HOA's
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Those things bother me, so we chose to live in a neighborhood with a HOA. I don't know why people would choose to live some place with one when they're opposed to them.I grew up in the country. Doesn't bother me one bit.
Sometimes the neighborhood and the cost of the home outweight the HOA. Food for thought.0 -
Wow, some of these stories make me REALLY happy I didn't buy a house at an HOA. We almost did but decided not to. That would annoy the hell out of me someone dictating what I can and can not do on MY property. I guess you are pretty much giving up the right to your property...what's the point? Why do people giving a flying f what their neighbor is doing anyway?0
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Really?! You would rather have empty homes with bug problems, squatters, etc. because your HOA forced someone to leave because they didn't pay dues? And not letting someone park their vehicle, regardless of what it looks like, in their own driveway? Why do you care?
You're watching a lot of tv. It's not very common that houses sit empty, have bugs and squatters because a HOA forced someone to leave for not paying their dues. And, no, I would not "rather" that happen.
I care because I purchased a house in a neighborhood with a HOA. I did that because I want the neighborhood to be kept looking nice. Sorry, but busted up POS's on bricks leaking oil is NOT what I want to see in the house next to mine.0 -
No one is "dictating". You're agreeing to it up front.Wow, some of these stories make me REALLY happy I didn't buy a house at an HOA. We almost did but decided not to. That would annoy the hell out of me someone dictating what I can and can not do on MY property. I guess you are pretty much giving up the right to your property...what's the point? Why do people giving a flying f what their neighbor is doing anyway?0 -
That's so sad. But, really.....the wife wasn't opening her bills? What did she think would happen? I don't think they would have done this had there been some comminication with what the family was going through.
Well when a spouse is overseas and the other is debilitated with depression... it can happen... My question is, did they even try to communicate? ETA: And by they I mean the HOA and in other way's other than a piece of paper through the mail.
Now, I'm not saying all HOA's are bad (I like ours... but like I said, ours is pretty much an HOA on paper and not in practice)... but there are quite a few in this great state of Texas that are more restricting than a boa constrictor on it's next meal....
Just a little side tangent... having family in the midwest makes me think about this quite often, particularly when we go visit... why is it that neighborhoods in the midwest, one would be hardpressed to find a fenced off property (unless there are dogs or a swimming pool)... at least this is true in my mom and dad's hometowns and my MIL's home town.... but around here in Texas, where we are supposed to have the "don't fence me in" attitude, EVERY. ONE. has a fence? Unless you live out in the middle of farm land that is....0 -
Really?! You would rather have empty homes with bug problems, squatters, etc. because your HOA forced someone to leave because they didn't pay dues? And not letting someone park their vehicle, regardless of what it looks like, in their own driveway? Why do you care?
You're watching a lot of tv. It's not very common that houses sit empty, have bugs and squatters because a HOA forced someone to leave for not paying their dues. And, no, I would not "rather" that happen.
I care because I purchased a house in a neighborhood with a HOA. I did that because I want the neighborhood to be kept looking nice. Sorry, but busted up POS's on bricks leaking oil is NOT what I want to see in the house next to mine.
You know, I grew up with no HOAs and have been through many neighborhoods without HOAs and it's really not very common for people in general to have broken cars on blocks in their yards. That just doesn't happen all that often (though some poorer neighborhoods do tend to have it more often) just because there isn't an HOA.
It's fine that you like having one, but to think that NOT having one means the place goes to crap is kind of a limited and sheltered view of the world.0 -
Don't like them. Don't belong to one. Wouldn't buy a home in a neighborhood where I had to pay dues and vote on what color I can paint my house.
Been in the same home for almost 25 years and never had a problem. How much do you think I would have paid a HOA in that amount of time?0 -
Really?! You would rather have empty homes with bug problems, squatters, etc. because your HOA forced someone to leave because they didn't pay dues? And not letting someone park their vehicle, regardless of what it looks like, in their own driveway? Why do you care?
You're watching a lot of tv. It's not very common that houses sit empty, have bugs and squatters because a HOA forced someone to leave for not paying their dues. And, no, I would not "rather" that happen.
I care because I purchased a house in a neighborhood with a HOA. I did that because I want the neighborhood to be kept looking nice. Sorry, but busted up POS's on bricks leaking oil is NOT what I want to see in the house next to mine.
You know, I grew up with no HOAs and have been through many neighborhoods without HOAs and it's really not very common for people in general to have broken cars on blocks in their yards. That just doesn't happen all that often (though some poorer neighborhoods do tend to have it more often) just because there isn't an HOA.
It's fine that you like having one, but to think that NOT having one means the place goes to crap is kind of a limited and sheltered view of the world.
I have to agree... even when I drive through the poorer sections of town, I may see overgrown grass... and even then it's not a jungle... but I rarely, if ever, see busted up cars and trash in the front yard.... Often cities will have ordinances against this kind of stuff anyway, where all it takes is a call to City Hall to have a code enforcer come out... thus making the HOA's dealings on this redundant.0 -
I have to agree... even when I drive through the poorer sections of town, I may see overgrown grass... and even then it's not a jungle... but I rarely, if ever, see busted up cars and trash in the front yard.... Often cities will have ordinances against this kind of stuff anyway, where all it takes is a call to City Hall to have a code enforcer come out... thus making the HOA's dealings on this redundant.
^^This.0 -
It really depends on their "rules" if I think they suck.... around here we have had many HOA's in the news because they are just so asinine.... one was in the news because they didn't allow a "working man's" truck in the driveways... but you could park your "truck" made by Cadillac or some other luxury vehicle parading as a truck... We also have had HOA's that won't let you put solar panels on the roof because they are "ugly" or would try to foreclose on someone's home because they weren't current on their dues
I would consider these great rules and not sucky at all.
Really?! You would rather have empty homes with bug problems, squatters, etc. because your HOA forced someone to leave because they didn't pay dues? And not letting someone park their vehicle, regardless of what it looks like, in their own driveway? Why do you care?
You agree to all the terms and conditions of the HOA when you purchase the house. If you do not like them then don't buy the house. There are bad HOAs around but in general they are pretty good. The bad ones tend to get reputations which actually lowers the property values in the community which is pretty funny when you consider the whole point of an HOA is to keep property values up.
If they don't pay their dues then you can be sure I want the HOA to do something. When you don't pay your dues mine go up to cover for you.
My HOA is pretty lax. For $575 a year I get pool/tennis courts/basketball courts and a common area. In 8 years I have received notices to paint my house, clean up landscape beds, hide my garbage can, and fix erosion in my back yard which cost more then I care to remember. Every notice I have received were for things on my to do list anyway so it didn't matter.
For every HOA horror story someone can link I am pretty sure I can track down a story about an ahole neighbor making all other neighbor's lives miserable.0 -
Don't like them. Don't belong to one. Wouldn't buy a home in a neighborhood where I had to pay dues and vote on what color I can paint my house.
Been in the same home for almost 25 years and never had a problem. How much do you think I would have paid a HOA in that amount of time?
perfect response.0 -
Funny story about my friends brother in law...His HOA complained that the paint looked bad on a rental home he owned. The fined him twice in the span of month for not touching up the paint so he painted the house bright pink! It was pretty funny and as there were no rules to the color of the houses and a great way to stick it to the overbearing board.0
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http://bentcorner.com/someone-supposedly-paints-house-like-an-american-flag-in-protest-of-homeowners-association/
This is a rumor apparently but I LOVE how that house looks. I would live in it.0 -
It really depends on their "rules" if I think they suck.... around here we have had many HOA's in the news because they are just so asinine.... one was in the news because they didn't allow a "working man's" truck in the driveways... but you could park your "truck" made by Cadillac or some other luxury vehicle parading as a truck... We also have had HOA's that won't let you put solar panels on the roof because they are "ugly" or would try to foreclose on someone's home because they weren't current on their dues
I would consider these great rules and not sucky at all.
Really?! You would rather have empty homes with bug problems, squatters, etc. because your HOA forced someone to leave because they didn't pay dues? And not letting someone park their vehicle, regardless of what it looks like, in their own driveway? Why do you care?
You agree to all the terms and conditions of the HOA when you purchase the house. If you do not like them then don't buy the house. There are bad HOAs around but in general they are pretty good. The bad ones tend to get reputations which actually lowers the property values in the community which is pretty funny when you consider the whole point of an HOA is to keep property values up.
If they don't pay their dues then you can be sure I want the HOA to do something. When you don't pay your dues mine go up to cover for you.
My HOA is pretty lax. For $575 a year I get pool/tennis courts/basketball courts and a common area. In 8 years I have received notices to paint my house, clean up landscape beds, hide my garbage can, and fix erosion in my back yard which cost more then I care to remember. Every notice I have received were for things on my to do list anyway so it didn't matter.
For every HOA horror story someone can link I am pretty sure I can track down a story about an ahole neighbor making all other neighbor's lives miserable.
I know that we agree to the terms beforehand... I have been through the process before... and I'll say it for the billionth time... not all HOA's are bad... I get that... Hell, I like mine... and if we had bought the first house we saw (which I'm glad we didn't) I would have liked that HOA as well, even with it's dues... I don't mind the less restrictive HOA's... You know, like the ones that allow you to put a flag pole in your front yard or solar panels on your roof or park your F150 in the driveway... but still require you to mow your lawns... and I just don't think that HOA's should be able to foreclose on a home... there has to be something else one can do besides stealing back.... I don't understand how stealing from a resident because they were stealing from the HOA makes anything right....
I just don't like the ones run by *kitten* that would rather play the Mean Girls drama, rather than keeping a cohesive community. The stories my MIL comes back with from their HOA meetings makes me relive highschool all over again... and those are the ones that I can live without thank you very much...0 -
I just don't like the ones run by *kitten* that would rather play the Mean Girls drama, rather than keeping a cohesive community. The stories my MIL comes back with from their HOA meetings makes me relive highschool all over again... and those are the ones that I can live without thank you very much...
Yup. I agree with you 100%.0 -
I've never lived in one like that, thank goodness!I just don't like the ones run by *kitten* that would rather play the Mean Girls drama, rather than keeping a cohesive community. The stories my MIL comes back with from their HOA meetings makes me relive highschool all over again... and those are the ones that I can live without thank you very much...0 -
Really?! You would rather have empty homes with bug problems, squatters, etc. because your HOA forced someone to leave because they didn't pay dues? And not letting someone park their vehicle, regardless of what it looks like, in their own driveway? Why do you care?
You're watching a lot of tv. It's not very common that houses sit empty, have bugs and squatters because a HOA forced someone to leave for not paying their dues. And, no, I would not "rather" that happen.
I care because I purchased a house in a neighborhood with a HOA. I did that because I want the neighborhood to be kept looking nice. Sorry, but busted up POS's on bricks leaking oil is NOT what I want to see in the house next to mine.
Really? A lot of TV? You know me so well. :huh:
Let me guess...you pay up the wazoo and are a member of the Neighborhood Watch gang. I applaude you for caring about how your neighborhood looks. But in the real world, we aren't all as fortunate.0 -
No. I am not on the board of our HOA. My fees are not outrageous. I live in Houston. One of the largest cities in the US and I've seen plenty of neighborhood that have been run down by lack of "caring" what the yards, houses, and streets look like. My drive from home to the gym takes me through such neighborhoods. I see Christmas lights up year round and cars parked on the grass all the time. I choose not to live in a neighborhood like that. I like that we have rules against things that can make my neighborhood look run down.Let me guess...you pay up the wazoo and are a member of the Neighborhood Watch gang. I applaude you for caring about how your neighborhood looks. But in the real world, we aren't all as fortunate.0 -
Team Patti.
We live in a neighborhood with an HOA. Did in AZ, and did with our 2nd house in MI too. I wouldn't change it. The HOA President in AZ was a bit of an *kitten* at times but if we got a notice about something like the grass being overgrown we just fixed it. In 99% of the cases by the time we got the notice we had already taken care of it anyhow. We added a security door there (for air flow and looks, not because there was any need for security) and they said it had to come out because of the color. The color was the same as the fornt door which was already in place when we moved in. We wrote back and said as much and also pointed out that there were 5 other houses on the block with the same color door as it had been done by the builder. It was fine after that.
In MI one of the people down the street decided she wanted to live in the woods and didn't like her neighbors. She planted 32 evergreen trees in her yard. Mind you, they were small lots of 70x130. The HOA said no. I love trees but that would have been an eyesore. The HOA bought the extras from her and planted them around the neighborhood in the parks and common areas.
Our HOA dues pay for maintaining the common areas, entrance landscaping and signs, the pool, tennis courts, clubhouse, parks, etc. Without an HOA we wouldn't have any of those. They also pay so that those foreclosed and empty homes still have the grass mowed and weeds controlled.
Regarding an HOA foreclosing on someone - it's not a matter of "Oh, you didn't pay your dues last month. Get out." There is a legal process. Once they fall far enough behind without any contact or attempt to remedy the situation the HOA will file to put a lein on the property. When that fails to do the job then and only then (and only in some states) can the HOA actually foreclose. It's a long legal process and the homeowner is notified of every step of it and given numerous opportunities to appeal and/or pay.0 -
The head of our neighborhood HOA also happens to run our wine tasting group, so things usually get worked out pretty amicably.0
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LOVE that!The head of our neighborhood HOA also happens to run our wine tasting group, so things usually get worked out pretty amicably.0 -
Bahet? Is that really YOU on my team???Team Patti.
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Bahet? Is that really YOU on my team???Team Patti.
I know! I'm skeered. Hold me.0 -
Awwww. Come here, mama. It'll be ok.I know! I'm skeered. Hold me.0 -
Bahet? Is that really YOU on my team???Team Patti.
I know! I'm skeered. Hold me.
Haha, thanks for the laugh this morning!0 -
LOVE!!!!! I would never live in a subdivision that did not have a HOA. It's the best way to ensure your neighbors keep up with their yards, the noise policies, color of their houses, building crazy things, etc. Oh....and my pet peeves- Christmas lights up year round on your house and parking your car in the grass. Yes, I've seen this allowed and done in some neighborhoods.
My mom left her Christmas lights up...now we joke that she's just on time for Christmas in July.
I also park in her grass when I visit. Her driveway is full, and if I park in the street, I'd block access to their mailbox. They also have another vehicle that won't fit on the driveway that they park in the grass. I'm genuinely curious, why would that bother you to see in your neighborhood?0 -
I love you! When you park in the grass, the grass dies. Christmas lights up on houses all year long and grass that isn't cared for are not aesthetically pleasing (at least not to me). I do not want my neighborhood to be, or appear, run down. I love living in a beautiful neighborhood with nice lawns, flowers and landscaping that our HOA dues pays for, and with a HOA that will drive through to ensure the neighborhood remains that way. When I drive through some neighborhoods, I don't think they're "pretty" because people have let their yards go, paint is chipped, rotted wood isn't replaced, etc. I'm not judging by saying those are trashy people. I don't know them. I'm just saying I WANT to live in a neighborhood that is clean and pretty and where everyone is expected to help keep it that way.My mom left her Christmas lights up...now we joke that she's just on time for Christmas in July.
I also park in her grass when I visit. Her driveway is full, and if I park in the street, I'd block access to their mailbox. They also have another vehicle that won't fit on the driveway that they park in the grass. I'm genuinely curious, why would that bother you to see in your neighborhood?0 -
I love you! When you park in the grass, the grass dies. Christmas lights up on houses all year long and grass that isn't cared for are not aesthetically pleasing (at least not to me). I do not want my neighborhood to be, or appear, run down. I love living in a beautiful neighborhood with nice lawns, flowers and landscaping that our HOA dues pays for, and with a HOA that will drive through to ensure the neighborhood remains that way. When I drive through some neighborhoods, I don't think they're "pretty" because people have let their yards go, paint is chipped, rotted wood isn't replaced, etc. I'm not judging by saying those are trashy people. I don't know them. I'm just saying I WANT to live in a neighborhood that is clean and pretty and where everyone is expected to help keep it that way.My mom left her Christmas lights up...now we joke that she's just on time for Christmas in July.
I also park in her grass when I visit. Her driveway is full, and if I park in the street, I'd block access to their mailbox. They also have another vehicle that won't fit on the driveway that they park in the grass. I'm genuinely curious, why would that bother you to see in your neighborhood?
Her grass (and everyone else's in that neighborhood) has been dead for over a decade. I've only been parking there the past few years. :laugh:
I guess I just don't see the point of HOA's. I'm sure it varies upon location and neighborhood and such, but back when my family's neighborhood was HOA 14 years ago, they experienced the same problems I do living in a non-HOA city limits area--noise, soliciting, trespassing, horrible neighbors who have no respect for others property, etc. So to me, it'd be like paying extra to experience issues.
Everyone I know who lives in a HOA neighborhood here hates it--my one friend got a nasty notice because a dandelion popped up on the edge of her property. She got another one because someone had left her a pot of flowers as a gift on her doorstep. She works sometimes 24 hours straight, and didn't see it 'til the next day. I couldn't live like that happily, so I choose to avoid them.
I definitely preferred them when I lived in an apartment, though. In an apartment, it's not like you have property to do anything with in the first place, and it helped keep the gym, tennis courts, parks, picnic areas, clubhouse, and other amenities up and running and clean. It also helped pay for the 2 car wash areas we had...which was nice, when a lot of apartments and neighborhoods won't let you wash your car on your property, so we had a place in our neighborhood to do it for free.0 -
Buahahaha... dead grass in West Texas is the ONLY kind of grass anyone has... It's the softest dead grass I have ever seen too... :laugh:0
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Buahahaha... dead grass in West Texas is the ONLY kind of grass anyone has... It's the softest dead grass I have ever seen too... :laugh:
I live in Florida, where fake grass is very abundant...my family's, however, is all weeds. Really gross, stinky, stubborn weeds. It's a pain to mow. And mow, you must, since the entire property is weeds...verified by a lawn inspector this year. It's unfortunate...but what can ya do. They've put way too much time and money into it already and it still is weeds. Plus I'm 99% sure it's on a sinkhole...like a majority of the rest of Florida properties.:ohwell:0
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