HOA's. Hate them or love them?

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Rust_Belt_Pete
Most useful thing for HOA to do is keeping section 8 out.


^^Yep,this times a million!!

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
The absolute WORST are the people who put foil in the windows.


When I was a kid I put foil in my windows so I could run a photo darkroom in there.

Though I guess most people do it so they can run grow lights and make pot.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
We've looked at a ton of prospective houses and only the ones in hoa's are free from either undesirables loitering around and migrating through,garbage and/or piles of broken kids toys all over the place,or people congregating bbq'ing in their front yards hooping and hollering.


So what's the downside again?

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
The absolute WORST are the people who put foil in the windows.


When I was a kid I put foil in my windows so I could run a photo darkroom in there.

Though I guess most people do it so they can run grow lights and make pot.


I did it for a while because I worked third shift.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
No way.i would never consider living in a place with a hoa

Totally agree!

It's bad enough with the extreme zoning restrictions being forced on us here in Charlotte.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
We've looked at a ton of prospective houses and only the ones in hoa's are free from either undesirables loitering around and migrating through,garbage and/or piles of broken kids toys all over the place,or people congregating bbq'ing in their front yards hooping and hollering.


So what's the downside again?


Crime

 

[MCompact]

As others have observed, the individuals who serve on an HOA determine how effective/intrusive/ridiculous it is. More often than not HOAs attract the type of people who would have been begged for a chance to serve in the SS back in the '40s or in the Stasi during the Cold War.

 

[Mr Nice]

Lots of nice houses in affluent neighborhood without HOA.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I think we found one. Was originally $185,00. Reduced finally to $170,000. We bid $168,000 w/seller paying all closing costs. Built in 2006,almost 2000 sq ft,HOA subdivision on the lake,out in the country on the edge of town (VERY relaxed HOA rules). Car maintenance is perfectly ok

. HOA fees are $100 a year,basically to take care of the community pool and clubhouse. Property values in the subdivision range from the price of ours up to around $350k.

Gonna check it out tomorrow.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
As others have observed, the individuals who serve on an HOA determine how effective/intrusive/ridiculous it is. More often than not HOAs attract the type of people who would have been begged for a chance to serve in the SS back in the '40s or in the Stasi during the Cold War.


Yes, AGREED!

Then you are also at their mercy/judgement/biases when it comes to MY point of contention, working on your car in your OWN driveway!!

While THEY may think that this is 'White Trashy', and brings down property values and 'status', I would remind them that there are people MANY MANY times wealthier (and 'classier'??) than themselves who actually work on their own cars (and actually get their hands DIRTY, HEAVEN FORBID!!) at times as well (like Jay Leno).
Albeit, yes, inside of a very well equipped garage/workshop, but STILL working with their hands, which is something I guess these wannabe Oliver Thurston Howell the 10ths on HOA boards, feel is 'low drag' or thrashy.

 

[Vuflanovsky]

The thing is that if you signed the HOA agreements and CC&Rs and by-laws then you know that it's not your OWN driveway. It's likely considered part of the common areas and subject to certain rules. I change my own oil but I do it elsewhere as that was the expectation going in.

I've lived with enough human [censored] in my life that I tend to appreciate HOAs and, for the most part, haven't found them particularly overreaching. IMO, this is usually different between single family homes versus condo/townhouse developments where there's a greater potential of people "acting out" in ways that will impact their neighbors.

Ultimately, it does come down to the HOA board, the complex/neighbors, and how much leeway there is for people to violate what they signed. If you live in a townhouse and someone parks in your deeded space or blocks ingress or egress then they shouldn't be surprised if their vehicle is booted or towed.

Most of the "class struggle" around my complex involves Skippy McYuppie in his Audi A8 parking in a homeowners spot for three days and doesn't involve the HOA board going draconian on people. It's pretty entertaining when Skippy's car gets towed and he's suddenly concerned and knocks on your door to ask if you've seen anything. Maybe the sign that said "Deeded Homeowner Parking Only - Violators Will Be Towed Without Warning" wasn't clear. Skippy isn't detail oriented like that....

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
More often than not HOAs attract the type of people who would have been begged for a chance to serve in the SS back in the '40s or in the Stasi during the Cold War.

Agreed, 'Small people' crave power.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Vuflanovsky
The thing is that if you signed the HOA agreements and CC&Rs and by-laws then you know that it's not your OWN driveway. It's likely considered part of the common areas and subject to certain rules.


Actually, when I had the heated argument with the property manager, he claimed that it was a "partly shared" area.

As in; IF I wanted to seal/maintain it, THAT cost is on me.
IF it is ever to be repaved (likely to NEVER happen here!), that cost is on the association/property management company (from our WAY OVERPRICED, and way too few services/benefits given for, maintenance fees).

HEAVEN HELP

THEM IF they ever tell me I cannot work on a car in MY garage (which IS MY property)!!!!

I just CANNOT STAND their 'selective enforcement', as an example; many in here have 3+ dogs (they are ONLY allowed to have ONE according to the CC&Rs), and they MUST clean up after it/them.
MANY do not, but they are never prosecuted, since somehow that is not considered 'low drag' in their elitist eyes.
I have NO DOUBT that it was some of these same, rules violating, faux 1%ers who complained about me working with my hands (heaven forbid, HOW could ANYONE do THAT?!?!?)

 

[aquariuscsm]

We looked at the house and it was a bust. Didn't like it. I dunno,I just hate subdivisions. Everything is flat,no trees,tiny yards,all houses look the same,every house has the exact same bushes,just no soul. Really conforming. Felt like I was in an apartment.

I read the HOA rules. Nothing strict at all. "You may perform car maintenance and repairs as long as it's done on your property and not on the street".

I just honestly want to stay as far away from an HOA and/or subdivisions as far as possible! They just feel really cold imo.

 

[Anduril]

I will never live in an HOA. My parents do, and it's the "measure how far your car is parked from the curb" type. Yes, they actually did this at least once.

I'm not going to pay others for the privilege of telling me what to do. We raise pigs and chickens, and have 2 above-ground pools (one for fish, one for swimming). Our yard is not landscaped because we hate the maintenance (if there are too many weeds, we let the sheep out and they take care of it). We do all our own vehicle work wherever we [censored] well please on the property.

Our neighbor on one side has a back yard full of marijuana plants higher than their fence. There is a barn on the property, but no house; they have lived in a motorhome for at least the past 2.5 years since we moved here. There are probably at least 5 broken down cars in the yard, and most properties in the area are similar. I like to think of it as freedom, not a detriment to property values.

 

[MCompact]

I just like having no neighbors at all. We have a lot of friends, but we choose to interact with. With neighbors that choice is not available.

 

[callbay]

I like it when properties in an area have common restrictions in the properties deed or filed restrictions. Like no mobile homes, no livestock, minimum house size and other "mild" restrictions. It keeps the property values up without going too far.

What I really do not like is when there has an HOA board that meets monthly that is always coming up with crazy new rules that some idiot comes up with and then all in the area have to live with them. Not for me at all.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: callbay
What I really do not like is when there has an HOA board that meets monthly that is always coming up with crazy new rules that some idiot comes up with and then all in the area have to live with them. Not for me at all.

Get involved with the board instead of letting other people make the rules for you.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: whip

Get involved with the board instead of letting other people make the rules for you.


One of my friends tried that; he finally concluded that he would either have to resign from the board or else sell all his firearms; he said that the other board members were so stupid and/or obnoxious that after about thirty minutes he was ready to shoot all of them.