Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > Austin
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 06-04-2011, 11:13 PM
 
Location: Pflugerville
2,211 posts, read 4,832,100 times
Reputation: 2242

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
To be accurate, there are quite a few houses in the Austin area that are not in HOA's. In new subdivisions, no, but they are out there - and sometimes they ARE in neighborhoods that anyone who didn't know would swear was an HOA neighborhood.
What did I say that was inaccurate? Or are you just picking again. As you tend to do?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JayBrown80 View Post
But if you buy a house, it will most likely be in an HOA too. There are not that many houses in the Austin Area that are not part of some HOA. Either way you will probably be dealing with an HOA..
You said quite a few houses aren't HOA, I said that many houses are in an HOA. For the first time in history we agree, and still you needle?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 06-04-2011, 11:25 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,207,663 times
Reputation: 24738
"Not that many houses in the Austin Area that are not part of some HOA" is inaccurate and gives a false impression of the market. That's all. Just pointing that out lest someone get that false impression.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 12:26 AM
 
3,423 posts, read 4,417,680 times
Reputation: 3633
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayBrown80 View Post
I would recommend that you click on IC_Delights name on their posts, and take a look at some of their previous posts concerning HOAs. Then you can make an informed decision on whether or not this particular posters is maybe a bit biased in this regard.

You may find his/her arguments to be right on point. I on the other hand find it suspect that a source has 387 posts, and a majority of them bashing HOAs, posted in almost every city board on City-Data. Really it's up to you on whether or not you want to trust an anonymous internet source. Do the research and be informed.

Either way, I don't see the point of you being "um, scared" by IC-Delights argument. If you buy a condo, you will have to deal with an HOA. But if you buy a house, it will most likely be in an HOA too. There are not that many houses in the Austin Area that are not part of some HOA. Either way you will probably be dealing with an HOA.
If you buy a condo, you won't be dealing with an HOA - you will be dealing with a condominium association. You will also be dealing with a litany of fees, prohibitions against renting, and virtually whatever "restriction" that the board or management company dream up under the pretext of "preserving property values".

Don't just look at the property, look for any "fining resolution" or "application of payment" policy recorded with the county clerk's office. If you see a "fining policy" don't waste your time on the property. If you see anything that purports to allow the HOA or managing agent to ignore your instructions as to how payment is to be applied or which otherwise prioritizes management company fees, etc. ahead of the assessment - then don't bother to look twice at the place. Move on to the next place.

There are homes in Austin that are not part of an HOA. There are likely not any new homes that are not part of an HOA.

Quote:
It comes down to the HOA, and how restrictive it is. If you don't feel comfortable with it then don't buy, if you do, then buy. I personally have lived in one condo and 2 houses, and owned land, all 4 of them in an HOA. I have never had problems with their restrictions and have never had trouble with resale on the property. But I make sure to really read HOA contracts and make sure I am okay with what they are asking of me.
The way the laws are currently written in Texas, buying an HOA-burdened home is like playing Russian roulette.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 07:14 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,757 posts, read 9,029,875 times
Reputation: 1762
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayBrown80 View Post
I would recommend that you click on IC_Delights name on their posts, and take a look at some of their previous posts concerning HOAs. Then you can make an informed decision on whether or not this particular posters is maybe a bit biased in this regard.
I don't think it matters whether IC seems to have a bug up his craw (or whatever the folksy expression is) if his information is accurate, and I believe it is, he has valid concerns and I appreciate his sharing the information. People make the best decisions when they have adequate information. Some people may have no problem with the added burden of condo association rules but some people will. Those who don't can just read the information and say "ho hum, so what, I'll move forward with the purchase."

I don't think you can characterize his/her extreme distaste for them as bias as it is clear IC has researched the issue thoroughly. And before you jump on me for being a bully or what not, I'm just offering an alternative view of the value's IC's posts.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
150 posts, read 391,125 times
Reputation: 69
I was in the same boat. Had to sink $5K into granite countertops, new appliances and drop the price. It sold in 1 week.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 10:23 AM
 
Location: Greenville, Delaware
4,726 posts, read 11,924,208 times
Reputation: 2650
From my experience owning a condo in South Austin for 5 years (sandwiched between two periods of owning a single family home), I think the people who may be happiest with condo living are the ones who don't get involved with association matters at all and who don't have any strong opinions or feelings about how things are/should be done in the condominium common areas. When we bought, I got involved with the association -- attended the monthly meetings -- and soon found myself elected to the condo association board. Hint one: many people don't want to be on the board or are sick of being on the board. Then I soon found myself acting president, followed by a term as elected president. Hint two: being pres. of the association board is a thankless task that no sane person wants. However, I didn't mind the various restrictions in place on use of common areas and what people could do with the exterior features of their condos (these were townhouse type units) -- the whole point was to maintain and increase property values.

Lived in one HOA neighborhood in far South Austin (outside the city limits, actually) and one non-HOA neighborhood in south-central Austin. Both were fine. I never found our HOA out in Shady Hollow to be unreasonable or oppressive, and on the contrary the HOA helped maintain a good quality of life.

Theory: people who are down on HOAs are largely the same people who resent government.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 10:33 AM
 
3,787 posts, read 6,968,712 times
Reputation: 1761
[quote=JayBrown80;19449220]I would recommend that you click on IC_Delights name on their posts, and take a look at some of their previous posts concerning HOAs. Then you can make an informed decision on whether or not this particular posters is maybe a bit biased in this regard.
endquote


Biased is hardly the word I would use. Informative is more like it. If you're a lemming and simply purchase without the knowledge of what an HOA is then you're ok. If not, educate yourself and then make an informed decision. You may love an HOA. Many of us do not. To each his/her own. The point, however, is to make an informed choice. IC saved us much heartache with information I did NOT have prior to their posting. I had never heard of an HOA and we're glad IC put the information out there. IC is not biased but informative.

The idea that people against HOA's are the same people against government is a gross generalization, (theory) and truly an off the wall comment.

Last edited by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots; 06-05-2011 at 10:53 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 12:53 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,757 posts, read 9,029,875 times
Reputation: 1762
Quote:
Originally Posted by doctorjef View Post

Theory: people who are down on HOAs are largely the same people who resent government.
I have one case to disprove that. We have close friends that are Obama loving progressive democrats and are planning to leave our neighborhood because hey hate the HOA so much. They have been following our HOA and how they do business for the last several years and are just fed up. Our HOA jacks our rates and then they give no bid contracts for maintenance and landscaping services to businesses owned by people connected to the board.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Pflugerville
2,211 posts, read 4,832,100 times
Reputation: 2242
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennibc View Post
I don't think it matters whether IC seems to have a bug up his craw (or whatever the folksy expression is) if his information is accurate, and I believe it is, he has valid concerns and I appreciate his sharing the information. People make the best decisions when they have adequate information. Some people may have no problem with the added burden of condo association rules but some people will. Those who don't can just read the information and say "ho hum, so what, I'll move forward with the purchase."

I don't think you can characterize his/her extreme distaste for them as bias as it is clear IC has researched the issue thoroughly. And before you jump on me for being a bully or what not, I'm just offering an alternative view of the value's IC's posts.
And that is totally fine. I did not say that IC_Delights posts were inaccurate, only that they show one side of the story. I didn't tell the OP to ignore IC_Delight, only to make sure they considered the source.

Which frankly, is something both you AND Oldtoiletsmakegdflowrpots have done with other posters on this forum, such as Eepstein and Artsyguy. You both have no problems warning new members to take their posts with a grain of salt.

I am simply suggesting the same thing for IC_Delight that you have suggested for Artsyguy. It's just you happen to share IC_delights anti-HOA veiws, so you feel compelled to finger wag at me. Shrug.

IC_delight can list a million examples of bad HOAs. You can take any subject on earth, and list a million bad examples of it. IC_delight never offers GOOD examples of HOA's though, and has said consistently that good HOA's simply do not exist. That is biased. There are good HOAs.

I don't see how you can say "People make the best decisions when they have adequate information" when IC_Delight only offers one side of the issue. That's like saying someone has adequate information if they only watch FOX news. Or ONLY watch MSNBC. I was the one actually offering the other side of the issue, mentioning good HOA's I have known of. Between the two of us, you now have "adequate information".
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2011, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Pflugerville
2,211 posts, read 4,832,100 times
Reputation: 2242
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennibc View Post
I have one case to disprove that. We have close friends that are Obama loving progressive democrats and are planning to leave our neighborhood because hey hate the HOA so much. They have been following our HOA and how they do business for the last several years and are just fed up. Our HOA jacks our rates and then they give no bid contracts for maintenance and landscaping services to businesses owned by people connected to the board.
Sigh. I don't see how this disproves Jeffs theory. One, he didn't say it applied to ALL ppl that resent government, just most. And 2, why are "obama loving progressive democrats" not people that resent government? These two things are mutually exclusive?

The fact of the matter is, this OP was NOT about HOAs, it was about selling a house in a bad economy. But IC_Delight came in and brought up HOAs out of the blue. This is what IC_Delight does. He goes into almost every forum on City-Data and only presents a doom and gloom vision of HOA's, and insists no good ones exist. Then when someone speaks up and says "Well, I like my HOA" the other anti-HOA ppl on this board shout them down.

No one on this board has suggested IC_delight is a liar, only that they are biased and present one side of the issue. I don't know why Jenni_BC and Oldtoiletsflrwpots are so quick to defend IC_delight and call people "lemmings" if they like HOAs.

To be INFORMED on an issue, you have to learn all the pros and cons of said issue, weigh them, and make a decision. IC_Delight does not present any positive information on HOAs. He only presents the cons. Therefore he is biased. He is not informing you on a subject, he is persuading you to his point of view. There is an difference between informative points, and persuasive points.

God...No wonder advertising is so effective. If you give people information that reenforces what they already believe, then they will shout you down till the are blue in the face.

What was wrong with me pointing out that IC_Delight only presents the cons of HOA's? Nothing. Just like when you all point out that Artsyguy only points out the cons of Austin. Lots of hypocrisy on the board today.

And if I recall correctly, the last thread that IC_Delight hijacked and turned into an HOA thread (before the mod shut it down) had the SAME austin posters jumping all over eveyrone who disagreed with IC_Delight. TXHorseLady, OLdflowrs, and JenniBC. Why aren't we allowed to say that some HOAs are good, ladies? What is wrong with pro-HOA people putting their opinons out there? I guess we are just "lemmings", huh OldFlowrs?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Texas > Austin

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top