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The supposed reason for HOAs to exist is, as has been stated, to protect the value of the residents' homes.
Somewhere upline...the developer, builder, some input at some time from a board when it's turned over to them...the list of what this consists is created. For some the are to protect is the .6 mile road. For some, the idea of no fences in order to have an uninterrupted view of something.
Some others it a simple clubhouse, the pool.
As time goes on more glam communities are created and the areas protected are a few pools, a few tennis courts, an upscale country club with movies and coffee bar and workout room, etc., lakes and asphalt or concrete walking paths. And have their own security force.
There are changes good and bad in any of the HOAs because they are led by humans...who change and who are good and bad.
There is satisfaction from the municipalities who do not have to maintain the private areas that have their own policing, their own recreation to keep them happy and engaged...and yet those private area residents still pay the same taxes as any others living outside their HOA.
Good and bad both exist in HOAs. Keeps away the rif-raff who want above-ground hillbilly pools and park their 1989 Camaro on their front lawn that hasn't been mowed in months. If that sounds horrible to you, then you are the rif-raff.
Good and bad both exist in HOAs. Keeps away the rif-raff who want above-ground hillbilly pools and park their 1989 Camaro on their front lawn that hasn't been mowed in months. If that sounds horrible to you, then you are the rif-raff.
I'm not quite sure what you are saying there, sounds like "if you think an 89 camaro on the lawn sounds terrible you are riff-raff"? But the reality is if you choose your neighborhood you don't need a squad of HOA police to prevent problems that detract from your property value...if you are worried about it, check the City ordinances of where you are moving; most of them have strict ordinances about parking cars on the lawn and impose heavy fines for continuing violations.
I live in the County and the ordinances aren't as strict as in most cities but they still work. There is a house about a block from me that seems to be occupied by a very, very old lady (90's) and her two sons who are probably at least 65 or 70. A few months ago the yard was a complete mess with a fallen tree and weeds about 3' high. Someone called the County and a week later the county hired a contractor to clean out the yard and they added the cost of the yard work to the property owners tax bill
I'm researching buying my next home. I'm pretty sure I want a condominium, but I'm not completely ruling out houses, either. Over time, I learned that tract home subdivisions almost always have a home owner's association (hereafter: HOA). Houses on traditional gridded streets usually don't have one. So far, I'd prefer not to have one. It's easier to deal with just one set of cops (city) than two (city + HOA).
In the research process, I've read plenty of horror stories about HOA's. The horror stories were plentiful, ranging from having to fix a broken window (reasonable, even good) to paying a $50 fine for a newspaper left out in the yard (stupid). In that light, it seems like HOA's are just a nuisance, run by people with too much time on their hands, who were bullied in school, and are now delighted to make other people's lives more difficult, not to mention play favorites with certain residents. Plus, charge X dollars per month for the privilege of that. True or not, don't shoot the messenger; I'm just posting what I read in other sources.
But there has to be some tangible purpose to HOA's. Otherwise, they'd be disbanded long time ago. So what do HOA's actually do? What benefit do they provide for residents, outside of enforcing rules? Either way, if I were to buy a house and not a condo, I'd buy one that doesn't have an HOA. But I'm still interested in finding out about its role.
It definitely is something that many people do not look into before they buy. Each HOA has a different level of control. The best thing to do is to make sure to read through the HOA regulations before putting an offer on a place. That was one of the first things that I looked at when I was buying. You have to decide what you are willing to do and not do and is the place your interested in worth putting up with the HOA requirements. Good Luck!
I'm researching buying my next home. I'm pretty sure I want a condominium, but I'm not completely ruling out houses, either. Over time, I learned that tract home subdivisions almost always have a home owner's association (hereafter: HOA). Houses on traditional gridded streets usually don't have one. So far, I'd prefer not to have one. It's easier to deal with just one set of cops (city) than two (city + HOA).
I don't feel like my HOA is the equivalent of police. Their main objective seems to me to be keeping up our property values. I'm sure some HOAs impose rules that chafe some residents, but they knew the score when moving here if they were willing to read. I have had to make several alterations to my property to meet their demands, but in the end I have to admit they all add to the overall value of the community. In fact, I wish there were a few more rules, such as how many cutesy little statuettes and other "decorations" people are allowed to place in their yards. To me, it looks like littler.
In the research process, I've read plenty of horror stories about HOA's. The horror stories were plentiful, ranging from having to fix a broken window (reasonable, even good) to paying a $50 fine for a newspaper left out in the yard (stupid). In that light, it seems like HOA's are just a nuisance, run by people with too much time on their hands, who were bullied in school, and are now delighted to make other people's lives more difficult, not to mention play favorites with certain residents. Plus, charge X dollars per month for the privilege of that. True or not, don't shoot the messenger; I'm just posting what I read in other sources.
Again, not my experience. My HOA is run by a professional company we homeowners hire. In my experience they are reasonable and treat homeowners with respect. Also, what I pay ($35/mo.) versus what I get seems quite reasonable to me. My HOA cleans the streets, keeps the public areas beautifully landscaped, has the entrances signed very attractively, and takes care of two parks which include playgrounds, sport courts, and picnic areas. When it comes time to sell my house I can truthfully advertise that it is in an attractive community that is safe for children and the elderly.
But there has to be some tangible purpose to HOA's. Otherwise, they'd be disbanded long time ago. So what do HOA's actually do? What benefit do they provide for residents, outside of enforcing rules? Either way, if I were to buy a house and not a condo, I'd buy one that doesn't have an HOA. But I'm still interested in finding out about its role. Again, I think the foremost value of my HOA is keeping my property values up in a difficult real estate market. My neighborhood looks clean and orderly. Although I have to look at animal statues, wagon wheels, garden gnomes of all types, and hideous Christmas decorations in my neighbors' yards, the public areas of our development are beautifully landscaped and things like safety walls are kept in good repair, as is the playground.
I don't have to worry about cars parked endlessly in front of my house, dogpoop on the sidewalks, cars up on blocks in someone's yard, garbage cans on people's front porches (quite common in the city were I live), people advertising their businesses in their yards, children's toys in the streets, boats or RVs parked inappropriately, etc.
While there are a variety of ways and colors people can paint their homes, I don't have to live next to a home that's remained unpainted for decades (as I did somewhere else I lived and it hurt me financially when I had to move) or homes painted PeptoBismol Pink or Guacamole Green. That's great for San Francisco or New Orleans, but I live in the desert where the majority of people are respectful of our homes fitting in with the surrounding terrain.
I find it interesting that you can easily tell the homes in our development that are rented as opposed to lived in by the owners. The landscaping isn't as well cared for and often even the exteriors look neglected. And that's with an HOA that most of the time does it job well. Imagine what it would be like without them. I have lived in many other cities and never found a single place where zoning ordinances were enforced, even with neighbors trying to curb unsafe practices like an illegal number of unrelated people living in a dwelling or sidewalks broken and dangerous.
In any case, people who don't want to live with an HOA have plenty of alternatives they are welcome to. Why do so many C-Ders spend time trashing those of us who enjoy ours? If someone moves into a development with rules and then chooses to dispute them, that's on them.
The problem is not the HOA's themselves, but the HOA boards. They pass ridiculous rules almost constantly. They should only be allowed to enforce rules that were already passed by the entire membership, and not make new rules themselves. HOA board members are people who have time for that position. People who have time tend to be people who are mostly unemployable. They aren't the kind of people you want ruling your life.
Why would it be so hard to prohibit HOA boards from making new rules? If a new rule is really needed, why can't the whole HOA membership vote on it, instead of just the board? It should even require more than a majority of the whole HOA membership, such as 2/3 or 3/4, to keep the rules more stable. And HOA board members who do anything corrupt, such as to favor friends in enforcement of rules, should be fined severely. Corruption is rampant in HOA's. The average human is easy to corrupt. Responsible HOA boards are the rare exception to the rule that HOA's in general tend to be bad news.
"But there has to be some tangible purpose to HOA's. Otherwise, they'd be disbanded long time ago."
HOAs exist because of the desire of some people to control other people. They are petty tyrants. They oppose freedom. I have a friend who xplained it well. "You have to go where it sux to make the big bucks".
Some believe that the purpose of an HOA is to manage the common property. These people keep a close eye on their contractors.
Others believe the purpose of an HOA is to enforce rules. They keep a close eye on their neighbors.
Both claim their goal is to improve property values, but it is the enforce-the-rules folks that seem to get on the board. They get the HOA in the middle of disputes between neighbors while the common property deteriorates.
Around about 40 years, the HOA ends up yet another cesspool of lawsuits and disgruntled homeowners.
I haven't lived in an HOA because I don't like paying hundreds of thousands for my property (I am on Long Island, NY) and having other people tell me what to do. However, I work in real estate, and in my opinion, HOAs are run by nosy bored power mongers who like having control and like to get into pissing contests just because they have a little bit of power. In fact, I would go so far as to say that any time there is a large amount of "public" money being given to someone else to spend, there is scope for all sorts of shenanigans. Of course, not all HOAs are like this and I am pretty sure they all mean well, however, there are so many horror stories that to me it is a little like moving in with someone you just don't know.
I'm researching buying my next home. I'm pretty sure I want a condominium, but I'm not completely ruling out houses, either. Over time, I learned that tract home subdivisions almost always have a home owner's association (hereafter: HOA). Houses on traditional gridded streets usually don't have one. So far, I'd prefer not to have one. It's easier to deal with just one set of cops (city) than two (city + HOA).
In the research process, I've read plenty of horror stories about HOA's. The horror stories were plentiful, ranging from having to fix a broken window (reasonable, even good) to paying a $50 fine for a newspaper left out in the yard (stupid). In that light, it seems like HOA's are just a nuisance, run by people with too much time on their hands, who were bullied in school, and are now delighted to make other people's lives more difficult, not to mention play favorites with certain residents. Plus, charge X dollars per month for the privilege of that. True or not, don't shoot the messenger; I'm just posting what I read in other sources.
But there has to be some tangible purpose to HOA's. Otherwise, they'd be disbanded long time ago. So what do HOA's actually do? What benefit do they provide for residents, outside of enforcing rules? Either way, if I were to buy a house and not a condo, I'd buy one that doesn't have an HOA. But I'm still interested in finding out about its role.
HOA's purpose is to maintain the common areas, the club house, and to enforce the deed restrictions. In gated communities they are responsible for who gains access to the development.
Stories that I've read and heard: In central Florida a thinly veiled threat was made by the developer forcing a resident to remove an Obama poster from his window. In south western Florida an HOA management company was replaced for forcing the removal of a modest religious statue from someones front yard.
I've found that communities with a golf course charge a higher HOA fee than those without. HOA companies negotiate with some clout when negotiating with cable companies.
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But the reality is if you choose your neighborhood you don't need a squad of HOA police to prevent problems that detract from your property value...if you are worried about it, check the City ordinances of where you are moving; most of them have strict ordinances about parking cars on the lawn and impose heavy fines for continuing violations. 
