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And it does to some extent but not to the extent I prefer it (for instance, leaving cars parked on the street is not against the zoning laws but it is against the HOA laws in our neighborhood).
I like properties with common areas like parks or pools or walking trails. These areas require upkeep. Hence the small yearly HOA fees.
I also like that fencing and storage buildings must be approved beforehand, and there's a limit of one storage building (must have a roof that matches the house) in each yard. This is because I have lived in a neighborhood that had a hodgepodge of storage buildings and fences and it looked like Dogpatch USA.
It is also not against the zoning laws to permanently park an RV of any size at a home. But it is against our HOA laws. In other words, you can have guests for 2 weeks but you can't store your RV on your lot in our neighborhood.
Our HOA controls the materials a home is built of. There's a wide range, but each home must be at least 50 percent brick. The homes in our neighborhood have varying styles and colors but they are all mostly or all brick.
I would have a problem with asking for permission to build a fence. I just had a six foot retaining wall put in to level my back yard. on top of which I placed a six foot privacy fence. it is all perfectly within the rules and regulations of the city where I live. No one has complained and I have received several compliments on both the appearance of the wall and the fence. But i am the type of guy who is not going to install something ugly on my property.
And I wouldn't really buy a house that needed a 6ft retaining wall...
Unless I had absolute conviction the foundation was designed and created to withstand any geo features that might cause foundation to,shift...
Personally, I prefer privacy as much as I can get depending on houses' lot sizes and window layouts...
I need floor power plugs so,I can float furniture and have lamps vs all overhead lighting,
I need first floor master and second bed if it is 2 story house
Need kitchen w/storage and counter space
Need master that is away from activity...have that in FL house...not so much in TX one
Need space for Xmas tree when it's up and down...
I have lived near tracks and it really does negatively impact your life. While I didn't consciously hear the train every time, I felt so much better once I moved. I was more rested, more relaxed, etc.
Incidentally, everyone who visited me was annoyed by the train and I rarely had anyone spend the night specifically b/c of the train.
We live near tracks (as in, 10 blocks away), in fact several of the homes I've lived in over the years have been near tracks, but never right on them. I love the distant sound of a train whistle. It reminds me of my grandparents' house (both sets) who also lived near tracks. But I wouldn't want to be right next to them.
And I wouldn't really buy a house that needed a 6ft retaining wall...
Unless I had absolute conviction the foundation was designed and created to withstand any geo features that might cause foundation to,shift...
Personally, I prefer privacy as much as I can get depending on houses' lot sizes and window layouts...
I need floor power plugs so,I can float furniture and have lamps vs all overhead lighting,
I need first floor master and second bed if it is 2 story house
Need kitchen w/storage and counter space
Need master that is away from activity...have that in FL house...not so much in TX one
Need space for Xmas tree when it's up and down...
The retaining wall was for a side/back yard the house has been sitting unmoved for 14 years in very heavy clay and rock filled soil.
I would have a problem with asking for permission to build a fence. I just had a six foot retaining wall put in to level my back yard. on top of which I placed a six foot privacy fence. it is all perfectly within the rules and regulations of the city where I live. No one has complained and I have received several compliments on both the appearance of the wall and the fence. But i am the type of guy who is not going to install something ugly on my property.
And therefore you're a good neighbor. But not everyone is. Which is why I prefer a minimal sort of HOA.
And therefore you're a good neighbor. But not everyone is. Which is why I prefer a minimal sort of HOA.
Yep! If everyone was a good neighbor, there would be no need for HOA's. Unfortunately, not everyone is, which is why I prefer to live in an HOA of sorts. What I don't like, however, are HOA's that are overbearing and that seemingly seek to control every basic aspect of life within the association. When I was looking to buy my first place (condo), I made sure to study the HOA documents VERY carefully to make sure I knew what I was getting into.
On a busy street
Too near extreme noise like highway or airport
Tiny yard
No trees on property
Cheap materials used in construction (fake woods, hollow core doors, carpet over concrete.)
Oh - I'll add (after looking at others) On a steep slope and on a street where people park on the street.
What do people have against street parking, I want a driveway but I don't care if my neighbor parks on the street. Seems like a lot of the posters here live in subdivisions.
It's just that in my experience neighborhoods where people park on streets are more densely populated > more noise > more trash on the street > more issues between neighbors.
I personally have never lived in a subdivision or suburb in my life - I'm a rural person now, and otherwise have lived in both large and small cities or small towns.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
I'm not doubting your story but I'll balance it by saying I've been buying properties with a HOA for about twenty five years (at least five during that time) and not once have I ever had an issue with the way the HOA was run, or the small cost per year. I'm sure they can sometimes be a PIA but I've just never experienced it. But I'm only buying properties with reasonable restrictions that I appreciate and small HOAs which have limited power.
My best friend lives in a townhouse, gated community though, and I would hate living with that HOA. It's the type of place which literally controls what color of flowers you have in your front yard. No joke.
I, too, have lived in HOA neighborhoods for 20 years. This is not by choice. It is extremely difficult to find properties in my area without an HOA.
People buy into my neighborhood because my HOA looks amazing on paper. We pay $135/QUARTERLY (lowest rate in my area, by far) and have access to 2 pools, a basketball court, a tennis court, playground, and two bike paths. Should you read the CCRs they look perfectly reasonable.
Here's an example: rule says grass has to be cut. We had a board member who thought, in the interest of fairness, he should measure the height of the grass in every single yard with his handy dandy yardstick in order to assess fines. I imagine some people here on city-data will think this is a great idea. Thank goodness b/c they will by my pool of buyers when I sell in a few years.
Don't even get me started on financials. Legally (at least where I live), financial information is only available to current HOA members. That means if you're buying my house you won't know that those 2 pools need some serious repairs. Our HOA dues cannot be increased by more than 5% a year. This isn't nearly enough to cover the upcoming costs. So the Board decided to sell pool memberships to people outside of our neighborhood to make up the difference. This means that our pools are incredibly crowded.
I'm glad your experience has been positive. You've been lucky.
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Which is why I prefer a minimal sort of HOA.
