referring now to fig1 , there is shown a non - limiting schematic of one embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention . specifically , a set of properties 11 , owned by homeowners 13 , are associated with community association ( ca ) 14 . payment 18 from homeowners 13 will comprise at least the ca assessments 16 for the payment period , and this payment is made thru “ financial institution ” 21 , which may be a any sort of financial institution , non - limiting examples of which include mortgage company , credit card company , bank , savings and loan or credit union ( for the purposes of this document these will be collectively referred to as “ mortgage companies ”). generally , payment 18 may comprise any one or more of the mortgage payment , escrow for taxes , escrow for insurance and escrow for ca dues . mortgage company 21 may make the traditional disbursements 15 to third parties 25 for taxes , insurance , and other items as they have always done so in the past . various embodiments of the present invention provide that mortgage company 21 also makes a disbursement 16 of the ca dues to the assessment exchange ( aex ) 22 , which will in turn , make a disbursement 33 to ca 14 . this disbursement 33 may be on a prearranged schedule , and may have deducted there from , a handling fee charged by aex 22 . the ca staff 29 will have access to database of aex 22 . the information maintained in the database of aex 22 may include what is necessary for the smooth operation of ca 14 collections process . for example this will include , but will not be limited to : payment address , account information , and all other information necessary for making payments to ca 14 ; fee schedules and other related information ; management information ; and any other information as desired . according to embodiments of the present invention , an alternative is provided for the previous manual and inefficient billing and collection process . the present invention uniquely adapts the standard industry process of escrow and other eft payment options . non - limiting embodiments of the present invention also address the issues of ca 14 staff being either volunteers or agents , their turn - over , frequent changes to billing addresses , responsible parties , management and other contract information . particularly , in the practice of the present invention , the databases of aex 22 may be maintained with updated information . ease of access to the databases of aex 22 will provide more efficiency for the ca 14 staff 29 , title companies 61 and mortgage companies 21 . according to the present invention , any or all of these parties may have access for keeping the databases of aex 22 current ( typically this would have been an undue burden for the mortgage companies 21 , which is why they have been reluctant to get into the business of escrowing ca payments ). embodiments of the present invention address the cash - flow difficulties experienced by homeowners 13 with respect to making lump sum ca dues payments in the annual model . according to non - limiting embodiments of the present invention , the payments may be included in their regularly occurring monthly mortgage payments , or may be made by another monthly eft payment . likewise , cas 14 do not need to incur extra administrative or collection burden on their staff 29 for processing smaller monthly payments , because they will continue to receive their payments on whatever schedule they desire . while there are a number of advantages of the present invention , one advantage is that in the escrow scenario the foreclosure risk becomes identical for the mortgage company 21 and ca 14 , thus preventing the foreclosure of ca 14 liens on properties for assessment only non - payment , because they will be receiving their payments with the same regularity and assurances with which taxes , insurance , and other fees that are paid through the escrow process 18 or other electronic collection distribution channels . the present invention allows for the automatic and efficient transfer of funds associated with managing the ca fees and the data associated with their billing and collection . the current status of these funds may be maintained and available in the databases of aex 22 . the present invention creates a mechanism and process for the smooth transfer of the ca management from the builder / developer to the homeowners fig2 , which transfer may be more easily facilitated because the databases of aex 22 intend to have all current ca data and information on the status of relevant fees , assessments and other related information . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a schematic detailing the builder / developer 41 creation of ca 14 . in certain non - limiting embodiments of the present invention , when the builder / developer 41 creates ca 14 , builder / developer 41 also establishes a relationship 44 with aex 22 . it should be noted that this relationship 44 may be created before , during or after the creation of ca 14 . ca staff may maintain the relevant components of the databases of aex 22 . at this point of creation , the builder / developer 41 will also provide to the databases of aex 22 all information necessary to establish records for each property to be covered by the ca 14 , and likewise will maintain relevant updates to that information . while builder / developer 41 owns , as owner 13 b of set of owners 13 , the properties 11 b ( i . e ., for each property still under his care ) of set of properties 11 , builder / developer 41 will makes payments 51 to aex 22 . aex 22 will then distribute payments 53 back to the builder / developer managed ca 14 . the use of aex 22 introduces an independent third party into the incestuous relationship between the builder / developer 41 and the builder / developer managed ca 14 and adds accountability and record keeping verification to the business arrangement . when a property is sold , then the process by which homeowners 13 make payments to the ca 14 through aex 22 will take over for the buyer homeowner , as shown in fig2 or as noted in other corresponding embodiments described elsewhere in the document for managing homeowner ca 43 fees 55 or 18 & amp ; 16 and their payment 53 a or 53 b to ca 14 or ca 43 respectively . as provided by certain embodiments of the present invention , when the builder / developer 41 is ready to transition the ca 14 to the homeowners 13 , aex 22 may provide several goods and services in parallel . as a non - limiting example , aex 22 , as an unbiased third party can : ( 1 ) provide records on the status of fees paid for each legal address ; ( 2 ) re - rout payments to the new ca management , without a cumbersome process of notifying all residents ; ( 3 ) provide other information about the properties and owners that is useful and relevant to the running of the ca ; and / or ( 4 ) provide information regarding the financial condition of the ca balance sheet , for example , a real time status of collected and uncollected assessments and fees . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a non - limiting embodiment of the present invention applied to the real property closing process . when the title company 61 makes a request for relevant information , they can do this by accessing the databases of aex 22 . they will have the ability to access the real time information they need to make the expedited closing electronically . title company 61 may access the information in a number of ways which might include but would not be limited to , the internet , intranet , wan . lan , voice recognition systems , fax processing systems . the databases of aex 22 will have all the necessary information maintained in automated database . as non - limiting examples , the databases of aex 22 may contain one or more of the fees invoiced , fees paid , method of eft , the account balances for the cas and the homeowners , and what go - forward financial information is relevant as it has been so entered into the databases of aex 22 and is reasonable to project . the response to the title company 61 could also take many forms which might include but would not be limited to , interactive internet sessions , internet email , audio responses associated with voice recognition systems , and fax response . one skilled in the art of automated interactions with databases , communication modes , and security processes can easily developed these components , and as new technology becomes available , it is envisioned that these processes would include such new technologies . referring now to fig4 , there is now provided another non - limiting embodiment as it relates to the databases of aex 22 , showing access by builder / developer 41 , ca 14 , title company 61 , mortgage company 21 , homeowners 13 , and others 25 . of course , levels of access may vary from entity to entity . the databases of aex 22 are a central component of the initial embodiment of this invention . these databases of aex 22 form a central clearing point of information needed by many people and organizations associated with the ca 14 . in the practice of the present invention , the builder / developer 41 may be able to access the databases for purposes such as , but not limited to : entering the legal addresses of the properties being built , status of readiness for inclusion in the ca 14 , special features of the property and restrictions the builder / developer wishes to place on the property , expected fees , etc . these communication links could be batch loaded , interactively entered , or provided as a service by the databases of aex 22 . one skilled in the art of managing legal address information , database management , communications and security could easily develop this component of the invention . likewise , ca 14 may have similar needs to access the databases of aex 22 . the focus of their usage might include , but would not be limited to : management changes and updates , fee schedules , address changes , accounting changes , financial payment information ( bank account numbers , etc . ), queries , etc . various embodiments of the present invention provide that the title company 61 will also access this database for the purposes of gathering information needed to close a transaction . other embodiments of the present invention provide that the mortgage company 21 will also have access to these databases of aex 22 . their interest may include , but would not be limited to : fees , schedules , financial payment information ( bank account numbers , etc . ), etc . even other embodiments of the present invention provide that the homeowners 13 would also have access to these databases of aex 22 . their interests might include , but would not be limited to : fees , schedules , current management , approved service providers , deed restrictions and the corporate and managerial documents of the ca , etc . lastly , there are others 25 , non - limiting examples of which include , service providers , individuals and groups , for whom it may be appropriate to have access to the information contained in the database , or may wish to they may wish to add information to the database , which may also be appropriate . for example an approved service provider may wish to update their contact information , research may be appropriate , identification of new residents , and so on . one skilled in the art of database design , security , networks and communications could easily develop a database along with the processes and methods for implementing this component of the invention . referring now to fig5 , there is shown another embodiment of the present invention as it relates to collection of the ca assessments as noted above , in one embodiment of the present invention , homeowner 13 makes regular mortgage payment 18 to mortgage company 21 , and then mortgage company 21 distributes the assessment fee of ca 16 to the databases of aex 22 . it should be understood that the databases of aex 22 may function as a financial switch in any numerous variations for the collection of the assessment fees . while some of these variations are discussed here , this is not intended to be a limiting description , but more a discussion of what one skilled in the art of financial switching could do with this invention . all such variations listed here , and future variations that are substantially similar are contemplated by this invention . under certain embodiments , if homeowner 13 contacts aex 22 directly for the purpose of utilizing one of aex &# 39 ; s assessment payment delivery options 63 , aex would determine their payment preference and gather the required information necessary to implement the aex solution . this may include homeowner name , street address , legal description of property , the contact information for the property &# 39 ; s ca , payment choice , or banking account information or other relevant information as deemed appropriate . once this information had been gathered and processed aex 22 would contact the ca 14 and send them an information packet about the aex 22 services and determine all of the ca 14 related information for assessments . the homeowner 13 could join aex 22 and utilize the aex 22 services even if the ca 14 chooses not to join aex . under other non - limiting embodiments of the present invention , if the homeowner 13 , did not wish to have ca 14 fees escrowed ( for example , some people choose to pay taxes and related homeowner &# 39 ; s insurance premiums directly ), then they could still leverage the aex 22 financial switch to receive the benefits of lower , consistent , regular payments by choosing other available eft payment methods 63 and 64 . the financial switch of aex 22 would be able to facilitate an efficiently electronic funds transfer platform , aggregate financial reporting information and provide any number of financial and data reports to the cas and mortgage companies as requested . under even other embodiments , homeowner 13 may make lump sum or other deposits to their banking , checking , or other financial organizations 21 b . through agreement , aex would be able to either auto - debit , or receive scheduled payments ( d - 66 ) from 21 - b . according to other embodiments , use may be made of other financial institutions / services 21 c , such as credit card companies , debit card services , and other types of financial servicing companies . the homeowner 13 could send payments to financial institutions / services 21 c , and through arrangement with the financial switch of aex 22 , could pay the ca fees as shown . as the financial switch of aex 22 receives these fees , they would then be transmitted to the ca 14 . the present invention also provides embodiments to escrow or regularize other fees associated with maintaining a property . other services / provider 25 which may be included in the practice of the present invention , include , but would not be limited to : trash collection and cable , phone , and water services . once the financial switch of aex 22 received the directed funds , it could then transmit the appropriate portion to the service providers 25 and any other payees . in the case where fees occur regularly but might vary , for example consider electric utilities , one skilled in the art of financial modeling and management could easily apply methods for leveling the variations in payments , thereby making them appropriate for management through this invention , or for generating a notice / approval invoice which must be objected to else payment is made . the inclusion of such existing or developed methods in this invention are contemplated . referring now to fig6 , there is shown a schematic representation of another embodiment of the present invention relating to a revenue sharing model . according to another embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a revenue sharing structure for implementation of assessment exchange solution aex 22 . the present invention provides for the charging of a transaction fee for utilizing the financial switch and databases of aex 22 . it is predicted that the volume of the industry will enable the individual transaction fees to remain insignificant yet the aggregation of the fees will create a highly profitable situation to support the operation of the aex business . as a non - limiting example , consider the hypothetical situation where aex 22 might charge ca 14 or an individual homeowner 13 , $ 1 . 50 per transaction . aex 22 could keep $ 0 . 50 for its operating expenses and profitability . the remaining $ 1 . 00 could be distributed to other parties using this process . for example , aex 22 could distribute $ 0 . 35 to mortgage company 21 in exchange for the escrow services , $ 0 . 30 to the builder / developer 41 in exchange for the ca 14 and builder / developer &# 39 ; s membership in aex 22 and the eft requirement , and other such supporting requirements , in the ca deed restrictions . additionally , $ 0 . 35 could be returned to the ca 14 for aex membership , database collaboration , and maintenance updates . while the actual numbers , values , and ratios might vary , this revenue sharing methodology and process is innovative for the industry and will literally drive mortgage company 21 demand for aex 22 as follows : the mortgage company will collect $ 0 . 35 per transaction per month . mortgage company 21 already has a financial relationship with their homeowners so no new marketing is necessary . mortgage company 21 is either currently performing escrow services for the homeowner 13 or can add escrow for purposes of assessment collection by simply updating their software and invoice . generally mortgage servicing software includes software code for escrow payment to multiple payees . aex 22 would simply be one of those payees . an additional $ 0 . 35 per transaction per month would be a significant new revenue source for this mature industry . the aex 22 revenue share will literally drive builder / developer 41 demand for the assessment exchange solution aex 22 as follows : the builder / developer will receive $ 0 . 30 per transaction per month for the strategic partner relationship . aex 22 will encourage the builder / developer 41 to draft their ca 14 deed restrictions to require electronic collection of assessment fees . if a builder / developer agrees to require electronic collection of assessments fees in its deed restrictions each new home closing will initiate eft collection of ca 14 assessments through the aex 22 switch for that property . the title company will act as the enforcement agent and facilitate the process at closing . the builder / developer 41 will derive significant financial efficiencies from the aex 22 electronic collection process . the use of the databases of aex 22 will speed the closing process and result in happier new homeowners . it is envisioned that this revenue share stream will stop some time after the subdivision is transitioned to the homeowners 43 . this will allow the transaction fee revenue share to be redirected to either a ca management company or directly to the ca 14 . this aex revenue share will literally drive ca 14 demand for aex 22 as follows : the ca 14 or individual homeowner 13 will be charged the full $ 1 . 50 per transaction fee per month for each transaction processed through the financial switch of aex 22 . the ca 14 will receive a deferred revenue share of $ 0 . 35 per transaction per month . this revenue share will be paid back to the ca 14 periodically once the ca 14 information contained in the databases of aex 22 have been verified to be current and accurate . once this type of model is presented , it is seen that other variations would be contemplated , specifically including but not limited to fees being charged to the title company 61 for use of the automated services and access to the database . like above , a portion of this fee would be retained by aex 22 and it is possible that other strategic partners who experience benefits from a successful closing would also share a portion of the fee ; for example by not limited to the ca 14 , the builder 41 , and possibly even the mortgage company 21 . in non - limiting embodiments , part or all of the data structures described herein may be stored on one or more computer readable media or transmitted in a propagated signal . in further non - limiting embodiments , part or all of the methods described herein may be described as instructions for an information handling system , and stored on one or more computer readable media or transmitted by a propagated signal . the present disclosure is to be taken as illustrative rather than as limiting the scope or nature of the claims below . all embodiments and examples provided herein , illustrate rather them limit any of the claims below . numerous modifications and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the disclosure , including use of equivalent functional and / or structural substitutes for elements described herein , use of equivalent functional couplings for couplings described herein , and / or use of equivalent functional actions for actions described herein . any insubstantial variations are to be considered within the scope of the claims below . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof , many other variations and other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is preferred , therefore , that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein , but only by the gist and scope of the disclosure .