirk Foster tells how a FOCUS article inspired him to make sprinklerchanges at his condo <strong>as</strong>sociation.Since the banking crisis, the stability of banks and the economy have been oneveryone’s mind. Julia Marquez writes an article detailing how you can determineyour bank’s stability. What factors should you look at? How can you tellif you are with a financially secure bank? Julia h<strong>as</strong> the answers.Foreclosures are still big in the news. Wayne Pariser talks about the best ways tohandle foreclosures and liens from a lawyer’s point-of-view.In the latest update on the FHA approval process, Jon Eberhardt writes anarticle giving us recent developments in an ever-changing arena.In the second part of our budget series, Sue Nelson helps us avoid the toptwelve pitfalls and land mines in the budgeting process.This issue is full of useful information, and we hope that you enjoy it!Sherry Branson, EditorThanks To oUr2011 sUper sponsorsPLATINUMAnderson Group Int’l Restoration& Remediation ContractorASR ConstructionBeaumont Gitlin T<strong>as</strong>hjianCollins Builders, Inc.Pacific Western BankPreferred Commercial Painting, Inc.R.W. Stein Painting, Inc.Securit<strong>as</strong> Security Services USA, Inc.Steven G. Segal Insurance Agency, Inc.Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro,Schulman & Rabkin, LLPGOLDFenton, Grant, Mayfield, Kaneda & Litt, LLPFerris Painting, Inc.Hi Tech Painting & Decorating, Inc.Mutual of Omaha Bank/CondoCertsPayne Pest ManagementPopular Association BankingSBS Lien ServicesSky Security Services, Inc.SILVERAssociation Reserves, Inc.Fenceworks, Inc.First Bank Association ServicesPCW Contracting Services, Inc.Reserve Studies IncorporatedRodent Pest TechnologiesSAX Insurance AgencySelect PaintingStay Green Inc.Swedelson & GottliebThe Home Depot USA/Behr PaintTimothy Cline Insurance Agency, Inc.Union BankVinyl ConceptsBRONZEAccurate Termite & Pest ControlAmerican Technologies, Inc.Berg Insurance Agency, Inc.DM Construction ServicesGibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet, LLPMarina Landscape Inc.Patriot Environmental Laboratory Services, Inc.Professional Services Construction, Inc.Silldorf & Levine, LLPThree Ph<strong>as</strong>e ElectricUniversal Protection Service<strong>CAI</strong>-GLAC does not necessarily endorse or approve statements of fact or opinion made in thesepages and <strong>as</strong>sumes no responsibility for those statements. Authors are responsible for developingthe logic of their expressed opinions and for the authenticity of all facts presented in articles.We thank our 2011 sponsors who have made a substantialcontribution to ensure our continued success <strong>this</strong> year. Contactthe <strong>Chapter</strong> Office at 323/254-9526 to sponsor a program oran event.4 •July/August 2011
<strong>CAI</strong> GreAter <strong>Los</strong> AnGeLes ChApter • www.cai-glac.orgmessage From The presiDenT...As the recession drags on and thereis little encouraging economic newsrelative to a recovery in housingprices in the near term—and government budgets at the city,state, and national levels are caught in what seems to be endlesssquabbling—the Common Interest Development (CID) industrysoldiers on. Our elected officials could learn a thing ortwo from the thousands of volunteers who, with the help ofprofessional managers and service providers, struggle to makethe tough decisions to cut costs and maintain essential servicesfor their residents and clients. They continue to develop andapprove budgets in spite of the fact that they have seen homevalues in their communities fall, once paying members fallinto foreclosure, and revenues decline in the face of incre<strong>as</strong>ingdemands. Many of our member service providers have comeup with innovative ways to help their <strong>as</strong>sociation clients savemoney, whether it’s by managers bringing some services in-house,providers holding their fees steady for years at a time, creativeways to conserve on utility costs by upgrading common arealighting and irrigation controls, or high-tech building componentsdesigned to l<strong>as</strong>t longer with less preventive maintenance.This recession h<strong>as</strong> demonstrated to me that contrary to muchof the negative press that unfortunately seems to get the loudermicrophone, there are lots of CID leaders and practitioners outthere doing the right thing by their <strong>as</strong>sociations and for theirhomeowners on a regular b<strong>as</strong>is. <strong>CAI</strong>-GLAC offers a wealthof educational opportunities to help CID leaders make wellinformed decisions, and I hope you have taken advantage ofsome of them. To help keep you on the cutting edge, you canvisit the <strong>Chapter</strong>’s Web site at www.cai-glac.org for upcomingevents and links to a variety of resources. We are also lookingforward to our Homeowners Association Marketplace, whichwill be held at the Skirball Cultural Center on September 27(Details on inside front cover). This event offers an excellentopportunity to learn about an amazing variety of service providersand products all in one place, take advantage of some great freeeducation from leaders in the industry, and find out more aboutwhat <strong>CAI</strong>-GLAC h<strong>as</strong> to offer. I’m sure that <strong>this</strong> event is goingto be a great success and would love to see you there. So keep upthe good work and thank you for your support of <strong>CAI</strong>-GLACand the CID industry.Matt Davidson, <strong>Chapter</strong> PresidentCommunity Associations Institute <strong>Greater</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Chapter</strong> Mission Statement:<strong>CAI</strong>-GLAC will provide education resources and opportunities to all of its members with the guiding principles being the improvement of the quality of lifewithin community <strong>as</strong>sociations, the promotion of professionalism within the industry, and the advocacy of legislation which will benefit community <strong>as</strong>sociations.July/August 2011 • 5
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