"The Silent Depression" & Single-Family Homes... a great big nothingburger or...?

[xwing]

You must be looking in the wrong places. I just left a suburb of Indy, with an HOA and the city did a great job plowing our streets.

Not at all. You mention you had a HOA, so that's always "off the list for consideration". It doesn't matter if the city does a good job of plowing. It matters that you've given up your rights.

If I were on a planning commission I would require the developer begin an HOA’s as part of approval for for large subdivisions. If I were a developer I would want one anyway to protect my investment as I sold off lots to keep the crazies that bought the first lots from destroying my property values on the remaining lots.

You don't have to look far to see lists upon lists of HOA horror stories. What I can't understand is why so many on a pro-freedom-loving forum are so happy to give up all their rights and freedoms to their local neighborhood autocrats and why they are pushing for "how great it is" to not have freedom.

Outside of people in this thread, everyone I know who is in an HOA hates the HOA and is only there because there's no other choice (besides much older houses that usually have small rooms and poor layouts).

11 Insane HOAs
HOA Horror Stories
HOA Horror Story
HOA Nightmare
American HOA Story
Ridiculous HOA
HOA Seizes house
Fight against HOA
HOA Troubles
HOA Strikes again

 

[Ingomike]

Not at all. You mention you had a HOA, so that's always "off the list for consideration". It doesn't matter if the city does a good job of plowing. It matters that you've given up your rights.



You don't have to look far to see lists upon lists of HOA horror stories. What I can't understand is why so many on a pro-freedom-loving forum are so happy to give up all their rights and freedoms to their local neighborhood autocrats and why they are pushing for "how great it is" to not have freedom.

Outside of people in this thread, everyone I know who is in an HOA hates the HOA and is only there because there's no other choice (besides much older houses that usually have small rooms and poor layouts).

11 Insane HOAs
HOA Horror Stories
HOA Horror Story
HOA Nightmare
American HOA Story
Ridiculous HOA
HOA Seizes house
Fight against HOA
HOA Troubles
HOA Strikes again

Why do you get so incensed that millions of people are happy with their voluntary associations? HOA’s are enjoyed by millions. My experience, with the few that despise them are that they either did not know what they were getting into or their life changed and they no longer want to abide by the agreement.

At its elemental level an HOA and its associated covenants is an agreement as to how an association of property owners will live. Nothing more. There is the freedom of association also that is just as important as other freedoms, so important it was put in the constitution. There are also the freedoms the owners selling property enjoy, that they can sell with any restrictions they want to. For example you may want to sell some of your property with restrictions like no raising of swine. (Really saw that one.)

As for your point that cities and towns require HOA’s I checked with a city official today and the answer is if a subdivision has common space or shared amenities it is required to have a mechanism to manage those assets. The people overwhelmingly want walking trails, green spaces, etc. in their neighborhoods therefore developers put in those features that do require an HOA. A friend just created a subdivision out of some of his farmland with no HOA or covenants so it can be done.

There are other freedoms than just the one you believe is important. If I had your hundred acres I have no desire for any covenants on it or an HOA. I do want zoning so that they can’t put a casino next door without changing the zoning. If I have $200,000-$1,000,000 tied up in a subdivision of third acre lots damn betcha I want an agreement on how we will live, and I have that freedom, just as you have the freedom to chose not to, and others have that right to have managed amenities.

Many more freedoms than just what you want…

 

[Creedmoor]

Why do you get so incensed that millions of people are happy with their voluntary associations? HOA’s are enjoyed by millions. My experience, with the few that despise them are that they either did not know what they were getting into or their life changed and they no longer want to abide by the agreement.

At its elemental level an HOA and its associated covenants is an agreement as to how an association of property owners will live. Nothing more. There is the freedom of association also that is just as important as other freedoms, so important it was put in the constitution. There are also the freedoms the owners selling property enjoy, that they can sell with any restrictions they want to. For example you may want to sell some of your property with restrictions like no raising of swine. (Really saw that one.)

As for your point that cities and towns require HOA’s I checked with a city official today and the answer is if a subdivision has common space or shared amenities it is required to have a mechanism to manage those assets. The people overwhelmingly want walking trails, green spaces, etc. in their neighborhoods therefore developers put in those features that do require an HOA. A friend just created a subdivision out of some of his farmland with no HOA or covenants so it can be done.

There are other freedoms than just the one you believe is important. If I had your hundred acres I have no desire for any covenants on it or an HOA. I do want zoning so that they can’t put a casino next door without changing the zoning. If I have $200,000-$1,000,000 tied up in a subdivision of third acre lots damn betcha I want an agreement on how we will live, and I have that freedom, just as you have the freedom to chose not to, and others have that right to have managed amenities.

Many more freedoms than just what you want…

Where I'm from every nice community thats been build in the last 60 + years has a HOA, all of those community's are nicer now than when they were built. Because of well run HOA's.

Nothing like spending a few mill on a waterfront home and three years later your neighbors home looks like Appalachia.

 

[Ingomike]

Outside of people in this thread, everyone I know who is in an HOA hates the HOA and is only there because there's no other choice (besides much older houses that usually have small rooms and poor layouts).

11 Insane HOAs
HOA Horror Stories
HOA Horror Story
HOA Nightmare
American HOA Story
Ridiculous HOA
HOA Seizes house
Fight against HOA
HOA Troubles
HOA Strikes again

Do you realize there are way more bad neighbors stories that folks have no recourse? LEO will not help, city won’t help, but covenants are legal documents protecting my investments…

 

[Route 45]

Nothing like spending a few mill on a waterfront home and three years later your neighbors home looks like Appalachia.

Is that really a problem? Hillbillies next door in a neighborhood with multi-million dollar waterfront homes? Seems to me that most HOAs govern neighborhoods where the main problem is that the only difference between the distance between you and your neighbor vs. an apartment complex is about 10 feet of grass.

"Millions are happy with an HOA." Well, I guess not everyone feels the same way about selling their freedom to enjoy their property as they like for some murky sense of ROI after a lifetime of obsessing over such nonsense.

Millions around the world are indeed happy with a different mindset...

 

[Creedmoor]

Is that really a problem? Hillbillies next door in a neighborhood with multi-million dollar waterfront homes? Seems to me that most HOAs govern neighborhoods where the main problem is that the only difference between the distance between you and your neighbor vs. an apartment complex is about 10 feet of grass.

"Millions are happy with an HOA." Well, I guess not everyone feels the same way about selling their freedom to enjoy their property as they like for some murky sense of ROI after a lifetime of obsessing over such nonsense.

Millions around the world are indeed happy with a different mindset...

View attachment 303733

I get it, I used to own a home with a HOA. It was pretty easy to deal with.
A home down the block from my mothers house, 2 mil plus water front homes in Annapolis the owners passed away and there kids ended up with the property.
Within a few years it turned into an over grown **** hole. If it wasn't for the HOA and the attorneys that lived in the community it would have been a nightmare for the other home owners.
Like I've posted, most modern commuditys where I'm from have good HOA's

Take a community like Annapolis's Sherwood Forest, it has a tough HOA thats been in place 50-70 years. your home can be one of two colors, your roof can be one of two colors. You want to change your landscaping, you gotta get approval. Want an addition, odds are nope but maybe depending on what you want. Want your dog at your home in the warm months, nope, it stays in the community kennel. People pay millions to get a home in that place.
The community is a wonderful place, it really is. Some familys are on the third generation in there home. Other places like The Downs, Ulmstead Estates are other long term HOA community's in and arround Annapolis.

 

[Route 45]

 

[firecadet613]

Not at all. You mention you had a HOA, so that's always "off the list for consideration". It doesn't matter if the city does a good job of plowing. It matters that you've given up your rights.

No rights were given up. When it snowed, the city plowed our streets. When a pothole needed filled, they filled the pothole....

The HOA served a purpose and there are still plenty of people in that 400+ home subdivision who are happy with the HOA. Not everyone is cut out for country life...but at this point in my life I'm glad to be free from suburbia and living where I can't see my neighbors...

 

[Creedmoor]

Do you realize there are way more bad neighbors stories that folks have no recourse? LEO will not help, city won’t help, but covenants are legal documents protecting my investments…

No one talks about the 10's of millions living happily in communities with HOA's. And why don't we, because they are happy.

 

[Route 45]

No one talks about the 10's of millions living happily in communities with HOA's. And why don't we, because they are happy.

Millions are happy with Democrats as well. Still ok to roll your eyes at them.

57% Of HOA Residents Don’t Like Having An HOA

More than 1,000 homeowners with an HOA shared their experiences, their monthly dues and their perceptions about living in an HOA neighborhood.

www.rocketmortgage.com

 

[armalitesheepdog]

Nothing in life worth having is easy. Wife and I maxed out ourselves in '04 when we built our house. We spent the next 2 years not eating out, going on vacations (other than seeing her parents in Tucson, gas each way and free room/board there) and saving the money we spent to build it. We busted butt, worked all the hours and did all we could to better ourselves and now we are living in a home we paid off early, are planning to retire at 55 and enjoy ourselves every chance we can. We have since been on multiple cruises, hong kong, I've spent way too much "racing" etc.

We have acquaintances that will make the comment "must be nice".... and our response is "yep, sure is. Didn't get here overnight nor without busting our ass either." Nothin infuriates the wife faster than that comment.

We have relatives that say "you guys are lucky" I roll my eyes. I wanna say "you guys are lazy"

 

[armalitesheepdog]

Drywall is one of the cheapest low skill jobs out there So it likely has gone down relative to other trades.

Where I do see a big difference is what they are willing to do. Chimney had a lot of spalling in the bricks of a full masonry chimney, contractor 1 wanted $18,000 and two weeks to rebuild the whole chimney, contractor 2 wanted $11,000 and a week to rebuild the top half, the Mexican crew charged $1000 to replace about 100 bad bricks in two days, which was exactly what was needed.

At reinspection the inspector was very complementary of the work and wanted the contact…

I had a Mexican crew bust up a patio slab and replace adding a sidewalk also. I couldn't be happier with the price or the work.

 

[Ingomike]

Millions are happy with Democrats as well. Still ok to roll your eyes at them.

57% Of HOA Residents Don’t Like Having An HOA

More than 1,000 homeowners with an HOA shared their experiences, their monthly dues and their perceptions about living in an HOA neighborhood.

www.rocketmortgage.com

They should not have agreed to live in an HOA community.

 

[foszoe]

They should not have agreed to live in an HOA community.

It's like voting for Biden. After you find out you got snookered it's too late except you can vote Biden out without moving

 

[Creedmoor]

They should not have agreed to live in an HOA community.

Seems so simple to some.

 

[Ingomike]

It's like voting for Biden. After you find out you got snookered it's too late except you can vote Biden out without moving

Whose fault is that?

 

[Route 45]

They should not have agreed to live in an HOA community.

Have you ever done something that sounded like a good idea at the time, only to find out differently later? Or rather, are you willing to admit that the universal human experience applies to you?

 

[Creedmoor]

It's like voting for Biden. After you find out you got snookered it's too late except you can vote Biden out without moving

Reading is Fundamental my Friend.
Its all spelled out on ones settlement paperwork.

 

[Creedmoor]

Whose fault is that?

The HOA's

 

[Ingomike]

Have you ever done something that sounded like a good idea at the time, only to find out differently later? Or rather, are you willing to admit that the universal human experience applies to you?

Yep, and I corrected the situation and moved on without blaming others for my mistakes…