HOA’s

SS!

SS!

Long Time Member
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9,136
Do you live in one? Have any interesting stories regarding one? I see 80% of new homes are built in subdivisions with an HOA. Looks like little to no state or federal regulation on them either.
 
If you live in a big city, and buy a new house, pretty much guaranteed to be in an HOA. Don't live in one now (nice older neighborhood).

My previous house was in one. After about 6 years, the paint was fading so decided to repaint it with exact same color. A few weeks later I get a nastygram stating that I painted the house against the rules. I called them up and said WTF? They said I didn't fill out the form and get approval. After about 15 minutes of talking past each other- they agreed I was OK since the color was the same as before. But I still needed to fill out the form. JSMN.
 
No sir but when our subdivision wad built there was rules. White vinyl fence only. At least 40% brick on front of the house. All out buildings must match your house along with roof.

Just more of guidelines which created a nice area and perfect if you want to sell cause the market is good to sell.

But no HOA or fees
 
Yes, and I do not like them. I will not stay here. In two years, these are the issues I have had:
1- I put a small chain link fence (black) in the back of my yard to keep my two small dogs from running around the neighborhood. I had to turn in the application. A guy on the HOA rejected it. I guess he did not like that it was 6', I cannot remember. I needed it that tall as we have had 4-5' or more of snow this year.
2- I painted my house a gray color will a small section of blue trim. The neighbor (yeah same guy) was walking down the road and made a comment to my wife (I was not home) that it might not be neutral enough). Funny thing, however, just down the road his son built a house that was a dark shade of blue, go figure.
3- I went to an HOA meeting a few years back (my one and only) and I knew I was making a mistake. First part of the meeting, a lady who has a lot with no house, starts making all of these demands about everything that she knows little about. After she was corrected and then put on the "Architectural Committee" she did not talk as much.

Why did I move here? Good question! It is nice in the winter as there are very few tourists. My lot is good sized and I do have some space. Fortunately, my nearby neighbors have been great.

I have zero desire to live in an HOA long term. Even with the above mentioned, I guess it has been better than many others.

Why did you have to get me whining SS lol......
 
Never owned a home in a HOA community. Was shopping residential investment properties a few years ago (Airbnb type...), and liked a couple of condos I was looking at until I read the HOA fine print.

Some of my friends love it in their hood because there is a nice neighborhood park with a playset for the kids. They haven't had any HOA problems (yet).

Seems like most problems I've heard about are either power hungry HOA members and/or home owners who didn't take the time to read or understand the fine print in the agreement they signed when the purchase was made.

Make your bed and sleep in it. ;)
 
It will help your property value because of you get one bad egg in your neighborhood they can wreck a lot. We are semi rural but there’s a small housing development on the edge of our pasture. One of the guys in there could be on hoarders. Made half of his dwellings out of old pallets. $700k homes all around his shithole. If it burned down the value of everyone else’s would go up 10% but nothing they can do about it till he dies.
 
Good and bad come with HOA's. The problem I have found with them is that they can and do go up. Lots of them are mismanaged. The higher the HOA, the lower the property value is in general. Working with a client now who likes a particular townhouse complex.....HOA dues are $505 per month. It is a really desirable complex. They up their buying power by over $100K if they didn't buy in that particular complex. I'd try to avoid them if I can.
 
Since I sell Real Estate and also manage more than several properties, of which many are in HOA’s, I personally don’t like them at all but for some, they’re just perfect!

I have 5 trailers and 4 vehicles. Where the he!! Would I put them if I lived in an HOA? Where would I shoot my bow? Where would I chase the wife around the yard?

Lifestyle is what we buy and HOA’s cannot meet my criteria but does fine for some.

Zeke
 
Wiszard said:
Good and bad come with HOA's. The problem I have found with them is that they can and do go up. Lots of them are mismanaged. The higher the HOA, the lower the property value is in general. Working with a client now who likes a particular townhouse complex.....HOA dues are $505 per month. It is a really desirable complex. They up their buying power by over $100K if they didn't buy in that particular complex. I'd try to avoid them if I can.
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What do get for $550 a month?
 
notdonhunting said:
What do get for $550 a month?
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$505 per month gets you a gated community, nicely maintained grounds, a clubhouse with a hot tub, pool and weight room.....also a big room to have parties in. Most HOA's maintain and insure the exterior of all units. The owner still needs to insure the interior walls, whats inside of those walls and all personal items.
 
My current, and last home are HOA. Never had a single issue. Neighbors get kept in check, so no 2am dog barking which is nice. Think we pay 400-500 a year. Think it's like 125$ a quarter. That gets us irrigation water, trash, and other crap, but we're not gated or anything fancy like that. My last home (because of the HOA and other things) sold for 100k over what we bought it for....$$$$$ cha CHINGGGG!!! I'd say the biggest thing is just pay close attention to the fine print as stated above. Make sure the HOA rules are manageable and ask you realtor if they have heard how lax they are with their rules and such. Keep my truck and such in the driveway and it sticks over into the sidewalk and all and never got any guff so far.
 
SS! said:
Do you live in one? Have any interesting stories regarding one? I see 80% of new homes are built in subdivisions with an HOA. Looks like little to no state or federal regulation on them either.
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You are correct! You would have to sue them personally or as a group but the Attorney fees will have to paid by you as well! I have that now our HOA will not let anyone see the checking acct statements. The HOA takes in almost $3,000 a year we don’t have any green space we just have 9 mailbox stands that won’t take 5 cubic yards of mulch and it’s only done every 3rd year. Its been in existence for 30 years With there should be say $70k there’s only $2,500. It’s rumored that the HOA President purchased a pontoon boat and keeps it at a year round slip and covered storage during winter. When I brought this up to other owners they say well it’s only $50 to $100 a year and it ain’t worth it then I give them the totals I gave above and their shocked but no one has got on board. Oh even though the HOA is a state entity the SOS will not prosecute
 
We have one that basically non existent now which is nice. But when I built my house they were a pain in the ass.

Funny story, built our place and after about a year I added a big pergola over our back patio and fire pit. We’ll get a letter about a week after I finish saying I’m out of whatever and will need to remove it and pay fines snd blah blah blah

So I have software for drawing blue prints and do quite a bit of that in my job. And I just happened to have a digit copy of my home’s blueprints from the builder. So I open them up, add the pergola and all the details for building it to the house. Print them out, mail them back to the HOA with my own letter saying “I have no idea what your talking about, could you please point out on these attached drawings what’s been added to the house?”

Never heard from them again
 
Our HOA is $46 per year. They don't really do anything anymore since the original developer of our subdivision died. Used to be very strict as to home design, materials, colors, etc. No clue who even runs it. Very quiet neighborhood though due to it being mostly retired homeowners or second homes. Our small town has over 900 B&B rooms or STRs. Our neighborhood does not allow either so that keeps out the problems for the most part.
 
Had an HOA the last 6 years we lived in Palmer AK. Think it started at $40 a month but that didn't include anything but water which was contaminated with cinnabar but every 6 months we would get a letter saying that the cinnabar levels were at a safe level but as the levels climbed a little higher each year so did the HOA fee. I'm not a scientist but I'm thinking that any cinnabar in the water isn't doing the kidneys any good. By the time we left think the fees were almost doubled.
 
Never again. Those wonderful people who send you letters can double the HOA fees with the simple vote of the board members. If you like the HOA you have, give it a few years when Karen gets voted on the board and makes things miserable.
If you have low fees that just pay for the lawn care of the common playground area....just wait till the playground needs to be fixed or replaced. You will get hit with a big bill by the HOA. Then after that big bill is paid, someone will move in and threaten to sue because the playground isn't handicap accessible enough. Another big bill coming your way.

Some are run and managed great......but the potential for nightmares completely out of your control is crazy high.
 
And don't get confused between HOA's and CCR's. Even if you don't have an HOA, you still have to abide by the CCR's.
 
HOA? NFW.

My main criteria in searching for new property a couple years ago was no HOA. My new place is surrounded by larger long time owned family ranches. I can't see my neighbors place.
 
We live in a small neighborhood with about 35 or so homes.
Most of the folks are like minded so we have some decent like minded folks on the board.
We are somewhat involved with the management company and keep the bs to a minimum.
 
Have a lot in Wyo that has an HOA. Plan to build a home on it in a few years. The HOA has very tight CC&R's but we knew that before we bought. Have had the lot for 5 years so far, and I got to say the HOA is an overly dramatic bunch so far. Coup's, lawsuits, snarky emails and general back stabbing. Have doubts if building there is the right decision.

Attended our first HOA meeting last weekend and met several of the current residents. Meeting them face-to-face I got a far better impression than what I was getting through emails and HOA updates.
 
RookieWYhntr said:
Ok, but who enforces the HOA? Like if they don't pay do they lose their home?
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You'd create a "Board" and they are the powers that be on keeping everyone in line. :) I don't think a homeowner can lose their home by not paying the dues but the HOA can put a lien on the property.
@GrouseLegs...have you experienced an HOA forcing a sale in order to satisfy an HOA lien? That would be nuts.
 
Wiszard said:
You'd create a "Board" and they are the powers that be on keeping everyone in line. :) I don't think a homeowner can lose their home by not paying the dues but the HOA can put a lien on the property.
@GrouseLegs...have you experienced an HOA forcing a sale in order to satisfy an HOA lien? That would be nuts.
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No i havent. I was joking.

Im on my hoa board. Its a mess. My advice is get on your hoa board, try to keep it out of crazy town.
 
Wiszard said:
You'd create a "Board" and they are the powers that be on keeping everyone in line. :) I don't think a homeowner can lose their home by not paying the dues but the HOA can put a lien on the property.
@GrouseLegs...have you experienced an HOA forcing a sale in order to satisfy an HOA lien? That would be nuts.
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Most HOA's also have the power to fine non-compliant members of the Association. Severity and limits are written into the CC&R's.
 
eelgrass said:
A little excitement at my two sisters' residence this afternoon. I asked her if the HOA repairs bullet holes.

kymkemp.com

[UPDATE 6 p.m.: All Suspect’s Accounted for] Large Number of Law Enforcement Responding to Incident in Eureka, Reports of Shots Fired

Eureka Schools on lockdown. “There is a developing law enforcement situation occurring in the area of Harris & Dolbeer Streets, Eureka. PLEASE AVOID THE AREA.
kymkemp.com
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WOW eel…….. have you checked into a place on the panhandle of Florida lately? Palms for redwoods might not be too bad a trade. Redfish for halibut don’t sound all that bad. Louisiana has ducks too.
 
I live in an area managed by an LMA. Didn't know what it was, but as soon as I found out, I cracked open a bottle of Bud Li....I mean, a bottle of Coors to celebrate.

LMA = Land Management Association. As the name implies, they really just manage/maintain the landscaping and some amenities (parks, playgrounds, etc). However, they do not have any power over homeowners and can not influence property values via some draconian set of laws. As such, we, the homeowners manage ourselves by flying American flags and ensuring that dog owners pick up their poop (as well as their pets).

For all other matters such as road improvement and zoning compliance, the city does that.
 
2lumpy said:
WOW eel…….. have you checked into a place on the panhandle of Florida lately? Palms for redwoods might not be too bad a trade. Redfish for halibut don’t sound all that bad. Louisiana has ducks too.
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I just got my woodshed full for next winter so I can't move now. But don't worry, if I do move it won't be to Utah. :)
 
You're lucky it is dirt. Blacktop gets expensive really quick. HOAs that own the roads get hit with a big surprise when they don't save ahead and get hit with a repaving expense, which gets passed on to the owners.
 

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