[citizen_friend]

Aren't they usually franchises of a larger national corporation?

[foogazi]

HOA board is elected by the homeowners. Laws are clear on this.

They might hire out property management duties to an outside firm

[seanmcdirmid]

The HOA can hire a property management company, and the builder usually sets up some kind of contract, but after the builder is out of the way, the HOAs are always run by the home owners.