Nancy Brand, vice president of the HOA at Windwood Condominiums, gives a tour of the library and card room. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
After Windwood’s insurance debacle, monthly dues went up overnight, by an average $262 for a two-bedroom condo with roughly 1,250 square feet.
Some residents experienced hardship. The Edina community is home to a range of lifestyles and incomes, from young families with children to snowbirds with a second home.
Brand and Struck, the HOA board members, noticed an uptick in units going on the market. And they’ve heard their neighbors air grievances.
Built in 1972, Windwood sits on roughly 12 acres and spans three main residential buildings. It has two swimming pools — one indoor, one outdoor — a community library, a party room and a garden with 23 plots.
One of those plots is Brand’s, where she grows tomatoes, green beans and peppers. She moved into her condo 4½ years ago, days after she retired, seeking a turnkey property with no big project to take on. It quickly felt like home, she said, and getting to know her neighbors “was just the icing on the cake.”
The blowup of the Windwood’s insurance policy in 2024 prompted board leaders to seek advice and options from their insurance broker. Struck and Brand said changing carriers this year saved about $100,000 in annual premium cost.