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OWNER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

At Gordon James Realty, we know finding the right property management firm to entrust with your investments is a critical process that’s bound to provoke questions. We’ve compiled the answers to the ones our prospective clients most often pose to help make your search a bit easier and give you a feel for the comprehensive services we offer. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us by e-mail or phone at 202-800-2610.

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Community Associations FAQ

We pride ourselves on a highly trained, accredited team that provides our clients with unparalleled expertise and guidance. All senior portfolio managers are CMCA, AMS and LEED Certified. All of our property managers are licensed in the District of Columbia, and our Northern Virginia property managers hold real estate licenses. Our senior portfolio managers have in-depth knowledge of all federal laws, as well as those in each jurisdiction we serve (including the DC Condominium Act), ensuring your community is protected. When you hire Gordon James, you can rest assured that your interests are represented with qualified, experienced professionals with an approach that always focuses on putting the client first.
The team has experience in managing over 60 communities throughout DC, Northern Virginia, and NYC that range in size from 4 to 185 units, with the majority of our portfolio including buildings of 90 units or more.
With over 50 years of combined experience, Gordon James Realty is built on the premise of proactive management – taking this approach versus a reactive approach to HOA management that provides our clients with a higher level service and one that our current clients have come to expect. This aligns with our vision of protecting and maintaining the integrity of the building and the community that we work with by taking the workload off from the Board.

Rather than reaching out to multiple points of contact to request updates on ongoing projects, you’ll have one dedicated point of contact that provides transparent, proactive updates to the board on a regular basis.

Our approach always focuses on the client first. We believe effective management starts with responsiveness, transparency and a highly trained, accredited team that provides our clients with unparalleled expertise and guidance.

Our team places an emphasis on responsiveness and proactive communication. Other companies have a team approach with multiple points of contact, which can cause confusion for board members and owners. At Gordon James, there is streamlined communication, with each community having their own senior portfolio manager and one point of contact. Our portfolio managers outline next steps and important information to ensure you have clarity on the process and ongoing repairs every step of the way.

In order to efficiently serve the community, we provide a versatile online portal that provides flexibility and real-time data. Board members have access to monitor and manage the outstanding priority items, unit owner account statements, resident and vendor contact information, and the rental list directly from the portal. It also provides the notification function that allows the Board to send out building-wide or exclusive unit-owner notices and updates directly from the portal. Important documents are stored on the portal for all unit owners to access at any time.

If you have an existing management company, we’ll work with them to provide a seamless transition. Our team will connect directly with your current managers to obtain all necessary data and historical documents for archives and daily operational use. During an initial onboarding call with your designated portfolio manager, they will outline detailed steps to the transition process as well as the expected timeline. We facilitate the entire process.
Financial management is a top priority for homeowner and condo associations. But it’s often complex, with many pieces to consider including resident dues, fines, bills and budgets. Because each association operates differently, and we’ll work with you to determine an accounting and reporting structure that best fits the needs of your community. We’ll leverage our wealth of experience in budget management for homeowner and condo associations– as well as the latest technology — to ensure your financial information is transparent, organized and GAAP compliant.

The board’s portal is a one stop shop. Everything is clearly organized in one place, including up to date financial documents. The board can view a dashboard of upcoming scheduled repairs and preventative maintenance items. This also allows board members to download specific invoices for repairs. We believe in transparency and allowing for easy access of information to owners.

For day to day operations, many companies use a third party payment processor. However, this can mean unnecessary delays and data / information that isn’t current. All accounting is done in house to ensure you have real time information and more accurate financials.

Board members play a crucial role in the operation of your community. Handling the day-to-day tasks of managing a building can cause burnout for these volunteers, who often have busy lives and full time jobs outside of their roles as board members. At Gordon James Realty, we’re adept at handling the routine work that’s involved with property management — from record keeping to rule enforcement to contract analysis. You maintain control, while we do the heavy lifting and ensure the work gets done. We’ll even help you navigate complex community issues and offer references to outside professionals, when necessary.

The most common issue that arises from self managed communities comes from disputes among unit owners. Utilizing a professional property management company provides an objective third party to handle resolve these disputes. If an incident arises, our managers rely on the bylaws and federal / local laws to resolve the issue quickly.

In order to efficiently serve the community, we provide an online portal that provides real-time data and information. Owners can log on at any time to make payments and access important documents.

Board members also have access to a special portal that allows them to monitor and manage the outstanding priority items, unit owner account statements, resident and vendor contact information, and the rental list directly from the portal. It also provides the notification function that allows the Board to send out building-wide or exclusive unit-owner notices and updates directly from the portal.

Board members of a community will have one senior portfolio manager as a dedicated point of contact to provide quick, streamlined communication. Our managers have a team of administrative coordinators to support them to help facilitate the necessary ongoing activities for each building.
you have maintenance personnel on your staff? Yes, we do. This allows us to handle repairs quickly and efficiently. Many minor repairs that arise frequently are often overlooked by management companies who utilize an unlicensed handyman. However, these smaller repair items contribute to the overall look and feel of the building. Our maintenance staff allows us to take care of these items quickly and for a competitive price to contribute to the upkeep and aesthetics of your community.

Although we have licensed, in-house maintenance staff, you’ll also have access to a large network of trusted contractors who provide dependable work at a fair price, eliminating the headache of negotiating and coordinating with unknown third party contractors.

Preventive maintenance is key to maintaining the value of your investment for years to come. We’ll work with you to establish a recurring maintenance schedule to ensure your building retains its value.

Because every community operates differently and has specific needs, pricing is dependent on a number of different factors. Some of these factors include the number of units and whether the building has an onsite building manager, elevators, concierge, building engineers, etc. To receive a proposal for your community, please reach out to our team.