When onboarding your HOA to Vlge, one of the most important decisions is how to bring in your financial history.
There are three supported approaches, depending on how much history you want and how your prior system was managed.
🚦 Choosing the Right Import Method
Use this quick guide:
If you want… | Choose… |
Full financial history and reporting | Full History Import |
A clean start with correct balances only | Opening Balance Only |
A clean start + recent transaction visibility | Opening Balance + Recent Activity (Recommended) |
🧾 Option 1: Full History Import
What it does
Every historical charge and payment is imported and posted to the general ledger.
Example
2022 charge → Journal entry dated 2022
2023 payment → Journal entry dated 2023
Pros
Full historical reporting in Vlge
Complete audit trail
Matches your prior system exactly
Cons
Slower import (hundreds or thousands of entries)
Requires a fully configured chart of accounts
May post into prior (closed) accounting periods
Best for
Smaller HOAs
Clean, well-structured historical data
Organizations that want full reporting continuity
📊 Option 2: Opening Balance Only
What it does
You start fresh in Vlge with a single opening journal entry that represents your HOA’s financial position at cutover.
Example Journal Entry
Dr Accounts Receivable $X
Dr Bank Account $Y
Cr Opening Balance Equity $X + $Y
Pros
Fast and simple
Clean accounting start date
No risk of historical inconsistencies
Cons
No transaction history in Vlge
Residents won’t see past charges/payments
Best for
Larger HOAs
Messy or inconsistent prior data
Teams that want a fresh start
⭐ Option 3: Opening Balance + Recent Activity (Recommended)
This is the most balanced approach for most HOAs.
What it does
You import recent transactions (e.g., last 3-12 months)
You create an adjusted opening balance for everything before that
How it works
Step 1: Choose a cutoff date
Example:
Go-live date: Jan 1, 2026
Import history from: July–December 2025
Step 2: Import recent transactions
These are imported as real journal entries, using their original dates.
Step 3: Create opening balances
Opening balances represent everything before the import window.
Example:
Date | Activity | Amount |
Before July | Existing balance | $1,000 |
July | Charge | +$200 |
August | Payment | -$150 |
In Vlge:
Opening Balance → $1,000
July Charge → +$200
August Payment → -$150
👉 Final balance = $1,050 (correct)
Pros
Residents see recent history
Clean accounting cutover
Faster than full history import
Avoids overwhelming the system
Cons
Older history not visible in Vlge
Prior-period reports are limited
Best for
Most HOAs transitioning from another system
Teams that want clarity + usability
⚠️ Important: Avoid This Mistake
Do not:
Import transactions and include them in your opening balance
This will double count and break your financials.
👉 Opening balances must only include activity before your imported history
🧠 Understanding Sub-ledger vs General Ledger
Vlge tracks:
Unit Ledger (Subledger) → Per-home charges and payments
General Ledger (GL) → Financial statements
These must always match:
Total unit balances = Accounts Receivable in the GL
What happens in each method?
Method | GL Impact | Unit Ledger |
Full History | Every row posts to GL | Full detail |
Opening Balance | One JE only | No history |
Hybrid (Recommended) | Opening JE + recent JEs | Recent + summary |
🔍 After Import: Required Checks
Before going live, always:
1. Reconcile Accounts Receivable
Total unit balances must equal GL A/R
2. Reconcile Bank Balance
GL cash must match your bank statement
3. Lock Opening Entry
Do not edit it - use adjustments if needed
4. Review Reports
Run Balance Sheet
Run Income Statement
🧩 Final Recommendation
For most HOAs, we recommend:
Opening Balance + Recent Activity
It gives you:
Accurate accounting
Useful resident visibility
A clean, manageable transition