HOA in SA? (San Antonio, Post, Howe: foreclosures, rent, homeowners association)

[Spookmeister]

I'm sure you are getting your money's worth. If you weren't, you'd be telling too! We moved and found a more sane environment where it's live and let live. I'm not opposed to a communal effort to keep the sub-division up to specs, I just hate the micro-managers that see their positions on the board as an opportunity to flex some muscle.

[Jaded]

I agree, you're not alone...I don't understand why people paint their homes bright autrocious colors. I really don't get it. Maybe the paint was free? And as far as cars being parked on the lawn, well I'm sorry, but that is just ghetto. I definately think it has to do with no pride of ownership, combined with a serious lack of taste. Just my two cents.

[mystree]

I understand what HOAs are for but I personally would not buy where was in place. If my neighbor wants a pepto house so be it as long as the house doesnt look like the city dump or a 3rd world country I'm ok with it. I don't think a pink house is lack of pride,just unusual.Not my choice I myself would choose maybe a soft butter yellow lol..

I've heard some go over board (hoas) like what type of curtains you can hang,thats rediculous to me.Just my opinion of course and we all have one

[Sampaguita]

There are days when I wish we lived in a community with an HOA.

*neighbor right next door does absolutely NOTHING to maintain his property or his house. It's a disgrace to see a once-beautiful 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival falling apart because the owner is "too busy" to take care of it and what was once a beautiful garden w/the previous owner is now nothing but brown, dead and overgrown;

*another neighbor parks his 2 run down Mercedes on the lawn (although city has just passed an ordinance making this illegal);

*the people who think it's ok to put out their old mattress, books, furniture on the lawn for weeks at a time with signs that say "FREE";

*the people who rent out their homes to college students - we end up having to put up with the fact that the original 2 or 3 renters have multiplied to include significant others & friends...and lets not forget the loud parties and the litter from those parties spilling over into neighbor yards;

*the people who park their HUGE campers in front of YOUR house because they already have too many of their own vehicles parked at their place. Gggrrrr...

But...all that being said, I like the fact that I can do whatever I want in terms of hanging curtains, planting plants & pots, etc...

We are currently looking at homes in brand new developments and I'm waiting to get copies of the CC&Rs. Right now, the HOA is run by the builder. After they are gone, I imagine the HOA will be run quite differently...and that is what is rather frightening.

[Steel Man]

Sampaguita,

It is clear that you take pride in your house and surrounding neighborhood. However, there is always someone who does not. That is why HOA's have become so entrenched here. As far as curtains and plants go, I believe most HOAs do not go that far to tell you what to plant. It's great you are checking on prospective HOA Standards. My suggestion is to go with bigger developments that will have a larger cross-section of homeowners and be more (Northwest Crossing is one). Also, it would be a good idea to get involved (be on the board, etc.) within the HOA once it is turned over from the development firm.

[Sampaguita]

SteelMan - we are pretty involved in our community in terms of participating & attending our local community council meetings. We've also held meetings at our home when a issues arise within the 3 blocks right around us (like the absentee neighbor/landlord who wants to tear down a 1926 Spanish Colonial Revival & build 5 houses in its place on the exising 1/2 acre). We will definitely get involved wherever we go.

As far as curtains/plants - I think that's probably more of a condo restriction? Having never been a member of an HOA, I've got a lot to learn.

[MPinSC]

We've had several HOA here in SC, and they haven't been too bad. Our biggest beef (and that of our neighbors) is that there needs to be a reasonable exception to no cars on the lawn or street. They have a 24 hour rule that many of us feel should be more flexible around holidays because of visiting family - let us apply for a "5 day waiver slip" for ten bucks or something!

The rest is just common-sense rules. No junk/toys/bikes all over the yard, have to haul your trash bins in from the curb after pickup, clean up after your dogs, etc

The only place we've had a curtain rule was a condo, and it simply said that the side facing the street had to be white. So get chartreuse curtains if you want - just line them!

[Bo]

Originally Posted by MPinSC

We've had several HOA here in SC, and they haven't been too bad. Our biggest beef (and that of our neighbors) is that there needs to be a reasonable exception to no cars on the lawn or street. They have a 24 hour rule that many of us feel should be more flexible around holidays because of visiting family - let us apply for a "5 day waiver slip" for ten bucks or something!

I like having an HOA because I've lived in too many places with neighbors who just didn't care how their property looked. If the way you care for your property reflects badly on my property, I'm glad to have an HOA around that can make you straighten things up and follow the rules.

Mine has a rule against street parking that is ignored by pockets of neighbors. The HOA is considering adding a tow-away rule for violators. I don't have a strong opinion about street parking on my street. Since there are streets in my neighborhood that are narrower than mine, those people do care. I don't mind the parking rule, even though it doesn't benefit me.

[mrak]

They do almost nothing and continue to get money. If you ever get a chance to look at some of the budgets, I recommend them for a good laugh. One year there was something like 20k for pest control at the pool. Perhaps they had to put down a rabid elephant. In any case, I'm fairly certain that a good amount of money is being stolen by these parasites and their associates on the board. Initially we had several committies (safety, entertainment, etc..) that each had a budget. Perfect for siphoning money. There are many older neighborhoods here with no HOA and they seem to be doing fine. Wish we could get rid of ours, but would be an uphill battle again'st the busy-body horde.

Originally Posted by Laurentia

Ugh, "HOA" is a bad word in our house. We bought a house just 3 years ago which was in a brand new division in north west San Antonio. The builder was initially Continental, but they were bought out by someone else, I forget who. Anyway, our HOA charges $70 per quarter (up from the initial $66) and for that .. they basically do NOTHING. Oh, we have some pretty plants by the wall which marks the division, and there is a spotlight on the name of the division, but for three years worth of payments, we have yet to see anything that actually improves our quality of life. We have been petitioning and petitioning for SLOW signs or children playing signs, or a speed bump - anything - that prevents our crazy neighbors from racing down what is basically a boot shaped cul-de-sac to their houses. I mean, it's not even a through-road so you would think it would be safe, right? Well, think again. However, it's not a necessity on their list. What is a necessity? Goodness knows, because we certainly don't.

Oh, wait a minute, they send us a stupid letter every so often telling us that our yard looks a mess. Hello, this is San Antonio and we have had several weeks of 100F+ weather. You want us to break the watering ban and water our yard for a month so that we can then actually mow? Stupid, stupid people.

I would never want to live in a house again that was under an HOA.

[DigginHouseVibez]

I live on one of those "narrower" streets and I'm ALL FOR the parking regulations. My big beef with the ones who have a problem is that it was outlined clearly at the time of the purchase and there was a relatively inexpensive way to take care of the single car driveway which was to have it widened. Adding 400 bucks to your mortgage is not much if you can't pay for it up front and some people might say "its a lot in the long run" but if that's your only option and you're coming into a neighborhood with rules that you intend to break then expect for there to be problems. I see plunking the 400 down (up front or financed) as the better option. This isn't directed at anyone here . . . unless you live in my neighborhood and keep parking in the street! ;-P j/k

It's dangerous. . . I wouldn't feel safe driving down my own street knowing how many children live on this single street alone (almost 20) when nobody can see when or where they're running out into the street from because of rows of cars lining the streets(and they DO - there are a few homes where absentee parenting is practiced above all else further down the street from me).

I DONT complain much about people parking partially (notice I said partially and not entirely!) in their own yard. It's ugly and I don't do it or LIKE it but crime is up in this area and the designated parking isn't safe from break ins. We actually had about five cars broken into the other night and they were ALL parked in their own driveways. YUCK