Professionalism, accountability, and education are of utmost importance to credibly and capably represent the tens of millions of dollars of real estate throughout Arizona.  To that end, AACM developed its Certified Arizona Association Manager (CAAM®) program.

The CAAM® certification is an Arizona-specific designation signifying that a manager is trained to address maintenance issues specific to our climate and laws particular to our state.  Additional course completion and testing requirements in the areas of essential management principles and ethical business practices round out the CAAM® curriculum, ensuring that management representatives are comprehensively prepared to represent the values of Arizona’s communities and homes.

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) program, in support of the CAAM® certification, continues to offer CAAM®-certified managers elective courses to enhance their professional education.

CAAM® CERTIFICATION

CAAM® certification requirements currently include:

• Employment by a community management company, or builder/developer as the HOA Coordinator, at the time of CAAM® certification. 
• An application and 3 letters of recommendation, as the caliber of CAAM®s is of utmost importance to AACM and its Members.  Please call the AACM office at 602-685-1111 for a CAAM® application.
• All membership or partnership dues and fees (if applicable), a registration fee, course fees, continuing education credits and fees, and any other applicable fees must be current at the time of CAAM® certification and subsequent renewal.
• Completion of the CAAM® course curriculum, detailed below, and
• CAAM® Continuing Education Units; 27 in a period of 3 calendar years, including 3 CEUs each year of mandatory Annual Law Update credits.

The courses required to receive CAAM® certification may be taken in any order.  A test is taken at the end of each course, and must be passed with a grade of at least 70% (in addition, the Ethics course requires a signed Manager Code of Ethics).  Test scores and certificates are mailed to the Designated CAAM® Program Contact for each company, to be passed on to the individual who participated in the CAAM® course.

CAAM® REQUIRED COURSES

CAAM® - Basics of Association Management (BAM)

BAM is a 2-day course covering a comprehensive spectrum of topics vital to effective community management.  This course is taught by seasoned community managers as well as legal and financial specialists.  Legal aspects of HOAs, understanding association insurance, budgets, financial statements, reserves, industry terminology, board meetings, and member communication are all topics included in BAM.

CAAM® - Ethics

This is a full-day course written and instructed by members of the AACM Board of Directors and Professional Standards Committee.  It is designed to help managers understand the high ethical standards held by AACM Members and their associates, and employ said standards in their daily business.  AACM’s organizational structure is explained, along with the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards that all AACM Members have committed to uphold.  Hypothetical situations are presented in class to assist managers with real-world decisions, and a Manager Code of Ethics is to be signed by all class attendees at the end of this course, indicating the individual manager’s agreement to also commit to the ethics detailed in class.

CAAM® Law

Navigating and understanding community association law and the legal issues that affect HOAs and community managers can be quite a challenge.  Some of AACM’s Affiliate Partners who are legal professionals specializing in the HOA industry instruct this full-day course.  Topics include community association documents, condominiums vs. planned community developments (PUDs), roles of the Board and the Manager, developer transitions, reserves, collections, restriction enforcement, board meetings, and insurance.

CAAM® Finance

Financial management is an integral part of the community manager’s duties.  This course is designed to set forth minimum standards and recommended procedures for financial management of a community association.  Financial experts, as well as seasoned community managers, instruct this course, including topics such as recordkeeping, accounting methods, financial statements, budget preparation, reserve studies, and taxes in the course curriculum.

CAAM ® COSTS

AACM Individual or Management Company Member Costs

• $150.00 Registration Fee (includes CAAM® binder for course materials)
• $150.00 for each full-day CAAM® course
• $300.00 for 2-day CAAM® BAM course

Non-Member and Affiliate Partner Costs

• $500.00 Registration Fee (includes CAAM® binder for course materials)
• $300.00 for each full-day CAAM® course
• $600.00 for 2-day CAAM® BAM course

CAAM® CHANGES AND CERTIFICATION EXPIRATION/RENEWAL

AACM will maintain records for each CAAM®.  The Designated CAAM® Program Contact (designated Management Company Member, Individual Member, Non-Member CAAM®, or Affiliate Partner CAAM®, as applicable) will be notified approximately four months prior to a CAAM®’s certification renewal date (3 calendar years from the January following the certification date).  However, it is strongly recommended that each CAAM® also maintain his or her own records and certificates.  The Designated CAAM® Program Contact as described above must notify the AACM office of any name changes or employment changes on the CAAM® Information Change Form as soon as possible after a change (either termination or hire) occurs regarding a CAAM®'s status with their company.  Please contact the CAAM® Coordinator or the AACM Office at 602-685-1111 to obtain a CAAM® Information Change Form.