Comments on: Survival Guide to Homeowner Associations

By: Andrea

Andrea — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 01:12:33 +0000

The surefire way to avoid the hassles of the HOA is to not buy in a covenant controlled community. Nobody’s forced to buy in a particular area, or to buy at all. If you buy into a covenant controlled neighborhood, YOU have decided to limit your “rights,” not the HOA.

The next best way is to get yourself on the board … and guess what? It won’t be difficult, because everyone loves to complain about the volunteers who work on the board but hardly anyone wants to get involved.

By: Free Money Finance

Free Money Finance — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 10:20:11 +0000

Star Money Articles for the Week of April 16

Here are interesting posts and news this week from the MoneyBlogNetwork members and beyond: Blueprint for Financial Prosperity gives a survival guide to homeowner associations. Consumerism Commentary details John Bogle and Jeremy Siegel debating index …

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:49:39 +0000

I have an HOA in my condo. I went to a few meetings and then passed on them completely.

The thing that gets me are the HOA’s out in the suburbs that tell you what color you can paint your house and what you bushes you can plant. That to me is ridiculous. I sends me off the libertarian deep end. Unfortunately, to get trash service in the VA suburbs of DC, you pretty much have no choice.

People think it’s nuts to live in an expensive place close to the city and drive a long way to work. Sure, I’m trapped in my car, but for the most part, I get a lot more freedom at home because of it.

BTW, if you aren’t familiar with Robert’s Rules of Order, it was created to protect the minority in parliamentary debate. Sure it can be hacked with things like filibusters, but for the most part, I have watched very contentious model UN-style debates go very well because of a good parliamentarian and the firm application of the rules. It’s not that hard to learn the gist of them, and a really savvy exploitation of them is fun to watch in debate. (Though probably not during an HOA mtg with your neighbors.)

By: dong

dong — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:20:36 +0000

HOAs in the northeast are typically only associated with Condos and recently built townhouse subdivision, and I think on the most part very hands off. I’m in HOA via my condo, and my parents are in HOA in their townhouse. The HOAs don’t really do whole lot besides taking care of basica maitenance and services.

By: KMC

KMC — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:01:23 +0000

Let me say right up front I’m not friendly with our HOA. My problem with HOAs is that their ‘quasi-governmental.’ They limit your rights as a property owner (whether you think for good or ill). Most importantly, though, HOAs lack accountability. The only accountability is during yearly elections in most cases. In the year in between elections, the officers can literally do WHATEVER THEY WANT and you, the homeowner, have no recourse. If I’m wrong and there’s something I’m missing, I’d love to hear it, believe me.