Run of the mill cookie cutter houses (Dallas, San Benito: sale, real estate)

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

Fortunately (or unfortunately as the case may be), HOA's have taken care of the issue of hodge-podge looks.

For variety, that's what landscaping/hardscaping is for. I have no desire to be living across from a bright orange or pimp purple clown house (haven't run into those yet in this area, but did see some and live near them in PA)...

No HOA in my neighborhood. No purple or orange houses either.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

No HOA in my neighborhood. No purple or orange houses either.

Yes, most people paying $200k++ for a home have high enough taste levels to not need to turn over their personal liberties and freedoms to a HOA.

[mikeh19468]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Yes, most people paying $200k++ for a home have high enough taste levels to not need to turn over their personal liberties and freedoms to a HOA.

Think Beverly Hillbillies. The run up in real estate left a lot of bankruptcies and foreclosures out there, but also ended up giving a lot of people money that otherwise might not have had it (if they sold at the right time). Taste and money can definitely be mutually exclusive. Snookie's probably living in a million dollar mansion right now, but I don't think I'd want to be across the street. I'm sure the decorations are quite appropriate for the neighborhood (maybe, but probably not the occupants at any given time)....

[skids929]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

Think Beverly Hillbillies. The run up in real estate left a lot of bankruptcies and foreclosures out there, but also ended up giving a lot of people money that otherwise might not have had it (if they sold at the right time). Taste and money can definitely be mutually exclusive. Snookie's probably living in a million dollar mansion right now, but I don't think I'd want to be across the street. I'm sure the decorations are quite appropriate for the neighborhood (maybe, but probably not the occupants at any given time)....

Nice..It's true, very true particularly here in the Northeast..Much like people here aren't familiar with the overall culture and downside of having an HOA, people from DFW in general don't know the downsides of living in a region where HOAs are virtually non existent. I live in a beautiful neighborhood with homes ranging from $350-$450k..Out of all the homes in my neighborhood (80 or so) I live next to a small piddly, lazy contractor who in our current economic climate would NEVER have been able to afford this neighborhood, but could afford it 10 years ago due to the easy financing-he's struggling now. For the past 4 years he has left a Jed Clampett like trailer regularly filled with construction debris at the edge of the conservation land woodline, ruining the sightline out of EVERY window on the front of my house-not mention the health and safety problems this presents..Coincidentally he can't see it at all..He just recently honored our (and others) requests to relocate it, after 4 freakin years..

Some folks just don't belong in nice neighborhoods, particularly if they are going to do things that aren't residential in nature..I.E. Use your yard as a transfer station for construction debris. As much as I believe in individual freedoms, people need rules when it comes to living..Some people are just slobs, and when it effects another persons investment the slobs need to be told to clean up their act, conform or move.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

Think Beverly Hillbillies. The run up in real estate left a lot of bankruptcies and foreclosures out there, but also ended up giving a lot of people money that otherwise might not have had it (if they sold at the right time). Taste and money can definitely be mutually exclusive. Snookie's probably living in a million dollar mansion right now, but I don't think I'd want to be across the street. I'm sure the decorations are quite appropriate for the neighborhood (maybe, but probably not the occupants at any given time)....

In all of the in-town neighborhoods where homes are over $200k, including-->

Lakewood & most of East Dallas- Ridgewood Park, Bryan Place, SAHD, M Streets, Parkwood, Old Lake Highlands, Little Forest Hills, Forest Hills, Hollywood Heights & Santa Monica, Casa Linda, Lochwood, Lake Highlands,etc;

North Oak Cliff - Kessler Park, Stevens Park, Winnetka Heights, Bishop Arts, Wynnewood, Stevens Park Village

Central Dallas- Uptown, Perry Heights, Knox Street, Oak Lawn Heights, Turtle Creek

North Dallas- Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Devonshire, Bluffview, Bird Streets, Greenway Parks, Melshire Estates, Northaven Estates, Jan Mar, Northwood Hills, Midway Hollow

I can think of VERY FEW weird/ugly/"wtf was that person thinking" homes. VERY FEW. Like, considerably less than 1%. If you're in rural/low income areas, yes, maybe it's more common to see someone with cars on blocks in the front yard or a chicken coop or whatever. But in most truly "middle class" & above non-restrictive HOA neighborhoods in Dallas, it's quite rare.

[mikeh19468]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I can think of VERY FEW weird/ugly/"wtf was that person thinking" homes. VERY FEW. Like, considerably less than 1%. If you're in rural/low income areas, yes, maybe it's more common to see someone with cars on blocks in the front yard or a chicken coop or whatever. But in most truly "middle class" & above non-restrictive HOA neighborhoods in Dallas, it's quite rare.

Which is one of the many reasons I moved to the Dallas area. Not nearly as uncommon in the Northeast, and in Southern California....

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by skids929

Nice..It's true, very true particularly here in the Northeast..Much like people here aren't familiar with the overall culture and downside of having an HOA, people from DFW in general don't know the downsides of living in a region where HOAs are virtually non existent.

HOA's are virtually non-existant in Dallas proper. Lakewood, Park Cities, North Oak Cliff, etc- NONE of those neighborhoods have HOA's. The ones that do (Greenway Parks, some of the Preston Hollow neighborhoods) don't restrict paint colors, types of plants you're allowed to grow/maintain, holiday decorations, etc- they raise money for additional private police patrol and community events (you know, the important things).

I just find it hysterical that people are so fearful of "what the neighbors" might do when there's physical proof in the Metroplex that the above average priced neighborhoods have NO issues maintaining themselves.

Look at all these listings where the owners managed to keep their homes nicely maintained despite no HOA gestapo breathing down their necks-->

Are flag poles approved or not? I can never remember!!!
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/12206-Brookmeadow-Ln_Dallas_TX_75218_M88057-70468

Is this red front door offensive?
5726 W Amherst Ave Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11569197 - Realtor.com®
What about this one?
1106 N Windomere Ave Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11630128 - Realtor.com®

Are these blue shutters ok???
3617 Jubilee Trl Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11613383 - Realtor.com®

Should we lynch these owners for using non-approved landscaping materials like rock and moss?
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/10111-Shadyview-Dr_Dallas_TX_75238_M77849-38728

Those are all just "middle class" homes- $200-400k range. I'm guessing the HOA would have a sh$t-fit over this $1.5M Little Forest Hills home for going with a "natural vegetation" landscape look, right?
8170 San Benito Way Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11617942 - Realtor.com®
And this $1.8M one is probably a MAJOR "offender" by not going with the cookie-cutter approved builder/facade list-->
4214 Shorecrest Dr Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11671071 - Realtor.com®
God forbid this $2M beauty kept it's gross original Spanish tile "awnings", right? Tear out the original Batchelder fireplaces, too, while you're at it!
6220 Worth St Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11559129 - Realtor.com®

[skids929]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

HOA's are virtually non-existant in Dallas proper. Lakewood, Park Cities, North Oak Cliff, etc- NONE of those neighborhoods have HOA's. The ones that do (Greenway Parks, some of the Preston Hollow neighborhoods) don't restrict paint colors, types of plants you're allowed to grow/maintain, holiday decorations, etc- they raise money for additional private police patrol and community events (you know, the important things).

I just find it hysterical that people are so fearful of "what the neighbors" might do when there's physical proof in the Metroplex that the above average priced neighborhoods have NO issues maintaining themselves.

Look at all these listings where the owners managed to keep their homes nicely maintained despite no HOA gestapo breathing down their necks-->

Are flag poles approved or not? I can never remember!!!
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/12206-Brookmeadow-Ln_Dallas_TX_75218_M88057-70468

Is this red front door offensive?
5726 W Amherst Ave Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11569197 - Realtor.com®
What about this one?
1106 N Windomere Ave Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11630128 - Realtor.com®

Are these blue shutters ok???
3617 Jubilee Trl Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11613383 - Realtor.com®

Should we lynch these owners for using non-approved landscaping materials like rock and moss?
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/10111-Shadyview-Dr_Dallas_TX_75238_M77849-38728

Those are all just "middle class" homes- $200-400k range. I'm guessing the HOA would have a sh$t-fit over this $1.5M Little Forest Hills home for going with a "natural vegetation" landscape look, right?
8170 San Benito Way Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11617942 - Realtor.com®
And this $1.8M one is probably a MAJOR "offender" by not going with the cookie-cutter approved builder/facade list-->
4214 Shorecrest Dr Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11671071 - Realtor.com®
God forbid this $2M beauty kept it's gross original Spanish tile "awnings", right? Tear out the original Batchelder fireplaces, too, while you're at it!
6220 Worth St Dallas TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11559129 - Realtor.com®

Most of those towns have active "code enforcement" authorities though..In the NE thats not even a term in a Town's vocabulary. By-laws and zoning define the rules, and it usually falls into the jurisdiction of a Building Inspector for enforcement, which makes it an afterthought. Few towns here enforce anything proactively like they do in Dallas.

Contrary to what many think about the Northeast (or New England) anyway, it's far from progressive in most suburbs, it's very old school here, very agrarian, blue-blood, people are generally closed off which detracts from the sense of community I see in alot of places in Dallas. Not to mention most Towns don't have the same level of authority here since they have to answer to the State for most things. For lack of a better way to put it, it sucks ass in that regard.

[loves2read]

the new state laws concerning HOA rules/regs has made points of contention like flying a flag and painting your door a different color pretty much moot--the HOA can't control what a homeowner does in those respects
but if you think that zoning/code enforcement is not important that you have never had neighbors who break the rules is all I can say...

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by loves2read

the new state laws concerning HOA rules/regs has made points of contention like flying a flag and painting your door a different color pretty much moot--the HOA can't control what a homeowner does in those respects
but if you think that zoning/code enforcement is not important that you have never had neighbors who break the rules is all I can say...

It's one thing for a city to say to its residents that they must maintain landscaping so it does not block views of/to oncoming traffic, they must keep trees trimmed so they do not damage high vehicles or endanger power lines, that they must keep lawns mowed to a certain reasonable height, etc. That's all well and good and I agree with it because I see the benefit of such restrictions.

Telling me what color I can paint my front door or what kind of flowers are acceptable to plant in my front yard is, quite simply, BS.