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HOAs are one of the reasons I've decided against buying a house in Vegas. Its impossible to get yourself into a house without an HOA contract here it seems like if you want to live anywhere decent. To me being in an HOA house is like you are just leasing the house as you have to keep it in a condition that the HOA approves of and only the HOA approved add ons. If I buy a house I expect to be able to modify it and the property as I please.
You have codes imposed by the city and county where you live, so technically, everyone has an HOA to speak of. I think most people who have never lived in a community with HOA's have a suspicion that they are more restrictive than they really are. It's also true that finding a community without an HOA is becoming increasingly difficult.
Some HOA's are managed well and have reasonable CC & R's whereas others will get on your case for the color of your interior blinds (Inspirada!). I have an issue with that!
You made the case for HOA's in general by your statement that they are everywhere you want to live that's "decent." (I don't believe that, btw)
Still, the case can be made that neighborhoods with HOA's hold up much better than those without. If you drive around Green Valley and look at neighborhoods north of Warm Springs/Green Valley Parkway area, you can see that they do NOT have HOA's. The neighborhoods haven't aged as well in my opinion. Neighborhoods directly south of warm springs (Silver Springs, Legacy Villiage) with HOA's have matured nicely in most cases. HOA's certainly play a role in that.
Some HOA's will limit the colors you can chose to paint your home, to which I say, thanks! I dont want to live next to the only sea foam green house in the neighborhood. I also appreciate the fact that I have a comprehensive guide to what to plant as far as landscaping. If I was your neighbor and planted a tree with an invasive root system that lifted your driveway, you would wish you had an HOA in place. Now, in a perfect world, we would all read the CC & R's before we plant trees, but at least if I planted something that causes harm, you now have recourse. Thats a pretty good thing in my book
The biggest problems I have with HOA's are the people who buy in a neighborhood that has them and refuse to comply! The HOA's are only useful when people realize they are a comprehensive guide to keeping the neighborhood looking like it did when they first bought.
Some HOA's step way out of bounds in terms of enforcement and get really nit picky and selective as to what they choose to enforce. Thats a problem for me as well.
People should take the time to read (narcolepsy inducing) CC & R's to see if they work for you. Its not that you can't modify your own home, you just have to be willing to do it in such a fashion that it fits the profile of the neighborhood and maybe talk to your neighbors about it. That's not so unreasonable in my mind.
If all you want to do is build a big train set in your front yard for all the world to see, erect a 100' High Frequency radio tower, put your garbage out by the front door, run a midnight auto repair operation from your garage, paint the house the colors of the old country, install a high pressure sodium lamp that illuminates your neighbor's backyard like the sun or park a car that leaks oil like the Exxon Valdez (sorry Drunk) then no, an HOA may not be for you.
Some neighborhoods have even gotten on the case of people who fly a small American flag. In fact, mine did. Enough residents spoke up and said this is outrageous and changed the rules.
Its a quasi governmental organization that is basically there to moderate good taste. Most of the time, they do alright. (where I live, at least)
Last edited by Spraynard Kruger; 11-23-2009 at 06:53 PM..
You have codes imposed by the city and county where you live, so technically, everyone has an HOA to speak of. I think most people who have never lived in a community with HOA's have a suspicion that they are more restrictive than they really are. It's also true that finding a community without an HOA is becoming increasingly difficult.
Some HOA's are managed well and have reasonable CC & R's whereas others will get on your case for the color of your interior blinds (Inspirada!). I have an issue with that!
You made the case for HOA's in general by your statement that they are everywhere you want to live that's "decent." (I don't believe that, btw)
Still, the case can be made that neighborhoods with HOA's hold up much better than those without. If you drive around Green Valley and look at neighborhoods north of Warm Springs/Green Valley Parkway area, you can see that they do NOT have HOA's. The neighborhoods haven't aged as well in my opinion. Neighborhoods directly south of warm springs (Silver Springs, Legacy Villiage) with HOA's have matured nicely in most cases. HOA's certainly play a role in that.
Some HOA's will limit the colors you can chose to paint your home, to which I say, thanks! I dont want to live next to the only sea foam green house in the neighborhood. I also appreciate the fact that I have a comprehensive guide to what to plant as far as landscaping. If I was your neighbor and planted a tree with an invasive root system that lifted your driveway, you would wish you had an HOA in place. Now, in a perfect world, we would all read the CC & R's before we plant trees, but at least if I planted something that causes harm, you now have recourse. Thats a pretty good thing in my book
The biggest problems I have with HOA's are the people who buy in a neighborhood that has them and refuse to comply! The HOA's are only useful when people realize they are a comprehensive guide to keeping the neighborhood looking like it did when they first bought.
Some HOA's step way out of bounds in terms of enforcement and get really nit picky and selective as to what they choose to enforce. Thats a problem for me as well.
People should take the time to read (narcolepsy inducing) CC & R's to see if they work for you. Its not that you can't modify your own home, you just have to be willing to do it in such a fashion that it fits the profile of the neighborhood and maybe talk to your neighbors about it. That's not so unreasonable in my mind.
If all you want to do is build a big train set in your front yard for all the world to see, erect a 100' High Frequency radio tower, put your garbage out by the front door, run a midnight auto repair operation from your garage, paint the house the colors of the old country, install a high pressure sodium lamp that illuminates your neighbor's backyard like the sun or park a car that leaks oil like the Exxon Valdez (sorry Drunk) then no, an HOA may not be for you.
Some neighborhoods have even gotten on the case of people who fly a small American flag. In fact, mine did. Enough residents spoke up and said this is outrageous and changed the rules.
Its a quasi governmental organization that is basically there to moderate good taste. Most of the time, they do alright. (where I live, at least)
I agree with most except having to have my neighbors sign/approve of changes. If I want to change my landscape & the board approves it why do I need to ask the neighbors-if it meets the requirements of the assoc. that should be the end of it.
I recently moved into a condo with an HOA. They have now complained about my car. It leaks oil really bad, but that is pretty much normal for an old car (1991 Ford Escort). Now, I cannot park in my assigned covered spot anymore. I have to park in the guest area for now. They want me to fix it, but it would cost more than the car is worth. I know this is not the end of it, so more than likely, I am going to have to move because of this damn HOA. It sucks, because I like where I am at.
I agree, that's a petty issue for them to try to enforce. I drove an '88 T-bird for just about a decade. My grandmother gave it to me when she became unable to drive with the request that I use the lack of a car payment to save my money like my grandfather did for her. That car has leaked oil as long as I've known it, but it was never significant enough to justify the expensive repairs, which would've exceeded the worth of the car, same as in your case. Nobody ever complained about the spots it left, as parking lots just get spots from leaky cars. That's just a petty thing to try to abolish. It's like those stupid, noxious leaf (read: dust) blowers you see everywhere now... OMG! Don't let the ground outdoors get dirt on it!!!!
I passed emissions tests just fine in Idaho and New Mexico for years. I come to Nevada, and lo and behold, I'm one catalytic converter short of the Californiesque requirements here. Never mind that I already have two in great working shape. If you ask me, that law was just made to force people who drive older cars to buy new cars. I can see banning a car with no catalytic converter, but insisting on three is just ridiculous! I liked where I was at without an unnecessary expenditure every month, and it only adds insult to injury to get a finance company who put the payment due date at the end of my rent pay's cash flow.
Seriously, this libertarian notices there's a lot going awry in this country, and all we're getting for solutions is superficial nonsense that makes things worse. I can't believe we still pay legislators with the mess they've let go and furthered in the last four decades.
I agree, that's a petty issue for them to try to enforce. I drove an '88 T-bird for just about a decade. My grandmother gave it to me when she became unable to drive with the request that I use the lack of a car payment to save my money like my grandfather did for her. That car has leaked oil as long as I've known it, but it was never significant enough to justify the expensive repairs, which would've exceeded the worth of the car, same as in your case. Nobody ever complained about the spots it left, as parking lots just get spots from leaky cars. That's just a petty thing to try to abolish. It's like those stupid, noxious leaf (read: dust) blowers you see everywhere now... OMG! Don't let the ground outdoors get dirt on it!!!!
I passed emissions tests just fine in Idaho and New Mexico for years. I come to Nevada, and lo and behold, I'm one catalytic converter short of the Californiesque requirements here. Never mind that I already have two in great working shape. If you ask me, that law was just made to force people who drive older cars to buy new cars. I can see banning a car with no catalytic converter, but insisting on three is just ridiculous! I liked where I was at without an unnecessary expenditure every month, and it only adds insult to injury to get a finance company who put the payment due date at the end of my rent pay's cash flow.
Seriously, this libertarian notices there's a lot going awry in this country, and all we're getting for solutions is superficial nonsense that makes things worse. I can't believe we still pay legislators with the mess they've let go and furthered in the last four decades.
You are right. My car is not even worth $500 anymore, and it would cost over $1,000 to fix all three leaks it has. On the flipside, it only cost me a dollar or two each month to add oil to it. As I said earlier, death to the HOA'S!!
I would like to happily report that I have come to an agreement with the HOA where I live yesterday. I always run Mobil One synthetic oil which is good, but it was making my car leak way more than it should. I have now changed to Valvoline Maxlife, and now my car barely leaks any oil at all. It is 95% better. The manager said that is fine, as all old cars leak a little. I now can park in my covered spot again too.
I would like to happily report that I have come to an agreement with the HOA where I live yesterday. I always run Mobil One synthetic oil which is good, but it was making my car leak way more than it should. I have now changed to Valvoline Maxlife, and now my car barely leaks any oil at all. It is 95% better. The manager said that is fine, as all old cars leak a little. I now can park in my covered spot again too.
Interesting in that a change in oil brands makes that big of a difference...especially so quickly.
Interesting in that a change in oil brands makes that big of a difference...especially so quickly.
Basically, synthetic oil is very thin, and it makes a car that does leak, leak much worse. On the other hand, Maxlife is a conventional oil that is thicker. Not only that, it is made specifically for older cars, and contains special ingredients that are made specifically to seal up leaks. Just changing to regular oil would not have made as dramatic of a difference.
What a sick irony that a man who was actually given a rare and notable honor for his part in protecting our nation from fascists would have to contend with them anyway for enjoying a fundamental (and well-earned) liberty on his own property!
What a sick irony that a man who was actually given a rare and notable honor for his part in protecting our nation from fascists would have to contend with them anyway for enjoying a fundamental (and well-earned) liberty on his own property!
Pass the grain of salt. How about he wants a 110 foot flag pole? Complete with the national anthem playing at loud volume and bright lighting 24 hours a day? So we agree that there are limits? Even for a WWII war hero?
That is close to what our local car dealer wanted.
Don't get me wrong. I think any Association that messes with a 20 foot flag pole has lost their mind just on the PR end of things and that is without involving a WWII hero.
But you can get carried away with flag poles or Xmas decorations etc. There have been some bitter fights over vast XMas displays and I personally sympathize with the neighbors.
In all good things there are limits.
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They want me to fix it, but it would cost more than the car is worth. I know this is not the end of it, so more than likely, I am going to have to move because of this damn HOA.
My car is not even worth $500 anymore, and it would cost over $1,000 to fix all three leaks it has. On the flipside, it only cost me a dollar or two each month to add oil to it. As I said earlier, death to the HOA'S!!
