I'm worried about buying a home in an HOA neighborhood! (Howe: foreclosed, HOA fees)

[momof2dfw]

As for the OP, do your homework. Some HOA's in the McKinney area I know do not allow even a swingset or even the nicer wood play forts w/ swings in the backyards. They dictate what flowers, trees and shrubs you can plant, etc. Not my cup of tea. I live in an HOA but ours has some common sense. If it's an HOA w/ the bully attitude and those that have no power in other areas of their life wanting some power and they get on the board of an HOA........those are the people that are a PITA to deal w/ and can ruin a neighborhood and the HOA.

[getmeoutofhere]

My HOA doesn't really dictate what you can and can't plant. However, the landscaping company has a yearly spring sale with massive discounts on plants and installation to encourage you to plant flowers and keep things looking nice.

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

As for the OP, do your homework. Some HOA's in the McKinney area I know do not allow even a swingset or even the nicer wood play forts w/ swings in the backyards. They dictate what flowers, trees and shrubs you can plant, etc. Not my cup of tea. I live in an HOA but ours has some common sense. If it's an HOA w/ the bully attitude and those that have no power in other areas of their life wanting some power and they get on the board of an HOA........those are the people that are a PITA to deal w/ and can ruin a neighborhood and the HOA.

She hit the nail right on the head with this post

[skids929]

My point is sound and obviously being missed here..As you move up the wealth scale the neighborhood will almost self govern since rich people don't necessarily keep crappy yards. Not to mention most of the town used as bellweather examples of nonHOA succes stories were incorporated before HOAs existed..It's a common observation and pretty typical that wealthier neighborhoods will receive better public services as well, (the benefits of which are obvious) than a lower income neighborhood. E.G. the aforementioned "south dallas". You would have to be kidding yourself to think just because there is some rule there is an equilibrium in allocation of resources dedicated to each area..Whether or not a neighborhood in south dallas or the Park cities and has the same rules is completely irrelevant to my point anyway. My point is, it's almost a veritable sliding scale that moves upward, as wealth increases neighborhoods will typically be nicer/desirable overall. The newer middle class neighborhoods would ultimately have the largest variance one way or the other since this is the largest class of people and will include a wider variety of income levels etc. Especially since people making $19k a year can magically afford $400k homes these days.. Using that example, there would be a larger pool of say some that care, some that don't making HOAs a preferred defense rather than local government. Exceptions of neighborhoods that are older, nice and stable exist of course, but newer neighborhoods that have HOAs have them for sound reasons. And more than likely older neighborhoods don't have them because they were built prior to the advent of the HOA goldrush and could never implement one after the fact. Doesn't mean they think they suck..

Alot of the newer neighborhoods in the newer suburbs I have seen and researched (that are upper/middle class) seem to benefit greatly from appropriately restrictive HOAs, in terms of curbside appeal anyway. Experiences in my own very desirable upper/middle-class neighborhood without an HOA, where people can plant what they want, paint their doors and homes what they want has proven there are homeowners that need rules. And I am not talking about crab boils, thats the good stuff..With that said, in general if a person were ever to consider why HOAs exist in the first place one could assume it's due to the failure of local governments to maximize property values for people with local codes and authorities alone.

[skids929]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

You didn't mention that the established neighborhoods "get it" in your OP although I appreciate the point.

I am pretty sure I did actually......Yep, I did.

[PlanoGirl]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

As for the OP, do your homework. Some HOA's in the McKinney area I know do not allow even a swingset or even the nicer wood play forts w/ swings in the backyards. They dictate what flowers, trees and shrubs you can plant, etc. Not my cup of tea. I live in an HOA but ours has some common sense. If it's an HOA w/ the bully attitude and those that have no power in other areas of their life wanting some power and they get on the board of an HOA........those are the people that are a PITA to deal w/ and can ruin a neighborhood and the HOA.

Agreed. Once you find a neighborhood you are interested in, the best thing you can do is talk to people who actually live there. See what the HOA is like from a current resident's point of view. Having moved from a non-HOA neighborhood to a HOA community, I was a little intimidated by all the "rules" initially. However, now that we have been here almost 2 years, and have made a number of modifications to our property...it really has been no big deal at all. Most of the time, when I've inquired about specific changes, I've been told..."Oh, you don't have to get approval for that." And for those that we did (swing set, pool safety fence), it was an easy painless process.

Momof2...you've mentioned that before about a particular Mckinney neighborhood having a really strict HOA. Could you let me know which one that is? I haven't heard of one like that nearby...and I would hate to be suggesting such a neighborhood to people moving here. Thanks!

[fratermus]

One of the non-negotiables during our house search was no freaking HOA.

[BoxCar Willie]

Originally Posted by fratermus

One of the non-negotiables during our house search was no freaking HOA.

YUP 100% WHY would I want to live on my own property and have to comply to the whims of a group of Big headed Nazi's? I have to have my house painted a certain color my roof shingles a certain color ONLY certain plants allowed, my grass just so long, and only certain vehicles in my driveway. Oh and pay a fee for this honor AS WELL as property taxes

MY money paid for this house. MY money pays for the taxes. MY money pays for the repairs, painting and such. I will decide what color I want MY house IF I want Pink Lime green or Purple

It's MY HOUSE ,MY PROPERTY!!!

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

I have/had a neighbor who's car leaked oil like the Exxon Valdez. I was not crazy about it but I would much rather deal with her than some HOA telling me I have to plant a red oak tree instead of a crepe myrtle. I certainly would not like the fact that if I did not do exactly what the HOA said I could be fined dailey and in a worse case scenary they could take my house from me. I would rather deal with the crawfish boils than any entity that has the power to take my home. I'm not willing to give my freedom away so freely. Again I have no issue with HOA's that sole purpose is to keep the neighborhood neat and tidy. It's the ultra restrictive ones that I could never be apart of. To each his own I say.

I wasn't complaining about the turkeys or the crawfish boils. I think it's cute and quaint, not annoying at all. But in an HOA-controlled Gestapo they might not be able to do such things. It doesn't bother me as long as they don't start a fire. It's not like they do it every day.

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Dangit.......... you found me Exept I'm not from Louisiana. I like crawfish boils and cookouts

Once I get my propane grill I'll be grilling on my driveway too. Mine's a side entrance though, and my Louisiana neighbors' driveway is a front entry. It's actually a nice way to meet people when they do that...wander over, have a look at their setup, etc. Use it as an excuse to strike up a conversation. They're nice people.

[hal2814]

I think it really depends on the HOA and the city code enforcement in the area where the house is. I think a lot of people here have been spoiled by their city's stringent code enforcement. In many areas, code enforcement is almost non-existent. In those areas, there's no way I'd buy a house without an HOA. However, where I currently live I see no reason for one. When I closed on my current house the closing was delayed a few weeks and the previous owner let the yard go during that time (just a few weeks, mind you). When I closed and went by to start moving into the property, I was comforted to see a nice bright orange City of Euless warning on my front door to cut my grass. There's no way my previous town would've come by to do that.

If you're worried about it, look into the HOA's rules. Also, look into how they can add and remove rules and how often they do that. Then look into the consequences of breaking those rules. I don't think an HOA is something to fear but I do think it's important to read and understand what you're getting into if you buy in an HOA-controlled neighborhood.