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Post by whipea on May 26, 2022 1:07:53 GMT
Southeast FL here, about an hour north of Ft Lauderdale and 11 miles in from the coast. When we bought a home, we wanted one no more than 10-12 years old. They are really all in HOAs in that age range in our area. We pay 300 a month ( went up at beginning of year.)It includes trash and sewer, cable and internet. Also all landscaping in common areas and Holiday decorations.Also 24 hour manned gate.Our development has a clubhouse ,with gym, pool, hot tub,putting green, playground, and 4 tennis courts. Most weeks they have a food truck come in, everything from Chik fil A to Tacos etc. We have stocked lakelets- Like ponds- to fish in if we choose ) They have Halloween trunk or treats, Photos with Santa, Easter Egg hunt, etc through the year We got the rules before we bought. They are fair, we think and keep things looking great.
WE are having a new roof put on ( tiles $$$$) We are required to put a deposit down and you get it back as soon as the work is done and inspected.We like that They make sure all work done is permitted and inspected. While the city has codes, they can't be everywhere and it keeps half ass , uninspected work ( cut corners ) out. It helps preserve my home values by making sure things stay up to code.
Allison1954, we may live near each other. I am pretty much in the same area. Around here there is a choice, HOA or not. If you want a newer build, to live on paved roads, not have 25 people living in one house or an auto repair shop in your next door neighbors front yard, you may want to live in an HOA. As Allison1954 stated, HOA covenants help preserve home values by having specific standards.
The key is before you commit to buying in an HOA neighborhood understand the covenants. HOA rules, fees and behaviors vary so much from place to place. When I was looking, some places had dues from $100 - 2500 a month that really did not include much while others had clubhouses and other amenities. The one I live in now is $220. a month which includes security, cable, and internet. No clubhouse, pool or lawn maintenance included, I was not really interested in those things.
Florida is a superior or super lien state so the HOA can foreclose and take possession of a property for delinquent fees, fines or dues. Their debt takes precedent even over the mortgage lender. Plus, they add tons of legal costs to the original debt. For example, a homeowner is delinquent a total of $2000. in dues, they add delinquency charges often up to $100 a day, attorney fees and court costs. The original $2000. debt can balloon to $18,000. If the home owner could not pay the back dues, the certainly can't pay this and the HOA forecloses and takes the property. Not all HOAs are aggressive and work with home owners, but some do not.
One thing, the many of the collection law firms that work for the HOAs are also very active lobbyist that draft HOA regulation legislation. Some of the HOA laws truly benefit the collection process and not the residents.
Again, the key is to know what you are getting into before you commit to an HOA community. The majority of the time being in an HOA is an advantage, making it a comfortable, predicable, well maintained and secure neighborhood. But in some cases it can be a horror.
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,087
Jun 26, 2014 13:42:47 GMT
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on May 26, 2022 4:48:56 GMT
Most HOAs are established by the developer when they start the subdivision. The HOA is controlled by the developer until the community is almost completed. This protects the developer's investment in the community: the homeowners can be held to certain maintenance/appearance standards to keep the community attractive until the lots are all sold. There is usually a % listed in the original documents that determines when the HOA is turned over to the homeowners.
In my county, you won't find a lot of HOA communities, but almost all of the newer ones do have an HOA for the reasons stated above. If you want an older community, you would be hard-pressed to find one with an HOA. You will find older neighborhoods with "neighborhood associations," but those are usually more social, civic-minded groups with no authority. They are not shy about contacting the zoning board to enforce rules, but they cannot make rules.
I have lived in several HOA communities, and I have enjoyed all of them. Our first was in Orlando from 1999-2000. We paid $70/month which included getting our lawn mowed every week, trash collection, a security gate at the community entrance, and a community pool (no lifeguards or staff--every family got a key). The only neighborhood drama I remember was the great basketball hoopla. IIRC, we could have a portable basketball hoop, but you had to keep it in your driveway. One neighbor liked to put his in the street and allow a large group of teens to play until the wee hours of the night during the summer. I don't recall the resolution--it all happened on a street on the opposite side of the neighborhood, and I was too exhausted dealing with newborn twins to care.
We moved to Leesburg VA where we paid more than double the HOA fees, but that got us a gorgeous pool with lifeguard staff, a great community center, basketball courts, multiple playgrounds, tennis courts, and I believe a field where they organized soccer/football games. It was not a gated community, so our streets were public and we did not have to worry about road maintenance. I don't recall ANY drama there.
We moved to Chesterfield VA (outside Richmond), where we paid about the same fees. We had two pools staffed with lifeguards, a community center, basketball courts, tennis courts, at least four or five play areas (two were large playgrounds with a lot of apparatus), a large field used for soccer/football, a skating rink (was supposed to be an outdoor ice rink--seriously, in central VA?--that eventually became a rollerblade rink), hiking trails, and organized children's activities that happened on a pretty regular basis. Again, public roads, so we did not have that expense. We did have drama, though, because someone couldn't follow the rules about the color of their fence. It was resolved when we elected new HOA officers who clarified the rules on fences and that was the end of that.
We build a play structure in both of those neighborhoods without any issues--we just filled out the approval forms for the permits. We built a shed in the second neighborhood, and it was built according to the plans submitted to and approved by the HOA committee. We later got a notice that it did not meet community standards because it did not have shutters LOL. On.the.garden.shed. DH calmly showed them the approval letter with the attached plans that did not include shutters (and could not include shutters because there was no room!), and they okayed it. Apparently, the committee should have told us it needed shutters in the approval process, but because they overlooked it, they did not enforce it once the shed was built according to the plans. Yeah, it was kind of silly, but overall, they were pretty reasonable to deal with.
We currently live in a somewhat rural neighborhood that has an HOA. However, we are not members. Our house was built in 2001, and the subdivision started several years later when the land around our house was sold to a developer. Therefore, we do not have to follow any of the HOA rules or pay the fees. It's a private road into the neighborhood (started as a driveway that ended at our house), so the HOA fees pay for snow removal and reserves money out of the dues for future road maintenance (the developer just paved all the roads last summer since they needed it and there was very little construction left to complete, so they have a LOT of years to build up the paving fund before they need it again.) There are no community amenities, but the road costs mean the monthly fees are similar to what we paid in our old neighborhood. The developer turned the HOA over to the homeowners a few years ago when all but 5 lots had been built on. I think the last lot went under contract this spring, so the neighborhood is as large as it is going to get. There are maybe 30 homes total? The HOA meets in the president's garage since there is no community building, and as far as I know there has never been any drama. Even though I'm not in the HOA, they let me join the community FB group run by the HOA so I can keep up with what's happening in the neighborhood.
If our house was included in the HOA, I would have still bought it. I actually like living in an HOA neighborhood.
The key is to read the documents before you sign, and make sure you can live within the covenants and rules. In my experience, the "covenants" are kind of like the Constitution requiring a high percentage of homeowners to agree to changes. The "rules" are more like legislation that can be changed by your elected board. If you don't like a covenant, don't buy in the neighborhood thinking you can get it changed. If you like the current rules, be aware that you could get an elected board who decides to make them more strict or lenient than you like.
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Post by mymindseyedpea on May 26, 2022 7:54:38 GMT
Yes, all these new housing developments here are HOA. It’s like so Edward Scissorhands neighborhood. You can tell they are HOA because all the satellite dishes are painted the same color as the houses.
And they just keep building and building. (Sacramento, California area)
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Post by allison1954 on May 26, 2022 17:04:10 GMT
Southeast FL here, about an hour north of Ft Lauderdale and 11 miles in from the coast. When we bought a home, we wanted one no more than 10-12 years old. They are really all in HOAs in that age range in our area. We pay 300 a month ( went up at beginning of year.)It includes trash and sewer, cable and internet. Also all landscaping in common areas and Holiday decorations.Also 24 hour manned gate.Our development has a clubhouse ,with gym, pool, hot tub,putting green, playground, and 4 tennis courts. Most weeks they have a food truck come in, everything from Chik fil A to Tacos etc. We have stocked lakelets- Like ponds- to fish in if we choose ) They have Halloween trunk or treats, Photos with Santa, Easter Egg hunt, etc through the year We got the rules before we bought. They are fair, we think and keep things looking great.
WE are having a new roof put on ( tiles $$$$) We are required to put a deposit down and you get it back as soon as the work is done and inspected.We like that They make sure all work done is permitted and inspected. While the city has codes, they can't be everywhere and it keeps half ass , uninspected work ( cut corners ) out. It helps preserve my home values by making sure things stay up to code.
Allison1954, we may live near each other. I am pretty much in the same area. Around here there is a choice, HOA or not. If you want a newer build, to live on paved roads, not have 25 people living in one house or an auto repair shop in your next door neighbors front yard, you may want to live in an HOA. As Allison1954 stated, HOA covenants help preserve home values by having specific standards.
The key is before you commit to buying in an HOA neighborhood understand the covenants. HOA rules, fees and behaviors vary so much from place to place. When I was looking, some places had dues from $100 - 2500 a month that really did not include much while others had clubhouses and other amenities. The one I live in now is $220. a month which includes security, cable, and internet. No clubhouse, pool or lawn maintenance included, I was not really interested in those things.
Florida is a superior or super lien state so the HOA can foreclose and take possession of a property for delinquent fees, fines or dues. Their debt takes precedent even over the mortgage lender. Plus, they add tons of legal costs to the original debt. For example, a homeowner is delinquent a total of $2000. in dues, they add delinquency charges often up to $100 a day, attorney fees and court costs. The original $2000. debt can balloon to $18,000. If the home owner could not pay the back dues, the certainly can't pay this and the HOA forecloses and takes the property. Not all HOAs are aggressive and work with home owners, but some do not.
One thing, the many of the collection law firms that work for the HOAs are also very active lobbyist that draft HOA regulation legislation. Some of the HOA laws truly benefit the collection process and not the residents.
Again, the key is to know what you are getting into before you commit to an HOA community. The majority of the time being in an HOA is an advantage, making it a comfortable, predicable, well maintained and secure neighborhood. But in some cases it can be a horror.
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Post by allison1954 on May 26, 2022 17:13:06 GMT
OK, I even messed up Quoting. Argg!
Whipea, I thought we were close to each other.
I am approx 2 miles west of Hwy 7/441 off of Lake Worth Rd.
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Post by Fidget on May 26, 2022 18:01:34 GMT
No HOA here- I live in an older community. The homes here were mostly built in the early 1950's. There are a few new builds scattered in the neighborhoods, but no HOA.
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iluvpink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,370
Location: Michigan
Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on May 26, 2022 18:09:20 GMT
I'm in MI, semi-rural area in a small town. If you are more rural or live in an older subdivision or right in town, no HOA's. But most subs newer than say twenty five years, have HOA's.
We used to live on a main street in a slightly larger nearby town, older house, no HOA. Now we live in a subdivision with an HOA. Yes, we could have found a house without one, without too many problems. But most of the criteria we wanted meant the houses we were looking at were in subs. Otherwise we would have most likely been in an area with too much traffic (what we were moving from) or older houses requiring fixing up. Or they would have a lot more land and probably newer and more than we wanted to pay.
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Post by whipea on May 27, 2022 0:04:20 GMT
OK, I even messed up Quoting. Argg! Whipea, I thought we were close to each other. I am approx 2 miles west of Hwy 7/441 off of Lake Worth Rd. Cool, I know exactly we you are. I lived a few miles south east of you for over 20 years. Four years ago moved to PB Gardens, out west.
Miss living in your area, everything was so convenient. It now takes me at least an hour round trip to run to Home Depot. Plus your area has a scrapbook store and the big three craft stores all nearby.
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Post by melanell on May 27, 2022 0:15:52 GMT
Our development has an HOA but it's just for the pool... and its so weird! When the homes were originally built, the original owners had to decide if they wanted to opt in and be a part of the HOA (pool) or not. If you sell your home and the new owners want the opposite, you can't change it. Our home was originally owned by people who opted not to be in the HOA. We wanted to join so we could take the kids to the pool in the summer, but they wouldn't let us. They said it wouldn't be fair to let us join since everyone else had been members since 1971. The only way we would be considered was if we paid the fees all the way back to 1971 (we bought the house in 2006). I was only 1 in 1971. Our neighbor, a single man, has to pay the fees and he's never used the pool. Other than that, there are no HOA fees. The only ones I wish we had were to keep your yard tidy (a neighbor likes to go garbage picking for metal and lets it pile up about 3ft high and down the length of his driveway) and another neighbor has a dog that barks non stop when its outside (and they like to let it out multiple times a day for hours on end). That is so illogical. If you moved into a house that was paying in since back in 1971, you'd still personally only be paying since you moved in, so what's the difference?
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
Jun 26, 2014 2:34:35 GMT
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Post by luvnlifelady on May 27, 2022 0:19:57 GMT
When I first married and moved in with now ex-H, his house was in a HOA at the time (new construction). With any home purchases after that, we specifically set out to avoid HOA's. It wasn't hard to find such places (Southern CA area).
In my currebnt area of Pittsburgh, it also seems easy to avoid HOA's in SFR home shopping.
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Post by birdy on May 27, 2022 14:59:00 GMT
Our development has an HOA but it's just for the pool... and its so weird! When the homes were originally built, the original owners had to decide if they wanted to opt in and be a part of the HOA (pool) or not. If you sell your home and the new owners want the opposite, you can't change it. Our home was originally owned by people who opted not to be in the HOA. We wanted to join so we could take the kids to the pool in the summer, but they wouldn't let us. They said it wouldn't be fair to let us join since everyone else had been members since 1971. The only way we would be considered was if we paid the fees all the way back to 1971 (we bought the house in 2006). I was only 1 in 1971. Our neighbor, a single man, has to pay the fees and he's never used the pool. Other than that, there are no HOA fees. The only ones I wish we had were to keep your yard tidy (a neighbor likes to go garbage picking for metal and lets it pile up about 3ft high and down the length of his driveway) and another neighbor has a dog that barks non stop when its outside (and they like to let it out multiple times a day for hours on end). That is so illogical. If you moved into a house that was paying in since back in 1971, you'd still personally only be paying since you moved in, so what's the difference? The original owner of our house opted out of joining but we wanted to. They said we could only if we paid for every year all the way back to 1971. We decided not to fight it because we knew that when our kids were older we wouldn't use the pool and didn't want to get stuck paying. It's a crazy rule!
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Post by tyra on May 27, 2022 22:06:59 GMT
We have an HOA, officially. Unofficially? We have never heard from them, never saw anything about them, we pay nothing. So I guess not really?
One house we looked at while we were house hunting had an HOA. $350 a MONTH. We loved the house, loved the neighborhood, but no way were we paying that.
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Post by allison1954 on May 28, 2022 2:14:30 GMT
We have an HOA, officially. Unofficially? We have never heard from them, never saw anything about them, we pay nothing. So I guess not really? One house we looked at while we were house hunting had an HOA. $350 a MONTH. We loved the house, loved the neighborhood, but no way were we paying that. I gurss the real question is what did that Include?
We pay $300 but 2/3 of that is really cable, business speed internet and trash. And we have a ton of amenities that can be used year round ( South FL ) so not just a few months of pool etc.
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