Chandler and gilbert

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

Both chandler and Gilbert are great areas. I'm not sure what you mean by "stroked" but I'll give you my thoughts on HOA's in this area.

As far as i know, The huge majority of homes that have been built in Chandler and Gilbert since 1990 are in HOA communities. In my opinion, the obvious good far outweighs the potential bad.

Take a drive around both cities. Spot a few blocks where the properties look run down and unkempt? See a RV rusting In the driveway or side yard of a house? I'd bet you are looking at non-HOA homes.

It depends on the HOA and how well the rules are enforced. I've seen RV's and trucks in some HOA communities because the HOA doesn't enforce the rules. You can bring it to their attention, they will tell you what you want to hear and then do nothing. If you are stuck in one of these HOA communities, there is essentially nothing you can do but move.

I think HOA's for the most part are a rip-off. There are exceptions of course but the majority of them are a scam that really do nothing but harrass its residents.

[Home Addict]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

It depends on the HOA and how well the rules are enforced. I've seen RV's and trucks in some HOA communities because the HOA doesn't enforce the rules. You can bring it to their attention, they will tell you what you want to hear and then do nothing. If you are stuck in one of these HOA communities, there is essentially nothing you can do but move.

I think HOA's for the most part are a rip-off. There are exceptions of course but the majority of them are a scam that really do nothing but harrass its residents.

A bad HOA company should be replaced. There is no reason to stick with a particular HOA, especially if it is not performing its duties.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Home Addict

A bad HOA company should be replaced. There is no reason to stick with a particular HOA, especially if it is not performing its duties.

It's not the company, it's the HOA board members. They didn't care about the problem because probably many of them had boats and RV's too. It ultimately comes down to the neighbors. When you buy a house, you are also buying the neighbors which is why people should research the neighborhood well. My current neighborhood and HOA is awesome but I've lived in bad ones.

[Captain Bill]

The HOA board is elected by the community members. If the board is not doing their job, then it's up to the community members to get involved and make a change. Get better people to run for the board, and get people to vote and elect them.

The biggest problem with bad HOA's is complacent members. They act as if the HOA is "them" against "us". They seem to forget that the Home Owners Association is made up of each and every household in the community.

If every member of an HOA who has a complaint, would get involved by attending meetings and providing input, and volunteering for committees, and volunteering to run for the board, and finding other like minded members to run for the board, and getting members to take time to vote, they can make a change.

So the big problem is not the board members. They can be replaced. The big problem is the community members who only complain and don't get involved.

[azriverfan.]

Unfortunately not all of us have the time to participate and be active HOA board members. Furthermore, the other members of the community may not share my opinion so again, one person is not going to be able to change an HOA and even if you become a board member, it doesn't mean the others on the board will necessarily agree with your ideas of strict enforcement. Asking for such is impractical and improbable. Your only options are to deal with it or move to a community that has an active and well run HOA. I learned a lot from that experience and researched my neighborhood well prior to moving and it has payed off well. My advice is to spend time researching a neighborhood because what you see is what you get and it's not going to change. Neighborhoods come with their own culture too, some are laid back, some are really strict, you have to discover what suits you.

[observer53]

This is just becoming another one of many HOA threads, and has strayed away from the title and the original post. Bring it back to topic, or it will be closed, and you can continue this discussion on one of the existing HOA threads.

[Captain Bill]

There are many excuses for not participating in the HOA.

Here are several, in the order most frequently used:

• I don't have the time
• I'm retired, and travel
• Nothing will change anyway
• No one will listen.
• I don't want to work on any nazi boards (fortunately that is one of the least heard, but it is heard)

They are all excuses.

If people do get involved, they can, and do, get changes made.

Everyone has some free time. It is just that they don't want to take the time away from their leisure activities to work for their community. They want "someone else" to do it. But they will take the time to complain.

I've been on my (Lakeside at Val Vista Lakes) board of directors for 6 years, and yet I have a job that takes an average of 12 hours a day, and many 7 day weeks. Yet I take the time to work for my community. Four more of our board members have full time jobs, and each of them require some travel in their line of work. One has his own business and works many hours weekly. The others have high level professional jobs that are not just 9-5.

Only two are retired, and they spend a lot of time volunteering for other non HOA projects also.

If everyone in a community took the same attitude, that "I'm too busy", let someone else do it, then there would not be a board to run the HOA. Then a judge would assign someone to come in and run the HOA. That person would have assistants doing the work, and they would All Be Paid by the HOA. How quickly the HOA funds would be depleted, requiring a special assessment. Then people would change their minds, and would all of a sudden find some time.

One cannot realistically choose an HOA based on how the current BOD is operating, because they usually won't know how it's operating until they get settled in. And it can change for the better, or worse, with each changing of board members.

Val Vista Lakes HOA is a good example. In general it has had good BOD's. However, in the past, a lot of mistakes had been made and some things went downhill.

I was president of Lakeside (a Val Vista Lakes sub-community) at the time. We got the presidents of each of the gated Val Vista Lakes sub-communities together and had a meeting to discuss the issues we saw. We had a private meeting with the President of Val Vista Lakes HOA, the maintenance manager, and the in house Community Manager, and pointed out the issues that needed to be addressed.

Some progress was made, but not enough. The next year, two of us ran for the Val Vista Lakes board and got on. We began to institute some procedures that the rest of the board accepted. However, I found I couldn't work in my occupation and also work on two boards, so I resigned from VVL after one year, but continued to assist on the banquet committee to help with marketing to bring in more business for our banquet room rentals.

The other person who joined when I did, stayed on, became president and made sweeping changes, including hiring a new Community Manager, outsourcing the landscaping, and improving our banquet rental revenue. The rest of the board members worked very hard along with him and achieved a huge savings. Now they have a substantial amount of money in the bank, and have a 5 year plan to improve the community and the clubhouse facilities. Many improvement projects are completed and others are on schedule. It has kept our VVL dues from increasing in the last 3 years and none is planned for next year.

That board is made up of other very busy professional people, who care enough for their community to get involved and donate some of their time.

If people "want" to get involved, they can find the time.

Therefore, if someone is looking for a community in which to live, they should consider where they will work, the city to relocate to, the amenities they require in a home, then a community that matches their needed criteria. Reading the CC&R's will tell them if the HOA is suitable to their lifestyle.

[68428GOAT]

What about seasonal decor ? Are those an eye sore for the neighborhood too??

I am honestly trying to get a grasp on thus HOA thing. I love the fact of keeping the neiborhood kept up and clean., but this seems like a dictatorship.

I applaud you and the others for your time.

I also am looking to move here and just don't want to end up in the wrong neighborhood. Just new to the idea of paying my rent or motgage and then paying someone how to keep my property. Not trying to be rude or wise, just... I don't know... Just new to me.

[observer53]

Captain Bill's post above was being written at the same time as my post about staying on topic.

To briefly answer the above question-- they are not all "dictatorships". Many people don't give the fact that they are in an HOA a thought, and they don't have to. Typical seasonal decor is not an issue; those who put up massive displays that create large amounts of vehicle traffic MAY be a problem.

To the OP (and others with a similar concern)-- if you want to find a home in a non HOA area (and a home in an HOA area may or may not be a bad thing, as you've read here), look in older neighborhoods (pre-1980s, with some exceptions) A realtor can help you do a search on their computer system that excludes HOAs, as noted upthread. If you don't want an older home, you will need to be in an HOA area. You can review the CC and Rs to see what the particular rules a given HOA has. You may find one that is not a problem for you.

There are plenty of HOA threads on these forums already. Thread closed.