HOA Advice

ReSTored said:
Oddly enough, the place you're at now seemed to be great until new people moved in. If you had an HOA there, it is likely the properties would not have been allowed to degrade and pull everyone's place down. There are definitely pros and cons to HOA's.
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Actually, we're not moving because of our neighbors. A developer offered us an insane amount of money for our property and the lots next to us. So we're all moving, though I doubt it'll be to the same street again. :D
drrod said:
Some people are just not cut out for HOA/condo living. They should accept that, and not move into one.
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Around the Puget Sound area, there's not a lot of choices. You can move out to more open areas, but that exposes you to horrific traffic jams. Our little area was rezoned for high density housing, which means instead of the half acre lots we currently have, they'll put 2-3 homes on the same lot. The good part of that if you buy a new home, is you can mow your lawn with a weed eater.

But even if I find a place with a moderately sized lot, a number of those will have an HOA. So I just need to make sure I'm smart about that aspect of home purchasing since I haven't had to deal with one before.

If it was up to me, I'd move to Idaho. My wife just says, "Send money." She also tells me half of what I own is hers.

So...

Chris
 
Im on the fence. I have lived in an HOA controlled neighborhood for 31 years. Its "mostly" a good one depending on who the officers are, although by a 66 % vote of the 24 households they can change any rule. We have to pay HOA fees which they've raised a couple of times since we've lived here. Theres a pretty big list of things you are not allowed to do. There is an architectural committee that can decide if you can do any " improvements" to your house/ garage and you have to submit plans before you can do anything. No farm animals allowed. You cant cut any live trees on your property without permission. No signs in your yard. Everybody is assessed a fee every few years to cover resurfacing of the private road. They made my next door neighbor put up a solid fence so another neighbor couldnt see his $150k camper. They wouldnt let another neighbor, a car collector, put up a lighted oil sign on a pole back by his garage. There are always those that can't mind your own business. There is a neighborhood work day once a year you are encouraged to attend to maintain common areas.

Yes its been a clean neighborhood, mostly retired folks now, i think it's kept property values up, and the riff raff out.

Ive heard horror stories about other HOAs.

I think before I moved in anywhere Id talk to 2 or 3 neighbors and see how they feel about their HOAs
 
In my HOA, we’ve cut trees down and never heard anything (even replanted some palm trees)- sometimes (not always) better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, Unless it’s something bigger or more noticeable.
 
My first experience was with a strata council [effectively similar to an HOA in some respects] in a condo building that needed a new make up air unit or the existing one repaired
I met with council members at a meeting along with a representative from the mechanical contractor that held the maintenance contract for the building
I then was approached variously by the strata president and various owners and residents some who owned more than one unit
I took a hard look at the guy that was representing the mechanical company and realized that this was worse than my afternoon at McKay Computer College; if I hang around long enough I'll probably wind up looking like him needless to say I did not submit a quote I don't think they would have considered it after I ran screaming back to my truck waving my arms around like I was being swarmed by bees anyway, not exactly professional, but who knows
Developers and their aforementioned associates understand human nature assymetrically from those they sell to and know that the greater proportion of us are natural born subordinates hence, build it and they will conform went a long way here over that last fifteen years or so
Demographs however are changing a bit of that, speaking to many of my [1/3 almost age] colleagues; they're not having any of that they're staying home until whatever
They're reading these agreements and saying not interested in giving up all of that freedom a young couple that bought a unit across from me moved back into her mother's house paying here rent and put the place up for rent telling me they couldn't stand it
 
The HOA of an adjacent neighborhood (4 doors down from my house asked my neighbors and me if we wanted to join their HOA. :roflmao-2x::roflmao-2x::roflmao-2x: So while standing in front of our travel trailer my wife asked if we can park the camper in our driveway (it is a nice camper! usually under a cover.) they said no! she also asked if we could down the trees that threatened our house during a hurricane. he said no. we asked if there was a time line of when our trash cans had to be put away he said yes. We laughed at him and said NO. His wife and mine are very good acquaintances, she compliments my wife's Would not be HOA allowed flower garden in our front yard. It is Your property do not let someone else control it!
 
"HOA controlled area... " so much for snot control, I don't know how I missed that on the first pass, but just about the funniest thing so far
I'm gonna use that :roflmao-2x:

I know all of my neighbors on the detached property end of things, get along great, would I disproportionately empower them?
 
I own two homes in the San Diego area, both built around the 1990 time frame, and neither has a HOA. Hard to believe, but true. So, look around, you may find something else that you like that somehow avoided the dreaded HOA curse.
 
I think hell will freeze over and I might even get shot if I ever told the LCFTSA that the neighbor decided that she couldn't have her garden exactly that way, and flowers, well, F A that, only daffidills allowed and those birds, not sure we like those either, and ... those bees again ....
I learned the hard way that joy is the most [edited] delicate emotion
 

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Daboo said:
We're in the market for a "new" or previously loved home. We've never been in an HOA before. Many of the homes we'll be looking at though, will have an HOA. Any advice you have will be appreciated. What's the good and the bad? What should we watch out for?

Chris
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If I were you I would not walk I would RUN as fast as you can. I will NEVER buy anything in a HOA I am not having somebody tell me what I can or cannot do with my property unless they are paying my bills.
 
So I'm watching this thread with curiosity. Are HOAs, which I'm guessing means 'Home Owners Association' such a big thing over there? Apart from high rise and multi level flats (appartments in US speak) who generally have tenancy agreements, and sometimes committees, I don't think I've ever come across such a thing in normal residential areas in the UK. I live in quite a nice suburban neighbourhood of mixed 5, 4 and 3 bed detached, 2 bed semi-detached and 2 bed terraced houses. All are privately owned. The only thing that dictates what I cannot do with my house are local authority building regulations. And, as for parking restrictions...... I bet this would blow their minds :oops: ps It was only there for a wash, I wouldn't have been so discourteous as to leave it on the pavement (sidewalk) for any longer than required!

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Flexit said:
Are HOAs, which I'm guessing means 'Home Owners Association' such a big thing over there?
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Apparently they are (right after 'gated communities')... ;)
There a couple of movies (and series) around making a total mockery of the excesses occurring there...
But "club-like behavior" is surely not limited to the 'mericans...
The "suburban" area my GF has her home at, is an 'allotment association'... some under lease agreement with the city, some bought and paid for, like my GF's lot...
Of course with a chairman, association statutes, annual fees & balance sheet, bulletin board showcases at every entrance, the whole shebang...
The 'annual general meeting' seems to be quite an opera... at least I've been told by the DIL, admiringly the declared arch enemy of the chairman... :roflmao:
So when pops comes over to 'vent' after that event, you'll never hear the end of it... ;)
I once burned my mouth by mentioning "... so why don't you take over the presidency; you're retired, enough time on your hand..." uh-oh... :sneaky:
 
ST Gui said:
Zackley. It's worse if you were to consider townhouses. A really good HOA is bad. It's downhill from there.
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I've lived in my HOA neighborhood for 10 years and served as past president for 4. I built this home in a gated community after living 38 years in my previous. It cost a lot of money, and I wanted my investment to be protected, which is what a HOA does.

I'm not going to live where anything goes. BTDT. Stuff like purple houses, garages full of junk, cars on blocks, high grass, and cars in the street and police making calls every night. We have 44 homes here with controlled access, and our children walk the streets openly with no fear. If you're not into any of that, okay, never live in a community ruled by HOA. In my old neighborhood, my neighbor built a stock car in his driveway, and when he cranked it, my house shook. I was powerless to stop it.

Our HOA is unique; the owners operate it, not a 3rd party. Any increase in fees must be put to a vote by the community.

There is good and bad. You can't depend on your neighbors to maintain a pride of ownership; some don't care. Your house is only worth what the cheapest will bring. You can have the finest on the block, but if you live next to a guy with cars in the street or in the yard, you're never going to get top money for it.

There are no short-term rentals allowed here, so no Airbnb parties are permitted.

Rental homes are capped @5%s of 44. You have to protect your community from developers with millions of dollars buying up homes to rent out.

I had that by law in when I was president. Once a neighborhood becomes too dominated by rentals, it's over. Usually, when such investors discover that there is an active HOA, they look elsewhere for opportunities. These agencies rent to anyone who has the money.

It's not for everyone, but if you build a home, don't see why you wouldn't want to protect it. My wife works really hard taking care of our house, and so do my neighbors.
 

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Did 12 years in an HOA in California, with several on the board. Don't forget your monthly dues will go up. Sometime yearly, mine did. And you will also be subject to assessments. I could tell you stories, but I'll just say when my wife said she wanted to move to Georgia with our grandkids, it was like getting out of jail. Best of luck.
 
BamaRider said:
I've lived in my HOA neighborhood for 10 years and served as past president for 4. I built this home in a gated community after living 38 years in my previous. It cost a lot of money, and I wanted my investment to be protected, which is what a HOA does.

I'm not going to live where anything goes. BTDT. Stuff like purple houses, garages full of junk, cars on blocks, high grass, and cars in the street and police making calls every night. We have 44 homes here with controlled access, and our children walk the streets openly with no fear. If you're not into any of that, okay, never live in a community ruled by HOA. In my old neighborhood, my neighbor built a stock car in his driveway, and when he cranked it, my house shook. I was powerless to stop it.

Our HOA is unique; the owners operate it, not a 3rd party. Any increase in fees must be put to a vote by the community.

There is good and bad. You can't depend on your neighbors to maintain a pride of ownership; some don't care. Your house is only worth what the cheapest will bring. You can have the finest on the block, but if you live next to a guy with cars in the street or in the yard, you're never going to get top money for it.

There are no short-term rentals allowed here, so no Airbnb parties are permitted.

Rental homes are capped @5%s of 44. You have to protect your community from developers with millions of dollars buying up homes to rent out.

I had that by law in when I was president. Once a neighborhood becomes too dominated by rentals, it's over. Usually, when such investors discover that there is an active HOA, they look elsewhere for opportunities. These agencies rent to anyone who has the money.

It's not for everyone, but if you build a home, don't see why you wouldn't want to protect it. My wife works really hard taking care of our house, and so do my neighbors.
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Beautifull Home!
 
HOA's usually end up dominated by people who never were in charge of anything, including their own lives or families. No youngsters, people with children, pets, outside the house, hobbies, loud friends, quiet friends, or opinions need apply. Least common denominator applies: get off my lawn! :well1:

Tom
 
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TPadden said:
HOA's usually end up dominated by people who never were in charge of anything, including their own lives or families.
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People who run HOA's are there as a result of the owners who voted them there. ie. The Board is only as good/bad as the owners' allow.
As has been stated many times in this thread; HOA's can be very good or very bad and everything in between. It is impossible to paint them all with the same brush. The only way to tell is to examine the individual one closely and, if you don't know what to look for, then employ someone who does.
 
This kind of stuff is the reason I live on 29+ acres and own to the top of the ridges all the way around me.
The only 'neighbor' I can see is the roof of the house across the highway.
My neighbors are nice folks and we help each other out when need be.
I spent my teenage years in a subdivision and determined I would live away from folks as soon as I could.
Fortunately, I bought my property when it was considered 'out in the country' (1977) at a very reasonable price. ;)
It's value now (as set by the local government) is quite staggering to me for sure.
I have no desire for a person or persons to decide what I do with my property that I paid for with my money.
 
Sad fact is that even if you do not live in an HOA, you are not immune from things impacting property that you own outright. Ask any operation that got forced out of businessm or to movem because of noise, smell, etc. once "civilization" started to encroach on it. Doesn't matter who was there first. A simple example is all the race tracks that can no longer operate because of noise even though they started out "in the middle of nowhere".
You may think you can do whatever you wish with property that you own outright, but that is really not the case. The best you can hope for is to outlive the intrusions.
 
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