HOA is a ripoff to homeowners (insurance, condo, property tax, attorneys)
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No, the problem is that after you've bought in to the community, the HOA "reorganizes", raises fees, changes and adds all kinds of bizarre regulations, and then there you are - stuck, because nobody wants to buy into the crazy that your neighborhood has become. (EG property values drop like a stone)
So to this point, here's my story.
tl;dr: It depends on the state whether HOAs "swallow" or not.
I went home shopping back in about 2004-2005. This was in San Diego, CA. Yes, the place where everything is overpriced. Settled on a condo that looked nice but was lacking - $200k. HOA fees of $300/month in addition to $100/month Mello Roos (a real scam). Got approved and everything, but ultimately backed out as it just didn't feel right.
Fast forward to 2013. Seattle area, Washington State. Went home shopping and settled on three houses, two of which were not HOA. The one that was HOA won out because:
It was a significantly nicer looking neighborhood
The house did not have the same basic fundamental issues seen in the other two (i.e. a roof left to rot)
House colors were muted and normal
Now, up here it's only $75/year. Turns out the HOA which was created after the fact, suffered under poor management. They hired a bookkeeper that was embezzling the money, the treasurer is completely hard of hearing and difficult to communicate with, and the president/vice-president was a couple going on vacations all the time, couldn't be reached. The original president came back to get things back in order, hired an attorney to help. They collected dues for the first time in two years, just last month.
Yes, it's that bad. And the HOA dues don't do anything because they have no staff to manage or enforce anything. Sidewalks are grimy, driveways are grimy, and homeowners are responsible for most all expenses. Streets also need to be repaved and there are certain safety issues with the main road - crosswalk compliance is null and void.
But what he said was that they got a new bookkeeper and were trying to reorganize things including increasing the dues. The neighboring HOA, which is way better staffed, offered to take over for $5,000/year which isn't a lot at all. With that, all dues would go up to about $150-$300/month BUT that includes your water, sewer, trash, and recycling bills, which currently are separate. So it would net out to about $100/month HOA dues. I can swing that if it means a better experience.
He also indicated that by and large they wanted to ensure people didn't do things that made others not want to buy here. Trees? It's up to you. Lawn? It's up to you, just don't let it go to rot. Windows? Don't care. Roof? Just needs to be shingle, tile or woodshake. Fence? Backyard, whatever you want. Planter areas? Have at it as long as they're not ugly bushes. Noise? Keep it down. Broken down cars? nope. Boats/motorhomes? Out of sight. Standard fare. Paint? "Earthy" colors (I love this one).
My feeling on HOA? Some go way too far (i.e. "don't park on the street", "windows can't stick out more than an inch", "Only two paint colors acceptable", "Lawn must stay green no matter what", "only these types of trees", etc). Some try to strike a good balance. Often they'll work with you if you just talk to them. Some are corrupt and you just don't know until you're in it, but you can always talk to people that live there.
As noted, if you don't want any rules or authority and don't care if your property values tank because of some Wiz Khalifa-lovin family moving in next door and trashing the place, just buy an older home.
I have never under stood why people knowing buy what they do not like. many homeowners like living in HOA community. I am not one; but I let others make their own choices.
HOA is a problem to homeowner . You cannot live in peace with HOA. Homeowner neighborhoods where homeowner pays taxes and owns and maintains own home and property should not have HOA because you pay for everything. Reasonable HOA /POA should only be on townhomes and condos,where they maintain building and property. When you have HOA in neighborhood it is a problem, certain people picked on, unreasonable fees that you can't even put in budget. HOA not only hurts homeowners but hurts real estate sales. No one wants a group of people to pay and for them to tell you how to live . Hoa is deceiving and manipulating it's like scammers who still for personal gain. It's becoming a horror story . It is against freedom rights . How can HOA be in a mobile home neighborhood and deceive poor homeowners and tell them they gonna increase their property value when they can't !!! Mobile homes decrease in value!!! Now if you had no Hoa you could increase property value by building on adding bigger buildings adding big garage or take mobile home out and later build a stick built home will and can increase value of home . In SC legislatures trying to get bill passed to help homeowners because HOA issues out of hand a Big Covered Up Problem causing hardship on homeowners , but these bills along with other bills to help US or SC citizens someone is not signing, so if you look up bill and never got passed and died it's because never got signed which is frustrating to poor citizens who need immediate relief from on going problems.!!! I read where in. 2010 HOA bill to be enforced and died because never signed. This is major issues affecting many people. These bills need signing no delaying . I hope whoever they know who they are!!!, please put your John Henry name signature on these bills so people can have life liberty and pursuit of happiness. Well in my neighborhood a man has had a heart attack over HOA fining him to death threatening foreclose , another man working day and night to try catch up on HOA attorney fees that as soon as you pay down can't catch up. And not only is hoa atty a foreclosure atty but a realtor go figure. Car lots can't have insurance office on premises but HOA foreclose atty can foreclose and take your home then buy at auction and resale at her realtor office . What a sad way to make money off poor for gain. I went to the legislature meeting horror stories of unfair, unjust, cruel activity. Hoa has figured away to take money and fool people into thinking they can't live without them . Well don't be fooled you can. We are already paying road taxes so why double pay. We pay property taxes , and HOA they do nothing but cause conflict we pay them to pick on us, dictate to us and be unreasonable . I talked to a lady at church who owed condo and she had paid for , well the HOA /poa went up to 1000 a month and she and 12 others got foreclosed on because they didn't agree with the increase so she hired atty and lost against HOA . She had still pay attorney back and her sick mother lived with her they now are homeless living in her car. This is just one of numerous sad stories . Let's all get together stand up for what is right. These people are trying to get as much money out people as they can before a bill does pass and puts their racketeering to a stop. Puts personal gain power away. Let's stand up and whoever needs to sign off on these bills get done and not sit and die and have to start over rewrite bill. If bill goes into effect it may save a life . I have post traumatic stress disorder from an accident where lady hit me in auto and had brain surgery died and saw heaven. I'm here for a reason . Worked since early age 14 (2-4 jobs) and started babysitting at age 11. I believe in treating people fair and good customer service. My life now relates to scripture and our hearts matter. In all honesty HOA should not be forced on homeowners . I knew nothing about HOA and they like it that way because if you read their rules you would not agree with their actions. Real estate in my neighborhood declined no one wants to be in HOA neighborhood and hard to sell home in Hoa neighborhood. The HOA takes your money and does nothing but profit off you. You are the only one that can increase your property value by adding on to home and they want let you add on so how they gonna improve your value if you can't build a bigger home or big garage. It's like a farmer buys all this land and wants to build big barn but group people come in force him to be in hoa and trick him saying they gonna increase his property and
He can't build barn or he builds barn they fine him and tear down his dream barn after he put his money in HOA to tell him how to live. Well a man in my neighborhood fixed broken fence that HOA would not fix and he got fined 500 dollars. Then he had boat parked in driveway fined him for that. He didn't agree so 500 fine went to 1200 then HOA atty adding fees to 1900 and sent foreclose papers this is the man who had heart attack. They HOA attorney is racking up and poor homeowners who own and citizen tax payers for road and property that we maintain and pay for are suffering. The HOA scam needs to be put to a stop it's killing us. A guy has a post online called HOA syndrome well I have all those symptoms chest pains, grinding teeth, can't sleep haven't slept in 3 months . We need HOA out homeowner neighborhood like the one I'm in and as new homeowner I knew nothing about hoa.
I want as much freedom as possible for my property. I do not want nosey people to tell me what to do. Go do that all you want to on YOUR OWN property, NOT MINE.
Perhaps there are actually some decent places with HOA. But there are also plenty of decent places that don't have HOA. So I still will never live in a HOA. Especially ones that cost extra money.
Your HOA experiences will vary significantly, based on the HOA itself. Most are incompetent and some are worse than incompetent. Most are bureaucratic entities run by incompetent people stealing money from homeowners under the guise of providing "management services". They provide "management services" (such as negotiating contracts with who will manage your lawns and property), but HOA managers line their own pockets with $$$ from homeowners who pay.
HOA is a problem to homeowner . You cannot live in peace with HOA. Homeowner neighborhoods where homeowner pays taxes and owns and maintains own home and property should not have HOA because you pay for everything. Reasonable HOA /POA should only be on townhomes and condos,where they maintain building and property. When you have HOA in neighborhood it is a problem, certain people picked on, unreasonable fees that you can't even put in budget. HOA not only hurts homeowners but hurts real estate sales. No one wants a group of people to pay and for them to tell you how to live . Hoa is deceiving and manipulating it's like scammers who still for personal gain. It's becoming a horror story . It is against freedom rights . How can HOA be in a mobile home neighborhood and deceive poor homeowners and tell them they gonna increase their property value when they can't !!! Mobile homes decrease in value!!! Now if you had no Hoa you could increase property value by building on adding bigger buildings adding big garage or take mobile home out and later build a stick built home will and can increase value of home . In SC legislatures trying to get bill passed to help homeowners because HOA issues out of hand a Big Covered Up Problem causing hardship on homeowners , but these bills along with other bills to help US or SC citizens someone is not signing, so if you look up bill and never got passed and died it's because never got signed which is frustrating to poor citizens who need immediate relief from on going problems.!!! I read where in. 2010 HOA bill to be enforced and died because never signed. This is major issues affecting many people. These bills need signing no delaying . I hope whoever they know who they are!!!, please put your John Henry name signature on these bills so people can have life liberty and pursuit of happiness. Well in my neighborhood a man has had a heart attack over HOA fining him to death threatening foreclose , another man working day and night to try catch up on HOA attorney fees that as soon as you pay down can't catch up. And not only is hoa atty a foreclosure atty but a realtor go figure. Car lots can't have insurance office on premises but HOA foreclose atty can foreclose and take your home then buy at auction and resale at her realtor office . What a sad way to make money off poor for gain. I went to the legislature meeting horror stories of unfair, unjust, cruel activity. Hoa has figured away to take money and fool people into thinking they can't live without them . Well don't be fooled you can. We are already paying road taxes so why double pay. We pay property taxes , and HOA they do nothing but cause conflict we pay them to pick on us, dictate to us and be unreasonable . I talked to a lady at church who owed condo and she had paid for , well the HOA /poa went up to 1000 a month and she and 12 others got foreclosed on because they didn't agree with the increase so she hired atty and lost against HOA . She had still pay attorney back and her sick mother lived with her they now are homeless living in her car. This is just one of numerous sad stories . Let's all get together stand up for what is right. These people are trying to get as much money out people as they can before a bill does pass and puts their racketeering to a stop. Puts personal gain power away. Let's stand up and whoever needs to sign off on these bills get done and not sit and die and have to start over rewrite bill. If bill goes into effect it may save a life . I have post traumatic stress disorder from an accident where lady hit me in auto and had brain surgery died and saw heaven. I'm here for a reason . Worked since early age 14 (2-4 jobs) and started babysitting at age 11. I believe in treating people fair and good customer service. My life now relates to scripture and our hearts matter. In all honesty HOA should not be forced on homeowners . I knew nothing about HOA and they like it that way because if you read their rules you would not agree with their actions. Real estate in my neighborhood declined no one wants to be in HOA neighborhood and hard to sell home in Hoa neighborhood. The HOA takes your money and does nothing but profit off you. You are the only one that can increase your property value by adding on to home and they want let you add on so how they gonna improve your value if you can't build a bigger home or big garage. It's like a farmer buys all this land and wants to build big barn but group people come in force him to be in hoa and trick him saying they gonna increase his property and
He can't build barn or he builds barn they fine him and tear down his dream barn after he put his money in HOA to tell him how to live. Well a man in my neighborhood fixed broken fence that HOA would not fix and he got fined 500 dollars. Then he had boat parked in driveway fined him for that. He didn't agree so 500 fine went to 1200 then HOA atty adding fees to 1900 and sent foreclose papers this is the man who had heart attack. They HOA attorney is racking up and poor homeowners who own and citizen tax payers for road and property that we maintain and pay for are suffering. The HOA scam needs to be put to a stop it's killing us. A guy has a post online called HOA syndrome well I have all those symptoms chest pains, grinding teeth, can't sleep haven't slept in 3 months . We need HOA out homeowner neighborhood like the one I'm in and as new homeowner I knew nothing about hoa.
If you are a member of an HOA, you have a vote on their decisions. Even better if you can get a spot in the board. If you don't like the way it is run, speak up. HOA's are required to provide you with their disclosures during the closing process, so you had a chance to investigate their policies and operation. Knowing nothing and doing nothing about your HOA is your personal choice.
Lots of people who buy in a HOA have no idea how one is ran. Thry also don't go to any meetings. I live in a HOA. To tell you the truth years and years back I would go to meetings and it would be me and maybe two other homeowners and the board. The only time anyone gave a **** was when a special assessment was levied or some raise in dues due to xx reason. Then they came screaming about being screwed with. If they would of gone to the meetings and returned the vote slips ( which would require opening and reading them) they would jnow what's going on in their neighborhood.
HOAs aren't perfect. I know that dime are ran by people who are very enthusiastic about the power trip they are empowered with. But there are some people with common sense.
I refuse to deal with HOA's. It means I'm buying a house in an older neighborhood, but that is just fine with me.
We won't/don't like HOA neighborhoods either. My Aunt lives in one, and complains all the time about it. What she can and cannot do. SO we won't live in one.
Unfortunately, here in the NE, it depends on the "older neighborhood" you move into. If you are talking 1950s you may be OK. If you are talking 1880s, you have another problem to deal with...the "Historical Society", who dictates what you can and cannot do with your "grand victorian mansion".
You can't even replace the old drafty rattle-ly old windows as it isn't "historical" to have new energy-efficient windows! You can't paint your house any color but certain "approved colors" {white among them}, UNLESS you can prove via a paint chip that the house really was once chartreuse with lime green trim after all! And NO vinyl siding!!! Some even dictate what you can do INSIDE your victorian on Main or Front Streets, or the Grand Side streets. There are strange laws there, too. Historical Societies all over the NE have strange laws. Just Watch This Old House when they do a Historical House in town!
Recently they wanted to update the Coruthouse and add an Elevator to the side of the building. SOme on the Historical Society screamed bloody murder! How DARE they "update the courthouse" to finally comply with the ADA so people in wheechairs or difficulty walking can take the elevator up to the court rooms! I argued to no one in particular that "I'll bet when they put in public plumbing and did away with the outhouses, that no one screamed "that's not historical"! and "I"ll bet when they electrified the courthouse they didn't sceam "Not Historical!"", I argued when they added Modern Central Climate Control, No one screamed "Not Historical", so why would a nice covered tower in matching brick be a problem? The Feds finally overrulled the Historical Society, and the elevator was built on. HA! Take that Historical Society!
MOH would dearly love to live in a victorian {I keep saying i don't want the heating bill}, but quickly dismisses it when considering the whims of the Historical Society!
I wouldn't live in an HOA. There is a state of mind that goes along with them that is more undesirable than the litany of rules.
But, you signed on the dotted line in the end. You should move. It will never change. And heaven help you if you got on the bad side of the "board". Just end what will otherwise be indefinite misery and move to a real community.
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Especially ones that cost extra money. 
