Which Clark County town would you recommend for me? (Camas: rental, HOA)

[SuzyBee]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Stealth would know a lot more about that then me. But I'm guessing it depends on jurisdiction. City of Vancouver requires tree removal permits to cut down trees of a certain size in the city limits. Camas doesn't appear to. I cut down about 10 large cypress trees on my property when I moved in. I called the city to ask and they said no permit required so I hired a tree removal company and paid them a couple thousand to get the job done. They were not lumber grade trees and it was a suburban lot not an acreage. From what I understand in Vancouver, the tree removal companies generally get the permits and it is a pretty routine thing unless they are some sort of historical thing or there is danger to the neighbors or something. I honestly don't know.

Out in the rural parts of the county people are logging their land all the time. I have not idea what kind of county permits are required (if any). Unless the trees are seriously large or if you have rare things like old growth cedar I doubt they will be worth much as lumber. Most of what is on rural lots around here is scrubby 2nd or 3rd growth timber. The good trees were all cut down long ago.

Thank you for your input! I was thinking it would be fine too. I’ll get an estimate if the time comes and see if it makes sense to add that to the cost of the house.

[SuzyBee]

Originally Posted by izzy2017

Camas has a brand new tree law, just passed this fall I believe, I’m not entirely sure what it entails, but it only would apply if you lived in city limits, which if you’re looking at acreage you likely wouldn’t. If you’re in the county I think you’re free to clear whatever you like. A few places have HOAs that might have rules but not many.

Thanks so much. Coming from an HOA, I am really looking forward to finding an non HOA this time around. They are great for some people but realized we are not those people, lol.

[SuzyBee]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

1) Depends on jurisdiction (County / city) and DNR (Forestry)
2) Small lots (<20 Acres ) are tougher to maneuver equip / make it worthwhile for timber sales and harvesting
3) Timber companies will often do for ~ $2000 for their trouble + they keep the wood. (They will come and estimate the value if you have marketable timber)
4) Removing stumps / grading / erosion control is by a separate fee / contractor

Excellent info! Thank you!!

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by SuzyBee

Thanks so much. Coming from an HOA, I am really looking forward to finding an non HOA this time around. They are great for some people but realized we are not those people, lol.

Most of the established nicer subdivisions in Camas have HOAs and I expect all the new ones going up on the fringes do too. The one here in Deer Creek seems pretty laid back compared to what we experienced in Texas. You'll have to buy into an older downtown neighborhood or rural area to be sure of avoiding an HOA in Camas.

[182pilot]

HOA's are pretty much required in any new subdivision. The level of annoyance or usefulness will heavily depend on the people involved and the size of the HOA. One thing you may be able to find are odd lots that are adjacent to subdivisions but not legally part of them or the HOA's. This usually happens when a developer has a strange shaped leftover piece of the tract or where there are open space/riparian easement or reservations. In other words, the developer couldn't put 5 houses on the acre because a creek flowed through so they just kept that part out of the development entirely. These can be neat because you get a larger lot than usual with open space requirements and they are right next to a nice development with an HOA but you're not part of it. The problem I found with most of the ones we looked at was price and restrictions on building and development of the land.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by 182pilot

HOA's are pretty much required in any new subdivision. The level of annoyance or usefulness will heavily depend on the people involved and the size of the HOA. One thing you may be able to find are odd lots that are adjacent to subdivisions but not legally part of them or the HOA's. This usually happens when a developer has a strange shaped leftover piece of the tract or where there are open space/riparian easement or reservations. In other words, the developer couldn't put 5 houses on the acre because a creek flowed through so they just kept that part out of the development entirely. These can be neat because you get a larger lot than usual with open space requirements and they are right next to a nice development with an HOA but you're not part of it. The problem I found with most of the ones we looked at was price and restrictions on building and development of the land.

Yes, you won't be able to put up chicken coops or other type structures in the suburbs. And probably won't be able to park a big RV or boat in your driveway. Although people still do it at least temporarily. But they are pretty laid back. For example, the Deer Creek CCAs say no more than 2 pets. But I don't think anyone ever bothers to follow that. There are lots of dogs and cats around here. They might enforce it if someone turned into a cat horder and had 15 cats or something. But you would have to draw a lot of attention. They have a management company that drives around and occasionally puts notes on your door for things like having an RV in your driveway. But that's about it. My neighbor just painted his house. They are supposed to approve the paint color but all they really do it check that it isn't identical to your neighbor and isn't bright purple or something. They just want something natural or earth toned to match the neighborhood.

I suspect what happens in practice is that most people are live and let live and maintain their properties responsibility. But once in a while they have to pull out the CCRs to deal with some nuisance property. It is unlike the HOA I experienced in TX where little old ladies would patrol the property trying to enforce every blade of grass because they had nothing better to do and were obsessed with maintining their property values.

At least that's been my experience so far in Deer Creek. Your mileage may vary.

[izzy2017]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Yes, you won't be able to put up chicken coops or other type structures in the suburbs. And probably won't be able to park a big RV or boat in your driveway. Although people still do it at least temporarily. But they are pretty laid back. For example, the Deer Creek CCAs say no more than 2 pets. But I don't think anyone ever bothers to follow that. There are lots of dogs and cats around here. They might enforce it if someone turned into a cat horder and had 15 cats or something. But you would have to draw a lot of attention. They have a management company that drives around and occasionally puts notes on your door for things like having an RV in your driveway. But that's about it. My neighbor just painted his house. They are supposed to approve the paint color but all they really do it check that it isn't identical to your neighbor and isn't bright purple or something. They just want something natural or earth toned to match the neighborhood.

I suspect what happens in practice is that most people are live and let live and maintain their properties responsibility. But once in a while they have to pull out the CCRs to deal with some nuisance property. It is unlike the HOA I experienced in TX where little old ladies would patrol the property trying to enforce every blade of grass because they had nothing better to do and were obsessed with maintining their property values.

At least that's been my experience so far in Deer Creek. Your mileage may vary.

Unless you live in my neighborhood There are a few pockets around with older homes (1990s!) and large lots without HOAs. We have a 15000 sqft lot but some of my neighbors are closer to 2 acres. My street has loads of chickens and two goats. Oh and a lot of RVs. The RVs are occasionally an issue but Camas city ordinance says you can't park them on the street longer than 72hrs and our neighbors seem to take that to heart. Not having an HOA has good points and bad ones and it's a rare thing in Camas, but it does seem to attract home buyers, I guess some people despise them.

I believe the chicken law in Camas city limits is if you have a lot larger than 10,000 sqft you can have as many as you want as long as your HOA allows it. No roosters. Not sure what the goat rules are I will tell you that my neighbors often lose their chickens to coyotes, although not as often as they used to.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by izzy2017

Unless you live in my neighborhood There are a few pockets around with older homes (1990s!) and large lots without HOAs. We have a 15000 sqft lot but some of my neighbors are closer to 2 acres. My street has loads of chickens and two goats. Oh and a lot of RVs. The RVs are occasionally an issue but Camas city ordinance says you can't park them on the street longer than 72hrs and our neighbors seem to take that to heart. Not having an HOA has good points and bad ones and it's a rare thing in Camas, but it does seem to attract home buyers, I guess some people despise them.

I believe the chicken law in Camas city limits is if you have a lot larger than 10,000 sqft you can have as many as you want as long as your HOA allows it. No roosters. Not sure what the goat rules are I will tell you that my neighbors often lose their chickens to coyotes, although not as often as they used to.

Yeah. I'm guessing that anything built after 2000 that is in an actual subdivision is going to have an HOA. But there are definitely pockets of "old Camas" scattered about. HOAs have their pros and cons. But generally speaking I don't think the ones around here are remotely close to the crazy that one sees in more southern areas like Texas or Florida where they try to micromanage everything. That might also be because Camas tilts younger due to the schools so there aren't a lot of older retired people in these large houses with nothing better to do than spy on their neighbors and make trouble like you get in say Florida.

But HOAs in the Northwest can ge out of control too. For example:

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/...led_child.html and
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/...ckie_wint.html

Salem area HOA actually banned entry of a short schoolbus into their gated community to pick up a disabled child for "safety" reasons. Of course they had no problem with the garbage trucks and recycling trucks and UPS trucks making their Amazon.com deliveries. And the landscapers and contractors trucks doing kitchen remodels. Sometimes the malevolence of our fellow humans just astonishes me. It's an older golf community that trends over 55 so maybe that is the difference. Sheesh.

[izzy2017]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Salem area HOA actually banned entry of a short schoolbus into their gated community to pick up a disabled child for "safety" reasons. Of course they had no problem with the garbage trucks and recycling trucks and UPS trucks making their Amazon.com deliveries. And the landscapers and contractors trucks doing kitchen remodels. Sometimes the malevolence of our fellow humans just astonishes me. It's an older golf community that trends over 55 so maybe that is the difference. Sheesh.

This is disgraceful. The only HOA I've heard bad things about around here is Westridge Place near Union High School. They apparently have some people who like to take pictures of moss and weeds and send nasty letters.

It is funny to think that 1998 is an old house here but I guess it is.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by izzy2017

This is disgraceful. The only HOA I've heard bad things about around here is Westridge Place near Union High School. They apparently have some people who like to take pictures of moss and weeds and send nasty letters.

It is funny to think that 1998 is an old house here but I guess it is.

Come to think of it, my real estate agent warned me against First Place which is this odd higher priced neighborhood up across from Evergreen HS that is surrounded by a sea of more modest middle class neighborhoods on all sides. I don't exactly recall now, but it may have been HOA issues too.