Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions

How does MyHOAHelper work? MyHOAHelper is a free, easy-to-use web-based system for HOA leaders to manage their membership and schedules.

What do Group leaders do with their accounts? Group leaders define who is on their Group(s) and set schedules, which are then made available to the Group members. Gone are the days of the Group coordinator calling all their members when schedules change - MyHOAHelper now handles all this for your association automatically.

What is the benefit for MyHOAHelper Group members? In addition to receiving automatic reminders for events, members get their own login, where they can manage all of their MyHOAHelper Groups from one account. Members can update their own profile information and attendance, as well as communicate with each other and with other Groups using the Forum.

How is MyHOAHelper different from an email distribution list? MyHOAHelper saves the back-and-forth banter from clogging your inbox. Group members are given all the information they need automatically - if they want to banter, they have the Forum. Plus, with a web-based calendar, it's easy for Group members to see all upcoming events at a glance.

What makes MyHOAHelper special? MyHOAHelper is a user-friendly application built specifically to help organize homeowners associations. Our goal is to make your job as the Group leader easy with a web application that's fast, effective, and powerful.

How many Groups can a leader manage? A Group leader can manage as many Groups as he or she would like to manage.

How many Groups can a member be on? A member can be on as many Groups as he or she would like. MyHOAHelper will automatically provide a single account that the member can use to access all of his or her Groups at once.

How do automatic email reminders work? Email reminders are sent before every event to all the members, at which point members will respond with whether or not they can attend the event. All of this is designed to be automatic, so that the Group leader does not need to expend any additional effort coordinating the Group.

What is Outreach? Outreach is a function through the MyHOAHelper Forum that allows members of one Group to send messages to members of another Group via the MyHOAHelper forums. All Outreach is in a specific folder in the Forum. You can search for other Groups, post messages, and respond to any other Group's Outreach folder.

How can I make sure my members get their emails? You may need to send them an email first from your personal account, asking them to whitelist your email address in their spam filtering software.

Can I download my schedule? Yes, schedules can be downloaded in vCalendar or iCalendar format for easy integration into everyone's calendar software (Outlook, Palm, Google Calendar, etc).

What information do members receive in their emails? Automatically-sent emails to your members provide you with peace of mind that your Group will know what's happening. Emails have a link to confirm whether or not the member will attend the event, so you get a head-count early. If you provide a Zip code with the location of the event, the predicted weather for the event will be included in the email. Also included with every email is a link to the Member Login, so members can easily access their schedules, get maps to event locations, review rosters, and post messages in the forum. MyHOAHelper automatic emails stimulate the kind of involvement that most groups only dream about.

Why do some images I upload into my account not change? In order to properly use MyHOAHelper, you need to ensure your browser does not store images and pages in your cache. In Internet Explorer, the best way to do this is to go to Tools - Internet Options - General, click on the Settings button under Temporary Internet Files, and select the button for "Every visit to the page".

How much does MyHOAHelper cost? MyHOAHelper is free. Really.

How does MyHOAHelper survive if it's free? We make money when you support our advertisers. If you see banner ads for products or services related to your interests, we encourage you to check them out! We also offer a low-cost premium account upgrade that opens up some very beneficial functions (like accepting event payments, sharing management functions with group members, and additional file storage space). With automated online event payments (you can have group members pay to attend events or open events up to the public for open registration), we charge only $1 per transaction plus any applicable payment processing fees (usually below 3%) to event attendees as a convenience fee. We also offer a Premium Pro account, which removes all ads entirely from your account.

How do I advertise on MyHOAHelper and to MyHOAHelper members? Simply send us an email at sales@MyHOAHelper.com and let us know what you would like to advertise, and who you would like to advertise to.

Why do all accounts require a password to log in? MyHOAHelper is dedicated to protecting the privacy of the members of each group. Your personal information is only available to people in your group.

Do I need to download anything to use MyHOAHelper? No - MyHOAHelper is entirely web-based.

Which web browsers can I use with MyHOAHelper? MyHOAHelper has been tested with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and 7 (it works much better with IE7 and we strongly recommend the upgrade to IE7), Firefox 1.5, and Apple Safari 2.0. Be sure you have the latest version of your web browser, as MyHOAHelper uses cutting edge technology to bring you state-of-the-art Group management. For the best user experience, we strongly recommend your screen resolution be at least 1024 pixels wide.

How do you safeguard the information stored in the MyHOAHelper account? First, we will never sell, distribute, or share any specific personal information about you or your Group without asking your permission FIRST (and no, we won't bury that permission in fine print). Secondly, we realize that your personal information should be kept that way and have endeavored to create the most secure system, with state of the art firewall protection and very restricted access (each account is in its own database, separate from all others). Lastly, we will always communicate with registered Group leaders when we have major upgrades or maintenance being done to the system. All members of MyHOAHelper can elect to be on our mailing list.

Sign up for an account and see for yourself how MyHOAHelper can help your HOA today!