How do you move with young kids? (Raleigh, Chapel Hill: renting, insurance)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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My problem with HOA fees is that they are not under my control. My 30 year fixed mortgage will always be the same amount, so it's a known. Taxes increase, I know that, but nothing can help that and it typically isn't a big difference. What's to stop my HOA fees from increasing $50 a month every few years?
I also don't believe anyone has the right to tell me what I can or cannot do on my own property. I hear nothing but nightmare stories about HOAs and how petty they can be. Maybe I'm wrong. I am a reasonable person that doesn't do anything unusual. I maintain my property.
It doesn't have to be relatively new. My current house was built in 1955 and has been great. Probably better constructed than anything new today.
I am working with a realtor. I just don't want to do anything before I close because everything can fall apart at the last minute during a sale.
Then you should live somewhere without zoning, because zoning places many restrictions on your use of your property. Of course, when your neighbor decides to open a slaughterhouse next door, you may feel differently.
I have no problem maintaining my home. I enjoy cutting the grass and keeping things clean. I don't want to pay for someone to cut my lawn when I want to do it. Snow isn't as big a problem down there as it is here, but I have a beast of a snow thrower and enjoy using it. Again, I don't want to pay for someone to clean my driveway. Pride of ownership and a sense of responsibility, I suppose.
I'd rather join a community pool, that I can cancel when I want if it gets too expensive. Same goes for playgrounds and parks. I don't want to have to constantly think about old man rivers not liking the color of my curtains that face the street, or the fact that I was 10 minutes late moving my garbage, or that I parked on the street overnight.
The whole thing smacks of a totalitarian regime. Yes, I'm exaggerating; however, I don't want or need an HOA. I grew up in houses and never had an issue with bad neighbors or neighborhoods. I've lived here in Westchester since 2009 and have traveled extensively throughout the area and have never seen anything unusual at the homes here. No weird colors, no stacks or piles of garbage.
I appreciate all the advice here guys. I'm just venting a bit. I wasn't expecting this to be a big issue for me.
HOAs in single-family communities don't pay for your grass to be cut and they definitely don't mess with what little snow we get. We live in an HOA neighborhood and we have a lawn service by choice. Some of our neighbors do their own lawns, some have a service they personally hire, just like we do.
HOAs pretty much exist to maintain the common areas (entrance, any areas that are HOA property like retention ponds and so forth, pools or other amenities if your neighborhood has them... not all do). They also exist to help ensure that people don't decide to paint their house red, white, and blue with purple stars across the front and that you don't get that one, strange neighbor who decides to open a business selling car parts from his front porch. That sort of thing.
You would be amazed at the crazy things people will decide to do, especially as you move further from the center of the Triangle and out into the country.
I think that with your view of what HOAs do (they aren't like you imagine at all, not really) you will be better off in a non-HOA neighborhood, though. If you wind up with great neighbors, that'll be wonderful.
If you wind up with kooks, maybe you'll see why people are okay with HOAs. It really is a coin toss. Some people live forever in HOA neighborhoods and have zero issues. Some live in non-HOA neighborhoods and don't have any issues. Others have trouble with an HOA and others have trouble without one. I have seen all manner of people in person and on here relay stories about both types of neighborhood and they are good and bad, like pretty much anything else.
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There are definitely older neighborhoods without HOAs, bigger lots, good schools, but they won't have the price point or newer homes you are looking for. You kind of have to figure out what's most important.
Then you should live somewhere without zoning, because zoning places many restrictions on your use of your property. Of course, when your neighbor decides to open a slaughterhouse next door, you may feel differently.
I grew up in a neighborhood with no HOA but with zoning and covenants. Totally different animals, and added layers between the homeowner and the complainer that seems to mediate the complaints much better.
There is a far cry between having to get your paint color pre-approved and having pet hogs next door.
Furthermore, it isn't what Old Man Smithers thinks is right, its what the village code states.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedZin
I disagree with that last paragraph, but I do agree that not all people who don't want an HOA want to trash their property.
Point is, in a neighborhood minus HOA, you really never know who'll move in next door and do crazy stuff you do not want next door to you, nor would a potential buyer.
I might buy a house for 150k in a neighborhood w/o an HOA, but around here? I would NEVER buy a 600k house in a planned neighborhood without one.
North Hills or Five Points? Those neighborhoods manage to look perfectly elegant without them.
I grew up in a neighborhood with no HOA but with zoning and covenants. Totally different animals, and added layers between the homeowner and the complainer that seems to mediate the complaints much better.
There is a far cry between having to get your paint color pre-approved and having pet hogs next door.
Furthermore, it isn't what Old Man Smithers thinks is right, its what the village code states.
Exact same concept as it relates to OP's comment : "I also don't believe anyone has the right to tell me what I can or cannot do on my own property."
I understand zoning and building codes. I meant "do what I want" in accordance with existing law. I'm a homeowner now and have no problems with zoning or building codes. They are universal and are done with safety in mind. Having a garbage can out in front before 8:00 PM is not a safety issue and certainly does not warrant a violation or fine.
Let's try this a different way. What is the range of monthly HOA fees down there? Around here, $400 a month is not unusual for a condominium. Coops are significantly higher. As far as I know, there are no HOAs here for houses, only condos, coops and townhouses because of the shared property (roof, plumbing, etc).
North Hills or Five Points? Those neighborhoods manage to look perfectly elegant without them.
Seen a ton of places in those areas for 350k or lower with acre lots that are not fixers lately?
Because I haven't. And there were parts of both (particularly N. Hills) prior to the housing crash and subsequent surge in migration that did indeed have some less than stellar homeowners re: maintenance.
I would not hesitate to buy over in Cameron Park, Five Points (I used to live over there) or in parts of N. Hills (Drewry Hills, for example) without any sort of worries over HOA, but I know who lives there and I know they're not likely to open up a petting zoo on the front lawn any time soon. I also know those are all out of the OP's budget by a substantial margin.
Not sure how long you've lived here, but some of the gentrifying areas over by NCSU (Gardner Street/Theatre in the Park area) were largely students when I was younger and so many rentals made it a bit "unkempt."
Nothing like it is now.
So, yeah... depends on how much money you have. Right now, in Raleigh and the core of the Triangle, you're hard-pressed to find an acre with a SFH that's not in serious need of help as it is for under 500k, much less one that's not in some sort of HOA, no matter how minimal. This is assuming the OP wants at least a 3br/2b home. With kids, I assume this is the case.
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I understand zoning and building codes. I meant "do what I want" in accordance with existing law. I'm a homeowner now and have no problems with zoning or building codes. They are universal and are done with safety in mind. Having a garbage can out in front before 8:00 PM is not a safety issue and certainly does not warrant a violation or fine.
Let's try this a different way. What is the range of monthly HOA fees down there? Around here, $400 a month is not unusual for a condominium. Coops are significantly higher. As far as I know, there are no HOAs here for houses, only condos, coops and townhouses because of the shared property (roof, plumbing, etc).
I'd say they range from about 300 a year to 800 or so.
You could find some that are more and some that are less, but I've never dealt with any for a SFH neighborhood that were much of a problem.
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