HOA's ! Please school me on these. (Arlington, Warrenton: rent, home, purchase)

[johnnyrose]

Originally Posted by LetsRock

"False sense of security" about value? What if your new neighbor was a mechanic and he decided to work on a bunch of cars on the weekend for extra money? What if they were budists and they decided to convert their home to a church?

If my neighbor was a mechanic and offered to repair my car or change my oil at a discount, I would be happy. It would not influence my decision to buy a home and it wouldn't effect home values. I think a church would need to be on a lot zoned for commecial use, so that could never happen, at least up here, not sure about Va.

We have more established neighborhoods up here and maybe in Va because there are a lot of new neighborhoods, Hoa's are needed.

[kutra11]

Originally Posted by LetsRock

"False sense of security" about value? What if your new neighbor was a mechanic and he decided to work on a bunch of cars on the weekend for extra money? What if they were budists and they decided to convert their home to a church?

What are "buddists"? Please don't tell me you meant to say Buddhists! And if you did, you should know that they worship in temples, pagodas, etc; NOT churches!!

At least, take some effort to learn about other religions or other people in general before you make derogatory hypothetical assumptions about them.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by LetsRock

"False sense of security" about value? What if your new neighbor was a mechanic and he decided to work on a bunch of cars on the weekend for extra money? What if they were budists and they decided to convert their home to a church?

You don't need an HOA to enforce these. There are town, city, county, etc. regulations for such things.

[newvadad]

Originally Posted by johnnyrose

Looks like we may back out of this deal, even though I was able to find a storage lot 5 minutes up the road where you can store your boats, trucks, etc for $85.00 a month.
The idea of purchasing a home and land, paying taxes on that land and home and then having people telling you what you can and can't do is absolutely ridiculous.
In the town we live in now, everyone knows when the trash barrels need to come in and everyone takes care of their homes, landscape and such. You can park whatever you want in your driveway, its your home!
I don't know why people get this false sense of security thinking that an hoa is going to protect the value of thier home. What makes a great community and neighborhood to me is the people who live there, not the dictatorship that runs it. So the search will continue.

Good decision, you need to do what's right for you and your family.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by LetsRock

What if they were budists and they decided to convert their home to a church?

I just have to say something about getting angry about being next door to people who want to worship.

After moving out of our HOA-driven development, we moved to Winchester to the historic district. We live two doors over from the Old Stone Presbyterian Church. It was built in 1788 and (I think) is the oldest church here. During the Civil War, it housed Union troops and in 1876, it became the first public school for black children in Winchester. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored in 1950 and today, still has church services, weddings, and activities.

Its unique architecture and history makes it a favorite for weddings and events -- one day while sitting on the front porch, the Winchester Trolley stopped in front of us. Out came a wedding party dressed in 19th-century inspired dresses and suits. It was beautiful. Another time, a different wedding party released dozens of white balloons after their ceremony that flew over our houses.

When there are services, parking is on the public street. There are plenty of spaces. Yes, it gets filled, but I don't see a need to squawk about people coming there for an hour or so once or twice a week to pray.

I love seeing people over there and how families and the community gathers. And no, there is NO HOA around here!

[Carlingtonian]

FYI, it's Buddhist, they worship in temples, and they don't convert homes into temples.

[mikebnllnb]

Originally Posted by Bideshi

An HOA gets a lien on your house for unpaid fees and assessments. They could conceivably jack the HOA fees and assessments up to the point that you couldn't pay them and take your house. Unlikely? maybe...

You have no idea what you're talking about. An HOA is run by the home owners. The Board members on a HOA are your neighbors. Fees are not arbitrarily raised. HOA's are non-profit entities.


Utter ridiculousness!

[mikebnllnb]

Most HOA do have restrictions on commercial vehicles. The reason for this is a neighborhood full trucks with ladders on them or other types of trucks tend to detract from the visual appeal of a neighborhood.

On the plus side many communities set aside an area where these vehicles can park. Usually near a pool or clubhouse. The one caveat is you are allowed to park any properly registered vehicle on a state maintained road. If that road happens to be in front of your house you can park there even if the HOA can tell you not to park in your driveway.

[mikebnllnb]

Originally Posted by guilliam

HOAs are out of control. I would strongly advise people to think twice before living in one - i made a BIG mistake. It's like having the blue-haired old ladies telling you how to live in a condo. I live in a small one - 18 houses only, no common areas. Yet I get charged $1000/year to pay for road service that only affects 12 houses - not mine. The 12 that live there can conveniently outvote those that don't. And the state makes it impossible to get out of a HOA, even if it provides no service to you. Unreal.

Did you look into how your HOA functioned before buying your home? Did you not know what your assessments would be? And what the heck is road service?

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by mikebnllnb

You have no idea what you're talking about. Utter ridiculousness!

Oh my! Such flattery!