Why are there so many HOAs in Florida (foreclose, fees, properties)
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We have decided to permanently move to Florida. Looking at houses on zillow and Realtor. It seems like 80% of houses have HOAs.
I'm an American. I live in America. I do not want some communist HOA board telling me what flowers we can and can't plant. And I certainly don't want some nazi HOA lawyer to foreclose on our house over a $500 dispute.
What's with Florida becoming a communist dictatorship?
Most new developments anywhere have some kind of HOA.... some are more intrusive than others. Read them before you reject them.
Ours doesn't dictate flowers, it collects funds needed to maintain the private road. That's it. Not nazis at all really. Some communities have common wells or common beach or recreational facilities that need to be maintained. Some people like having access to that.
Some do yard maintenance. These kinds of HOAs probably appeal to the retired people and snowbirds in Florida who don't want to have to maintain yards year round.
Some just want everything to look nice and they have rules.
The more they do, the more they likely cost.
It really depends on what kind of HOA you're talking about, whether they are a plus or a negative for you.
To me, an HOA is the perfect place for sociopaths to have their way with peoples livelihoods. Just do a search online and you will find many horror stories about HOAs telling people how to live their lives. My cousin lives in Florida. He said one area he lived in years ago all of a sudden came out with a ban on any car visible at night. That meant people couldn't even park in their own driveway.
To me, an HOA is the perfect place for sociopaths to have their way with peoples livelihoods. Just do a search online and you will find many horror stories about HOAs telling people how to live their lives. My cousin lives in Florida. He said one area he lived in years ago all of a sudden came out with a ban on any car visible at night. That meant people couldn't even park in their own driveway.
You think stories on the internet are going to tell me anything useful I don't already know about HOAs? You think we don't all have some cousin who once lived in an HOA?
If you're super paranoid about them, then they will probably be a limiting factor in your search. If you're willing to research them, you'll find they can be very different. Some can be a good thing. Some I wouldn't want to live in either. Details matter. Your mileage may vary.
You think stories on the internet are going to tell me anything useful I don't already know about HOAs? You think we don't all have some cousin who once lived in an HOA?
If you're super paranoid about them, then they will probably be a limiting factor in your search. If you're willing to research them, you'll find they can be very different. Some can be a good thing. Some I wouldn't want to live in either. Details matter. Your mileage may vary.
They are more than just stories on the internet (I'm assuming you're saying those stories are fiction). My point is the fact that HOAs can do the things some of them do to ruin people's lives at all is proof enough that any HOA can turn into a nightmare for people.
To me, an HOA is the perfect place for sociopaths to have their way with peoples livelihoods. Just do a search online and you will find many horror stories about HOAs telling people how to live their lives. My cousin lives in Florida. He said one area he lived in years ago all of a sudden came out with a ban on any car visible at night. That meant people couldn't even park in their own driveway.
Easiest solution is don't buy in a complex that has an HOA, problem solved!
How many people "post on the internet" when they're happy about something?
But if you really don't want to live in an HOA you're just going to have to dig a little deeper to find a house you like. Asking "why do they exist" is really just a waste of your time if you're going to have such a hard time finding a non-HOA house. Wouldn't it be better spent looking rather than complaining?
I didn't realize that it was American to whine about how other Americans have exercised their freedoms and arranged things in a way that you don't like.
Go move somewhere where you can exercise your freedoms. i dunno, Texas or Idaho. Buy some raw land and build you paradise. Haul water, set up an outhouse. Then you can be free.
I've been a homeowner for almost 39 years. Every home I've lived in had an HOA. Never really had a problem with any of them. Most intrusive covenants concerned fencing, sheds and parking RVs and boats in driveways. Current one also covers exterior paint colors ("earthtones or similar") which is fine since I'm not crazy about my neighbor painting their house Bazooka Pink.
Before condemning all HOAs, read the restrictions from any areas that interest you. In my county, you can find them online on the Recorder of Deeds website.
Not sure where your are getting this 'communism' thing from. Yes, they are 'communities' and there are common areas that are maintained by the HOA through the residents maintenance fees.
Are there sociopaths on HOA boards? Probably a few--there are sociopaths in corporations, etc.
It's fairly simple. If you hate rules, don't live in deed-restricted community. Some are stricter than others--read the restrictions before buying.
You'll find plenty of homes in neighborhoods where people can park their cars and boats all over their yards, pile up junk near the house, let the weeds and grass become as overgrown as they want, which generally lower the property values.
But I think you'll find that most towns have codes that one must abide by or you will be fined.
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about them, then they will probably be a limiting factor in your search. If you're willing to research them, you'll find they can be very different. Some can be a good thing. Some I wouldn't want to live in either. Details matter. Your mileage may vary.
