Ashley Woods in Granite Bay - HOA restrictions? (Roseville: houses, neighborhoods)

[Ludachris]

My wife found a few homes in Ashley Woods and I was wondering if anyone knows how strict the HOA is there. We drove through it when we were out there earlier this year but I was a little turned off because it looked a little too "Stepford Wives-ish" for my tastes, and probably has some strict HOA restrictions.

I would prefer something a little older on a bigger lot that might need a little work, but my wife would like something that needs no work and she likes gated communities. So we're trying to find middle ground. I'm a car guy who does weekend racing and will need some extra garage space - and we found a house with a 4-car garage, which was great! But I was wondering if the HOA restrictions are overbearing. Do they allow parking in the driveway? It doesn't look like they allow street parking. Are there restrictions against auto trailers in the garage? Any other garage or parking restictions?

Any other HOA restrictions that should be mentioned that a car guy would want to know about? Not that I want to park my trailer in the driveway or anything, but I don't want to feel like I'm breaking the law because I have a racing hobby.

Are there many kids outside playing in that neighborhood on the weekends?

[Jimbo15]

I have friends who live in Ashley Woods. I don't know about auto trailers in the garage. You are correct about banning parking on the street, although that HOA restriction seems to be selectively enforced. The neighborhood itself does have a lot of kids.

The gated community feature of Ashley Woods doesn't seem to work. Too many people know the gate code and the code isn't changed frequently enough. If it were me, I would probably go some place else. I thought the gated community feature was more of a hassle than a feature in Ashley Woods.

[tande1n5]

My parents live really close to the neighborhood and have friends that live/have lived in Ashley Woods. The thing about Ashley woods is that it's actually 4 subdivisions that have the same name. There was a KB home tract (Allegretto gate), a Centex tract (Ashley Woods Way gate), and 2 custom areas (Knightswood Gate and Monet gate), so each sector might have a slightly different level of enforcement. Overall, the Ashley woods HOA is pretty non-existent unless you do something like paint your house purple. The thing about Ashley Woods is that it's sort of a "no man's land" because it's technically within the Roseville limits and part of the greater Johnson Ranch area, but Granite Bay's sphere of influence and zip goes to Sierra College Blvd, so as a result, Johnson Ranch spends a minor amount of time with Ashley Woods' CC&R's compared to areas on the other side of Sierra College Blvd... which can be a good thing.

This next bunch of stuff really tends to go for most other neighborhoods in the area too: Parking in the driveway's fine, and the only catch is that street parking must be done in designated areas, although I've seen disregard of this with no consequences when I've visited (again, gives you an idea that it's not that strict). Some places that will be on the street in little "|_________|" looking areas, and in other parts it will be on a little fillet off the street. Even if you have "that neighbor" that cares about the CC&R's, the good thing is that none of the rules are strange or ridiculous, it's mostly architecture related, collecting your trash can in a reasonable time... stuff like that. I'm a car guy too, and I keep a trailered sports car at my folks' house because they have the garage space, and it's no problem at all. Even when you work on it or test brakes and such in the street, people might be interested in the car, but not to cite a violation. Overall, I'd say the entire area is old enough now (AW was developed in the mid/late 1990's and most other GB neighborhoods are the same age or older), that people have calmed down and forgotten about the HOA, except for extreme cases where someone's being a nuisance.

A good number of kids in the area, but a lot are the original owners that built their houses new in the 90's and had kids then, so many are now empty-nesters too.

[tande1n5]

Originally Posted by Jimbo15

The gated community feature of Ashley Woods doesn't seem to work. Too many people know the gate code and the code isn't changed frequently enough. If it were me, I would probably go some place else. I thought the gated community feature was more of a hassle than a feature in Ashley Woods.

This too, for most gated areas in Granite Bay. They're constantly broken in the open position, and some neighborhoods (Wedgewood comes to mind) has just decided to leave the gate open all day and it shuts at night only, because it's a big problem for all neighborhoods.

The kids in the area are so used to coming and going to friends' houses in the gated communities that they all simply exchange codes, so they're no secret at all anyway.

[Ludachris]

Great info, thanks!

[SOMUTCH]

I have lived in Ashley Woods, twice actually. Once for 6 years, then moved to Roseville, hated it and returned.

For us, it was a catch 22. Our first stay we finally got fed up with all the petty BS and thought we'd try a neighborhood without the CC&R's. It was worse! We stayed two years to clear our capitol gains tax and then moved back. Our second stay in AW was better but I really think it's because we were a bit more appreciative, well, kinda. I still disagreed with a lot of the little things but we had a gal that was a little overbearing and too eager to do her job as an "enforcer".

The people that live in there are great and we still have many friends in there. Tons of kids and a mutual respect for each other. It's important to know that all the bickering and code enforcement is not from neighbor to neighbor, it's all from the association. Since we have left (the second time) the gal that had the "chip" has moved on to another career.

We left (2nd time) for a house on property and love it. If I had to go back to a subdivision, AW is as good as any.

FWIW, I was always getting written up for my boat and a portable basketball hoop. Neither were ever out for more than a day or two.

Good luck to you.