What to look for in any HOA management company
- Portfolio size per manager, boutique firms keep portfolios limited so managers stay proactive; large operators stretch managers across far more communities
- Dedicated departments, is accounting separate from management, or is the manager the bookkeeper?
- Manager turnover, ask explicitly; most firms see 30–40% annually
- Leadership credentials, PCAM, CMCA, CAI involvement signal real industry standing
- Technology stack, CINC, AppFolio, and similar purpose-built systems are table stakes
- Transition discipline, is there a defined onboarding program, or is it ad hoc?
- Response standard, what's the same-day vs 24-hour response guarantee?
The Orlando HOA management market
Orlando's HOA market includes large national firms (multi-state operators), regional firms (Florida-only but multi-city), and boutique firms like Edison. National firms scale through process and technology; regional firms scale through relationships and local knowledge; boutiques scale through portfolio discipline and back-office depth. None is automatically better, fit matters.
Questions to ask in any interview
- How many communities will our specific manager carry?
- What's your manager turnover rate? (Ask for a number, not 'low')
- Who handles our accounting, the manager, or a dedicated specialist?
- What does your transition look like? Show us the timeline.
- What's the renewal mechanism in year two? What does the price escalate to?
- How do you handle covenant enforcement? Are inspections address-only or name-based?
- Will your principal personally meet with our board?
The pricing trap most boards fall into
The cheapest proposal almost always becomes the most expensive one in 18 months. Cheap usually means overloaded managers, thin back-office, high turnover, and a renewal mechanism that resets the economics in year two. The real cost of a management company shows up as legal exposure, special assessments, homeowner attrition, and the time the board spends doing the management company's job.
How Edison shows up in the market
Edison is deliberately a boutique. Manager portfolios are deliberately limited. Tracy Durham (PCAM, 2025 CAI Central Florida Chapter President) personally onboards every new association. Back-office departments, accounting, enforcement, collections, are separate from management. Same-day response for board members; 24-hour for homeowners; non-negotiable. We don't try to be the cheapest. We try to be the firm boards stay with.