21 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.

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 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

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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