Smaller associations, volunteer boards
Salem and Keizer have many associations of under a hundred homes. That makes fees modest, but it also means the annual review often falls to a treasurer with little time. A firm that offers a desk update each year, with a site visit every few years, suits that pattern well.
Age-restricted communities add clubhouses, shared walkways and accessible features that need their own lines in the study: ramps, railings, automatic doors and lighting.
Many associations here are Oregon nonprofit corporations, registered with the Secretary of State's Corporation Division, which is based in Salem. The annual report keeps the officer list current, and a firm will usually address its proposal to whoever is listed there or to the manager.
Usual large items
- Composition roofsIn townhome communities the association often owns the roofs, so they can be the biggest single reserve line.
- Exterior paintORS 100.175 and ORS 94.595 name exterior painting where the association is responsible for it, so it must be in the reserve.
- Paving and parkingParking courts and drive aisles need sealing on a short cycle and an overlay on a long one.
- Clubhouse systemsFurnaces, water heaters and kitchen fittings in shared buildings are easy to forget and cheap to plan for.
Finding the association's documents
Declarations are recorded with the Marion County Clerk, or the Polk County Clerk for West Salem. Have the recorded copy to hand, not only the version in the welcome binder, since amendments can change who maintains what.
The rules are statewide
There is no separate Marion and Polk counties reserve rule. Condominiums follow ORS 100.175 and planned communities ORS 94.595, and both ask the board to review the study every year. See the annual review for a cycle that keeps the cost down.
Typical fees
As a guide, a full study with a site visit runs about $1,500 to $5,000 for a 30-home condominium and $2,000 to $8,000 for a 100-home planned community, with a desk update for the same community at about $500 to $4,000. These are national figures drawn from fees firms publish, and not a quote. Travel can add to fees outside the Portland area. Try the estimator for your own numbers.