Minimum input set
Before a board experiments with sliders, the system needs a credible baseline:
- Current operating budget
- Starting reserve cash
- Reserve component list with useful life and remaining life
- Planned capital projects already approved or likely within the horizon
- Known insurance, litigation, or deferred-maintenance pressure
Why this matters
Scenario tooling only earns trust when the starting position is explicit. A polished chart with an ambiguous starting reserve balance is worse than no chart at all.
Good board workflow
- Import the budget and reserve study.
- Confirm which reserve components are actually in scope.
- Tag initiatives that change reserve timing or reserve burden.
- Only then test dues growth, timing, or alternative spending paths.
Before you run any scenario, check the state-law baseline
What the board is allowed to do with reserves depends on the state. Some states require a reserve study on a fixed cycle (California, Virginia). Some let owners vote year-by-year to waive reserves entirely (Florida under Ch. 720). A scenario that assumes “we can just underfund” or “we must fully fund” without checking the state rule is running on a wrong constraint set. The law pages for the association’s state are the first input, not the last.
Next step
Apply this guide to a specific HOA.
This guide tells you what to look at. The next step is running it against an actual budget — pick the option that fits and we'll fill in the state on the next step.