Neighborhood with HOA fees

jessica290

Does anyone live in a regular housing neighborhood community with HOA fee's? I'm not sure what their called but I'm just wondering how they work and what you as a home owner in these complexes are responsible for? I have one by my house, pretty new but the houses are on top of eachother....

HoneyBee973

Each HOA is different.  

TX-Bride

HoneyBee973:

Each HOA is different.  

This!

If it's a mutli family, like condo/townhouse, HOA fees usually covers the maintenance of common grounds, and holiday lights, utilities of common grounds, if there is a common pool, pool maintenance, and exterior insurance of the units, hence their HOA is usually a lot higher than a regular HOA. For single family homes, it's everything mentioned above except the exterior insurance. Other things HOA pays for it's a gated neighborhood, it would cover gate maintenance and guard salary.

Our HOA does a weekly drive and if your house/yard is out of order you get a letter first, if you don't address the issue, then you get a fine. Some HOAs are more strict that others, and in some states HOAs are pretty powerful, sometimes too much power. Overall in my area at least, the houses that belong to neighborhoods with HOA keep their value better and are kept up better.

pugrace

A friend of mine lives in a strict HOA, they had to get permission from HOA to put up a certain kind of outdoor furniture! Her neighbor built a super nice (and totally adorable) gingerbread style playhouse for her kids to play in and the HOA is sueing her for putting it in, long story short she is moving. I would read the fine print very well, as much as an HOA is there to protect the value of your home and investment, it can bite you in the butt!!!!

We live in a townhome and our $179 monthly HOA covers the pool costs, snow removal and salting (they even shovel our walk ways) all garbage, all water (I love this since I take long showers but also let friends use our washer who go to the laundry mat) and mulch every spring.

vpine

We pay $500 a year for HOA fees. They gave me a 20 page guide on what's allowed, etc. If I want to make a back patio or attachment to house, I have to get their permission. If I want to cut down the front yard tree and replace it, I have to get their permission. They have those type of rules basically, I haven't noticed them passing by or checking on things. My brother cut down his front yard tree and didn't notify them or replace it and it's been 6 months and he hasn't heard from them - supposedly they can fine you or give you warning. There are some that will give specifics on what type of Christmas lights and decorations you can have, read the rules first, most are available online for specific subdivision.

jessica290

Yikes! Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I hate condo life but don't want to take on the full responsibility of owning a home...but I guess that my idea isn't really going to help me either way...ugg

jtmh2012

Here's something else to think about.  Most of these are elected boards.  So you might move in and have an easygoing board, but then there's an election and they get really strict about everything in the rulebook.  Had a friend have this happen to him and they ended up having to move.

jessica290

Agreed, I've gone to our condo meeting that we have once a year, and some of the owners get so political about all this business, they talk about people sueing for breaking rules and all that stuff, it's kinda scary. I don't get why people biCH and complain so much, our condo's are nicely kept, condo fee's rarely go up...i say, if they don't like it, get the heck out!

jsarah

They are all different as shown below.  Mine is very lax.  Almost no rules are enforced.  The only thing anyone cares about is keeping your home looking nice.  The only person I know of who got a notice NEEDED it.  They were leaving out garbage everywhere.  I think you need to consider each hoa individually.