Recession Readiness: CNBC – Worst Day since Dec. 1, 2008

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Do you remember 2008?  I certainly do.  My wife and I were celebrating our 10-year anniversary with a weekend getaway; the same weekend that Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and the sky began to fall.  Few saw it coming, but everyone felt it.  Foreclosures hit an all-time high, and many communities felt the crippling effects of inadequate cashflow and neglected properties on the auction block.

According to CNBC, Homebuilding stocks were having their worst day since the subprime crisis of 2008 on March 12.  This may be an overreaction to the coronavirus, but it could also be the start of a correction that many believe is overdue.  So consider these factors before you rush back to your unopened emails: 

  1. HOA and Condo dues are one of the first items deferred by overextended owners
  2. The current rate of unpaid assessments (30 days+) nationally is around 8%
  3. Following the downturn of 2008, delinquencies TRIPLED

Deferred fees are increasingly popular among attorneys and agencies that have the confidence and track record to demonstrate that they can effectively recover their fees from the debtor.  Fiduciaries need to evaluate this option now so that they are not financing the cost of collections during an economic downturn.

Equity Experts recently won an important case that affirms the legality of deferred collection fees and addresses the benefits this approach offers to community association.

Gar Liebler is the Founder and Visionary of a national real estate services and investment company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

His original property management firm, LandArc, was founded in 1985 and grew to operate in multiple states. After selling LandArc in 2015, Gar shifted his focus to value-added services for the community association industry, both as Visionary for LifestyleLink, a digital event management software for highly-amenitized communities, and with the national leader in assessment recovery, www.equityexperts.org, LLC.

Gar also serves on various professional boards and charities.