How much are your HOA fees? (Fair Oaks Ranch, Howe: for sale, rent, houses)

[janejanejanejanejane]

Where do you live?
What does your HOA provide- pool, etc?
How strict is the HOA? What do they require of you and how do they enforce it?

[Mom2Feebs]

We pay $114 a quarter. We have a beautiful little treed park with all our mailboxes, fitness centers that I never use and a basketball court that also I never use. I would have MUCH rather had a pool. We have gates, an off-duty sheriff that supposedly patrols (though I've never seen him/her) and a diligent HOA but IMHO, not diligent enough. A bit of a Good Ol' Boys club, but they get the job done. They require anything that might cause property values to fall; keep up your yard, put your trash cans away, don't park your car on blocks in the yard, that kind of thing. I've not really ever heard a peep. Not even a "Welcome to the Neighborhood". Oh well.

[sapphire]

Silver Creek, Great Northwest. $222 a year....2 pools, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, a lodge (actually 2) that you can rent for weddings, showers, etc. We get a monthly newsletter, a *security* force that doesnt carry weapons, but I will say they are on patrol constantly and do seem to keep a good lookout, swim and soccer teams, exercise groups, social groups, and monthly themed parties. They don't do the greatest job at enforcing deed restrictions but they seem to try. The office also does fax and notary services for residents.

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

They require anything that might cause property values to fall; keep up your yard, put your trash cans away, don't park your car on blocks in the yard, that kind of thing.

Yes, that's good know. I know someone left their trash can out for two hours in our plan once, the property values dropped 10% almost immediately.

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

Yes, that's good know. I know someone left their trash can out for two hours in our plan once, the property values dropped 10% almost immediately.

Nice sarcasm.

The bottom line is, if you have lazy-a*s people that can't put their trash can away in a timely manner (within the day or by the next morning) then you have to wonder what the hell else they are or aren't doing. For instance, our neighbors up the street just can't seem to put their trash can away for, oh, I dunno, about two to three days. I got sick of it last week and put their trash can right up at their front door. They let their yard go COMPLETELY dead. Looks like crap and that kind of nonsense DOES bring down property values. Our HOA sends letters, but really, what can a letter do when you have idiots that really, truly don't give a sh*t?

Think about it.

Don't live in an HOA gated community if you can't deal with the rules.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

Yes, that's good know. I know someone left their trash can out for two hours in our plan once, the property values dropped 10% almost immediately.

How hard is it to put trash cans away?

[LVKim8]

$150 a year, Fair Oaks Ranch. They organize an Adopt-a-Highway clean up, also a clean up of area walking trails, playgrounds, and a resident's directory. They also do a newsletter and probably some other events I'm not remembering.

Overall, I do not hear much about whether they are strict. However, city ordinances are strictly enforced by the police dept. No billboards, For Sale signs, garage sale signs, etc.

[SweethomeSanAntonio]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Silver Creek, Great Northwest. $222 a year....2 pools, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, a lodge (actually 2) that you can rent for weddings, showers, etc. We get a monthly newsletter, a *security* force that doesnt carry weapons, but I will say they are on patrol constantly and do seem to keep a good lookout, swim and soccer teams, exercise groups, social groups, and monthly themed parties. They don't do the greatest job at enforcing deed restrictions but they seem to try. The office also does fax and notary services for residents.

The most important thing of an HOA is keeping up the appearance of the neighborhood. I have given the great northwest an ear full. The neighborhoods consist of homes between 100K-180K with some great builders, and some not so good.

Anyhow, who cares about all the other stuff. This is no dam social club, I care about my property value. I think the Great Northwest with its million dollar budget should spend more on appearance, landscaping, deed restrictions, fences. I think they should paint all fences that are along the major streets and entry way into the subdivisions, and not expect volunteers to do it.

If I didn't complain about some of the entrances, particular to the Village Northwest subdivsion, where I live, the facia signs, landscaping wouldn't be kept up regularly, only when thay feel like getting around to it.

It seems I have made my point because they seem to be keeping it up now. My Neighbors feel the same way. We are thinking about starting a petition.

I suppose the pics I sent them and threatning to notify the TV stations was good enough reason for them. I have called it to their attention many times over the years and nothing was being done. So I had no choice but the get a li'l excited and vocal.

After the complaints, they have retaliated against me trying to find anything wrong with my two houses.

They gave me a ticket for a weed that was actually on the street and not on my property. And the other house, the fence had one board that was damaged way at the bottom which was behind a trash can.
They actually moved it and inspected my fence. That is fine I just hope this is practiced throughout the 6 subdivions within GNW.

If Im going to keep giving them money year after year I expect for them to keep the neighborhood looking nice.

[sapphire]

WTH why are you raging at me? You didn't post one thing in response to the OP.