Where to find data on HOAs for small neighborhoods? (HOA, homes)

[flamtap]

Hi,
I'm on the HOA board of a smaller neighborhood with 60 homes.

We are considering raising HOA dues for the first time in 17 years, and also bringing in an HOA management company. (We currently handle the books & HOA business ourselves, but it's very difficult to get anyone to volunteer for board positions.)

We have no pool, only a small "common area" near the neighborhood entrance. Our current annual dues are $120 and our biggest annual expense is the landscape maintenance for the entrance area.

Is there a way to easily find out what the annual dues are for similar neighborhoods, and how many neighborhoods use management companies vs. "do-it-yourself"? Could I call a realtor and ask, or is the data accessible somewhere?

Thanks for any help or pointers!
-flamtap

[CHTransplant]

Get in touch with Cry884 on this forum - very knowledgeable about HOAs and management companies.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

I sent you a DM. My neighborhood is similar. Our HOA Co. provided us an extensive list of other neighborhoods simialr to ours and what they pay their HOA management companies. I'm sure you could contact them and inquire about their services and get simialr info from them. FWIW, we pay $142 a month for a neighborhood just like yours. The HOA management co. pretty much does the book keeping while the actual neighborhood residents run the HOA.

[redandorangeskittles]

There is a substantial difference in $120/year and $142/month. All you have is the front entrance to maintain, NRG?

My neighborhood is about half the size of the OPs, and we take turns mowing the front entrance and once every two years or so, we do something with the flowers. There are no HOA dues, thankfully.

[flamtap]

Originally Posted by redandorangeskittles

There is a substantial difference in $120/year and $142/month. All you have is the front entrance to maintain, NRG?

My neighborhood is about half the size of the OPs, and we take turns mowing the front entrance and once every two years or so, we do something with the flowers. There are no HOA dues, thankfully.

In his DM he stated it's $142/year not month. Just a typo above.

About 2/3 of my neighborhood doesn't volunteer for anything, hence our preference to bring in a management company.

flamtap

[Sherifftruman]

I can tell you even in much larger communities you still only have a very few wanting to volunteer. I can't imagine having the board members actually being responsible for day to day management and collections and whatnot directly. Makes it even less likely to get people. It's bad enough when you are on the board and see how many of your neighbors don't mind stiffing everyone else. At least with a management co you have someone else to be the bad guy.

[NewUser]

We have 18 homes in our neighborhood. We have an HOA, but no dues, and the HOA doesn't really do anything anyway. Unfortunately, nobody keeps up the common area at the front of the subdivision.

[frankpc]

Originally Posted by flamtap

Hi,
I'm on the HOA board of a smaller neighborhood with 60 homes.

We are considering raising HOA dues for the first time in 17 years, and also bringing in an HOA management company. (We currently handle the books & HOA business ourselves, but it's very difficult to get anyone to volunteer for board positions.)

We have no pool, only a small "common area" near the neighborhood entrance. Our current annual dues are $120 and our biggest annual expense is the landscape maintenance for the entrance area.

Is there a way to easily find out what the annual dues are for similar neighborhoods, and how many neighborhoods use management companies vs. "do-it-yourself"? Could I call a realtor and ask, or is the data accessible somewhere?

Thanks for any help or pointers!
-flamtap

Sounds like our subdivision. The developer started us off with a management company and they were the single largest budget line item. We switched to self management and lawn maintenance then became the largest budget item. Worked fine for a number of years, but I've noticed our Board and volunteers have tapered off over the years. Sort of a chicken and egg thing ... By Laws not followed, Board members in conflict with residents, poor attendance at the annual meeting because residents feel like they're not welcome to speak and then, of course, nobody volunteers to help. Self management can work, but you need the right people.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd welcome having a professional org run our HOA again. But most folks in our subdivision would scream at the dues increase.

Frank

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by flamtap

In his DM he stated it's $142/year not month. Just a typo above.
flamtap

Yeah, I meant $142 a YEAR.

We don't spend all the money and have a decent reserve. The reserve came in handy a few years ago when the stormwater control structure in our neighborhood needed some repairs. Instead of assessing everybody an additional fee the HOA was able to cover the repair using a portion of the reserves.

[redandorangeskittles]

Thanks for the clarification. That price isn't bad then, and it would be worth it to have the entrance look nice. I am lucky that my neighbors care about keeping the entrance maintained, although the woman who is organizing it all is moving, so we'll see how that works out. I have only lived here a few months... fingers crossed.