Homeowners Associations

[the ringo kid]

Thank you for the input so far, I really appreciate it.

PS, being a vet--look at what they tried to do to Van T. Barfoot--who was a WWII Medal of Honor Recipient. They tried telling him he couldnt fly the flag he fought for that he loved very much--but he did stand his ground and beat the *******s at their own game.

 

[Stevie]

I would avoid homeowner associations if possible...and always checkout your potential neighbors before you spend lots of money and have to live beside jerks!

 

[Walter Rego]

Depending on the neighborhood where you want to live and what you can afford, you may not have a choice. It's easy for people to say "don't do it" but there are a lot of variables that come into play. I don't have a problem with mine and they don't have a problem with me. It's well run and fiscally solvent
I live in a great, desirable neighborhood and have a 10 minute commute to work. And, when I bought the property it was what I could afford. But.... read the rules and financial statements and know what you are getting into.

 

[hittman77]

Nobody I know who belongs to one enjoys it, appreciates it or would join one again.

You can't put an outbuilding of any type on your own property .... you know, like for storage of a lawn mower, gardening tools and supplies, etc.

No vehicles parked on the street or in the drive over night. Garage doors must be shut at all times.

Some even dictate lawn sprinklers, specific times of the day to mow the lawn, house colors if you remodel, association approval needed for cosmetic changes, etc.

The list goes on and on ........

 

[parts]

I presently have property in two developments that have HOAs. Rule 1--READ AND UNDERSTAND THE COVENANTS!! If you're comfortable with the covenants being enforced to the letter of the law, then you're probably fine. In not, you better stay away. You can wind up with a few retired "do gooders" who can make your life miserable and expensive.
David

 

[Marshwheeling]

When I was practicing law, I hated HOAs. Whenever I represented the association, I had a hard time because the officers were usually jerks and busybodies. Representing individuals against the association was often a losing game because the deck is usually stacked in favor of the assn.

For myself, my idea of landscape art is a '38 Chevy with no wheels and no windows for my front yard (no, I don't have one, but I do use a couple of old Trail 90s as planters). I like a couch on the porch, and Buddhist prayer flags around my work areas. I have enough to do just persuading the city that the First Amendment applies to sculpture as well as speech; I would not tolerate an HOA well.

 

[Erich]

Love ours.

My wife and I are lawyers. I got a copy of the covenants & restrictions before we built here. We were delighted with them, and we've been happy with the enforcement. We're also happy with the services provided for our fees and the community's mindset of keeping the place nice in the way that we all agreed. I've been a voting member of the HOA a few years - if people want to get involved, they're always welcomed.

They're not for everyone - but we have often driven past an "interesting" residence in a place without covenants, looked at one another and said, "Thank God we built in [our subdivision]."

 

[bdickers]

HOA's are normally run by lawyers...avoid them like the plague they are.

 

[rwsmith]

Look at the covenants

Look at the covenants and see if you want to follow them and that you would like other people to follow them too. Our subdivision has about 1 page of restrictions and it's stuff like no junk cars in the front yard and keep you grass cut. I can live with that. A subdivision that I would like to move to has restrictions out the ying-yang that I wouldn't be able to abide by, so I don't move there.

 

[Boxhead]

Good advise above. Read the paperwork and talk to the neighbors and get their view of the HOA. My rural home is Texas has one and it is great. When home, we attend the monthly meetings and vote/argue/modify as we all agree. A few years ago we agreed to allow our children, 16 and under, to bow hunt on the property. Like all things, there is good and bad. Your job is to precisely understand what you are getting into, not unlike anything else in life really.

 

[gdnagle]

Like I said before remember to read and understand them. The smaller the community the better it is to help control things.

That being said they are subject to change at anytime. It only takes enough people to agree to the changes and your

 

[df06]

My experience has been very negative with HOAs.
My issue is lack of enforcement of some of the rules that degrade the value of the neighborhood.
My neighbor is in violation of several of them and they let him ride.

 

[the ringo kid]

My experience has been very negative with HOAs.
My issue is lack of enforcement of some of the rules that degrade the value of the neighborhood.
My neighbor is in violation of several of them and they let him ride.

Hes probably best friends with a couple of them or their contraband dealer.

 

[NYlakesider]

A good friend of mine moved to another state and many areas there had HOAs!

He described his HOA is being run by a Frank Burns (MASH)type with the rest of the board consisting of long retired busy bodies with nothing else to do but look for reasons to write someone up for the least little thing. He moved out after a couple years to a NONE HOA place and is much happier.

I for one would not like to live in a HOA. We take good care of our property; will not paint it 6 shades of garish colors nor have an auto junk yard in our front lawn/parking area.

I have my own shooting range on our property, doubt that would go over real good with a HOA.

 

[SW_shooter]

I think you can see opinions vary greatly. I've lived in two different communities with HOAs. One was very restrictive, the other not so much. Bottom line: depends on you and what you are wanting or willing to live with. If you want strict controls so your neighbors don't pee off their porch then go for the stricter as long as you're ok with abiding by the same rules.

Best advice so far from above: read the rules and see if there is anything you object to or would cause you to be restricted in what you want to do with your property.

 

[zoom6zoom]

avoid if at all possible.
Didn't even know what an HOA was when I bought my house. But back then it was only forty five bucks a quarter, and it basically got your trash picked up and mowed the common areas.

Now many years later, not much more in the way of services but we are paying sixty bucks a month and are trying to get their books investigated.

 

[FishingPilot]

Hire a lawyer to sit down with you and go over it. Some of the agreements will have you agreeing to allow foreclose on your home, in extreme cases, for failing to follow the rules. Some will even hire people to take care of your lawn and charge you for it because you didn't do it in a timely manner. Some will even prevent you from having older cars on your property. Some will allow you to have them but require that they be kept in a garage. It's just like any other contract, get professional advice from a qualified lawyer, not the people on this forum.

I'm not saying that the lawyers on this forum are not qualified. I believe one of them has the tag line "I'm a lawyer, just not your lawyer". So get with "your" lawyer.

 

[Rastoff]

It's just like any other contract, get professional advice from a qualified lawyer, not the people on this forum.

But, but , but, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

 

[gdauth]

It only takes one busybody to make life miserable.

 

[Big Cholla]

If you purchase a house in Nevada, IMHO you should stay way far away from any HOA as possible. The enabling laws that set up the existence of HOAs and the rules they operate under here are totally biased in their favor. The state appointed Supervisor is a total joke and IMHO works only for the HOAs.
I was right to the point of suing my HOA until my Lawyer convinced me that it would be cheaper and more satisfying to just move. I did so and he is right. ................ Big Cholla