Chuck Fowler, CMCA, draws on 35 years of management experience in HOAs Explained: Homeowner Associations, a plain-language handbook for owners, prospective buyers, and Board members navigating insurance, Reserve funding, and resale risk.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. Chuck Fowler, a Certified Manager of Community Associations with more than three decades of experience overseeing Homeowner and Condominium Associations across Colorado, has released HOAs Explained: Homeowner Associations, a reference guide written for the more than 75 million Americans who currently live in a Community Association.
According to the Community Associations Institute, there are approximately 365,000 Community Associations in the United States, and roughly 67 percent of newly constructed homes are now built within one. For most buyers in fast-growing housing markets, HOA membership is no longer a choice but a default condition of homeownership. Despite that scale, professional resources written for individual owners, rather than for industry insiders, remain limited.
HOAs Explained is structured to address that gap. The book covers how an HOA is formed and governed, how Declarations and Bylaws differ, how Replacement Reserves are calculated and funded, what insurance an Association is and is not required to carry, and what due diligence a prospective buyer should complete before closing on an HOA property. Each chapter ends with a list of questions readers can put directly to their HOA Manager or Board.
Background and timing
Fowler began his HOA career after being elected to his own neighborhood Board at the first annual meeting following the purchase of his patio home in a Planned Community. He went on to serve as the professional Manager of that Association for twelve years and later installed the initial management framework for a Master-planned Community that today has more than 3,000 housing units. He holds the CMCA designation from the Community Association Managers International Certifications Board.
The release arrives during a period of significant pressure on Community Associations. Property insurance carriers have continued to scale back coverage in regions exposed to wildfire, hurricane, and flood risk, pushing many HOAs toward state FAIR Plan policies that offer thinner coverage and no carrier pool to absorb losses. Fannie Mae has expanded its list of HOA properties that no longer qualify for loan purchase, citing inadequate insurance, deferred maintenance, and underfunded Replacement Reserves. According to a Wall Street Journal report from March 2025, communities placed on that list face a measurably narrower buyer pool.
The 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, which resulted in 98 deaths, prompted state legislation requiring stricter inspection and Reserve funding standards for buildings over three stories. Owners in older Condominium buildings, particularly those on fixed incomes, are now contending with mandatory inspections, deferred maintenance bills, and Special Assessments that some cannot absorb.
Realtor.com reported that 40.5 percent of for-sale listings in 2024 included an HOA fee, up from 39.2 percent the prior year, with a median monthly fee of $125. Property tax data compiled by CoreLogic in February 2025 showed the median annual property tax bill rose nearly 25 percent between 2019 and 2023. Together, these trends are reshaping the financial calculus for both current and prospective HOA Owners.
What the book covers
HOAs Explained is divided into twelve sections. Topics include the legal structure of HOAs and Condominium Associations, the role of the Declaration and Bylaws, financial reporting and Assessment collection, the function of the Replacement Reserve and Reserve Studies, property insurance and coverage gaps, architectural review, the conduct of annual and Board meetings, the home buying due diligence process, the role of the Status Letter, Home Inspection Reports, and the structure of Master-planned Communities.
A glossary at the front of the book defines the working terminology used throughout the HOA industry, language that prospective buyers and new Owners often encounter without explanation.
About the author
Chuck Fowler is the founder of cFowler communications co. He has managed HOAs and Condominium Associations for 35 years, served on multiple Boards in volunteer and elected capacities, and worked alongside HOA attorneys, Reserve Specialists, insurance carriers, and title companies through the full lifecycle of community management. He holds the Certified Manager of Community Associations designation from CAMICB.
Media contact
The author is available for print and broadcast interviews, contributed columns, podcast appearances, and expert sourcing on HOA-related topics including insurance, Reserve funding, mortgage eligibility, and the impact of recent state legislation. Press inquiries and review copy requests can be directed through
Contact: cFowler communications co
Website: https://chuckfowler.com/
