HOA's? -  The Good, The Bad, The Nitty Gritty!

Many times HOA's get a bad rap for being overbearing, nosy, entities that govern a neighborhood,  but let's look at things realistically. 

Most HOA's are set up to  protect a neighborhood's standards. They have regulations set in place that are usually stricter than regular city ordinances.  

Some may say who needs standards stricter than city ordinances?  Others may respond Is the landscaping design showing in the picture above something you would like to have next door to you?

If not, then living in a neighborhood with additional CC&R’s (Covenants, Codes, and Restrictions), and a Homeowner’s Association might be something to consider.

Owning a home in a HOA community means accepting restrictions on things such as the colors and building materials you can use on your home, front yard landscape design, as well as parking restrictions. If a homeowner violates the CC&R’s, the Association can fine the homeowner, which can discourage violations.

While adhering to an HOA's rules such as getting approval from the architectural board can sometimes seem overbearing, these same rules  make it very unlikely that your sports fan neighbor will paint their house “Kings Purple”, or install landscape such as the painted rocks in the photo above.

On the other hand, if you are someone who might ever want to store a motorhome on your property, put an above ground pool in your front yard, or restore an old truck in your driveway,  then you probably should inspect your neighborhood's CC&R's carefully before purchasing a home in a community with a Homeowners Association.

HOA or not, if you are looking for a home, there are many things to consider, so give me a call, and let's talk about what's important in YOUR next home!