35 updates and counting

What we've shipped

A running log of what we build for HomeHerald, and why we built it. New stuff at the top.

Jun 2026

Jun 10, 2026

Live community budget your residents can watch all year

Build the annual budget once, share it, and every resident gets a live budget card on their dashboard. It is not a static PDF - it shows planned vs actual spending to date, on a cash basis, updated as money moves. Any day of the year a resident can see where the community stands on every line and whether you are over or under budget. Pre-fill next year from the last 12 months in one tap. Admins also get a Budget vs Actual report - annual or any date range - with PDF and CSV export.
Why: Every special-assessment fight starts with "where does our money go?" Now the answer lives on every resident's phone, updated daily, all year - not a number read aloud once at the annual meeting.
budgettransparencyfinancial
Jun 10, 2026

Official meetings with proof you posted notice

Post meeting notices and agendas that stamp the exact moment they went up, so the required advance notice is provable months later when a vote gets challenged. Community meetings auto-publish a notice banner; board-only sessions stay private as Executive Sessions. After the meeting, post a resident recap and keep your formal minutes as a separate record.
Why: Boards lose dues-increase challenges over a paperwork gap - was the meeting noticed far enough in advance? Now the timestamp answers that for you.
meetingsgovernancecompliance
Jun 10, 2026

An insurance register that watches its own renewals

Keep every policy on file with its certificate, coverage limit, and dates. A traffic-light chip flags what is current, what expires within 90 days, and what has already lapsed, so a master policy never expires unnoticed. Renewals auto-archive the old policy without deleting the record, and you can list a certificate for residents with one toggle.
Why: Insurance is the record that disappears when the treasurer turns over, and a lapse can expose board members personally. Now it watches the calendar for you.
insurancecomplianceadmin
Jun 10, 2026

Contracts and competitive bids, on the record

Keep active vendor contracts on file - terminating one marks it terminated rather than deleting it - and log bids grouped by project with the lowest bid flagged. Residents can see recent bids within a built-in one-year window. The whole board, and the community, can see what was signed and what it cost.
Why: Contracts and bids used to live in one board member's phone. Now they are official records the board and residents can both see.
contractscomplianceadmin
Jun 10, 2026

A members-only Documents hub for every record

One searchable, members-only place for governing documents, meeting minutes, budgets, insurance certificates, and contracts. Filter by category or search by keyword. Insurance and contracts publish here with one toggle, sharing only the file and title. The board stops being the filing cabinet.
Why: Residents kept emailing the board for the same documents. Now they find them themselves, behind login, in seconds.
documentsresidentcompliance
Jun 10, 2026

Built for Florida HB 1203

Florida HOAs with 100 or more parcels must now post their official records in a members-only portal. The live budget, official meetings, insurance, contracts, and Documents hub mean every record the law names already has a home behind your residents' existing login. Herald Chat knows about all of it.
Why: A brand-new state mandate that is really a software problem. We had most of the pieces; this connects them into the members-only portal the statute requires.
compliancegovernanceflorida
Jun 10, 2026

A cleaner admin, grouped by what you actually do

The admin dashboard was reorganized: the sidebar is now grouped into domains (Community, Finances, Operations, Communicate), Events and Voting share one home, the mobile menu got tinted category panels, and a pinned bottom bar keeps your key actions one tap away. Home is now Dashboard.
Why: The nav had grown into a long flat list. Grouping it by domain makes the tools findable, especially on a phone.
adminuxmobile
Jun 10, 2026

Two-way Support chat in the app

Members can start a support conversation and get real replies in a threaded chat. When HomeHerald responds, a pulsing Herald bubble and a "New response from HomeHerald" prompt bring them straight back to the thread. Admins get a per-ticket chat window, and Support is one tap from the mobile bar.
Why: Support used to be one-directional - file something and wait in the dark. Now it is a real back-and-forth, and nobody misses a reply.
supportresidentcommunication
Jun 10, 2026

Onboarding that can't lose your data, with AI import review

The signup import pipeline was hardened end to end, and a new AI review step reads your uploaded roster or spreadsheet and flags problems before you commit the import. Your community goes live without silent data loss or a mangled column.
Why: The import is the first thing a new board does, and a bad one poisons everything downstream. Now the AI checks the work first.
onboardingaiadmin
Jun 10, 2026

Share a trusted vendor with a link

Hand anyone a vetted service provider from your directory with a short link (homeherald.ai/v/...) that works for three days, no login required. The plumber your community vouches for is now shareable in one tap.
Why: The trusted-vendor list was locked inside the app. Now a neighbor or a new board member can get it instantly.
directoryresidentcommunity
Jun 2, 2026

Charge different dues to different units

You can now charge different dues to different units instead of one flat amount. Build a Community Assessment once - base dues, yard maintenance, pool access - and apply it to every property or just the units that need it. Add a Property Assessment to a single home for a one-off charge. Apply a special assessment across the community in one action. Every charge posts on its own schedule and shows up itemized on the resident's ledger.
Why: Real communities are not one flat fee. Condos sit next to townhomes, some residents opt into services others skip, and capital projects come due. Boards were tracking all of this in spreadsheets or paying a manager to do it. Now a volunteer board can bill each unit exactly what it owes, with every charge itemized so residents see what they are paying for.
duespaymentsadmin
Jun 2, 2026

Amenity deposits: release or forfeit, on the record

After a rental ends, admins get an "Amenity Reviewed: Release Deposit" prompt with a one-tap Forfeit option, and the resident is notified either way. Closes the loop on cleaning and damage deposits.
Why: Deposits were held, but releasing or forfeiting them was fuzzy. Now it is an explicit, logged step.
amenityfinancialadmin

May 2026

May 26, 2026

Admin booking on behalf, plus a major mobile refresh

Admins can now book amenities for a resident - either comped or charged to the property. Cancelling a booking frees the slot immediately so someone else can grab it. The mobile experience got a major refresh across the admin pages, plus a real menu on the marketing site. And the HomeHerald Android app is out of preview, fully available on Google Play.
Why: Residents sometimes need an admin to book a room for them. Cancelled bookings were blocking the calendar after the fact. And the mobile admin experience was overdue for a redesign that puts your data first.
amenitymobileadmin
May 16, 2026

This changelog page launches

A running log of what we ship and why. New stuff at the top. Click any entry to see the backstory.
Why: I want anyone using HomeHerald to see what we're building - and what's coming down the pipe. No marketing-speak roadmap, no waitlists, just what shipped this week.
platformtransparency
May 15, 2026

Herald Voice goes live

Press-to-talk voice agent. Ask Herald a question by holding the mic button, get a spoken answer back. iOS and web.
Why: Typing on the phone is annoying. Residents already talk to Siri and Alexa - HOA software should work the same way.
mobileresidentai
May 13, 2026

Amenity automation goes free

Every community (free tier included) now gets the full booking flow: request, approve, smart-lock code, auto-deposit hold, auto-refund 5-7 days after the booking ends.
Why: Boards were tracking pool bookings on paper. Deposits were a legal and accounting headache. We built the end-to-end flow and stopped gating it.
amenitysmart-lockfinancial
May 12, 2026

Herald Welcome - the listing agent portal

Real estate agents listing a property in your community get a secure portal with the welcome letter, current HOA balance, covenants, and an estoppel letter download. No board involvement needed.
Why: Every closing in an HOA generates the same scramble: agent calls the treasurer at 9pm needing the estoppel by tomorrow. Herald Welcome lets them get it themselves.
agentresidentfinancial
May 5, 2026

Download a full backup of your community - free

Export a complete backup of your community's data, now included on every plan including Free.
Why: Your data is yours. No lock-in, and no paywall on getting it out.
platformdataadmin
May 4, 2026

Cash-basis P&L reports

Treasurers can run a full Profit & Loss report on a cash basis (when money actually moved), not accrual. Replaces the need for a QuickBooks subscription for most HOAs.
Why: Most HOAs are cash-basis. Accrual reporting confuses every volunteer treasurer. We default to what they actually need.
boardfinancialreporting
May 4, 2026

Bank reconciliation, AR Aging, and AP Aging

Reconcile each account against the bank statement with a live diff that counts down to zero, run AR Aging to see who owes what and how late, and AP Aging to catch an unpaid vendor bill before it bites. Plus Cash Accounts (Operating, Reserve, Petty Cash), outstanding checks, and CSV export.
Why: A P&L is half the job. Treasurers also have to tie out the bank and chase delinquents. This is the rest of the bookkeeping, built for volunteers.
boardfinancialreporting
May 4, 2026

Upcoming amenity rentals on the dashboard

The admin dashboard now shows upcoming amenity bookings in real time. Residents see open slots without calling the board.
Why: Self-service for amenities. Closer to Airbnb, further from a spreadsheet on a clipboard.
boardamenity
May 2, 2026

Community Events with one-tap RSVP

Schedule events (block parties, board meetings, work weekends). Residents RSVP in one tap. Calendar export. Automatic day-before reminders. Live attendance roster so you know how many hamburger buns to buy.
Why: Block party Saturday, twelve people show up. Email blasts give no headcount. Eventbrite is overkill. Built the in-app version that gets used.
residentcommunicationevents

Apr 2026

Apr 30, 2026

Community Voting - legal-grade ballots

Boards post yes/no votes on budget, rules, assessments. Residents vote from their phone. Quorum tracked automatically. Tamper-proof results audit trail.
Why: Every HOA law requires member voting on major decisions. Most boards still use paper ballots or "show of hands at the annual meeting." This is the modern version, free.
residentgovernancevoting
Apr 15, 2026

Pet Protect - lost-pet matching

Residents register pets with photos. When one goes missing, the community gets a push notification. Neighbors submit sighting photos. AI matches the sightings to registered pets.
Why: A lost dog in an HOA is chaos: Facebook posts, paper flyers, doorbells at 10pm. Pet Protect is the structured version of "did you see my dog?"
residentaicommunity

Mar 2026

Mar 15, 2026

HomeHerald iOS app live on the App Store

Native iOS app with Face ID login, push notifications, native camera, and Apple Pay. Full board dashboard on your phone - not a stripped-down portal.
Why: Board members live on their phones. Most HOA software treats mobile as an afterthought. We built the iPhone app first.
mobileresident
Mar 10, 2026

HomeHerald Android app live on Google Play

Native Android app with feature parity to iOS: dues, amenities, chat, voting, events, Pet Protect.
Why: Half of residents are on Android. You can't pick a side.
mobileresident

Feb 2026

Feb 5, 2026

Multi-community switcher

Property managers and active residents who belong to multiple communities can switch with one tap. No logging out and back in.
Why: Discord solved this problem; we copied the pattern. Anyone who manages or lives in more than one HOA shouldn't have to re-authenticate to see the other one.
uxapp
Feb 5, 2026

AI receipt scanning for expenses

Snap a photo of a vendor receipt. AI reads the vendor, amount, date, and category. Expense logged with one tap.
Why: Treasurers hate data entry. This is the part of QuickBooks they'd quit if they could.
boardfinancialai
Feb 4, 2026

SMS chatbot - text Herald any question

Residents text the HomeHerald number. Herald responds with their balance, the next meeting date, the pool hours, the trash schedule.
Why: Not every resident installs the app. SMS hits everyone. Treasurer doesn't get woken up by 2am "what's my balance" texts anymore.
residentcommunicationai
Feb 3, 2026

My Home - household management

Residents can invite their spouse, roommates, or family members to co-manage the same property. One person pays; everyone in the household can see the ledger, book amenities, and report issues.
Why: HOA software historically assumed one person per property. Real households don't work that way.
residenthousehold
Feb 2, 2026

Free plan, no time limit, no asterisk

Communities up to 50 properties get HomeHerald free forever. Amenity bookings, voting, events, Pet Protect, chat, email agent, mobile apps - all included.
Why: Most HOAs are small and broke. We'd rather compete on "free and good" than "free trial that turns into a $300/mo bill."
platform
Feb 1, 2026

QR-code community join

Boards generate a QR code for the community. New residents scan it with their phone camera and are in the app, joined to the right community, no invite-code typing.
Why: New resident moves in, you hand them a card or stick the QR on the entryway sign. Done.
residentonboarding

Jan 2026

Jan 29, 2026

Self-service community creation

Boards create their own community profile, set rules, upload CC&Rs, and invite residents - all from the app. No support ticket required.
Why: Manual board setup was the biggest bottleneck. Self-service onboarding made it ten times faster.
boardonboarding
Jan 28, 2026

Renamed to HomeHerald

The platform formerly known as CommunityConnect is now HomeHerald. Same product, sharper name, single word.
Why: CommunityConnect sounded like every other SaaS. HomeHerald is memorable and ties to "herald" - the messenger between the board and the community.
brand

Dec 2025

Dec 1, 2025

Platform launch (v1.0)

HomeHerald launches with the core toolkit: resident chat, AI email inbox agent, dues tracking, request tickets, board announcements, community directory, and a mobile-responsive web app.
Why: Day one. Built because the existing options for self-managed HOAs were either too expensive (management companies), too clunky (Buildium/PayHOA), or didn't exist.
platform

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