Phoenix Metro HOA fees: Resources (Scottsdale: how much, house, neighborhood)

[fennec2009]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Thanks to everyone that has replied so far. I realize that this is general information question and very location specific. What about streets? Common areas and landscaping - is that included? Are townhouse/condo HOA's usually responsible for the exterior?

Maybe I should have entitled this thread - Phoenix HOA'sfor Dummy.

I live in a condo and the Association takes care of all common areas and the roof. We are responsible for anything inside the unit, the interior portion of our balconies and patios, and our HVAC system. Our $150 a month includes water/sewer/trash, landscaping, upkeep of two pools and a spa, and common area insurance.

[Bungle]

Mine is probably the highest I've seen. $320 quarterly. It's a small gated neighborhood with one park and all common areas including front yards are maintained by a professional landscape company. Typically the larger the community is the less you should be paying since it will have more sources of revenue. I'm on the board and I've been trying to put the HOA money to good use. We recently added $20k worth of landscape improvements (trees, shrubs, granite) and a brand new park fence.

[DetroitN8V]

Having front yard maintenance is huge. We certainly don't get that for the peanuts we pay. It would be nice though.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

$99 per quarter. Two community centers, two pools, a few parks, tennis courts, trails, etc.

Wow! What about landscaping? Outside maintenance? Streets.

My curiosity is peaked about the HOA bang for the buck around here

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Wow! What about landscaping? Outside maintenance? Streets.

My curiosity is peaked about the HOA bang for the buck around here

lol, me too !

some of these hoa's are awful cheap!

The house we rented in N Scottsdale had an hoa fee of $88/mo that included street maintenance, a small drainage ditch/"park" , and lots of grumpy letters about the color of your cable tv wire, parking overnight on the street (6 guest parking spots for ~50 homes!), or leaving your recycle bin where someone could see it.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Wow! What about landscaping? Outside maintenance? Streets.

My curiosity is peaked about the HOA bang for the buck around here

All common areas (trails, common-facing walls, facilities, streets) are maintained by the HOA. No yards or any of the houses' property is touched by them (other than a nagging letter from time to time).

[kodokan]

Ours is $200 a month. It's s small gated community, so not many houses to pay in. No pool, but a couple of play equipment parks. And it's very lush and green, with citrus all over the place and winter grass in all the common areas. These things push up the cost. I recently joined the board, and it's fascinating seeing where the money goes.

The other thing to consider is the reserves. We recently had a price hike for the first time in a few years, because the reserve study has indicated and priced in some hefty expenses in the next decade or two - resurfacing the roads, replacing the play equipment, upgrading the gates, etc. These things will all now be comfortably funded by regular dues, and not require any Special Assessments to be levied, which is the more fiscally responsible way to run things. Special Assessments for things that anyone can see coming are unfair to the current batch of householders, who may find themselves paying for 20 years of improvements they weren't there for, or won't be there for in the future.

As for data, most of the real estate sites have the monthly dues of any HOA-governed house up for sale.

I mentally lump together property taxes, school donations, and HOA fees in a pot called 'the cost of living in a really nice area', and don't fret about the individual elements too much.

[AZgarden]

I pay $62.50 a month in Ocotillo, one of the cheap neighborhoods here. We have no yard maintenance. In addition, we must have grass in front, all year. We have lakes for paddle boats, catch and release fish, no pool, alot of walking paths, and a real plus: reclaimed water for landscaping. We also get a discount on Ocotillo golf course (which I have never used) and tennis courts that I don't use either. This all seems like a bargain to me when I look at other HOAs. Also, planned garage sales, Christmas party, and a classy magazine 4 times a year. I wish we had clubs and events but I know I would be paying alot more.

[Ponderosa]

Ours (Estrella) is about $85 per month. We have 80 acres of lakes, miles of trails (mostly desert), a small water park, fitness center, lots of grass and parks with picnic facilities, daily activities including sports leagues, frequent community gatherings, community patrol. The city maintains the roads but the HOA does the street landscaping and lighting.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Ours (Estrella) is about $85 per month. We have 80 acres of lakes, miles of trails (mostly desert), a small water park, fitness center, lots of grass and parks with picnic facilities, daily activities including sports leagues, frequent community gatherings, community patrol. The city maintains the roads but the HOA does the street landscaping and lighting.

Wow! You are getting a lot for your buck! How old is your neighborhood?