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I agree^. I've had nothing but good experiences, but it really depends on who's running the HOA. It can either be a great asset for the community or a nightmare.
Three different people have told me horror stories about the HOA but then turn around and say how great they are because they stop someone from putting a couch in their front yard. Now is that really a problem? I have never lived anywhere where anyone in the neighborhood had a couch in the front yard.
I have. It was in a historic area. The house next door was a rental dump.
Renters had a sofa in their driveway and connected a TV via multiple extension cords to their 2nd floor unit. There were no local ordinances precluding someone from doing so.
I currently live in a 50 year old HOA. We don't have rules prohibiting couches on the front lawn. Thus far, I have not observed one. This HOA does not impose rules on private property beyond no fences and everyone knows this moving in. The HOA defers to the municipality laws/ordinances.
There are many who would prefer to have more rules. I am not one of them.
I don't mind a good HOA community but I got lucky and bought into a non HOA community. When I did live in one, the silliest ones to me was I couldn't bring out the garbage can overnight. I had to put it out morning of and bring it back in before dark. If it was dark and a can was left out, you got a $25 fine. And stupid garbage came at 7am so I had to make sure I was up in time to take it out.
I don't HATE, HOA's per se. I just would never live under one.
^^ You're correct, the government is already making housing and property laws, rules and ordinances...I sure as heck don't want to add ANOTHER layer of people who can tell me what to do with MY home.
No, I don't want anyone dictating what color I can paint, what materials my fence HAS TO be made out of, or that I can't have a clothes line -- or even sand box or jungle gym in my back yard for kids (if I had any).
But for people who don't mind those limitations more power to them. I find that some people move in to an area, and it's only when THEIR ox is being gored that they have a problem. They were fine with no street parking when they moved in But now their 3 teens all have their own cars....if the driveway isn't wide enough and they can't park on the street overnight, are they not supposed to have more than two cars? ever?
Maybe I could deal with an HOA that was for community maintenance of green space and snow clearance ONLY. But no rules about my property itself.
see above poster about the garbage pails and the time alotted to take them out and in, no thanks.
If I'm purchasing a home for over 500K, I too, do not want to be told I can't have a clothesline in my backyard, or can't plant a certain tree in my garden, that's not happening, or have to paint the house a certain color, anything along those lines.
It's one thing not allowing junk and stuff like that on the properties, but as far as color restrictions and your back yard, that's plain dictatorship. Not for me.
The problem is people get crazy. Re: the sofa in the yard..... we had a person who bought high end patio furniture for her patio. It was gorgeous, but because it looked like a sofa and chairs, people had a fit. And kept having it, no matter what. She brought in the ads to show it was patio furniture, she brought in the reciept that showed it was patio furniture, the board took her side and agreed it was patio furniture.... then the residents went after her for something else, then something else....and on and on...
She was a renter, and it got so bad for her, her landlord let her break her lease.
After working in a business dealing with HOAs and residents, I will never move into one.
I have the right to leave my garbage can in front of my house. To park whatever I want in my driveway and to not take care of my lawn. I have the right as american to hate grass if I want. If I want to paint my house Chartruce, its my house. If I every buy a home it will be non HOA. Otherwise I see no advantage over renting
I have the right to leave my garbage can in front of my house. To park whatever I want in my driveway and to not take care of my lawn. I have the right as american to hate grass if I want. If I want to paint my house Chartruce, its my house. If I every buy a home it will be non HOA. Otherwise I see no advantage over renting
Thats why I will only buy in a HOA. I would get a neighbor that does all of the things you are talking about having the right to do, and would never be able to resale.
Thats why I will only buy in a HOA. I would get a neighbor that does all of the things you are talking about having the right to do, and would never be able to resale.
y'know, I can do all those things, and if I would call my realtor tomorrow and list this place, I bet it would sell within 30 days, at approximately a 50K profit!
But, the difference between us, I guess, is that I did NOT buy this place to sell, I bought it to live in until I die.
"Mini-farms" like mine are in high demand, and an HOA would not enhance the value. In fact, given the type of person who is looking for such properties, an HOA and strict CCRs would damage the value!
y'know, I can do all those things, and if I would call my realtor tomorrow and list this place, I bet it would sell within 30 days, at approximately a 50K profit!
But, the difference between us, I guess, is that I did NOT buy this place to sell, I bought it to live in until I die.
"Mini-farms" like mine are in high demand, and an HOA would not enhance the value. In fact, given the type of person who is looking for such properties, an HOA and strict CCRs would damage the value!
I am not saying you need an HOA but there's a great nifty urban farming community here where there are rules/restrictions on keeping it that way. So there's an HOA/CCR for every type of housing.
HOA in itself isn't bad, it's the people running them really. If someone buys into an HOA run community, they need to be on board with every single rule, if not, buy elsewhere. I never understand people who buy into one thinking they can still get their own way. It boggles my mind.
HOA in itself isn't bad, it's the people running them really. If someone buys into an HOA run community, they need to be on board with every single rule, if not, buy elsewhere. I never understand people who buy into one thinking they can still get their own way. It boggles my mind.
We bought in a older community years ago with no HOA. There were covenants that were decades old that no one had followed and the developer was long gone. Lo and behold, last month new strict covenants were filed with the county. A few residents that made them up were able to get 50% of the homeowners to sign off on them. The rest of us were not notified that a legal document had been drawn up or a vote was being taken until it was all over.
It says any neighbor/neighbors can sue other neighbors for breaking the new rules. I'm in shock that this is legal. It certainly isn't ethical.
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If I buy a house I wont tolerate
