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My understanding is that NON hoa homes are few and far between, but realtors on this board have told me otherwise.
I have seen homes with very small HOAs (small dues and small upkeep) but they are still HOAs. I can't recall any house I have seen in the Austin area (I am on my third and probably 40-50 viewed when I was buying) and they were ALL hoas. I have been told that if you leave Austin proper, the chances of HOAs are lower, but I have not seen any evidence of that.
Most homes in Austin are not custom, and are spec-built by high volume builders (KB, Dr Horton) and HOAs are part and parcel of that process. I know that even older established neighborhoods such as Hyde Park have an HOA associated with them.
Homes in traditional Lakeway are not part of an HOA. Other sections in the area have their own HOAs. But the city of Lakeway has ordinances very similar to those included in many HOA rules. The net effect is the same. You don't pay HOA dues, but you pay city taxes.
Because I am one of those people who doesn't like a lot of rules, I moved out of Lakeway some time ago and live in Travis county, outside Austin and Lakeway city limits.
Isn't there some kind of an access restriction on common areas anyway? Otherwise, how do you stop people from neighboring communities from using your pool, for example?
Sorry if my questions are weird, I've never owned a house that was a part of an HOA, so the concept is very foreign to me.
Over here, if somebody thrashes up the neighborhood, we call police on them .
If you want information about HOA's search on this particular forum for IC_deLight and their posts. There is a wealth of information in those posts and many of them without resorting to just name calling. I was like you and had never seen an HOA, didn't know what it meant, or what it was. Each and every day I am thankful we did NOT purchase in an HOA and for the posts IC_deLight made that were informative. Without that information I was lost. Today when I think of an HOA these words come to mind: extortion, racketeering, protection money. (My opinion). Signed: oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots and luvpnkflmingos.
If you want information about HOA's search on this particular forum for IC_deLight and their posts. There is a wealth of information in those posts and many of them without resorting to just name calling. I was like you and had never seen an HOA, didn't know what it meant, or what it was. Each and every day I am thankful we did NOT purchase in an HOA and for the posts IC_deLight made that were informative. Without that information I was lost. Today when I think of an HOA these words come to mind: extortion, racketeering, protection money. (My opinion). Signed: oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots and luvpnkflmingos.
I think it is a really bad idea to look up the posts of IC_delight if you want to be informed on HOAs. So far in the three years he has been a member he has posted 424 times...and EVERY post has been anti-HOA. He doesn't discuss weather, or relocation, or life, he only bashes HOAs and name calls people that are part of them. Some might call that an obsession. I personally don't think you can be informed unless you are presented with both sides of an argument, and allowed to make up your own mind. IC_delight has, on numerous occasions, denied that ANY HOA can be positive and in fact goes into excruciating detail about how the very nature of HOAs are evil as are the people who participate in them. It's been a while since I have been in high school extemp classes, but we learned the difference between informative speaking and persuasive speaking. One is to enlighten, one is to convince.
I disagree with oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots saying that he is not a name caller, as he has personally called me a "sheeple" and "mentally defecient" because I happen to like HOAs (in moderation).
If you don't believe he has an axe to grind, look at it this way. 3 years, 424 posts, and every single one concerning HOAs. The numbers speak for themselves. Have you ever had 424 conversations ON THE SAME SUBJECT?
If you are one of his acolytes, more power to you, but to say he gives "unbiased" or "informative" opinions is a bit of a stretch. If you are anti-HOA he basically tells you what you want to hear, and if you are pro-HOA he calls you names. shrug. To each their own.
I think it is a really bad idea to look up the posts of IC_delight if you want to be informed on HOAs. So far in the three years he has been a member he has posted 424 times...and EVERY post has been anti-HOA. He doesn't discuss weather, or relocation, or life, he only bashes HOAs and name calls people that are part of them. Some might call that an obsession. I personally don't think you can be informed unless you are presented with both sides of an argument, and allowed to make up your own mind. IC_delight has, on numerous occasions, denied that ANY HOA can be positive and in fact goes into excruciating detail about how the very nature of HOAs are evil as are the people who participate in them. It's been a while since I have been in high school extemp classes, but we learned the difference between informative speaking and persuasive speaking. One is to enlighten, one is to convince.
I disagree with oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots saying that he is not a name caller, as he has personally called me a "sheeple" and "mentally defecient" because I happen to like HOAs (in moderation).
If you don't believe he has an axe to grind, look at it this way. 3 years, 424 posts, and every single one concerning HOAs. The numbers speak for themselves. Have you ever had 424 conversations ON THE SAME SUBJECT?
If you are one of his acolytes, more power to you, but to say he gives "unbiased" or "informative" opinions is a bit of a stretch. If you are anti-HOA he basically tells you what you want to hear, and if you are pro-HOA he calls you names. shrug. To each their own.
Seriously Jay, reading Ic's posts do inform and I'm guessing people read both sides of the story. On these boards there are more "pro" HOA's than against so there are two sides. One of his "acolytes"? Wow, you're stretching now. Giving people the choice to read both is good eh? (pro and con) Most of us do have a mind of our own and want to read all sides. Signing off now...not waiting for your next insult.
Seriously Jay, reading Ic's posts do inform and I'm guessing people read both sides of the story. On these boards there are more "pro" HOA's than against so there are two sides. One of his "acolytes"? Wow, you're stretching now. Giving people the choice to read both is good eh? (pro and con) Most of us do have a mind of our own and want to read all sides. Signing off now...not waiting for your next insult.
Only you could pull an insult out of the post I made. I know that you have made a career out of being professionally offended on this board, but you need to relax.
I did not refer to you as an acolyte, or anyone by name. If you assume that I meant you, then you must think of yourself as an acolyte. If someone yells into a crowd "hey skinny" and you turn your head, then YOU think you are skinny, not the person yelling.
I dont know why you insist on fighting with me at every turn. You posted why you think IC_delight is a wealth of information, I posted why I think he is not. You have a right to your opinion, and I to mine. You find IC_delights posts informative because you are the choir he is preaching to. If someone has not yet formed an opinion on HOAs, or if they like HOAs, then IC_delights post are NOT informative because he only presents one side of the argument and shouts down anyone who agrees with him. I have every right to post why I think he is not a good source of information and provide my reasons for that opinion.
And since YOU have warned other posters in the past to take the rantings of both Artsyguy and Eepstein with a grain of salt, then I know that you support the pre-emptive warning to new comer of this forum about our more "colorful" posters.
The one that I am familiar with has an HOA that strictly deals with access to a neighborhood pool. If you opt in, you get to use the pool, if you don't opt in, you don't get to use the pool. I think the pool was added after the neighborhood was significantly complete, so the completed parts had (and have) the option, whereas the new areas were included automatically. Since there are some automatically included areas, the pool is funded, but the more that opt in from the old area, the lower the fees are (or the more lifeguards they can hire, etc).
Are you referring to Shady Hollow? If so, it's sorta like you say, but technically different.
The easiest way I found to explain the legalities of HOAs is they are part of the land, just like the house and trees there. You can't split the baby and you don't need to sign anything other than the deed transfer to be a member.
I think it is a really bad idea to look up the posts of IC_delight if you want to be informed on HOAs. So far in the three years he has been a member he has posted 424 times...and EVERY post has been anti-HOA. He doesn't discuss weather, or relocation, or life, he only bashes HOAs and name calls people that are part of them. Some might call that an obsession. I personally don't think you can be informed unless you are presented with both sides of an argument, and allowed to make up your own mind. IC_delight has, on numerous occasions, denied that ANY HOA can be positive and in fact goes into excruciating detail about how the very nature of HOAs are evil as are the people who participate in them. It's been a while since I have been in high school extemp classes, but we learned the difference between informative speaking and persuasive speaking. One is to enlighten, one is to convince.
I disagree with oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots saying that he is not a name caller, as he has personally called me a "sheeple" and "mentally defecient" because I happen to like HOAs (in moderation).
If you don't believe he has an axe to grind, look at it this way. 3 years, 424 posts, and every single one concerning HOAs. The numbers speak for themselves. Have you ever had 424 conversations ON THE SAME SUBJECT?
If you are one of his acolytes, more power to you, but to say he gives "unbiased" or "informative" opinions is a bit of a stretch. If you are anti-HOA he basically tells you what you want to hear, and if you are pro-HOA he calls you names. shrug. To each their own.
Perhaps a more accurate characterization is that you don't want to hear truthful information about HOAs because you are a pro-HOAer? Cataloging and categorizing every post made by someone else? You might now also qualify as an "obsessed stalker" although you apparently missed a few posts. Contrary to your implications, whatever posts are on city-data are a small fraction of the "conversations" most folks would have over the course of time. What a life you must lead in your HOA "community" if your conversations are limited to postings on city-data.
city-data is identified as an "Austin Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions". Thus one can expect a concentration on real estate related issues. With the exception of very few (e.g., TexasHorseLady), the real estate professionals that lurk in these forums have hawked HOA properties left and right - frequently making absurd or even deceptive statements about the virtues of HOAs. Heck even AustinSteve couldn't stand living in one any more after continuously touting what great places they were. Did you find anything untruthful about any post you attributed to IC_deLight?
By the way JayBrown80, this forum was so biased against anyone that dared speak truthfully about HOAs that the moderators first started censoring posts last year. The moderators would also terminate a thread and not allow any further discussion in that thread when a statement was perceived to cast a negative light on HOA-burdened property. Then moderators moved all discussions relating to HOAs to a subtopic area where such discussions could not easily be found. The "moderators" (censors) ultimately prohibited all discussions about HOAs for a while last year.
Individual subscriber information about city-data subscribers was provided to HOA industry players that requested it including Texas Senator John Carona's "Associa" organization. You might recognize Alliance Association Management, Inc. as one of Associa's local subsidiaries. The subscriber would then be subjected to threatening letters from Sen. Carona's Associations, Inc. aka "Associa". The letters were directed at discouraging any further disclosure of what was going on in these HOA-burdened subdivisions as well as any further discussion of Senator Carona, his involvement with Associa, or his legislative activities.
The "kill the message by killing the messenger" campaign was not successful. Hopefully more people are a tad better informed and a little less gullible about purchasing HOA-burdened property - and monitoring Senator Carona's legislative activities now that they are becoming informed about his business practices and business interests. Even city-data seems to have realized that censorship was inappropriate.
Last edited by IC_deLight; 11-04-2011 at 08:06 PM..
Perhaps a more accurate characterization is that you don't want to hear truthful information about HOAs because you are a pro-HOAer? Cataloging and categorizing every post made by someone else? You might now also qualify as an "obsessed stalker" although you apparently missed a few posts. Contrary to your implications, whatever posts are on city-data are a small fraction of the "conversations" most folks would have over the course of time. What a life you must lead in your HOA "community" if your conversations are limited to postings on city-data.
city-data is identified as an "Austin Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions". Thus one can expect a concentration on real estate related issues. With the exception of very few (e.g., TexasHorseLady), the real estate professionals that lurk in these forums have hawked HOA properties left and right - frequently making absurd or even deceptive statements about the virtues of HOAs. Heck even AustinSteve couldn't stand living in one any more after continuously touting what great places they were. Did you find anything untruthful about any post you attributed to IC_deLight?
By the way JayBrown80, this forum was so biased against anyone that dared speak truthfully about HOAs that the moderators first started censoring posts last year. The moderators would also terminate a thread and not allow any further discussion in that thread when a statement was perceived to cast a negative light on HOA-burdened property. Then moderators moved all discussions relating to HOAs to a subtopic area where such discussions could not easily be found. The "moderators" (censors) ultimately prohibited all discussions about HOAs for a while last year.
Individual subscriber information about city-data subscribers was provided to HOA industry players that requested it including Texas Senator John Carona's "Associa" organization. You might recognize Alliance Association Management, Inc. as one of Associa's local subsidiaries. The subscriber would then be subjected to threatening letters from Sen. Carona's Associations, Inc. aka "Associa". The letters were directed at discouraging any further disclosure of what was going on in these HOA-burdened subdivisions as well as any further discussion of Senator Carona, his involvement with Associa, or his legislative activities.
The "kill the message by killing the messenger" campaign was not successful. Hopefully more people are a tad better informed and a little less gullible about purchasing HOA-burdened property - and monitoring Senator Carona's legislative activities now that they are becoming informed about his business practices and business interests. Even city-data seems to have realized that censorship was inappropriate.
yes yes dear. everyone is out to GET you. We know...
I am amazed by the courage you show, trying to shine the light of truth in a world that fears and hates you. You are like an Xman that way. What, with all the push back you get from the realtors, the moderators, the vatican and the illumanati it's a wonder you are still alive and kicking! I mean after all you are so important that city-data created an entire sub-forum for your favorite subject (creating sub forums makes it harder to find posts??) and then they gave your personal information to a texas senator's hit squad!
Best of luck to you.
Last edited by JayBrown80; 11-04-2011 at 08:25 PM..
yes yes dear. everyone is out to GET you. We know...
I am amazed by the courage you show, trying to shine the light of truth in a world that fears and hates you. You are like an Xman that way. What, with all the push back you get from the realtors, the moderators, the vatican and the illumanati it's a wonder you are still alive and kicking! I mean after all you are so important that city-data created an entire sub-forum for your favorite subject (creating sub forums makes it harder to find posts??) and then they gave your personal information to a texas senator's hit squad!
Best of luck to you.
Apparently you forgot the censorship, thread termination, and "no HOA" discussions imposed as a policy by city-data moderators about a year ago? When discussion was "permitted", the HOA discussions were moved to locations that one could no longer find on the regular forums. However, the taboo regarded any "negative" commentary about HOAs, not me JayBrown80. A little "groupthinkish" don't you think?
On the other note, who says the disclosure of subscriber information was as limited as you have implied?
I think ineffectual HOAs are far worse than no HOA. These builders, as stated, set up HOAs willy nilly, running the show by stuffing the HOAs with their employees. By making the boards primarily builder people, builders can operate with almost impunity. Meanwhile, homeowners are not allowed to get any sort of management experience, and then whammo, builder pulls out when either the subdivision is built out or they can't make a profit and all of a sudden the training wheels are off. And yes, then it is hell in a handbasket. The homeowners get embroiled in petty politics, you have people thinking the subdivision is a sort of fiefdom, meanwhile (understandably) many folks don't know what the heck they're doing. I am not anti-HOA, but the sheer amount of them is mind boggling in this town and so many of them are basically deer in the headlights. That is supposed to retain my value? That is why people need to either temper their expectations or due their due diligence when it comes to HOA neighborhoods. If people specifically want an HOA neighborhood, it's best to go with one that is established. My .02.
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