Would you buy into a homeowners association?

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( W/E.
When the HOA won't let you build a garage large enough to house the equipment? )</font>
It would strike me that you would not be a candidate for living in a neighborhood with an association.

The key is to read the rules first. See if the rules are compatible with your intended land use. If your eyes are open when you go in, you won't be surprised, and you won't be upset.

 

[MotorSeven]

Terry,

An HOA is a personal thing. There are those on both sides of the question that have valid points. I have lived in both, and will (yes im going to say it!) say NEVER !
My reasons are very personal....i do not want other people telling me what color my house can be, what size barn to build, how many chickens i can own, ...etcetc. Heck, down here(FL) most HOA's won't let you park a pick-up in your driveway...even if it is your work veh!
SO i bought 95 ac so i can have my privacy. This works for ME, i am prepared for the "drawbacks", and i won't have it any other way! Choose wisely, and talk to the neighbors before you buy anything!

RD

 

[dmccarty]

Yep, Ye have to read the rules.

We sold off 5 acres to raise money for the house. We had at least two landscaping companies call about the land. They wanted to park their equipment on the lot. That is not allowed. That is a good thing. We don't want the traffic, noise, extra people, and increased road work. I saw where a company bought what looks like 5 acres on a major road. They have done a good job putting in a driveway, landscaping, growing areas, etc. Looks good. But its not what the neighborhood is for and thus the reason for the convenants.

Later,
Dan

 

[riptides]

I view a HOA as yet another "thingy" to be scrutinized. Carefully. You have your land use issues from the state/county governments, then, easements and restrictions on your deed, then HOA covenants. All these items put together may make the issue of buying and selling a mute point.

HOAs can be set up and enforced in both positive and negative ways. Of course one always hears the bad, first. But a good sense of community can be brought out by an HOA that shares values with its members.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tlbuser]

Actually, I was looking at what you wrote. <font color="blue"> Personally, I don't want a neighbor parking a semi-truck on the 5 acre lot next to me. I want people to build out buildings that match their homes. </font>

What is so offensive about parking one commercial vehicle on your own property? With more and more HOA's turning up, where are these type of people supposed to live?
And, the rules can change once you move in.

 

[RonR]

Just outside the burbs around here, you see someone put up a $400K home, and within sight of it is a single wide trailer with the tires on the roof, 12 dead cars around it, and the entire family's 30 yr collection of used refrigerators as yard ornaments. Oh, and 37 barking dogs! Lawn, what lawn? The kids and dogs have rendered it baren.

I live in town (without HOA), but no problems in the past 20 yrs with bad yards and junk stuff. Our city has ordinances on neglected property/junk yards, so that helps.

If I were to build in the country, I'd want some protection on my investment so the value could be protected.

ron

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="blue"> ( Actually, I was looking at what you wrote. </font><font color="red">Personally, I don't want a neighbor parking a semi-truck on the 5 acre lot next to me. I want people to build out buildings that match their homes. </font>
<font color="blue">
What is so offensive about parking one commercial vehicle on your own property? With more and more HOA's turning up, where are these type of people supposed to live?
And, the rules can change once you move in.
</font>
OUTSIDE of my neighborhood, people can do what they want. They can park big diesel trucks there too. I own a fleet of diesels, I know that in cold weather you let them run, I know they make noise. Personally, I don't want one parked next door to me for those reasons. That is why I choose to live in an area with an association.

As for rules changing AFTER you move in, that can happen, but I've owned my property for over 15 years. In that time there have been exactly ZERO changes in the rules.

I'm not so sure what is so difficult to understand.

I chose to live in an area with an association and I could have chosen to live in an area without one.

Sorry, but I want to have higher property values. I want a quiet street. I do not want large commercial vehicles tearing up the road that I must pay a share of keeping repaired. I do not want the noise that comes with a large commercial truck. Further, I do not want a business locating on my street bringing in traffic. I also don't want a "double wide" parked down the block either.

Now please don't misunderstand. I have no problems with modular housing, there are many of them within a few miles of my house, I just don't want one on my street because it will lower my property value. I also have no problem with trucks, but I don't want one of those running at idle on cold morning because of several reasons, not the least of which is it will lower my property values. This is an economic choice, I choose to protect my property value, so I chose to move into an area with an association.

We all have to choose. The original poster asked a question. There are good and bad points to associations. I chose to look for things when I bought my property that were compatible with my intended land use. I found an area that had an association that had rules that were compatible with my land use.

That is my choice.

With my choice, I enjoy the protection of my property values that the association provides. The restrictions imposed by the association I live in are not a problem for me based on my past, or current use, and not based on any forseeable future use.


</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just outside the burbs around here, you see someone put up a $400K home, and within sight of it is a single wide trailer with the tires on the roof, 12 dead cars around it, and the entire family's 30 yr collection of used refrigerators as yard ornaments. Oh, and 37 barking dogs! Lawn, what lawn? The kids and dogs have rendered it baren.

I live in town (without HOA), but no problems in the past 20 yrs with bad yards and junk stuff. Our city has ordinances on neglected property/junk yards, so that helps.

If I were to build in the country, I'd want some protection on my investment so the value could be protected.

ron

)</font>

EXACTLY!!! That is exactly the point!


</font>

 

[tlbuser]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
I'm not so sure what is so difficult to understand.

I also have no problem with trucks, but I don't want one of those running at idle on cold morning because of several reasons, not the least of which is it will lower my property values.

</font> )</font>

I understand completely. It's a NIMBY thing.

 

[dmccarty]

MotorSeven,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Heck, down here(FL) most HOA's won't let you park a pick-up in your driveway...even if it is your work veh! )</font>

Its the work vehicle issue that the HMA don't want. I can see someone living in a very built up development, with zero lot lines, not wanting to look at a banged up work truck with ladders and extension cords hanging all over.

What the HMAs have done is banned pickups unless they are parked in a garage. I think this more historical since it used to be that very few people had PUs which had obviously changed.

However there was a lawsuit from PU owners in HMAs against this rule in the convenants and the court decided in the PUs favor. So until the appeal is successful it looks like you can park a PU outside in a HMA in FLA. This just happned in the past month or so.

Later,
Dan

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Its the work vehicle issue that the HMA don't want. I can see someone living in a very built up development, with zero lot lines, not wanting to look at a banged up work truck with ladders and extension cords hanging all over. )</font>

I gues some people put too much stake in appearance. I wouldn't have an issue with a working man living next to me with a banged up truck and extension cords.. but he's got to put up with my cows and horses /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As fro semi trucks.. can't see that it makes much different vs huge RV's. Our closest neighbor has the biggest RV I have ever seen.. like agreyhound bus.. and the garage he built to store it takes up nearly 3/4 of an acre... go figure..

Soundguy