GETTING ALL WIRED UP HOMEOWNERS

ASSOCIATION SITE BEGAN AS TIME-SAVING NOTION

Chatter over the backyard fence does not always reach the entire neighborhood.

So, to help homeowners associations get the word out, Jamie Thibodeaux has devised something more reliable than the busiest neighborhood gossip: AboutMyHoa.com.

She said the Web site was a way to reduce the workload for her husband, Nelson Thibodeaux, a business owner and president of the board of directors of Caldwell's Creek homeowners association in Colleyville.

"The No. 1 concern of the homeowners association board is the distribution of information," said Jamie Thibodeaux, who began working in September on the project. "I was looking for a way to relieve the burden on the board and on Nelson."

Although it started as a tool for Caldwell's Creek residents, the Web site has quickly expanded and since Oct. 9 has included at least eight homeowners associations in Northeast Tarrant County, Austin, Houston and Lubbock.

"It is so funny how it has taken off," Thibodeaux said. "It's a snowball effect."

The goal of the Web site is to help homeowners associations distribute information quickly and cheaply, she said.

Visitors to the Caldwell's Creek section of the site can find an events calendar, a newsletter and the homeowners association rules. By clicking on the picture of a convertible, browsers can embark on a virtual tour of neighborhood homes and parks.

"The great thing about the Web page is the amount of information far exceeds what we could send out to our members," said Steve Magee, vice president of the Caldwell's Creek homeowners association board.

Beyond a link accessible with a password, there is a list of association members and telephone numbers - an alternative to the consistently out-of-date list shoved in the back of a kitchen drawer somewhere, said Craig Calvery, treasurer of the Caldwell's Creek group.

"In this day and age, convenience sells, and I think this will be convenient," he said.

The Web site has attracted advertisers whose services and wares are aimed at homeowners.

Take Unique Landscaping Design & Construction in Grapevine.

The company's advertising on the site links browsers to its home page, giving company owner Donna Kauffman a way to introduce her company to her target audience, she said.

"People who generally live in neighborhoods that have associations generally use the service I provide," said Kauffman, a horticulturist who specializes in native and adaptive plants.

Thibodeaux said the Web site is her first Internet endeavor. "I'm not going to win any Web-design awards," she said. "It is very much a work in progress."

But as the site progresses, she hopes to offer city news that affects homeowners, she said.

"I can see this being a one-stop shop for me ... to see what is going on in Colleyville and what is happening in my community," Calvery said.

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