How We Grade HOA Management Companies
Every HOA Intelligence grade is produced by the same disclosed, consistent methodology, applied identically to every company. Grades are built only from verified public records, and every data point is traceable to its source. This page documents exactly how a grade is calculated — so any grade we publish can be understood, checked, and stood behind.
The Public-Record Sources
We draw exclusively from government and public-record systems. We do not use private data, anonymous reviews, or unverifiable claims.
Colorado Secretary of State
Entity standing (Good Standing, Delinquent, Dissolved), formation date, registered agent, and filing history.
DORA / DRE Licensing Registry
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies / Division of Real Estate records — Designated Agent and broker license standing, disciplinary actions and consent orders, and the DRE registry of HOAs each company manages. This is the primary source feeding the Financial Integrity category.
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Complaint count, complaint pattern over time, response history, and accreditation status where available.
Colorado Courts (Public Access)
Publicly docketed civil and criminal matters, judgments, and liens involving the entity or its officers. Court findings are scored within the Legal & Regulatory Standing category, not as a separate category.
CAMICB Credential Registry
Public registry of individual manager certifications (CMCA, AMS, PCAM) and CAI AAMC company accreditation. This source feeds the Professional Credentials category.
Five Weighted Categories (100 Points)
Each company is scored across five categories. The weights reflect how strongly each signal predicts real risk to an HOA board or the professionals who advise them.
Legal & Regulatory Standing
32 pointsColorado Secretary of State entity standing, Colorado court records (civil and criminal matters, judgments, liens), and government enforcement actions. The single heaviest category — an entity that is not in good standing or carries active litigation or regulatory discipline cannot score well regardless of other signals.
Complaint History
22 pointsBBB complaint volume and, more importantly, the pattern of complaints over time and whether they were addressed. Isolated complaints are weighted far less than sustained, unanswered patterns.
Financial Integrity
20 pointsFinancial-compliance signals from the DORA / DRE licensing registry — Designated Agent license standing, disciplinary actions, and consent orders — together with public filings indicating fraud, embezzlement, dissolution, bankruptcy, or shell-entity history. This category surfaces documented financial or compliance red flags, not private financial data.
Professional Credentials
18 pointsVerified industry certifications held by the company and its officers (e.g., CAMICB certification, AAMC accreditation) and licensing history.
Operational Transparency
8 pointsHow openly and consistently the company presents itself across public records — consistent naming, current registrations, and verifiable contact and officer information.
The Grade Scale
Total points map to a single letter grade. The same thresholds apply to every company in the dataset.
Strong public-record profile.
Solid public-record profile.
Mixed public-record profile.
Limited / adverse public-record findings.
Significant adverse public-record findings.
Data Currency & Limitations
Each report reflects the state of the public record as of the report date printed on it. Government and regulatory systems update on their own schedules, and newly filed actions are not always immediately visible. Regulatory records may not reflect actions filed within the preceding 30 days.
HOA Intelligence grades are assessments based on publicly available records — not legal findings, regulatory determinations, or adjudications. A grade represents an opinion formed through this disclosed, consistent methodology. No grade should be interpreted as a finding of fraud, criminal liability, or breach of fiduciary duty, and no report constitutes legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions attorneys, title professionals, and HOA board members most often ask about how HOA Intelligence grades Colorado HOA management companies.
What sources does HOA Intelligence use to grade management companies?
We draw exclusively from five verified public-record systems: the Colorado Secretary of State, the DORA/DRE Licensing Registry, the Better Business Bureau, Colorado Courts public access records, and the CAMICB Credential Registry. We do not use private data, anonymous reviews, or unverifiable claims.
How is the overall grade calculated?
Each company is scored across five weighted categories totaling 100 points — Legal & Regulatory Standing (32 pts), Complaint History (22 pts), Financial Integrity (20 pts), Professional Credentials (18 pts), and Operational Transparency (8 pts). The point total maps to a letter grade on a disclosed scale.
What does the grade scale look like?
A (88–100): Positive public-record profile. B (75–87): Generally positive public-record profile. C+ (68–74): Mixed public-record findings. D (55–67): Adverse public-record findings. F (below 55): Significant adverse public-record findings.
Why is Legal & Regulatory Standing worth the most points?
At 32 points, it's the single heaviest category because an entity that is not in good standing with the state, carries active litigation, or has regulatory discipline cannot score well regardless of other signals. It's the clearest available proxy for structural risk.
What does the DORA/DRE registry show about a management company?
The Colorado Division of Real Estate maintains records of Designated Agent and broker license standing, disciplinary actions, consent orders, and the list of HOAs each company manages. This is the primary source feeding the Financial Integrity category.
What does CAMICB measure, and why does it matter?
CAMICB is the independent credentialing body for HOA managers. Its public registry shows which individual managers and companies hold verified certifications (CMCA, AMS, PCAM) and CAI AAMC company accreditation. We use it to score Professional Credentials — an 18-point category that reflects documented commitment to industry standards.
Does Colorado require HOA management companies to be licensed?
No. Colorado's individual CAM licensing requirement was created in 2015 and allowed to lapse on June 30, 2019, when Governor Polis declined to reauthorize it. A 2024 bill (HB24-1078) that would have reinstated company-level licensing died in committee. There is currently no active state licensing requirement for HOA management companies or their employees.
If there's no licensing requirement, how can a grade be defensible?
Licensing is one data source — not the foundation of the grade. Colorado still maintains the DORA/DRE registry of Designated Agent licenses, disciplinary records, and HOA registrations. Combined with Secretary of State filings, BBB records, court records, and CAMICB credentials, the methodology produces a grade from five independent government and public-record sources that any professional can verify and trace.
How current is the data in a grade?
Each report reflects the state of the public record as of the report date printed on it. Government systems update on their own schedules, and newly filed actions may not be immediately visible. Regulatory records may not reflect actions filed within the preceding 30 days.
Can a company dispute its grade?
Yes. Any company that believes its report contains a factual error can submit a correction request. We investigate every good-faith dispute and respond with the outcome within 30 days. The dispute must identify the specific fact claimed to be inaccurate and, where possible, point to the public record that supports the correction.
Is a grade a legal finding or a regulatory determination?
No. HOA Intelligence grades are assessments based on publicly available records — not legal findings, regulatory determinations, or adjudications. A grade represents an opinion formed through a disclosed, consistent methodology and does not constitute legal advice. No grade should be interpreted as a finding of fraud, criminal liability, or breach of fiduciary duty.
Is HOA Intelligence a consumer reporting agency?
No. HOA Intelligence reports are not consumer reports as defined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and HOA Intelligence is not a consumer reporting agency. Reports are not intended for and should not be used to determine eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, or housing.
Can I use an HOA Intelligence report in a legal proceeding?
An HOA Intelligence report compiles publicly available information but is not a legal finding, regulatory determination, or expert opinion prepared for litigation. It does not constitute legal advice, and National Media Group, Inc. is not a law firm. Attorneys should independently verify any record cited in a report through the original government source (e.g., the Colorado Secretary of State or DORA/DRE) before relying on it in a legal proceeding.
How much does a report cost and what do I receive?
A single HOA Intelligence report costs $199 and covers one Colorado HOA management company. The report includes the letter grade, the underlying score, and a summary of findings from each of the five public-record categories checked — Colorado Secretary of State standing, DORA/DRE licensing and discipline records, BBB complaint history, Colorado court records, and CAMICB credential status — along with the date the records were reviewed.
Is HOA Intelligence affiliated with any HOA management company?
No. National Media Group, Inc. and HOA Intelligence are independent of every management company reviewed. HOA Intelligence does not accept payment from management companies to influence a grade, and companies cannot purchase a higher grade or removal from the service.
Does a higher grade mean an HOA management company is a good fit for my association or client?
Not necessarily. The grade reflects only what is documented in public records as of the review date. It does not assess service quality, pricing, responsiveness, management style, or fit for a specific community's needs. HOA Intelligence is one input for due diligence, not a substitute for interviewing the company, checking references, or reviewing management contracts directly.
Dispute a Grade or Report
If your company has been graded and you believe a report contains a factual error, you may submit a correction request below. We investigate every good-faith dispute and respond with the outcome within 30 days. Please describe the specific fact you believe is inaccurate and, where possible, point us to the public record that supports the correction.
See the methodology in action
Review a sample report, or order a vetting report on a Colorado HOA management company.