Hello Waco! HOA help needed for family move (Spring, Hewitt: rent, HOA fees)

[AFDDS]

Homeowner's association fees - what are the rates in your area? We are moving to the Waco area and looking at houses. I would like to see how much house we can afford in Waco. I've got a little handle on the property taxes but would like to know about subdivision fees in several areas and cities....Woodway, McGregor, Hewitt.

Thanks for the help.

[Bo]

I'm not from Waco, but I know a bit about HOA fees in Texas. They are based on on the common (HOA-owned) resources that the HOA must maintain for the neighborhood, divided among the number of homes in the area. and will vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood.

If a neighborhood is gated, the streets will be owned by the HOA and the fees cover maintenance on the streets. The fees in a gated neighborhood will also cover maintenance of the gates and either the wages of the guards or the maintenance of the controller that opens the gates.

If a neighborhood has common areas that are greenspace, the HOA must pay for mowing and maintenance of the flower beds/fountains/etc. If a neighborhood has a pool or a playground, the HOA must pay for the expenses related to maintaining those amenities.

All of the above costs are shared by however many homes are in the neighborhood. For example: if there are 500 homes and the neighborhood has $100,000 in annual expenses, the dues will be at least $200.

Hope that helps you understand.

[DutchessCottonPuff]

This is why I dont own a home anymore . We just rent .Period . In most cases it is cheaper than buying in the end.We are from Corpus and with taxes and HOA fees . I could have rented my home for 50 years and come out cheaper than if I bought it. My husband works for L-3 and we have to be here ( Waco) until October and possibly longer . I realize it is not for everyone,, but we have saved money doing this . We can rent way better than we can own , and if we have to leave then we can go .

[texasdiver]

I think the majority of neighborhoods in Woodway and Hewitt don't have HOA fees. The upscale master planned communities like Twin Rivers, Riverside, and Badger Ranch certainly have HOA fees that pay for their community pools, tennis courts, and recreation facilities. But the more ordinary neighborhoods in Woodway and Hewitt are just that, city neighborhoods.

As for fee amounts. My wife and I recently sold a house in a gated HOA neighborhood in China Spring (NW Waco suburb) where the HOA fee was about $475/year and paid for the gate and landscaping but not much else. When we were shopping in Woodway I believe the HOA fees in Twin Rivers and Badger Ranch which have community pools and other amenities were about double that. In the $1000/year range.

We decided to skip the HOA nonsense and buy a house with an existing pool in the Hunter's Run subdivision that has no HOA fees. Don't regret it at all.

[majormcf]

HOA fee in Badger is 75 a month, includes tennis courts, private lake, community pool with outdoor kitchens plus hiking and jogging trails. Its not for everyone but if you can afford the taxes and mortgage than the HOA fee isnt really a consideration. I did the math and would have spent more money on fuel driving to neighborhoods that were further out plus I cut out over 30 minutes of commuting each day for my family of 3 drivers compared to the home I was looking at in Hidden Valley. That assumption was made that we would go to school or work during the week and didnt take into consideration trips to the grocery store, other activities or any weekend trips. I also liked lorena but my wife didnt like the rural feel. I would give lorena a hard look.