B.B. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
What is a good process to determine the amount to be kept in reserves and set assessments?
Mister Condo replies:
B.B., there is only one tried and tested process to determine the amount to be kept in Reserves and set assessments and that is the implementation and adherence to a Reserve Study. There are many companies that specialize in this service but associations that wish to save money and have the confidence they can do it right can even do it themselves. The concept is simple. The minute the first common element is added to the association, it begins to age and decay. Some go quickly, some take decades, they will all need to be replaced and have a known useful life. The Reserve Study looks at the cost of the common elements and uses a formula to determine the likely cost at the age of replacement. Obviously, it cannot be an exact number but I think you will find these studies, when performed properly, are surprisingly accurate. Once the study is performed, a funding plan is put in place. As long as the funding plan is adhered to, there should always be enough money in the Reserve fund to handle these known upcoming expenses as they come do. Additionally, the association benefits from accruing interest on these funds which tend to help offset inflation. I wish you and your association the wisdom of Solomon in determining and adhering to your Reserve Study findings. Good luck!