How do you like your HOA?
- Thread starter naaman
- Start date
I remember reading about that when I was researching HOAs. And, yes, the dude totally lost it. But on the other hand, how many of your FB friends make posts like "we should start a federal holiday called 'kill stupid people day'"? There is a lot of talk around the water cooler about stupid people/jerks/insert-your-pet-peeve-here "being shot."
Not saying I condone it, but the overall climate with regard to personal pet peeves among the population is that "those people should be shot." So, like you said, it's almost no wonder.
Like the HOA equivilant of ROAD RAGE!!!!
I'm glad I started this thread. It's nice to know that I'm nowhere near alone in how I feel about HOAs, and I see some silver lining for the future that maybe they will relax or just go away all together... someday... hopefully... maybe.
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Living in Chicago, HOA is everywhere. Every time we started looking at a property that had this, I ultimately just could not deal with the idea of paying a group of idiots to govern my actions.
So I'm buying the entire building and I will govern it my damn self. ;-)
So I'm buying the entire building and I will govern it my damn self. ;-)
FL Man Faces $1,000 Fine, Property Lien for Wounded Warrior Flag
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/01/30/florida-man-faces-1000-fine-lien-his-house-wounded-warrior-flag
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/01/30/florida-man-faces-1000-fine-lien-his-house-wounded-warrior-flag
I've never bought a place that requires HOA. It's just ghey IMHO.
When my brother and sister went to the same college years ago, my folks were nice enough to buy the best Condo in that area (Cal Poly SLO) for around $100k + HOA.
The board of directors decided that they needed to erect a set of 2 story stairs (made outta concrete and metal instead of wood to match the condo). Guess how much the bill was? North of $400k.
Straight up scam and some side $$$$ being pocketed.
That is when my folks decided to sell the condo right after my siblings graduated.
Good thing the real estate market was pre-2008 crash in California and they sold the 2 bedroom condos in a college town for $400k.
When my brother and sister went to the same college years ago, my folks were nice enough to buy the best Condo in that area (Cal Poly SLO) for around $100k + HOA.
The board of directors decided that they needed to erect a set of 2 story stairs (made outta concrete and metal instead of wood to match the condo). Guess how much the bill was? North of $400k.
Straight up scam and some side $$$$ being pocketed.
That is when my folks decided to sell the condo right after my siblings graduated.
Good thing the real estate market was pre-2008 crash in California and they sold the 2 bedroom condos in a college town for $400k.
Everytime I see a commercial or a documentary or other show about wounded/paralyzed/amputee vets, I get all choked up inside and think about how that could just as easily have been me. And I count myself blessed beyond belief that it wasn't me. But it could have been; and my heart goes out to those service members who did the same things I did and didn't make it out in one piece. In some way, I can relate to them, but I know that I can't truly relate because I didn't go through it. I know I was "waiting for it to happen" everyday I was overseas. And there were many times where it almost did happen...
I totally understand enforcing trash clean up and lawn grooming, etc... but no HOA should presume to include in it's CCRs any restriction of Americans' reasonable 1st ammendment rights.
Have you heard the latest...HOA Nazi's take it to a new level.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/20140115medical-marijuana-ban-home-yards.html
http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/20140115medical-marijuana-ban-home-yards.html
Not that I particularly care about the marijuana issue at all, but a legally PRESCRIBED substance should be off limits to the HOA gestapo, IMO.
I love how they cite a reduction in "calls for service" to prove a 57% reduction in crime. LOL!!!
My offer on a very nice (but a bit older) house NOT in an HOA was accepted yesterday. I had to go over my target shopping price, but if I get it, the difference essentially works out to about the cost I would have been paying for the HOA fees.
What I've learned on my hunt is that there are a FEW HOAs in Arizona (Maricopa Co) which actually have a large variety of home styles/architecture. I really can't stand all the cookie-cutter HOAs. So, there are some that I might not hate as much on the basis of (somewhat) unique homes. I've also learned that anything built after 1996 WILL be in an HOA here in AZ. It's apparently "the law" that new developments establish an HOA to take care of road maintenance and other things like garbage or water contracts, etc.
So, once I narrowed my search to the longer-established areas in the Phoenix Metro area, I was able to easily find houses that were not in HOAs (even though some were still tract houses). I was able to get a really nice house (it looks very ordinary on the outside) that has easy access to the freeway (which save me time/gas during my 50-mile commute to work), but is far enough away that I don't have to listen to it all day/night.
Also, the neighborhood seems to be mostly (if not completely) occupied by home owners, as opposed to renters. On some of my drives through HOAs, it was easy to tell which neighborhoods were full of rentals. Even though the rules are followed, it is only by the bare minimum of the letter. The neighborhood I offered in is well-established and pride of ownership is strong all around.
So, I'm just going to do some final research and hopefully close the deal.
What I've learned on my hunt is that there are a FEW HOAs in Arizona (Maricopa Co) which actually have a large variety of home styles/architecture. I really can't stand all the cookie-cutter HOAs. So, there are some that I might not hate as much on the basis of (somewhat) unique homes. I've also learned that anything built after 1996 WILL be in an HOA here in AZ. It's apparently "the law" that new developments establish an HOA to take care of road maintenance and other things like garbage or water contracts, etc.
So, once I narrowed my search to the longer-established areas in the Phoenix Metro area, I was able to easily find houses that were not in HOAs (even though some were still tract houses). I was able to get a really nice house (it looks very ordinary on the outside) that has easy access to the freeway (which save me time/gas during my 50-mile commute to work), but is far enough away that I don't have to listen to it all day/night.
Also, the neighborhood seems to be mostly (if not completely) occupied by home owners, as opposed to renters. On some of my drives through HOAs, it was easy to tell which neighborhoods were full of rentals. Even though the rules are followed, it is only by the bare minimum of the letter. The neighborhood I offered in is well-established and pride of ownership is strong all around.
So, I'm just going to do some final research and hopefully close the deal.
Congrats! What part of town are you going to be in?
I'll be at 81st Ave, just south of Thunderbird in Peoria.
My first house had an HOA, I still own it, but now rent it out. I can't stand them, I could go on and on about the stupid stuff they do, but it's probably common for a lot of HOA's...bunch of morons who do whatever they feel despite bylaws etc, clearly think too much of themselves. I moved to a historic district that does not have any HOA and I am much happier!
Very cool!
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I'm very glad about the location. It's far enough west that I can jump on 101 quickly, and it's not so far north that I'm out of my normal social zone.
nsxter, I think I may have stopped by your house one day when PHOEN$X was there working on his brakes.
If everything goes well, I'll be moved in later this summer. Inspections and appraisal are this week.
nsxter, I think I may have stopped by your house one day when PHOEN$X was there working on his brakes.
If everything goes well, I'll be moved in later this summer. Inspections and appraisal are this week.
I'm at 107th Ave, Just North of Deer Valley.
Westside Primers!
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