Ever had a problem with your Home Owners Association (HOA)? Most home owner have. At the time of your encounter it may not have been all that pleasant. Lets face it, people don’t want anyone to tell them what they can and can’t do with there homes. Not to mention the extra money you have to fork over each month to give them that power.
I am personally a huge fan of Home Owners Association. Why you may ask? Well simply because they do all the dirty work. They look out for the neighborhood as a whole. Keeping things uniformed and fair so you don’t have to. Making sure everyone cuts there grass and keeps there house looking nice is a task you don’t want.
They also do other things like, take care of parks and pools, landscape public areas, plan neighborhood activities, and represent you in legal matters that effect the neighborhood. Is it starting to sound like a good deal?
Home Owners Associations are your friends, at least they should be. A well managed Home Owners Association should have reasonable costs for the services they provide. If you want a community pool you should expect to pay for it. If you want to live in an area where the landscaping looks like it came from Home and Gardens magazine then you should plan to do the same. Most of the time the Home Owners Association is there to make sure established rules are followed and standards are met.
Many homes do not have a Home Owners Association for there neighborhood. However that does not mean you can do what ever you want. Every house comes with a set of dead restrictions. These are the laws that govern the property. These are also the rule that the Home Owners Association must follow.
So is there a real advantage to living outside a Home Owners Association? If you are the type that likes to bend the rules then maybe. But remember, no matter where you live the dead restrictions still apply. I personally would rather get a letter from the Home Owners Association, then have a grumpy neighbor next door because of something I did. Good fences make good neighbors. So do good Home Owners Associations.
About Ed Neuhaus
Broker and founder of Neuhaus Realty Group. I started working in real estate as soon as I could push a lawnmower and help clean up investment properties for my parents. Investing in real estate has always been a passion and now I have turned that passion into a way to help others. Buying and selling homes for others is just one way I think I can make the world better. No sales pressure, no gimmicks, just an honest work ethic gets the job done. Let me know how I can help you. Give me a call today at 512.366.3720
