I don't get it, why buy a house in an hoa?

[Lurch]

Ain't that the truth? I've lived in Bailey for 22 years. Yes it was a bit of a drive to work...and still is for the wife. But when we bought our first house it was way cheaper here than in the city. Not so much now.

And...not an HOA in sight.

I can pee off of my deck and walk around in my underwear if I choose to. I can park my car/RV anywhere I want. I can shovel/plow when I get around to it. Nobody tells me when/what color to paint my house. I take care of my trash bill. I shoot a reasonable amount when I feel like it. Something goes wrong it's up to me to fix it. Nobody comes up my drive uninvited unless they're driving a UPS or FedEx truck...or something with "Sheriff" markings on it. Property taxes for house, 30x40 shop and 16 acres is $1600.

That's why the wife and I put up with the drive.

This ^^^^^^. I live out in Elizabeth. Hate the drive at times but I also haven't mowed my grass errrr natural prairie in 5 years. Wanted to build a 28 x 40 shop went to the county and said I'm building a shop and they said are you adding on to your driveway, I said no and they said OK here is a permit. Hell I even forgot to call them on a couple of steps in the building process and they just asked well how did you build it. I told them and they signed off on the C/O.

[DangerLee_Industries]

I can pee off of my deck and walk around in my underwear if I choose to.

Exactly...... I just had that conversation with my lady the other day. Heck I have a deck on each side of the house so I can alternate as I wish....

Hack

[hatidua]

HOA's are fantastic if you are the guy writing all the bylaws. They aren't so nice if you are anyone else.

Thankfully, this isn't North Korea, Cuba, or a few other spots that come to mind: don't like HOA's? -don't live in a place governed by one!

[BlasterBob]

Wow, after reading all the above, I guess our POA covenants are really relaxed. Of course, instead of a HOA, we have a POA (property owners assn.) We are at least five miles out of town, way down on the extreme South end of the State. Out here we do have EXTREMELY relaxed "rules" but no one ever seems to complain about anything that I am aware of. In the seventeen years that we have been in this POA, I have never regretted having to be in this Association.
Guess we really lucked out moving down here.

Up in the General Discussion thread about "Target shooting on your own land", I commented about my target shooting on my little place.

[kidicarus13]

AK47 Ranger supporter

[00tec]

I used to rent a house in Dacono. HOA was like $350 a year, all they did was have a guy come out and mow a 200yd stretch when you first enter the subdivision. No trash pickup, no snow removal, no playground, pool, or anything. Didn't even mow the vacant lots.

They sent me a notice for not shoveling the sidewalk. I lived between 2 vacant houses and their sidewalk wasn't clear, so there wasn't much point in me doing it.

[JoeT]

I never lived in a HOA until I moved out here. I was a little apprehensive from all I heard about them...but I gotta tell you. Ours is pretty good.

For $62 a month, we get pool, trash and common areas taken care of. a couple of my neighbors are on the board, they're good people and very realistic on what they "expect/inspect". And none of our neighbors seem to "neglect their property, so I would think the board has it pretty easy.

The next subdivision over is managed by the same HOA...Their fees were almost double ours and the neighborhood is more run down (it is 5 years older). I drive through to get my kids too and from school, and have said a few times, "I'm glad I'm not their neighbor" .

I think they have their merits ....and it really is about who's involved on the board. If I'm going to live in suburbia with 1/4 acre lots(or smaller), I'll live in another HOA. but ideally I'd like acreage without neighbors too

[aahorn]

i will never own a home inside city limits or with a HOA. i have had enough dealing with morons while renting through college. F that noise.

places like boulder are going to regulate and regulate until S hits the fan and property values plummet due to their control over people's homes

[Byte Stryke]

I still cannot believe that in the US people still line up to be enslaved...

HOA Boards... tilting at windmills with other peoples money

[rondog]

I have to say that our HOA where we live in Parker isn't really that bad. Keeps the 'hood nice, has a great pool, trash, all that. Gives people hell about houses that need painting, dead trees that need cutting down, weedy yards, etc., so our 'hood looks nice. My biggest complaint is that I need a bigger place, so I could have a shop building, places to park trailers and boats, put Chevys up on blocks, etc.

I need a country place for my lifestyle, not a neighborhood, but I can't really bitch much about our HOA.