[mmh0000]

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.

[harshalizee]

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.

[mmh0000]

You don't understand why I would care about the neighborhood that I live in? My house is the most expensive thing I own, I worked incredibly hard to get it. I am proud of it. I take care of it.

I want to live in a neighborhood with others who feel the same way.

To your second point, yes, not all HOAs are great. If you frequent fark.com, you'll find multiple threads per month about some terrible thing an HOA is doing. But, that's why you do your due diligence when selecting an HOA. You carefully read the CC&Rs before signing on the house, you talk to others in the neighborhood before moving in. Much like selecting an insurance plan. For example, my HOA is setup so that leadership fully rotates every 3 years, with the rotations staggered. Worst case we get bad leadership for 1 year. Though, so far, in the in the 15 years the HOA has existed, they've done nothing but enforce rules everyone has agreed to. (Well that, and they killed off a bunch of common-area grass by hiring the cheapest lawn care they could find. )

[harshalizee]

Same! My house is the most expensive thing I own, I worked incredibly hard to get it. I am proud of it. I take care of it the way I want it. I don't care what some other un-invested party has to say about how I live.

> they've done nothing but enforce rules everyone has agreed to

But that's not really true is it? Most people buying a house in America do not have access to HOA by-laws until after signing. It's increasingly hard to even find homes that don't belong to a HOA unless you have the financial means to buy wherever you like. Plus, HOAs aren't opt-in/out either.

It doesn't matter if a majority of you decide on rules, unless the same majority is willing to fork out money to pay my mortgage+taxes, Idgaf what you have to say.

> I want to live in a neighborhood with others who feel the same way.

If you really believe this, you can go ahead and disband the HOA. You don't need to enforce with a stick if this is really the case.

[foogazi]

> Most people buying a house in America do not have access to HOA by-laws until after signing.

This is not true

[Kon-Peki]

In most states, a buyer has the legal right to rescind the purchase contract for some number of days after receiving these documents.

But you generally have to ask for them when you make the offer, or the law doesn’t protect you.

[foogazi]

In contracts I’ve been part off the buyer is required to sign the HOA covenant

Redfin, Zillow disclose HOA fees. Nothing prevents the buyer or their agent from requesting docs or calling the HOA directly

[harambae]

> Most people buying a house in America do not have access to HOA by-laws until after signing.

I know John Oliver mentioned in his HOA segment that this is sometimes the case, but it's definitely not "most" locations and I actually don't know where it is true (wish he had clarified).

It's definitely not true in Massachusetts, New Hampshire or California because I'm familiar with the real estate laws of those states.

[citizen_friend]

The only reason to be focused on those things is if your main concern ins your resell value.