HOAs...A Good Thing or Nightmare (Sweetwater, River Oaks: home, deed, subdivisions)

[Mommy/Artist/Lawyer]

I personally like HOA's if they are well run like First Colony's in Sugar Land. They keep the anti-social types from bringing everyone's property values down with "in your face" displays of exceptionally bad taste or neglect.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Originally Posted by jpm42

That is absolutely true in theory, but it rarely works out that way in practice. A prospective buyer almost never has a reasonable choice of similarly situated properties, some with an HOA and some without. HOA's may be Good Thing, Bad Thing, or Necessary Evil. What they are NOT is the free market in action.

So this is a Catch 22 then.
Let's see, you want to move into a "desirable" neighborhood, why? Because it looks nice? Because it is well kept? Because the homes are nice? Yet...you want to move in and leave your boat trailer or rusted car out in the driveway...or your kids trampoline...etc. No one moves in NOT knowing about the current HOA rules. Pure and simple...don't like the HOA, don't move in.

[West Side Houston]

Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1

So this is a Catch 22 then.
Let's see, you want to move into a "desirable" neighborhood, why? Because it looks nice? Because it is well kept? Because the homes are nice? Yet...you want to move in and leave your boat trailer or rusted car out in the driveway...or your kids trampoline...etc. No one moves in NOT knowing about the current HOA rules. Pure and simple...don't like the HOA, don't move in.

We are talking about HOAs are that basically harrass people. Some left leaves by the garage door ONE night...got a letter. Someone got a letter because she had a brown spot on her lawn...she also had the best lawn on the block. Someone got a letter because of birthday decorations in their BACKyard. But then the empty lots and foreclosed homes are not kept well..where's the enforcement there. HOAs can be useful, but what happens when they want to charge you $800 for new furniture in the clubhouse when it's perfectly fine? Especially during the worst economy in over 50 years?

[West Side Houston]

Originally Posted by Timnwendy

Don't know if the OP read Inside Pearland: Inside Pearland wants to hear your HOA horror stories before starting this thread, but as of this morning that blog article has generated 142 comments. If you have the time, browse through them. Some interesting commentary.

Thanks! Ouch is all I can say for some of those posts!

[EasilyAmused]

Our's is pretty laid back. People around here are pretty responsible and would never embarrass themselves by doing much of the things HOA are created to prevent. Basically ours is set up to handle and manage trash, landscaping, watering the esplanades and deal with new building and remodels.There are restrictions to keep someone from installing a non-traditional roof or paint color, but no one really wants to do that here, so it's never been an issue. But if for some strange reason, if after decades of civility someone moved in and treated their house like a junk yard, our HOA is set up to legally deal with such things.

It's very small town around here. If you tick off one of your neighbors, all 5,000 residents of the area know about it.

[jfre81]

Also, HOA's are not communist. Totalitarian, maybe if you stretch the definition, but not communist.

If I could stretch a definition to where it even somewhat melds with reality, I consider it to be pretty much the same. And if I'm going to live in even under quasi-totalitarianism I'd sooner see the world while doing something similar enough. Maybe China?

[West Side Houston]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Our's is pretty laid back. People around here are pretty responsible and would never embarrass themselves by doing much of the things HOA are created to prevent. Basically ours is set up to handle and manage trash, landscaping, watering the esplanades and deal with new building and remodels.There are restrictions to keep someone from installing a non-traditional roof or paint color, but no one really wants to do that here, so it's never been an issue. But if for some strange reason, if after decades of civility someone moved in and treated their house like a junk yard, our HOA is set up to legally deal with such things.

It's very small town around here. If you tick off one of your neighbors, all 5,000 residents of the area know about it.

I know people like "tight knit" communities....but all 5000 knowing my business is not cool. But sounds like you have a pretty reasonable HOA.

[RoughRider]

As far as tall grass, leaves not raked, and trash cans left out too late, etc... isn't that usually your neighborhood "rules" committee members - in other words your neighbors complaining to the HOA about you and causing the letter to be written? In some neighborhoods these folks take their evening walks with a notebook to write down everything and go back and report everyone. Not very neighborly.

[jfre81]

Does River Oaks have an HOA or anything similar to what these MPCs/subdivisions have?





This wouldn't fly in Shadow Creek Ranch, would it?



That's a trampoline and a basketball goal visible from the street.

Now, is any of this threatening anyone's million-dollar property values in River Oaks?

[EasilyAmused]

^^We have one or two home's with mature/full yards and one case of a playset seen from the street. But they land in the "who cares" category. It's not hurting anyone or the value.One yard actually belongs to a 93 year old man, and people help him out in the summer with his yard. Now an RV/Boat stored in a driveway would be in issue, but no one would do that.No one screams if the RV/Boat visits for a few days though.