Sienna Plantation in Missouri City (Thornton: middle school, work, kids)

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by hbcu

HOA / taxes / mud if anything ain't enough?

Except that with HOAs and MUD boards, you risk having needed capital replacement funding voting down because people don't want to pay. Then something breaks and they have to do a big tax hike or emergency fee to pay for it, if they can even get it passed then.

[Jtxg]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

It's a fee to replenish capital replacement funds for rehab / renovation of community amenities as it ages. Would you rather that was done another way?

I was simply pointing out that it was not the builders charging this fee - its the developer/hoa. But since you asked, personally I would think the $1200 annual fee per house (how many houses in Sienna, 5,000?) would be enough to cover that.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Jtxg

I was simply pointing out that it was not the builders charging this fee - its the developer/hoa. But since you asked, personally I would think the $1200 annual fee per house (how many houses in Sienna, 5,000?) would be enough to cover that.

JDC communities have a ton of amenities, plus landscaping, and it all takes a lot for basic maintenance and operation. In my community, Parkway Villages (not a JDC community and much much smaller), we pay over $1,000 annual to our HOAs (there are two), and there's still not enough to fully repair all the community walls.

[Jtxg]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

JDC communities have a ton of amenities, plus landscaping, and it all takes a lot for basic maintenance and operation. In my community, Parkway Villages (not a JDC community and much much smaller), we pay over $1,000 annual to our HOAs (there are two), and there's still not enough to fully repair all the community walls.

Yea I'm well aware of their communities - parents live in Cross Creek Ranch and some friends live in Riverstone. I still think it could be just as nice with the HOA fees alone. My first house was in Aliana and they charge 1/4% when you sell - and that one truly perplexes me because when I sold the house all they had was one rec center there - granted this was back about 5 years ago. Now I live in an HOA with 3 pools, tennis courts, green belts, public golf course, etc. and it's $900/year for roughly 4,000 homeowners and no cap fee when you sell.

One thing I've noticed in the places I've lived: People say they want a subdivision with all these amenities....but a relatively small percentage of the homeowners actually use them. I get that pools may look crowded (and they probably are some times) but when you compare the number of people there to the number of people living in the subdivision - it's a pretty small percentage.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

It's a fee to replenish capital replacement funds for rehab / renovation of community amenities as it ages. Would you rather that was done another way?

No, that percentage to the developer is to pay for developer Mercedes and luxury vacations. If it goes to the HOA, it's still a ridiculous fee. Those fees need to be part of the annual HOA fees, not a "tax" on new buyers.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by Jtxg

I was simply pointing out that it was not the builders charging this fee - its the developer/hoa. But since you asked, personally I would think the $1200 annual fee per house (how many houses in Sienna, 5,000?) would be enough to cover that.

That's actually a pretty low HOA relatively speaking.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker

That's actually a pretty low HOA relatively speaking.

Ha. Mine is $40 per year. And is optional.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by WRM20

Ha. Mine is $40 per year. And is optional.

Do you live in a suburban masterplanned community with HOA amenities? You must not, because the fee wouldn't be optional.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Do you live in a suburban masterplanned community with HOA amenities? You must not, because the fee wouldn't be optional.

No. I live inside the Loop in what was once a suburb, with a 1/4 acre lot 5 minutes from Downtown. I have zero interest in living in one of the "Stepford" developments with an onerous HOA and busybody neighbors. I read the First Colony fine schedule one time. It was $200 for almost every infraction. And the infractions were ridiculous.

[godagoda]

I hear my friends from Sienna complaining non stop about the overpopulated schools. They send me pics. Looked like an evacuation was underway, but apparently 2nd period had just ended. If you have kids that need public school, might look elsewhere.