HOA & Condominium Management Services

Houston Community Management Services manages communities across the greater Houston region, including Baytown, Dickinson, Houston, Katy, League City, Pasadena, Pearland, and Sugarland. The company has served the area since 1979 and has been part of the Associa network of management companies since 2000. Its office is located in the Clear Lake and Bay Area part of the region.

HCMS manages single-family and master-planned communities, condominiums, lofts and townhomes, luxury high-rises, mixed-use developments, active adult and 55 plus communities, golf and club communities, municipal utility districts, and investment properties. Because needs differ widely across these community types, the scope of service is set for each association individually.

HCMS provides a custom quote for each association rather than a single published rate. The management fee is billed monthly, and a one-time setup fee applies when a community comes on board. The quote reflects the size, type, and service needs of the community.

The division of responsibility is set out in each community's management agreement, since boards differ in how much they prefer to handle directly. In general, the board remains the association's decision-making body on matters such as budgets, policies, and contract approvals, while the HCMS team carries out day-to-day administration and brings recommendations and reporting to the board. That day-to-day work typically includes financial administration, assessment billing and collections support, vendor and bid coordination, property inspections, and homeowner communication.

HCMS has a dedicated transition team that works with the assigned community manager, the outgoing management company, and the association. The team reviews financials, governing documents and CC&Rs, past meeting minutes and policies, and vendor contracts and scopes of service. It also collects homeowner fees and balances, holds vendor walks, and arranges a board orientation or meet-and-greet.

HCMS is an Accredited Association Management Company, or AAMC, an accreditation held by the firm rather than by an individual manager. The company is also a member of the Houston chapter of the Community Associations Institute, or CAI, the professional membership organization for the community association industry. The local team has more than 65 members, and the company states that its managers pursue professional industry certifications and designations.

Association funds handled by HCMS are protected by fidelity bond coverage, which covers losses from employee dishonesty. The company's financial processes are also reviewed through a Service Organization Control 1 Type 2 examination. Ongoing financial reporting for each community, covering items such as accounts payable and receivable and assessment billing, is provided to the board.