Set up a brand-new homeowners association, step by step.

Before you start: gather these

• Recorded Declaration (CC&Rs)

  The deed restrictions filed with the county. The app reads it to set dues, rules, notices and the architectural review process.

• Bylaws

  How the board, meetings and elections work.

• Certificate of Formation (Articles of Incorporation)

  The nonprofit corporation filed with the Secretary of State.

• Rules, architectural or design guidelines (if any)

  Anything owners must follow beyond the Declaration.

• The plat or a lot list

  Every lot address, even before homes are sold. A spreadsheet of addresses works.

• The association's EIN

  Needed for bank accounts, bill pay and 1099s. Free from the IRS if you do not have one yet.

• Dues amount and start date

  From the Declaration or your budget: how much, how often, and when assessments begin.

• Who sits on the board

  The directors the developer appoints for now, with an email for each.

Missing one? Start anyway. Everything except the Declaration can be added later.

The setup, in order

1. 1

   Create your account and the association

   2 minutes

   Click Start setup below. Sign up with email, Google or Apple, then enter the association's legal name, the name people use, the state, county and number of lots. Give the assistant a name; owners will ask it questions later.

2. 2

   Upload the governing documents

   5 minutes, plus a few minutes of reading

   Drag in the Declaration, Bylaws, Certificate of Formation and any rules. Check each file's label, click Save, then have the assistant read them. It pulls out notice periods, voting rules, dues, fines, architectural review steps and the board structure, each with the section it came from.

3. 3

   Review what the assistant found

   15 minutes

   Every finding sits next to the original wording. Correct anything that is off and answer the questions it could not settle from the documents. Nothing is switched on until you confirm. Confirming builds the calendar, the board checklist and the rules the app follows.

4. 4

   Confirm the board and committees

   5 minutes

   The app shows the board seats and committees it found in the documents; confirm them. Then add each developer-appointed director on the Homeowners page with Add owner, picking their board seat. Directors get an invitation and their own sign-in to the board portal.

5. 5

   Add the lots

   5 to 15 minutes

   Upload the lot list or plat spreadsheet (address, lot and block). Lots without a buyer yet show as No owner yet; that is expected during build-out.

6. 6

   Set dues and turn on online payments

   10 minutes

   Enter the assessment amount, how often it is due and when it starts, as your Declaration says. Connect the association's bank through Stripe so owners can pay by card or bank transfer and the money goes straight to the association's account.

7. 7

   Choose a plan

   2 minutes

   Pick the plan that fits the community's size and amenities. Features your documents call for are recommended automatically. There is a free trial; nothing is charged during it.

8. 8

   Add buyers as homes close

   1 minute per home

   When a home closes, open Homeowners and click Add owner on that lot: the buyer's name and email. They get an invitation to their homeowner portal with the documents, dues and how to submit improvement requests.

Questions