size of complex vs management company

I'm sure others will provide more specific numbers along the lines you are seeking, but I'll provide my personal perspective. I am very much against self-management for the following reasons:

We are a very small community...14 units. Over the years there have been rumblings about "self-managing." Here's the problem: 3/4th of the people are in their 70's and 80's and the remaining between 55-70. In our community, there would be no one willing let alone capable of handling the responsibility of managing the business of the community. We barely can find people to serve on the board to show up for 4 meetings a year let alone volunteer their time for the responsibility of collectng fees, making deposits, investing funds, filing financial reports, going after late payments, writing letters, soliciting bids, hiring vendors, paying vendors, filing taxes and state required reports. This is not to mention needing to store files, prepare financial reports along having a computer, printer and all the supplies that go with it. I assume someone would have to dedicate one room in their home for storage of files and equipment for performance of the various tasks involved in running an HOA effectively.

Some people think they will save money by not paying a manager. In my opinion, the cost of a manager saves and protects the community from mismanagement. If you have willing,objective and CAPABLE people willing to donate a lot of their precious time, then self-managing is doable whatever the size. Otherwise, I would highly recommend staying with a manager.

One more comment....I have heard this before....how many people are willing to collect late payment from their neighbor? A manager facilitates that responsibility better than a fellow homeowner. In our community we have people related to one another or who have been friends with one another for years who would feel uncomfortable having to push their relative or friend for a late payment of their maintenance fee.

This will be an interesting thread for me to follow the various responses you receive.

How large is your community?