CARISCORE
Insights / March 2026

March 2026

Published March 1, 2026 · 3 sections

This month's external context covers Economic Environment, Construction & Maintenance Costs, HOA Legislation.

Key developments:

  • Maintenance & repair costs down 5.6% year-over-year. Favorable conditions for reserve-funded projects.
  • Condominium Regulation: 12 bills active across 6 states.
  • HOA Regulation: 11 bills active across 8 states.
1.

Economic Environment

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate
6.3800%
+0.1600 (2.57%)
S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index
326.6120
-0.3570 (-0.11%)
Housing Starts: Total
1487.0000
+100.0000 (7.21%)
Homeownership Rate
65.7000%
+0.4000 (0.61%)
Federal Funds Effective Rate
3.6400%
0.0000
Interest Rates
Home Price Index

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate rose 2.6% to 6.3800 Percent. S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index held steady at 326.6120 Index. Housing Starts: Total rose 7.2% to 1487.0000 Thousands of Units. Homeownership Rate rose 0.6% to 65.7000 Percent. Federal Funds Effective Rate held steady at 3.6400 Percent.

Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
2.

Construction & Maintenance Costs

CPI: Owners Equivalent Rent
441.8650
+0.5800 (0.13%)
CPI: Shelter
422.9420
+0.9770 (0.23%)
CPI: Maintenance and Repair of Household Items
276.7540
+2.2070 (0.8%)
CPI: All Items
327.4600
+0.8720 (0.27%)
CPI Index Trends

CPI: Owners Equivalent Rent stands at 441.8650, 2.7% higher than one year ago. CPI: Shelter stands at 422.9420, 3.0% higher than one year ago. CPI: Maintenance and Repair of Household Items stands at 276.7540, 5.6% lower than one year ago. CPI: All Items stands at 327.4600, 2.4% higher than one year ago.

• Maintenance & repair costs down 5.6% year-over-year. Favorable conditions for reserve-funded projects.
Source: BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
3.

HOA Legislation

Bills Tracked
88
Newly Introduced
88
Passed / Signed
0
States Active
10
State Bill Topic Title
MD HB1132 Condominium Regulation Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Resale Contracts - Notice Requirements (Keeping Affordabl...
MD HB405 EV & Sustainability Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Governing Documents - Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipme...
MD HB1362 Governance & Elections Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Meetings - Recording Requirements
RI H7855 Assessments Defines a special assessment as an assessment that is not a part of the condominium association budg...
AZ SB1246 Assessments HOAs; expense liens; special assessment
CT HB05437 Assessments An Act Concerning The Approval Process For Proposed Budgets And Special Assessments In Common Intere...
RI H7853 Assessments Restricts increases in monthly common expenses and limit special assessments to cover unforeseen cos...
WA HB1500 Disclosure & Resale Concerning resale certificates for units in common interest communities.
88 bills tracked across 10 states. Ranked by relevance to HOA/condo operations.

88 HOA-related bills tracked with legislative activity this period. 88 newly introduced, 0 passed or signed. Most active states: FL (11), MD (10), IL (9), UT (8), RI (6).

Top legislative themes: Condominium Regulation (12), HOA Regulation (11), Common Interest Communities (8).

• Condominium Regulation: 12 bills active across 6 states.
• HOA Regulation: 11 bills active across 8 states.
Source: LegiScan Legislation Database
Methodology

The CARI Platform Index is computed from proprietary operational data captured monthly from community associations on the CommunityPay platform and vendor compliance data from BuildRated. Each association contributes 45+ metrics spanning financial health, governance controls, debt profile, and vendor compliance. All figures are anonymized and aggregated — no individual association is identifiable from the data presented.

External indicators are sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), and LegiScan (state legislation tracking). External data carries a 30-90 day publication lag depending on the source agency's release schedule.

The CARI score uses a 5-component weighted model: financial health (30%), governance (25%), vendor risk (15%), enforcement integrity (15%), and payment behavior (15%), producing a 0-100 composite index with letter grades (A+ through F).

Disclaimer. This report combines proprietary platform data with publicly available economic indicators and is provided for informational purposes only. CARI does not provide investment, legal, or insurance advice. External data sources include HUD, FRED, BLS, and LegiScan. Verify all information independently before making decisions. Past performance and current metrics do not guarantee future conditions.