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Yes, "common areas" are shared, outdoor spaces that are maintined by the HOA. A patch of green lawn or a playground may be part of a common area. Walking trails are another example. The landscaping along medians and around neighborhood signs are also "common", but usually I think people who are talking about common areas are refering to green space and the like.
We pay $187 a year to our HOA. This takes care of maintenance of many miles of paved walking trails, as well as park benches and landscaping throughout the community (along the roads & walking trails, mostly). There is a seperate neighborhood club that one may join that offers tennis courts, soccer fields, swimming pools, and lots of events at the clubhouse. Joining that club is optional & costs hundreds of dollars extra per year.
I have some friends who pay $100 a year to their HOA and all they get is a lit sign at the front of the neighborhood with a few bushes around it. Their fees pay for that area to be maintained, but personally I would expect a LOT more for that kind of money.
Thanks MrsSteel for the details. That really helps us to know what to ask about the HOA dues and all that it entails. I do think communities amenities are important when you have children. It's a nice way for them to get to know others in the neighborhood.
Our HOA dues are 250 a year and we have nothing! Okay, we have a sign, with lights (after complaints about not having them) some so so landscaping, and that is it!
Our HOA dues are 250 a year and we have nothing! Okay, we have a sign, with lights (after complaints about not having them) some so so landscaping, and that is it!
I wish we had a pool, but oh well.
Leigh
I hear you Leigh. Ours is a bit over $400 and all we have is sign, lights, landscaping, and a "park". The Park is basically a lot that the developer could not develop b/c it has a family cemetary on it... the Developer put in 2 park benches and some bushes. It's really pathetic.
Okay, those prices and amenities do not go together well! That's outrageous! I hope your neighborhoods make it worth it. It's things like that that make us nervous about picking out an area online. You don't really know what you're getting when they say what the dues are. Sometimes they list a pool or playground or tennis court, but after reading that those things can sometimes cost extra it makes you wonder if the price of the house is really worth it. Can someone tell me if it says a golf community does that mean that you are a member of the golf club with your dues, or is it extra? We love golfing!
generally speaking when you live in a golf community you have to join the club, which will have an initiation fee and a monthly fee. For example, there is a new community in franklinton being built, and it is a golf course community, in order to join the course you pay almost 4000k and then 200 a month...........that gives you free golf. But, you can still live in the community and pay to play golf without joining the club (at least in some communities).
If you are looking at neighborhoods online, it should say community pool, etc and it should also say what the HOA fees are for the neighborhood. Most HOA fees include the pool. An agent can search for you for neighborhoods that include neighborhood pools. An agent can also help to determine what the HOA fees include. If the house is a resale, then the owners sign a property disclosure statement and a HOA information sheet, these things will include what the HOA fees are for..............
What does resale mean? That's an awful price to pay for the added amenity of golf! Wow! Then to say free golfing...
If the house is a resale, then the owners sign a property disclosure statement and a HOA information sheet, these things will include what the HOA fees are for..............
Note that the HOA fees mentioned on house listings can be confusing. Last year I remember seeing a house in a neighborhood and it said that HOA fees were $200. I thought that meant $200 per year, but it turned out to be $200 per month! Big difference!
If you're interested in a house, your realtor should be able to give you the details on the HOA for that neighborhood: fees, ammenities, covenants, etc. Sometimes you can find these on-line, too.
What does resale mean? That's an awful price to pay for the added amenity of golf! Wow! Then to say free golfing...
If the house is a resale, then the owners sign a property disclosure statement and a HOA information sheet, these things will include what the HOA fees are for..............
Leigh
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A resale house is a home that someone owns and then sells. So, there are resales and new construction. New construction, no one has lived in, resale has previous owners
The the initiation fee for that neighborhood is actually quite reasonable for the type of course it is going to be. There are neighborhoods with the same type of course with 20k initiation fees. For people who are avid golfers, paying 200 a month is cheaper than paying 75 dollars each time they play.
Leigh
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