Why do people put up with HOA's? (Fairfax: rent, houses)

[Zack]

Originally Posted by normie

Getting back to the original question, one of the main reasons you see so many HOAs in Nova is that Nova has very few city governments. HOAs frequently provide the services you would get from a city, without having to pay city taxes.

Most the HOAs I see around NoVa have much higher dues than you would have in city taxes. It is correct that the reason there are so many HOAs is the lack of incorporated cities or townships. Where I'm from in MI every county is broken down into townships that deal with all the issues that the county isn't set up for. In VA you need an HOA to deal with it as only Arlington County and the incorporated cities are small enough to handle those micro issues. Personally I prefer dealing with a township or city over an HOA as legislature, judge, jury, and executioner aren't usually the same as they are in an HOA.

[Fairfax Mom]

NJ is broken up into very small towns and each town even has its very own school system - unlike here where everything is done by the county - I guess that is why NJ does not have HOA's - I had never even heard of an HOA until I moved here - but then again in NJ you are not allowed to pump your own gas either....

[Flamingo13]

You don't pump your own gas? What a concept!

[Fairfax Mom]

Yeah, you are legally not allowed to pump your own gas - unless you are trying to be sarcastic.....tee hee

And the gas is the cheapest in the Nation!

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Yeah, you are legally not allowed to pump your own gas - unless you are trying to be sarcastic.....tee hee

And the gas is the cheapest in the Nation!

ok NJ transplants. Where's Normie ? j/k

[tamitrail]

I lived in a townhouse in Sayreville, NJ, and we had an HOA and a monthly fee.

In NJ 55+ communities have HOA's and monthly fees also.

[Fairfax Mom]

Yeah the old folk communities in NJ have HOA's but most of the regular neighborhoods do not

Tamitrail - did you like Sayreville?

Where is Normie?

[tamitrail]

It was about 9 or 10 years ago, but I did like living in Sayreville. I have no idea what it's like now. I think the new developments in NJ do have an HOA..my cousin pays one...right now I can't think of the town he lives in for the life of me. I know there is subdivision called Regency at Monroe in Monroe Township and they have an HOA. Also Traditions at Hamilton Square in Hamilton have one. Just like Virginia, I think it depends on if you live on just a regular street, like my in-laws who live in Bergen County who don't pay one, or a subdivision where they do have HOA's.

[normie]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Where is Normie?

I moved, and life got busy. Not much time for city-data when you have a new town to explore.

By the way, I'm here in Nova this week, hanging out with the family for Easter. Everyone ate too much and right now we're all napping, reading, or playing on a computer. Thus, I get a chance to check in...

You guys with the high HOA fees need to check around, you can find better deals than that. I still own the house in Lowes Island (a section of Cascades). The HOA due just went up to $62/month. That gives you pool, gym, tennis, walking trails, snow removal, trash removal, new blacktop for the pipestems every 2 years, etc. Beats city taxes any day, IMO. But if HOAs are not your thing, that's cool too. Plenty of nice neighborhoods to accommodate your preference, whatever it is.

Beautiful day today. We went over to Meadowlark Gardens this morning. If you haven't been there lately, check out the new statues. Very cool. I see the cherry blossoms and daffodills finally came out. I like my new home, but I have to admit that Virginia in the spring is the prettiest place I've seen.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by VRE332

what kind of place?

Any kind of place