[Sueilp]

i would like to ditto riveree's comment that not all non-HOA communities are run down and bad neighbourhoods....

I personally would consider very very hard before living in a HOA community. I have a couple of friends who live in different ones and to be honest I think they are so far up their own backsides. You have to paint your house a certain color, you cant have certain plants in your yard and you cant have your grass any longer than a certain length...sorry that sort of living is not for me. My friend has been fined several times already for really sill things = one of them having the wrong color plant outside. Another friend was going away recently for a couple of weeks vacation and wanted to put their hurricane shutters up while away and was told they cant....

[manchester]

Originally Posted by Sueilp

i would like to ditto riveree's comment that not all non-HOA communities are run down and bad neighbourhoods....

I personally would consider very very hard before living in a HOA community. I have a couple of friends who live in different ones and to be honest I think they are so far up their own backsides. You have to paint your house a certain color, you cant have certain plants in your yard and you cant have your grass any longer than a certain length...sorry that sort of living is not for me. My friend has been fined several times already for really sill things = one of them having the wrong color plant outside. Another friend was going away recently for a couple of weeks vacation and wanted to put their hurricane shutters up while away and was told they cant....

you said it better than my previous post

just can't understand why you buy a house and then have to answer to someone else, mind blowing for me
I bought the land and then had a house built, it's surrounded by trees and woods on three sides, it's so quiet, don't have to lock the doors on the house or car, I can only see 2 houses as we are spread out and trees ae everywhere.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by CobraKen

We're building in a "deed restricted" community which doesn't seem to be as choking as "home owners associations". Is there actually much of a difference in the two in everyone's opinion ?? I personally like the idea !!!

Three things:

1) HOAs are in deed restricted communities, but deed restricted communities do not always have HOAs

2) One is not more or less restrictive than the other:

For example, I live in a community with an HOA and I have a family member in a deed-restricted community that has no HOA. If I owned a house painting business, I could park my truck in my driveway, but my family member would not be allowed to do so in his neighborhood (no work trucks allowed in driveways). The rules differ from neighborhood to neighborhood.

3) If you live in a deed-restricted community and a neighbor is violating the rules, you have no one to turn to other than the city. If their rule-breaking bothers you, you have to take it upon yourself to go down to the city and file a complaint (with an HOA, you can just send an email and the property management company takes care of it).

[Old Man Winter]

I am not a fan of HOA's or deed restrictions of any kind. If someone buys a property they have the right to paint it what ever color they like, park tanks and swamp buggies on the lot and even have a darn pumpkin patch in the front if that is what floats their boat ! Too controlling, too restrictive, and a little too anal for me. "hey was that new mailbox approved by the board ? We may need to have you take that down until we can vote". No thanks

[tallrick]

Hopefully people will get tired of the HOA nonsense. Our ancestors didn't have this foolishness, and they lived in a much better country than we do now. HOA and zoning represents all the bad things that will destroy the United States. Deed restrictions make more sense, as people will agree to them upon purchasing, and a certain standard will be able to be enforced by the County. If they sign, they suffer or prosper. I would prefer to take my chances in an area of freedom.

[manchester]

just found that you can rate posts and you sir can have the first one for that post


very well said

[Florida15]

I personally hate HOA'S and wish they would do away with all of them forever!!

[dcattrell]

Thanks so much for all of the feedback. It seems people are split on the issue - like me. I like the idea of a certain community standard. Luckily we still have that in our neighborhood. Most of the neighbors still take a sense of pride in the way their property looks. Nothing fancy mind you - just simple cleanliness, standards of up-keep, etc. I do know of other areas where that standard has slipped considerably. I just don't want to live somplace where people put cars up on blocks in the front yard. Sorry. But at the same time, I don't want to be told to pull out my flowers because the HOA didn't agree on the color I chose.

I'm glad to hear there are still happy mediums. It's so hard to see what the neighborhood is really like just from looking at real estate listings on the internet. If I ever do move to Florida (still a nagging desire in my head) I think I will rent for awhile until I can get a handle on the truth about the neighborhoods.

Dulcie

[Missy53]

:dubious

Originally Posted by dcattrell

I have a question. I was recently considering a move to Florida, but was against living someplace with a Home Owners Association, and that seriously narrowed the field of homes to mostly those in run-down, bad neighborhoods. Ultimately I chose to stay where I am, but I am curious as to whether people actually enjoy living in structured neighborhoods where so many of your actions are controlled by a governing body?

I do see positives to some rules. In my old fashioned neighborhood, if my neighbor chooses to park a big honkin' RV in his yard or in front of his house, there's not a darn thing I can do about it. So some community standards appear to be a benefit to the community, but when it comes to telling me what color wreath I can hang on my front door, that is way too controlling for my tastes. And then there are the fees. If they truly go to maintaining common areas and other aspects of the neighborhood that make it worth living in, then it makes sense, but I've heard a lot of folks complain about board members salaries.

So what's the consensus? Yea or Nay to Home Owners Associations?

I'm not trying to stir anything - I am truly just trying to find out whether most people think HOA's are a positive or a negative.

[Missy53]

There is a great need for HOA's in the Communities. If there wasn't any some People would plant their Fence a bright Red or something weird. Or lie you stated People would have a big boat, or truck, or 5 cars parked outside their House on the Street as well. Some People don't care how that would effect you as a Home Owner, or not for nothing their Neighbor. People just don't care. So thanks to People with no consideration of others. Everybody has to pay the price for their negativity. isn't it alway the case? Well that's why there's HOA's. I see the reasons sometimes in my community. People refusing to pick up from their Dogs It's your Dog, and you are a Home owner just like me. Don't you want to live in a clean Community? So we have to pay on top of paying Association fee's which is $450.00, if Owner's want a Fencing, or an enclosure, or any Landscaping, or a pool, anything we pay an additional fee just to get their approval. Those price range from $25.00, to $250.00 depending what you want done. But check this you are the Owner of the House It's real crazy to me as well. I wish it was a way in fighting them I would. I feel that I am being ripped off being charged to fill out an application to do work on my Property. I was told also about HOA's in Florida before I moved here.