HOA horrors?

[PoorUB]

I have a buddy and his wife that live in a HOA. It is pretty relaxed. They do dictate minimum house size, color, brick front. They also require the lawn to be mowed and no junk laying around. No utility trailers parked outside. Most homes have shops and large garages. Cars can be parked outside over night. My buddy has four acres. We have run down and visited him, hauling my Goldwing on a trailer as we usually go late fall and it isn't riding weather here, but it is where they live. Before I show up he calls the HOA president and tells him there will be a trailer parked outside, in his yard for a few days and really nobody cares.

On the other hand the HOA is rural so they have skunks and other pests, and the whole HOA are gun lovers. My buddy was telling be they were out chasing skunks late one evening, he had his 12 gauge, the neighbor was toting an AR15. They did hunt them down and kill them. He said when they were walking back a couple neighbors hollered out, "What ya shooting at?" Definitely not the normal HOA.

Every HOA is different, so you need to ask before you buy. Many are just stupid restrictive.

 

[andyvh1959]

Thanks for the rational and logical replies. Based on this I maintain no HOA in my future. Luckily here in the Green Bay and east central Wisconsin area HOAs are not the norm. Friend of mine just moved into one on the north side of Appleton, really nice semi-rural area (farm fields 1/4mile away), but all the houses are nearly identical.

I've lived in west Green Bay for 23 years. My property isn't spotless, but I do strive to keep it up and make improvements as needed. Not one neighbor has ever complained. But just based on some replies here, I'd have many, many actions placed on me if it was an HOA.

 

[CV428]

Thanks for the rational and logical replies. Based on this I maintain no HOA in my future. Luckily here in the Green Bay and east central Wisconsin area HOAs are not the norm. Friend of mine just moved into one on the north side of Appleton, really nice semi-rural area (farm fields 1/4mile away), but all the houses are nearly identical.

I've lived in west Green Bay for 23 years. My property isn't spotless, but I do strive to keep it up and make improvements as needed. Not one neighbor has ever complained. But just based on some replies here, I'd have many, many actions placed on me if it was an HOA.

There seems to be three types of HOAs:
1) "You all can't behave and maintain your properties, so here are rules and fines, stop being slobs"
Avoid.

2) "Some retired control-freak wants everyone's house to look the same"
Avoid

3) "This is essentially a private resort, your HOA fees go mainly towards grounds-keeping and the guard post that keeps the riff-raff out"
Fine by me

It's like the mentality of "raising your prices may reduce your client base, but you may be removing a large portion of a client base you really didn't want in the first place..."

If my neighbor doesn't mow his lawn for a few weeks, I go over and mow it for him. I expect nothing in return. Other neighbors have come over and helped me when I needed it. No HOA needed. I'm very grateful for my neighbors and hope they feel the same about me.

 

[andyvh1959]

I've gotten along very well with my neighbor. I replaced my falling down fence on his/my lotline back in 2012. I was just going to install the fence posts in the same holes the old posts were in, but with cement to set the posts. As we finished the hole prep Dave came over and said "when the previous owner put up that fence he actually put it well over my lot line." I said lets find the property markers and run a string line, and sure enough Dave was right. We discussed it and he was good that I move most of the fence 18" my way, leaving some still on his lot side. We agreed, I set the posts, good to go. I've helped him on occasion with moving things, yard stuff. He has a big tree coming down later this year and I told him to just have the crane truck use my driveway instead of driving over his lawn. Good communication and reasonable respectful discussion goes a long way.

 

[mike93lx]

I've gotten along very well with my neighbor. I replaced my falling down fence on his/my lotline back in 2012. I was just going to install the fence posts in the same holes the old posts were in, but with cement to set the posts. As we finished the hole prep Dave came over and said "when the previous owner put up that fence he actually put it well over my lot line." I said lets find the property markers and run a string line, and sure enough Dave was right. We discussed it and he was good that I move most of the fence 18" my way, leaving some still on his lot side. We agreed, I set the posts, good to go. I've helped him on occasion with moving things, yard stuff. He has a big tree coming down later this year and I told him to just have the crane truck use my driveway instead of driving over his lawn. Good communication and reasonable respectful discussion goes a long way.

Its really nice to like your neighbors.

It ***** to have to like your neighbors

 

[andyvh1959]

My neighbor has been great, he'll come over and tell me about anything going on that is close to my property, and I do likewise for him. Had a neighbor across the street for a while, Frank, he was limited in what he could physically do. Frank called me over once to take a look at a toilet he was replacing in the lower bathrrom (slab portion of a tri-level). He showed me the anchors the ACE hardware guy sold him to use (totally wrong). Hang on Frank, I have some right anchors to use, came back to his place and in 20 minutes I had the toilet set for him with the new wax ring he had.

For a while I mowed his vacant lot next door to his house, which got me a bottle of Bourbon. Frank always kept an eye on my house whenever I traveled. Another plus. Doesn't take much to keep the neighbors on your side.

 

[Sumboodie]

HOAs can be fine if you fit the cookie cutter profile. Husband/wife, 2.2 kids, dog, white pocket fence.
Garage used for parking, plain Jane appliance level car, etc.

And even still.

Back in the dish TV days, a friend of my parents had to go through a months long process to be allowed to put a dish on THEIR home. Out of regular view on the back of the building.
They got written up for hanging a hose on an exterior wall to water plants even.

Rules that you don't have dozens junk cars stacked up, 20 dogs barking non stop, etc. Fine. But typically that's already covered by the town.

 

[mike93lx]

My neighbor has been great, he'll come over and tell me about anything going on that is close to my property, and I do likewise for him. Had a neighbor across the street for a while, Frank, he was limited in what he could physically do. Frank called me over once to take a look at a toilet he was replacing in the lower bathrrom (slab portion of a tri-level). He showed me the anchors the ACE hardware guy sold him to use (totally wrong). Hang on Frank, I have some right anchors to use, came back to his place and in 20 minutes I had the toilet set for him with the new wax ring he had.

For a while I mowed his vacant lot next door to his house, which got me a bottle of Bourbon. Frank always kept an eye on my house whenever I traveled. Another plus. Doesn't take much to keep the neighbors on your side.

We need more Franks and Andys

 

[micromind]

I've got enough trouble with the County telling what I can and cannot do with my property, the last thing I need is a bunch of nazis with even more idiotic rules.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

I have the paper work from my FIL being "that guy" that did whatever he wanted and pushed his HOA to the limit.

They bought a nice house in a Florida gated community. Very nice 3BR home with a lanai and a pool in a screened room out back. MIL was an artist so they wanted to add a "studio" on the back of the home. They had plans drawn up that conformed to the "rules" of the community with regard to exterior finishes and colors.

Once he got the building permit and construction started he went his own way to save money. Did aluminum panels in some sections instead of stucco. Put in a PTAC unit that wasn't on the plans. Changed a few other exterior details and moved on. Of course he passed the general construction inspections and failed the final HOA inspections for "not built as planned/approved". This kicked off an 18 month back and forth battle with the HOA that finally ended with a 50% correction on FIL's side and the rest was just forgiven.

He later installed a propane powered backup generator with NO permission or approval from the HOA. That bit him on the a$$ eventually and started another back and forth struggle with the HOA.

He was a good businessman but wanted his way and would just ignore any opposition in the "forgiveness is easier than permission" approach to life.

Cheers

Jim

 

[MichaelP]

"Am I just narrow minded about HOAs or are the horrors real?"

They're more than real. I had a few luxury commercial properties (condos) with HOAs in a a very nice Chicago suburb, and I couldn't wait to get rid of them for this particular reason. It was a nightmare.

I would never ever buy my own property managed by HOA. And having a workshop makes it completely out of question.

 

[PugetDude]

3) "This is essentially a private resort, your HOA fees go mainly towards grounds-keeping and the guard post that keeps the riff-raff out"

Winner.

 

[Jagmandave]

Nope, not for me......

 

[Whitworth]

The HOA where we lived for about 5 years (brand new subdivision), The covenants went from a thin pamphlet to swell up to the size of a small telephone book.
All they were doing was copying and pasting bylaws from other HOA's they found online. Even if they didn't apply to where we lived. The fees went up too. And the small strip of common area grass they were supposed to take care of died and turned brown because none of the Karens knew what to do other than hire a grass mower.

HELL NO !!!!!

 

[Wubicon]

This thread has been fascinating to me. HOAs are such a foreign concept having never been a part...

 

[CraigStu]

We live w/ a HOA now on a 1/2 mile dead end road w/ 10 houses and several unbuilt lots. The macadam road is 20 yrs old. 2 summers ago we needed to pave some of the road. 2 spots totaling maybe 120-150 yards. $9000. We had enough in the kitty to cover that but now it's down to maybe $2000. We started talking about raising the annual fee from $250 to maybe $500. One couple said they couldn't afford that. Someone mentioned putting a lien on their property. My comment was that's fine but the rest of us will need to come up w/ the missing $500 every year. So we would get a small chunk of money 'someday' but the lien wouldn't actually help before then. This will get ugly when the next chunk of road needs paving.

 

[jar944]

We live w/ a HOA now on a 1/2 mile dead end road w/ 10 houses and several unbuilt lots. The macadam road is 20 yrs old. 2 summers ago we needed to pave some of the road. 2 spots totaling maybe 120-150 yards. $9000. We had enough in the kitty to cover that but now it's down to maybe $2000. We started talking about raising the annual fee from $250 to maybe $500. One couple said they couldn't afford that. Someone mentioned putting a lien on their property. My comment was that's fine but the rest of us will need to come up w/ the missing $500 every year. So we would get a small chunk of money 'someday' but the lien wouldn't actually help before then. This will get ugly when the next chunk of road needs paving.

Ours is 9 houses, and rather than the road it's the storm water pond. Dredging is on the horizon (every 20-25 years) and rough quotes were 50-100k. It needs a site survey for a accurate quote which was 5-9k.

Rather than try to contract it out and get 5-10k from everyone we decided to just let the state deal with it when it happens and levy a special assessment against the houses within the community.

 

[RonnieC]

Lived in an HOA community for about 8 years. Honestly they weren’t so bad. They requested that I fix my driveway which was heavily cracked. I couldn’t argue because I had made the PO knock off 10k from the purchase price to address this.
It’s just the annoyance factor that at any moment someone can tell you what to do and they have power over you.
We’ve since built a house and workshop on a 2 acre property with no HOA. We have one neighbor who has made several requests and suggestions for things I could do to my property that she would enjoy. Oddly, she and her husband owned this property in the past and none of her suggestions were important enough for them to address when they owned the property.
I file this under “People.”

 

[andyvh1959]

That's the issue with HOAs, people.

People that don't like the color of your front door, people that don't like the streaks on your shingles, people that don't like your plain $50k F150 parked on the driveway one-night a week. For me I have motorcycles, a bunch of them, ride them, modify them, etc and I know some people don't like motorcycles regardless of brand or how quiet mine are. Give these people power to impact your personal choices and the issues start.

 

[Smilodon]

Just wanted to add to my earlier post that I had lived in other locations with HOAs and didn't have an issue. And in the place where I did have an issue, it was okay for a while for me (and not an issue for many in the development).

But, those who say "we have one that just... and they aren't a problem", are missing the point that you sign paperwork that gives that organization the power to enforce *any* rules they think up and slap any liens they think up on your property to enforce this for the rest of the time you live there. How bad It is is a moving target in other words.

The "reasonable" neighbors aren't the ones that end up in these organizations. I've seen desperate "reasonable" folks have to get political against their own desires and start a coup to take over the HOA, but that is rare for places that are mostly working folk. The "proxy hording" I described earlier is one way those who want fine-grained control take over those who don't care one way or another.

And, while "pretty" (if you like sameness), the atmosphere in these places is miserable. After my legal wrangling and my painting my house *twice* at great expense to me to please them, I was a pariah from that point forward.

I heard their legal costs for going after a bunch of folks was hurting their budget for fancy entrance displays and that was a source of a lot of the ill-feelings (it cost me a lot more!). As i was leaving, they passed a new "rule" via proxy voting that the property owner was responsible for *their* legal costs even if the property owner was in the right. Nice...

 

[Wubicon]

That's the issue with HOAs, people.

People that don't like the color of your front door, people that don't like the streaks on your shingles, people that don't like your plain $50k F150 parked o. the driveway one-night a week. For me I have motorcycles, a bunch of them, ride them, modify them, etc and I know some people don't like motorcycles regardless of brand or how quiet mine are. Give these people power to impact your personal choices and the issues start.

That was a big theme I saw on various reddit threads.

 

[andyvh1959]

We all know of houses in our neighborhoods that even us as garage enthusiasts, even us as "I don't care for that but that's their house" types, and we just let it go. It matters little to us, we just go our way and focus on our energies in our garages and shops. Now give people a legal option to force you to do whatever they think should be done and the only ones to benefit are the lawyers to mitigate the legal wrangling.

Sounds like the impetus for the Russian revolution, make us all conform, and look where that ended up historically.

 

[Jinks]

My best friend can't tell me what color to paint my house, even if he buys the paint!! I'm damn sure not letting a bunch of neighbors do it! No HOA for me...........

 

[RalphInCA]

I read too many reports of power hungry HOA boards…

Please keep in mind that those stories are quite often sensationalized.

By far, most people living in HOA communities have few if any problems
with their HOA’s.

Just read the rules carefully before buying and get involved once you move in.

 

[dcg9381]

As i was leaving, they passed a new "rule" via proxy voting that the property owner was responsible for *their* legal costs even if the property owner was in the right. Nice...

Likely that falls under "unenforceable". It's inherently giving up your rights to civil settlement. Ridiculous. This could be abused all day long by filing vexatious lawsuits and then demanding payment on both sides. I wonder if it was just "added in" without legal review?

In the end ALL the property owners pay the legal costs of the HOA being in the wrong.

 

[PugetDude]

It's really simple. If you don't like HOA's don't buy a home governed by them. Full stop. ******* and moaning after the fact is pointless.

If you're willing to chance living in a suburban ghetto at some point in the future with no recourse, then more power to you. BTDT, no thanks.

I venture that 90% of the people who are most vociferously anti-HOA have never lived in one - or if they did they never got involved in community governance to ensure fair and reasonable adherence to the guidelines they agreed to going in. If something is broken with your community leadership there is always a process in place to fix it. BTDT, too- Twice.

Flame on.

 

[DrinkMan]

Read the rules. Talk to people who live there already.

We have had 4 HOAs in our experience. Currently have 2. Here are each:

1. Townhouse community. Mixture of working people and retirees in South Florida. Dues did all landscaping and clubhouse with tennis courts, weight room, and meeting space. Dues were high but we did not have to do anything other than keep up the inside of our townhouse. Terrible experience. Fights over assigned parking spaces, people putting wreaths on their door, you name it. Then when a decision was made to repaint the buildings, the contractor selected was related to the President of the board. No competitive bids. The HOA members (including us) voted to fire the board and replace them. And a decision was made to turn over management of the association to a professional company. That company had little incentive to keep the dues down and over the 5 years we lived there, dues doubled. We were so glad to sell that place and get away.
2. Neighborhood of new single family homes with about 100 homes. Dues were very low ($75/yr), rules were very simple and fit on 2 pages. Dues went towards upkeep of subdivision entrance. Almost all the owners were professionals with small children. If there were any problems with someone not taking care of the appearance of their home, usually a few neighbors would walk over and ask them if they needed any help. Everyone seemed to get along and it was like a good old fashioned neighborhood with very little to no enforcement of the rules. Then over time, there was a little creep of rule compliance - a chain link fence around a house (forbidden in the rules), people parking multiple cars in the street, and finally the worst of all - people renting their houses to people that did not take care of anything. We actually started to get into the unrepaired, boarded up broken window territory. The HOA sent letters but there was little power of enforcement unless they wanted to hire lawyers and begin liens. We were again glad to sell and move away.
3. Well established small neighborhood (13 custom built homes - each looking different) next door to a large well known vineyard/resort (but not part of the resort). HOA dues are reasonable ($600 per year). Rules were reasonable as well. Everyone tends to comply. Commonsense prevails. People take care of each other. We love our neighbors. Once we had a family medical emergency and had to quickly travel across the country to a specialized medical facility for 6 weeks. Some of our neighbors had their landscapers take care of our property and paid for it without telling us who paid for it. Whenever someone violates some of the HOA rules - poor care of yards, too many yard sales (yes, we have a limit on how many yard sales per year), parking in the street too often (no one cares if you occasionally have to but not every day), the action taken is that at the annual HOA meeting (almost everyone attends - it is "free" food) is for the President to stand up and remind people of those specific rules without mentioning who is violating them. If it continues, the President, VP, Sec, & Treasurer make a visit to the offender and ask if they need any help and if everything is ok. Very nice balance in the neighborhood of having rules to keep it looking nice and commonsense enforcement. This is where we currently live as our primary residence.
4. Our coastal vacation home is in a large (over 200 homes) gated community with Golf Course, Swim & Tennis located on a nice Georgia coastal island. HOA fees are about $1400 per year for us (they have a 3 tiered dues structure - base like we have, Swim & Tennis for more, and golf course membership for a hell of a lot more plus very large initiation fee). There are multiple HOA documents - Architectural standards that dictate how the house is built and approvals for painting, remodeling, etc...., Covenant Documents - what you can and can not do (Can't cut down a tree that is over 8" in diameter measured 3 feet of ground without approval and can not cut down a Live Oak, landscaping standards, no signs, no parking of work trucks visible from the street, and all sorts of the nightmare rules that everyone talks about). We were very reluctant to buy the house because of the HOA but since it is a part time residence, located directly on a beautiful protected marsh, and the house is fantastic we decided we could live with the rules (seemingly hundreds of pages total). Enforcement the first few years was common sense but last year, they changed the Compliance committee and they have been strict so I'm expecting a letter because I put out our garbage can on the curb Sunday night 2 hours before the allowable time and then did not bring it in Monday evening because I forgot left it out overnight until Tuesday morning. If we lived here full time, it would drive me crazy. But the property values are kept very high and it does look great. We never attend the HOA meetings so I can't complain. The new HOA board is starting to talk about speed bumps because service companies drive too fast in here, so that is not looking great (they already installed one at the guard shack and it drives me crazy).

Bottom Line - HOA can be ok if they help keep the neighborhood looking great but they have a chance of becoming a nightmare depending on the people and size of the documents. I would avoid the HOA that have a history in increasing dues frequently. If you want a gated community - expect the wrath of HOA upon you (in #4, we even have a rule that every house must have a turn around so that people do not back out into the street).

 

[andyvh1959]

For the ones that are ok to good, may be all well and good now. But it is open for a lot of changes and whoever gets on their power hungry stand and enacts changes. Just for that alone I'd not be comfortable with the possible changes with a change in dictatorship. So based on all these replies I'll remain firm, no HOA in my future. Also, although I live in the north central Midwest, I have no desire at all to more to FL or AZ or TX, and certainly not to own another property in a southern climate. I can live with winters (and even the winters up here are nothing like they used to be), so I can remain HOA free until my only paid for managed plot is the one I'm buried in.

 

[duneslider]

Like others have mentioned, an HOA may or may not be bad, it's important you do your research into the one you are looking at and see what it really is like. I would also recommend being a member of the board if you can once you move in so that you have more voice than someone else.

I live in what our city calls (I think) a master planned community and it has some very specific CC&R's but is not a full fledged HOA. I was a bit worried about it at first when I read the CC&R's. One example is the CCR's say you have to have a black mailbox and they have to be of 3 different listed manufacturers. As I drove around I realized not everyone had black but most did. There were also a handful of things in the CCR's about what houses had to look like but the new houses I was seeing didn't fit that description. As I inquired, I discovered the "Association" was just the developer who was nearly done with the community and as long as stuff looked nice they weren't really following any of the CCR's. Our design passed through the architectural review process (just one dude who briefly looked at it) and I haven't seen or heard anything from them since. Final inspections were kind of weird because some fell on the city and others on the "Architectural Design Board" who didn't care about our house because they weren't building it. I don't think they ever came and even looked at it and I would have to call them and ask them to submit forms to the city saying we were in compliance.

One crazy story from a while back when Hardi Siding was just becoming a thing I knew a contractor that built his personal house and used hardi, it didn't meet the HOA rules (had to be brick and stucco) and he fought them in court for years. Eventually, he conceeded and tore the hardi off and then stucco'd the house Pink (pink wasn't listed as a forbidden color). HOA couldn't win that one, he then sold the house to an old lady that wanted a pink house. Since then, half the houses in that neighborhood now have hardi siding. He was just a few years ahead of his time I guess.

 

[Viper98912]

I think this thread has covered it pretty well. Unfortunately, HOA's all boil down to the people. And unfortunately in this country, we currently live in a time where people think they can tell other people what to do (even if it doesn't affect them directly), instead of respecting the old adage of "my rights and opinions stop where the next person's begins".

Someone posted on here that in many parts of the country, if you don't want to live in an HOA, you need to buy a house that was built in the 1980's or older. And older houses and communities bring their own set of problems. Separately, if you want to live in a rural area with no HOA, that's fine, but some folks prefer suburban or urban areas.

Also, for those houses that are not controlled in HOA's, it still boils down to the people. You always have the potential of having those neighbors who prefer to live in a junkyard instead of a nice home. So you can get stuck there too, without an HOA.

I personally am not a fan of HOA's, but I am a fan of the neighborhoods that I've lived in. So it's just something to deal with. I've had my fair share of disagreements and violations.

If you don't like it, then you volunteer to join the Board and start being the voice and vote as to what occurs in the HOA. And if you want to make real change, you gain like-minded people like you to also join the Board so you have a majority vote and can start setting the direction you see fit. Hopefully the rest of the neighborhood thinks like me and likes the things I like....

 

[Viper98912]

One last thing - some communities are obviously VERY particular about their appearance. For example, there's a really "neat" neighborhood near me where it's an old-style townhome setup (but they are independent homes) that probably have extremely tight restrictions. It's obvious when you look at the overall design, color scheme (everything is painted white), how the lawns are manicured (probably by one central company), and even at Christmas time all of the houses are lit up with lights in the same exact fashion (again, probably by one central company, probably paid for by the HOA in the yearly dues). It looks like a beautiful, 'quaint' place to live, and is absolutely stunning during Christmas time. But as a home buyer, you can't go in there ignorant to the look and think you can setup shop in whatever way you like. That's your fault.

Driving through a neighborhood with just your eyes should give you the insights as to how it's run.

 

[LOW1]

Thanks for the rational and logical replies. Based on this I maintain no HOA in my future. Luckily here in the Green Bay and east central Wisconsin area HOAs are not the norm. Friend of mine just moved into one on the north side of Appleton, really nice semi-rural area (farm fields 1/4mile away), but all the houses are nearly identical.

I've lived in west Green Bay for 23 years. My property isn't spotless, but I do strive to keep it up and make improvements as needed. Not one neighbor has ever complained. But just based on some replies here, I'd have many, many actions placed on me if it was an HOA.

Around here most rural subdivisions have private streets and shared wells. This means that you need an HOA of some sorts to manage and pay for these things. Some associations do nothing more than this while others act as a town government. IMHO its best to do things on your own,

 

[CJM8515]

nope, not ever will i ever ever ever live in a home that has an HOA! too many horror stories

my girl hates where i live b/c she is used to a more affluent area and people here can be kinda trashy. the one neighbor has like 6 cars and 10 people live there and the front yard could be better. another neighbor has 4 cars and parks them all in the road. yet another neighbor basically doesnt mow until the town fines them. to me, idgaf. so long as the house isnt boarded up or looks like the ghetto i dont care.

my parents are retired and live in a retirement village in myrtle beach. so far not much has been an issue with the HOA, they put up a lanai and got approval no issue. but they had an issue with the HOA last year. my father complained on a trip about some lady who held them all up on the bus trip b/c she was late one day. turns out she was a higher ranking official of the HOA. found out who my parents were and FINED them for having 2 garden gnomes by the mailbox, fined them for having a statue in the planting bed, etc. they found out who it was and well..lets just say her lawn had a large 5 letter word for a female dog burnt into it..the fines stopped after that. But you see all it took was one *******

 

[Wrench97]

My wife and I were discussing our next/final home, planning about five years out. I said one thing I will not consider is any home in a HOA. I read too many reports of power hungry HOA boards maintaining their fifedoms to make everyone conform, or pay. Or worse, suffer a lien placed on your property. My wife said HOAs provide lawn care, snow removal, etc. I said I'd happily hire that out to providers of my choice. Also, being a garage buff has me concerned of all sorts of restrictions on how I use my property aside from city codes and regulations. Am I just narrow minded about HOAs or are the horrors real?

I've never lived in one and hopefully never will, but around here the only grass cutting and landscaping they take care of is common areas, like the entrance(s), park or other areas not owned by residents. Snow plowing, street maintenance etc is also on the HOA and you get surcharges when any of that happens while you also get to pay real-estate taxes to the local munci to pave plow and maintain all the streets not in a HOA...

 

[jfleisher]

I’m living in an HOA development. Fees are $130/year, which covers common area/pond maintenance. Never hear from the HOA at all, other than meeting announcements. I’ve poured a new concrete driveway, removed a wood deck, poured a patio, installed a swingset, re-landscaped the whole yard… not a peep from the HOA. Sometimes they are unobtrusive.

 

[PugetDude]

I'm willing to pay HOA fees for gated entry and private roads, as it really limits the traffic. Maybe it's just security theater, but we haven't had any issues with theft, graffiti, or vandalism in the six years we have lived here. Surrounding communities with public roads... just drive through and you can feel the difference.

 

[bwringer]

This topic always turns into a big s#&t show, between people who like them and people who don't...

Haven't seen anyone yet who likes them.

I guess these people are out there, but they're sure not here.

The **** about property values baffles me; homes are worth a fair bit more without an HOA, and realty ads proudly tout 'NO HOA" whenever possible.


Like anything else, know what you are buying into and do your research first. Talk to some people in the neighborhood, and work with the seller to get the accounting of the HOA's books, minutes, etc. Look for the lawsuits involving the HOA. There's a lot you're entitled to as a potential buyer, and you can quickly see if they're writing fines for grass length in order to pay their cousin $50K a year to plant one flowerbed. A good realtor will know the area and the reputation of the HOA and will be honest with you. It's hard and it's exhausting, but it's reality, and it's a hell of a lot more important than the feng shui of the master bath.

We were in a tremendous hurry, but our realtor told us to take time to visit the neighborhoods at different times. Drive through with the windows down and listen. Look for the details, like broken-down cars or new siding. Look for signs that houses are turning into rentals.



We moved into our house the very year the developer's HOA covenants expired. And that was by design; we knew the horror stories and wanted no part of this, if at all possible.

By that time, the only real remnant of the HOA was a couple of people handling a smallish fund ($15 a house) to handle the snow plowing because the city specifically excluded our neighborhood from snow plowing when it was built. There are also some people who organize a neighborhood yard sale every June. The snow plowing people send out an accounting every year and ask for money if it's needed. I always send double and tell them to use it for someone who can't pay.

40 years after the neighborhood was built, the 300-ish houses and landscaping are nicely varied; you'd never know that there are basically only four or five plans here, each of which also exists in a mirrored version. All kinds of siding, colors, roof replacements, additions, sun rooms, etc. have led to a pleasing divergence, with lots of mature trees, etc. The vast majority are nicely kept, but there are a few in sad shape. It's hard to see how HOA fines or liens would help these situations. One house that was abandoned and falling apart was finally torn down and the property is for sale.

Overall, it's nice here.

 

[ericm]

Around here most rural subdivisions have private streets and shared wells. This means that you need an HOA of some sorts to manage and pay for these things. Some associations do nothing more than this while others act as a town government. IMHO its best to do things on your own,

The problem with that is getting other people on the private road to pay their share when it's time for maintenance.
In California you can have a road association. It can set dues which get paid by each homeowner with their taxes. The association uses the dues to maintain the road. But that's all it does.

 

[micromind]

We all know of houses in our neighborhoods that even us as garage enthusiasts, even us as "I don't care for that but that's their house" types, and we just let it go. It matters little to us, we just go our way and focus on our energies in our garages and shops. Now give people a legal option to force you to do whatever they think should be done and the only ones to benefit are the lawyers to mitigate the legal wrangling.

Sounds like the impetus for the Russian revolution, make us all conform, and look where that ended up historically.

All power corrupts, absolute power absolutely corrupts.......

 

[loganb]

As this post illustrates, it's important to understand that the US housing market is more diverse then basically any other country in the world. Every state operates their own laws, their own building codes(often then superseded by local codes), zoning rules etc and the demographics of a neighborhood are constantly changing as people move in/out, developments around them are built etc. As a result all HOA's differ and some have very little impact, other's can have a lot. Some states allow them to act with little regulation and significant power(Florida from what I've read) and others seem to neuter them pretty hard. Some provide full landscaping, snow removal and operate community centers and pools, others publish an annual meeting and pay some utility bills and exist at the bare legal minimum. Buyer should understand what they're getting into

End of the day, they exist for a reason and that frequently goes back to someone has to have financial responsibility for community property, even if it's boring infrastructure like storm water runoff settling basins (these are marketed in literature as "ponds") and streets. They exercise as much power as the residents in it allow. End of the day every buyer has the choice on whether to buy or not in an HOA. I immensely enjoy some off the HOA horror stories on reddit that at times seem to be fiction stories(but the best are backed up by legal documents) but at the end of the day the best ones always seem to have buried in them "I didn't understand or read the rules".....when one signs a contract they don't read or understand....good luck