quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:
I've been in three neighborhoods with HOAs. I'm currently on some lakefront property with no HOA. Having experienced both I prefer my property and no HOA.

I wish I had enough land to have a small range. 25 yards would suffice...

Been there with the HOA's as well. We now live in the country on 31 acres and I do have a 100 plus yard range set up.

A few issues that most do not consider:

1. In most states HOA and Condo Associations can lien and foreclose on the home if the owner fails to pay assessments, regardless of the mortgage status.

2. Assessments can increase. The increases can be significant, particularly in condo associations. This is a major problem for people on fixed incomes.

3. For at least condo associations, Federal backed loans such as the FHA loan require the association be approved. One issue that can lose FHA accreditation and loan approval is the delinquency rate in paying assessments. If enough people stop paying and you want to sell your home, you lose a significant chunk of potential buyers who want FHA or similar financing.

4. What looks to be a single family HOA home can actually be a site condominium.

5. Some homes belong to more than one association with separate assessments.

6. If you have an issue with fines, etc. it is far cheaper to pay first then argue about it than not pay and try to argue about it.

Yes it was his property when he built the fence, but when he bought it he agreed to the rules. AGREED TO THE RULES. Rules that were fully disclosed before he bought. What is so fucking hard to understand about the fact that when you buy in a neighborhood with deed restrictions and an HOA, that you are agreeing to a set of rules and restrictions. It is voluntary.

If you don't like that, then don't buy there. That is a totally legitimate option. But, if you buy, you are agreeing to live by the deal you make. Just like agreeing to make your car payments, or any other contract you enter. Don't complain after the fact.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Yes. It keeps the riff raff from building shit additions and outbuildings. It keeps people from turning their front yards into auto junkyards. It maintains the network of bike and walking trails and the neighborhood pools and playgrounds.

It is pain if you want to paint your house sky blue, or a hundred foot antenna, but is worth it.

Before we purchased our current home, we looked around for homes NOT in a HOA. Without exception, they were in neighborhoods that looked like crap. Weeds everywhere. Junk setting outside on the driveways, yards, side and back yards. They looked run down and I can't imagine what that does to home values. I think the only really clean and nice properties were the ones for sale.

I don't like the concept of HOAs (the whole thing about 'asking permission to do stuff with MY property), but I've learned to live within the framework of mine. It keeps the neighborhood looking really nice and keeps my home value up. There are negative sides, of course, but nobody forced us into one.

Until such time that finances allow me to buy a 200+ acre property/estate, I will be able to live with them.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
Not for me. If you gave me a house in a HOA neighborhood it would immediately go on the market. No way I would ever subject myself to the nonsense of some numbnuts with a Napoleon complex telling me what I can or can't do on MY property. No way, no how.

Yep.

No way, ever, do I let some motherfucker(s) in my neighborhood dictate what color I can paint my fence, or whether I can build a shed, or 1000 other things. Absolute crazy talk. It is completely antithetical to the idea of owning my own place. Who thinks up this shit?

(rhetorical)

HOAs are only as good or as bad as the people who are on the boards. And there are no guarantees that a good HOA will still be good in 5 years.

I have a HOA but if we ever decide to move I would like to look for something without one.

I'm living in a HOA neighborhood for the second time. Everything is nice, resale values are good, and so far no indications of busy body HOA board.

I've posted multiple times on here that I lived in a HOA in Alaska where the HOA board became infested with busybodies on a power trip. We held a recall election per Alaska' state laws, and pragmatic people like myself were voted in. In our case:

2 out of 63 homeowners were constant annoyances (complaints submitted multiple times per week about neighbors violating) and their claims rarely had merit.

only 2 or 3 non-board members attended quarterly board meetings and maybe 6 or 7 non-board members attended annual election. This apathy is how the busybodies on a power trip ended up on the board.

Our new board's M.O. was to treat everyone as neighbors. When there was an issue, knocks on doors with polite conversations were used as initial contact (also let our neighbors know where board members lived so they could approach us). We held summer cookouts in cul-d-sac to get neighbors to know each other.

The above bullet was quite a contrast to the recalled board. Those rectal warts sent form letters with threats and fines at the drop of a hat, and quickly escalated things to the HOA's attorney. The annual fines levied while they were the HOA board were more than the sum total of the first 8 years fines levied by the HOA. To make matters worse, two of the board members routinely violated the very rules in which they fined neighbors, but they blocked any warning letters or fines.


The reasons for my lengthy post are twofold:

Like I bolded above, apathy from homeowners is how the busy bodies on a power trip end up on a HOA board. If you live in a HOA, at a minimum go to your annual meetings and even better go to your quarterly meetings. Active participation by normal, pragmatic people is essential to keep a HOA running well.

I also want to point out that recalling the HOA board is possible if you live in an abusive HOA or a HOA whose board members don't think the rules apply to them.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
HOAs are a massive double-edged sword. They're great, in theory. And they can be a great tool. But they can also be a pain in the ass.

That's really the bottom line.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I ought to post a picture of another neighbor's yard. So you guys can see what a good deal it can be to have the ability to do whatever you want on your own property. Like store used mattresses, brush, scrap iron, piles of rotten lumber, etc, in a residential area. I've considered making a sign that says Brewster County Landfill and hanging it on their gate.

Sounds like my next-door-neighbour on one side

I used to have a picture, looks like I deleted it, of how, when their mailbox fell off our shared post, they duct-taped it back on.

We've got them mostly planted-out.

HOA's: For Americans who just can't get enough government into their lives.

One would think that the Federal, State, County, and City would provide enough "oversight" but apparently not...

I lived under an HOA of 25 homes for 12 years. The covenants called for an architectural review committee. It was never formed. The only thing the HOA did was collect money and pay for trash pickup. Most years we got a refund of dues not spent the previous year.

While the HOA never did anything, there was never anything to do. We were lucky.
There really were no problem children.

For the last year I have I lived in an HOA of 10 homes. This HOA does less than the last one. But they still collect dues. No issues so far.

I had an HOA at my previous place that I now rent out.

There are days when I DO miss having things taken care of for one flat price, like mowing and snow removal, trash, sewer etc.

For some people it's worth putting up with the hassle of an HOA to not have to worry about those other things. I noticed that the last time I had gone to visit my tenant (I collect rent check directly, his idea) I saw that they had replaced all the gutters and the roofs on the buildings in the complex.

Currently renting a house under the jurisdiction of an HOA. I will never own a home associated with one. I'd rather have the world's shittiest neighbors than be at the mercy of a bunch of sanctimonious busybodies.

While we like to imagine them keeping derelict cars and crappy paint jobs at bay, what they realistically do is harass you about trash can placement and grass height (hey, sorry there was a flood and the lawn was underwater for a week--get a snorkel and mow it yourself).

Also, I agree they go against the idea of home ownership. You might as well be renting with all the restrictions they can apply to you on your own property.

I have lived in one and did not like.

Would not do again.

Best of luck though.

Usually, we trust people to act like adults and take care of their property and be good neighbors. But HOAs probably came about because people can't act like adults. They don't want to mow their laws, let mold grow on their homes, have non-running junk cars crowding their driveways, etc.

So this is what happens.

But I suppose that if you don't like who sits on the HOA, you could run?

Last house had an HOA. Went to the annual meeting soon after buying and it sounded like it might be a problem. As far as I know there was never another annual meeting the next nine years we owned the place. Had a little drama getting the approvals to put in a second story deck off the master with a hot tub on it. One of the neighbors had concerns. Our next door neighbors (and still great friends years later) who knew them a lot better than we did explained we wouldn't be a problem and we got it done. The neighborhood was nice and no real problem children.

Still, I like the HOA here on the ranch a lot better. We're married to each other and the typical architectural review committee meeting goes like this, "Hey Honey, what do you think about ..."

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:


While we like to imagine them keeping derelict cars and crappy paint jobs at bay, what they realistically do is harass you about trash can placement and grass height (hey, sorry there was a flood and the lawn was underwater for a week--get a snorkel and mow it yourself).

So, in other words, you are the guy with derelict cars . . .

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
I have absolutely no desire to live in an HOA, I don't need people to tell me what I can and cannot do on the land I rent from the government.

Yeah, screw that. My wife and I are house searching right now, and I have no desire to live in an hoa. We had found a very nice new build home that was located in an hoa, and I just had to tell our agent "no thanks."

You are wise. Rather than look for an HOA, look for a house in a town where the local code prohibits things you do not want, without an HOA. HOAs where I live are superfluous. IMO, an HOA done poorly hurts the value of a home.

Hell, I won't even live in a "neighborhood", much less one with an HOA.

I'd rather put up with scruffy neighbors than have some busybody telling me what I can do on my own property.

One of my brothers is the polar opposite to me. Wouldn't dream of living in a neighborhood where people don't sweep their driveway with a toothbrush every day.

Edit to add: I'm the son of a German farmer. Keeping the place spruced up is in my genes. Yes, I have a jun...uh "Spare Inventory" pile, but it's way in the back of the property where it's not visible to anyone that doesn't belong there. I keep my lawn mowed, my flower beds weeded and mulched and the place picked up.

Because I want to, not because some busybody says I have to. I'm contrary that way.

As has been said, some HOA's are good, some are bad. If the HOA board is nothing but a bunch of retired bints that think if you aren't in the running for "Yard of the Month" you need to get a warning, they're bad. Ours is pretty easy going. Rarely get many problems. I do wish we had more restrictions on parking vehicles in the streets. But otherwise it's okay.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
I don't think there is a way to know if the HOA you're buying into is well run or a bunch of assholes until you buy into it.

Sure there is. Drive around the neighborhood, knock on doors and talk to people walking or in their yards. You'll quickly get a good idea whether or not you're about to buy in a well-run HOA or not. If the HOA is run by sanctimonious ass-hats everybody is more than happy to tell you about it.

I've bought 3 houses in my life, and each time I met the neighbors on each side of the house before submitting an offer. In total, we've rejected three homes after meeting the neighbors and doing research. Two homes were because of the neighbor's attitude, but one was after they were nice enough to inform us about all the issues the home had (drainage, electrical and basement build-out).

I've never bought a home without reviewing the current CC&Rs and other governing documents well before closing. And I've always done thorough research on the neighborhood and surrounding area first, in part because I've never given my complete trust to a realtor to tell me the truth (as if they would even know or make the effort to find the answers to my detailed questions). The internet makes this really easy to do.

Whether you're buying a starter home or high-end mansion, you gotta do your homework (so to speak).