Do you like your HOA?

**Fizgig** · 06-08-2010, 06:05 AM

My neighborhood has a very simple HOA, with an optional annual $25 donation to maintain our park and boat ramp onto the lake. I give them $50 and a plate of brownies every year. There are no deed restrictions. I couldn't be happier, but would not be pleased if they were more expensive and had more authority.

**ScrimpAndSave** · 06-08-2010, 06:22 AM

I live in a 3 story townhouse and I pay $114 monthly for all landscaping and snow removal. I love it and think it is totally worth it. Especially when I am waking up at 9:00am on a snow day and see that my driveway is magically cleared.

**MonkeyMama** · 06-08-2010, 06:34 AM

Not a fan of the HOA.

I agree with your first sentence though. The type of home we wanted only comes with a HOA. I wouldn't choose a HOA, but haven't had much choice as a homeowner.

Our condo (first home) HOA was actually excellent. No complaints. (Very expensive though. Was $250/month - included nice facilities and most utilities. We moved out 2001 and today the HOA fee is $400/month. Ouch!).

Our current HOA, I have issues with. $77/month which is fine. Mostly because we have a private lake (lake maintenance). We also have a pool, and nice landscaping throughout the community. We often get the pool to ourselves - very under utilized. Our fees have not gone up in a decade (they went down, actually).

Residents seemed to be obsessed with stupid things like cars parked in the street. ("Streets are not for cars!" One neighbor tells me).

What I do like? Some of our neighbors did landscaping that wasn't approved and had to get signatures from the neighbors that we didn't care. I liked this. We don't give a flip. A handful of crazy people do, but if the surrounding neighbors don't care, I like that approach.

Bad? The HOA doesn't enforce crap. It's probably the economy and all, but the rules say to paint the houses every 4 years (which is clearly ridiculous). That said, the paint job on the houses in our neighborhood are terrible. May not be very enforceable due to economy (people can't afford to paint). But, this leaves me with the impression they are obsessed with where people park their cars, and landscape choices (badgering people who CARE about their yards), while who cares if your house looks like complete $hit. These days, most of the houses look like crap.

Someone told me the other day our neighborhood was SO mUCH NICER because clearly we had a strict HOA. I asked them when the last time they drove through our neighborhood was???

I don't expect any special assessments. BUT, with the sheer number of foreclosures in our neighborhood and such, leaves open the possibility of increased HOA fees and lack of funds for major repairs, etc., etc. Thankfully, they had the brains to save for a rainy day when times were good (much of that is mandated after many other HOA mismanagement horror stories).

**wincrasher** · 06-08-2010, 09:22 AM

It seems to me that people in condos end up paying much higher HOA dues. The older the buildings get, the higher the fees go.

Another subdivision I looked at had a yearly "membership" of 1500 if you wanted to use the pool/clubhouse. It was curious that you could opt out - but that subdivision probably has over 500 houses in it.

My old neighborhood didn't have an HOA. The houses ranged from looking out of a theme park to being a candidate to be condemned. One sweet old lady down the street had a whole herd of whirlygigs, disney characters and various statuary of woodland creatures in her yard. It was funny to look at - but not after very long.

Our rules are fairly straight forward - no single story houses under 2500 sq ft. Two story houses must be at least 3100 sq ft. No changes to exterior without architectural board approval. No protuberances to the structure without approval - I found out this is flagpoles, sat dishes, etc. No change to mailboxes without approval. No parking on the street. No plantings that block views. No fences that aren't see-through. No trailers, boats, RVs, etc out overnight. No disturbances of the peace and enjoyment of the residences.

That last one I was worried about. But so far, I've gotten away with having an illegal flagpole. I built a shed (that looks like the house) without approval. My new years fireworks extraveganza resulted in visits by the Sherrif's and Fire Departments - but nothing from the HOA!
But I have gotten "notes" from tje lawn Nazi.

**Ima saver** · 06-08-2010, 09:41 AM

I like our HOA. No vehicles without a tag. No farm animals, although I got away with ducks. No smaller than 1800 square feet/ Houses and yards are all kept up nicely. We pay no fees, but we are asked to chip in about $30 a year to keep the entrance way mowed.

**jIM_Ohio** · 06-08-2010, 09:59 AM

We have had an HOA on both houses we owned

currently we pay $440 1X per year (Jan) and it covers a pool, common grounds landscaping, a playground and similar.

I would always much rather have the $440 and buy my own playground for my kids, and put in my own pool too. They do enforce a building code to some extent- I also live on the road where the mrs busy body lives at the end, so she will complain about EVERYTHING to the HOA (she will never say a cross word to anyone though).

examples

1) I was parking my truck 2 wheels on the grass and 2 on driveway so wife could easily back out of garage... I was given a couple of warnings before a threatening letter was sent.
2) I had grass taller than normal, and was asked to cut it (this was my edging, not my lawn, I do not own an edger).
3) I had a sign posted in my front yard advertising my soccer camp, was given a letter to take it down. Later that year plenty of Obama and McCain posters were on lawn's of many other houses on other streets in same neighborhood, mrs busy body can blow that one out her a$$ as far as I am concerned.

I had a neighbor get told to tear down his deck because it was not approved by HOA. He told me he submitted it to HOA 3 times and never heard back prior to putting it up himself.

One of my other neighbors was told their trampoline was set up too early. It was April and it is "hidden" in the woods in their backyard, and the HOA forbids setting up of trampolines until May 1.

If people are going to be petty like this, please move away from me. In Texas people probably get shot for being that petty

**wincrasher** · 06-08-2010, 10:32 AM

Our rules state if they don't respond in 30 days, you can assume it's approved.

Too bad about the tear-down. You'd think a reasonable response would be to describe changes to make it conform.

**PrincessPerky** · 06-09-2010, 10:23 AM

I really am not fond of our HOA, It is about 400 a year and covers pool and 'common areas' plus electric lights.

Basically they are far to picky about silly things (like who has a dish, and trampoline, who builds fences 6 inches too close to the road, and who parks on the road vs grass.)

Combined with the pool rules that they bicker over constantly...first they say no kids under 16 without adults, then they fight over who is 16 and who isn't (you need ID to prove it if you look under 20) And depending on who you know the pool company gets in trouble not the home owner...Plus the whole you have to pay the HOA to enjoy the pool, but again depending on who you know decides if the pool company gets in trouble or the homeowner.

Anyway on top of that there is the 'common areas' that they complain about kids being on playing football.....where exactly did you want the kids? in the street? Quite frankly the grassy area sounds like the perfect place for them, yeah I know it is bad for grass, are we growing grass or kids?

Course I might be biased as I seem to be pretty good at growing kids, and downright lousy at growing grass.

**gpoitras** · 06-09-2010, 07:50 PM

Our HOA is 400/year. Houses are initially built within set standards, depending which part of the subdivision it is. However our current "board" is a piece of ****. The bylaws state that the developer will appoint one individual as the "board" until the subdivision has 500 homes. Well it was started in 2006 and we're well into 2010 and there are only just over 200 homes. It just so happened that the developer appointed his daughter as the "board." A huge conflict of interest, noone likes her. Contracts for services (jr. olympic sized pool, grounds maintenance etc) are never put up for bid. Budgets are not sent out and many speculate the developer is getting kickbacks.

Our bi-annual HOA meeting is an angry mob against the developer and our one board member. This year the developer has lawyered up. There is some corrupt stuff taking place.

Later in life I'll be having a residence outside any HOA. They just aren't for me although the general concept of them I do understand.

**MonkeyMama** · 06-10-2010, 05:15 AM

Reminds me, we live adjacent to a community where the Board literally voted to not let renters use the facilities. (They have a NICE clubhouse and about 4 pools. The place is gorgeous and I regretted not looking there when we bought, once I was invited over and saw it. BUT, their pools and facilities are always packed - which is probably the motivation to exclude as many residents as possible. I've come to prefer our empty pool.

).

There have been all sorts of threats to sue them, and most of the homeowners I know think it is a terrible rule (supposedly the board voted it in without a real vote), but it's been a couple of years and still stands. Renter? can't use the pool!

I was also surprised their dues are cheaper, but I suppose the question is if their HOA is putting aside enough for a rainy day...

------------------------------

Yes - understandably, the thing with condos is you don't own the walls or outside, so there is a lot more that the HOA Pays for/maintains. Higher fees are probably better than (surprise) special assessments... I am still surprised how rapidly fees have increased though.

**wincrasher** · 06-10-2010, 10:52 AM

I'd really rather join a country club than have my subdivision have "facilities". At least you can quit if you don't like the "rules", or if a better club opens up.

Do you like your HOA?