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At Southern States Management Group we believe strongly in gaining feedback from our communities, having high communications internally and externally and strive to work hand in hand with our hundreds of professional vendors and associates. We also want our team to be the most educated, experienced managers around and focus on continuing education. We have a lot of great things happening at Southern States right now and we want to share the good news with you. Sign up for our private newsletter today by emailing Diane to hear about all on a monthly basis. BOARD CERTIFICATION Some of the exciting things that we are proud of is that together with community partners we held a sold out board member certification in May with 130+ attendees from homeowner and condominium associations. BOARD MEMBER SURVEY We also recently sent a survey out to nearly 300 board members asking them for their feedback on their communities, our team and ways to improve both. We received wonderful responses and are making adjustments accordingly. WE BELIEVE IN BOARD EDUCATION We have partnered with some amazing companies locally and are rolling out our first ever Seasonal Board Education Forum where the focus of this expo style event is to bring local board members together quarterly to discuss hot topics, meet experienced vendor professionals and to provide educational networking opportunities. To kick-off, our theme will be “In the Event of a Disaster – Be Prepared!” – Discuss ways to secure your communities & maintain business continuity – Hear how to communicate to your communities & maintain strong dialogue with your neighbors – Hear how to facilitate & begin an insurance claim to be ahead before you get behind – Learn how to better understand how claims are handled from a legal perspective – Prepare your pool for any event that may cause a closure – And much more… With nearly three decades in the community management business we know that we must stay current with the times and are proud of the direction we have come from, where we are now and where we are going! Thank you to all our friends for their continued business and support of Southern States Management Group!

Our Vice President, Jeff Annon, is proud to be the Treasurer of the Building Association Managers of Volusia (BAM). He has served in this volunteer role since June 2016. BAM has been most instrumental in the development of effective community managers by providing an opportunity to network with peers in an atmosphere of help and support. Members and guests meet monthly on the third Tuesday of the month at Halifax River Yacht Club in Daytona Beach. More information about this member organization, visit www.BAMVolusia.com. There are a lot of exciting things happening at BAM including their next guest speaker for their June 19th meeting, Mr. Chip Wiles, President of International Speedway Corporation’s flagship motorsports facility – Daytona International Speedway (DIS). As President, Wile oversees all speedway activities including event entertainment, fan amenities and ticket sales. He assumed this role in April 2016. He will be graciously bringing BAM members up to “speed” on all the future events happening at the track. This is a must attend night for community managers and board members alike. Image Source: internationalspeedwaycorporation.com

If so, may we suggest a few tips to help with that process? It seems that homeowners are renting their properties more and more these days. Understanding the responsibilities involved, being knowledgeable about regulations and protecting yourself and your investment are key to have the best results for all parties. ARE YOU UP FOR THE JOB? Being a landlord isn’t as easy as simply cashing a rent check! Rentals don’t always run smoothly. Staying on top of your renter’s calls, repair needs, accounting and management of your property takes time and experience. If you’re up for the job here are some things to keep in mind. LOCAL REGULATIONS Your city’s website has information on renting legalities that will help you to better understand the local regulations. Use them as a resource to get questions answered FINDING THE BEST TENANT & SCREENING Just because you’re friends doesn’t mean that you will have a great tenant/landlord relationship. This is a business transaction that comes with lots of responsibility on both sides. Paying on time, respecting the property, maintenance upkeep, and communicating about repairs are a few of the things to remember. Carefully choosing your tenant is key and not just taking the first call received. Background and credit checks should be done along with getting on the phone with the tenant’s rental history contacts. According to HUD.gov, the provisions of the Fair Housing Act states it is “…unlawful to discriminate in the sale, rental, and financing of housing, and in the provision of brokerage and appraisal services, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.” In marketing a property, it is illegal to use marketing language such as, “Perfect for students” or “No families allowed.” Remember to avoid interview questions like disabilities, marital status, or whether the applicant has children or is expecting. There are a few legal grounds to reject a tenant’s application. For example, admitted smokers applying for a non-smoking property, not meeting credit requirements and also owning a pet in a no pets allowed property. COMMUNICATION IS KEY It’s state regulated that if you know that your property has mold, asbestos, etc that information must be disclosed to the potential tenant. We recommend becoming familiar with what you must disclose according to your state and communicate properly to the potential tenant. It is recommended putting all of that in writing before renting and having the tenant sign that they were made aware. BE PROTECTED Asking a tenant to provide rental insurance is common. Homeowners should verify the coverage and make sure the policy is current prior to renting. In some cases, owners need landlord’s insurance. Check with your insurance agent to safeguard against all potential risks. Being confident and secure will help with future liabilities. Tenants will also need renter’s insurance to cover their possessions and provide accident liability protection. SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE To avoid risk, owners should make sure the lease documentation covers specific agreement details about the tenant’s responsibilities. Items to include are all upfront costs (first and last month’s rent and a refundable damage deposit). The agreement should also specify any rules the owner has about how many people are allowed to live in the unit, sublet options, the length of the lease, penalty for late rent payments, required notice for lease termination, pet requirements, acceptable sizes/breeds, pet rent or non-refundable/refundable pet damage deposits. Landlords and tenants should also agree on the maintenance requirements of the property when signing these documents. Tenants should sign all agreements and a copy of the signed document should be given to all parties. A notary is usually available for free at your bank and highly recommend. HIRE PROFESSIONALS Turning your home or investment property into a rental option may seem like an easy task at first, but it’s important to discuss your options and liabilities with real estate attorneys and accountants to make sure you are abiding by tax laws, zoning ordinances and local property rules. For instance, the IRS stipulates that all rental income must be reported on tax returns annually. Sure, you may qualify for tax deductions, but know which expenses are in fact deductible. There are limits on how much you can deduct each year, and the amount you are able to deduct may differ with the rental activity reported on your tax return. You may also choose to hire a community manager to facilitate all the communications between the tenant and the owner. This creates a barrier between the two and hiring a third party can streamline communications, repairs and payments while saving the property owner time and possible headache. It can also keep your identity private which in many cases is worth the nominal management fee. If Southern States Management Group can help you in any way to feel more confident about your rental property, we would love to discuss with you options that we offer. Please call Tracie at 386-414-3445 for more details. Author: Diane Michael, Callan Group Communications **The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

Christine Spellman celebrated her one year anniversary with Southern States Management Group, Inc. in April 2018. A graduate from St John’s University in New York, Spellman received her Bachelor of Science in Economics in 2014. Her role as a Full-Charge Accounts Payable Clerk at Southern States assists local communities with their accounts planning and budgeting. Spellman moved to Florida from Queens, New York in 2014.

Southern States Management Group, Inc., together with Wright & Casey, P.A., Blue Ribbon Pools and Insurance Office of America are hosting their “Inaugural Education Forum” on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Oceanside Country Club located at 75 North Halifax Drive in Ormond Beach. The purpose of this seasonal expo style event is to bring parties related to community association management together quarterly to discuss hot topics, highlight experienced vendors and to provide educational networking options. Condominium and Homeowner Association board members are invited. Topics will include ways to secure communities and maintain business continuity in the face of an impending disaster, how to communicate effectively with communities and maintain strong dialogue with neighbors in the event of evacuation, how to facilitate and begin an insurance claim, how to better understand how claims are handled from a legal perspective and how to prepare pool areas in the event of a closure. Hosted wine, beer and hors devours will be provided for attendees at no cost. Also participating will be more than a dozen local and regional professionals that represent various industries that serve community associations, both big and small. To become involved in this event please contact Diane Michael at 386-538-1083 or via email at diane@thecallangrp.com.

Southern States Management Group, Inc., together with Wright & Casey, P.A., are hosting a Homeowner’s Association Board Member Certification Course on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 and a Condominium Association Board Member Certification Course on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in Ormond Beach. Both will take place at the Oceanside Country Club located at 75 North Halifax Drive in Ormond Beach from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Halifax Insurance Partners will be providing a continental breakfast. These free certification courses are open to any area board member and are designed to address the most critical aspects of day-to-day owners’ association operations. To attend, please contact Diane Michael at 386-538-1083 or via email at diane@thecallangrp.com. Upon completion of the course, newly elected or appointed board members will receive a certificate of completion that satisfies Florida legal requirements for board members to fulfill within 90 days of taking office. As a leading Florida community management company, Southern States Management Group, Inc. shares best practices in the communities it serves to help enhance board effectiveness and efficiency. Participants will be offered guidance in the areas of the rights, roles and responsibilities of their position, meeting and quorum requirements, financial reporting and obligations and how to take a practical approach in running an association. A review of governing documents will be highlighted and the ins-and-outs of the elections process will be addressed. _______________________________________________________ About Southern States Management Group, Inc. Founded in 1989, Southern States Management Group, Inc. (SSMG) is recognized as a leading Asset Management firm specializing in not-for-profit residential and commercial community associations located in Northeast and Central Florida. This reputation has been built through the tireless pursuit of providing clients with responsive, high-quality, and value adding services for nearly three decades. Palm Coast/Flagler County 2 Camino del Mar Palm Coast, FL 32137 Daytona Beach/Volusia County 1190 Pelican Bay Drive Daytona Beach, FL 32119 800-439-9408 | DaytonaPropertyManagement.com