If I were to buy a house, I would make sure that it has no HOA bullshit. I am willing to drive farther into the outskirts of the city but there is no way in hell I would ever want any HOA police my own property. It just feels wrong. Just thinking about this sort of thing makes me angry.
HOAs are just pure evil. I don't understand how anybody would voluntarily subject themselves to being terrorized by them. I'm currently renting a house in one and I promised myself to never buy anything in one.
I also would never purchase an HOA property. They wield far too much power over what you can and cannot do with what you own and you can never leave the HOA as it is linked to the deed.
I’ve posted this before and it wasn’t well received but I love HOAs.
When I bought my first house, I was adamant that I didn’t want an HOA. Over the next ten years the neighborhood went to crap. I ended up living next to neighbors who didn’t maintain their yards, parked junker cars on their lawn and let their houses go to trash.
When I moved, I specifically wanted an HOA. After five years, I still love my HOA. Mostly for two reasons. First, other neighbors here generally have the same mind set and care about their most expensive possession. Second when someone starts letting things slide the HOA slaps ‘‘em on the wrist.
I have a problem with HOA's. They're almost always run by the worst kind of people that you don't want to be around. They're almost always evil to the core and extend their powers beyond reason. I will never buy a house with a HOA.
There are countless stories on how they do more harm than good. I have so much disdain for them, I cannot express. Fuck HOAs.
HOAs are part of having freedom over your land. Why shouldn't I be able to team up with my neighbors to set standards for our community? The crazy part is choosing to buy a home that's part of an HOA. That's always been an instant dq for me and I would never consider entering into such a restricting arrangement.
I don't understand this mentality at all. Why do you care how they maintain their property if it doesn't harm you directly?
I never understood why anyone would harass someone else over their lawn. It's only a matter of time where you end up with neighbors who don't share the same mindset to start micromanaging the neighborhood.
I live in north Seattle area where non-HOA homes are priced higher than HOA homes. The area has a couple of older somewhat rundown houses and no one cares. Prices are still at least $100k higher than the new builds with HOAs on the next block. So there goes the old excuse for maintaining home value.
One more thing... I was quite adamant that my home not be in an HOA community. I'm worried less about artificially inflated property values, and more concerned with personal freedom. There are a lot of rules and laws on the books with the county and city as it is, not to mention the state. No one should have a bunch of nanny neighbors trying to control each other. Not living in an HOA gives me, the home owner, the most power and control.
You either own something, or you don't. If you actually do own something, you shouldn't owe anything to anyone. No dues, no rules, no crap. It's your goddamn property, it's your rules. You decide what fence you put, what flowers you put, and what color car you have, and where you park your car on your property. Those idiots who think they have power over your property can get lost.
HOAs deservedly sometimes get a bad rap for some power-tripping leaders and busy-body neighbors out there, but this is where I think HOAs can be useful.
People who don't want to risk having an eyesore next to their house should choose to move to a neighborhood with an HOA. People who value personal freedom on their property should choose to move to an area without that. In theory, everybody should be happier.
How common are HOAs? I’ve lived in an urban area my entire adult life and I don’t think there are any HOAs. My parents lived in one tho in the suburbs and I don’t recall them liking it. Is there any reason to actually buy a home in one?
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