Oh, just so we're clear about this, I have as much patience and tolerance for poodle yapping HOAs as I do for poodle yapping home owners, which isn't a hell of a lot.
Edit:
Or, for that matter, poodle yapping internet posters who think they know what they're talking about based on a bunch of baseless assumptions, things they've heard from a neighbors brother's friend's dog's owner's cousin, and, far too often, a poorly developed understanding of the Constitution.
Simple fact is... Rants wouldn't be necessary if people just knew what the hell they were talking about.
When they don't? Rant time.
End Edit.
There are lots of horror stories out there about HOAs that are one step removed from the old Soviet secret police state model.
It's my contention, though, that for every one of those, there's another one that is well run and managed, where the owners largely know their rights and responsibilities and where the HOA maintains a very light hand.
On the downside, there are also more than enough HOAs where no one cares enough to do anything, including serving on the board, so the community looks like absolute hell. I've seen a couple of those in Northern Virginia.
Just as with everything else in this world, you really only hear about the draconian HOAs. They're the ones that make the newspapers and magazines and TV shows because owners, in many cases people who didn't bother to read their manual or talk to people in the community, are shocked to learn that there are certain things that are expected of them when they live in a planned unit development and they scream loud and long until the "evils" of the HOA are broadcast far and wide.
There are some definite ways to prevent getting caught in that kind of situation.
1. READ the covenants, rules, and regulations for the HOA BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. We were constantly going hammer and tong with a woman in my community over her breaking very clear cut rules. She kept threatening to sic her lawyer on us, we kept laughing and didn't run away screaming, because we were right.
2. WALK around and look at the property, both the homes and the grounds. Well kept, neat, tidy, almost like the street in Stepford Wives? Or a weed infested, faded paint and rotten trim nightmare? Generally, if you get something between the two, you probably have an involved HOA that's not reminiscent of the Hitler Youth.
2. TALK to several people in the community where you're thinking of buying. There's no better way to gauge what kind of association your community than by talking to people who live there. Talk to several, and if at all possible, talk to one of the members of the board.
3. ASK the real estate agent what he's heard. HOAs that are too far to either side of the middle management wise get bad reputations with agents. You might have to press them, but generally they'll come clean.
4. CONTACT the county or state entity that oversees HOAs and which deals with dispute resolution between HOA boards and residents. This may or may not prove fruitful. Virginia's body, which used to be called the Real Estate Corporation Council or something like that, was worthless. Tits on a bull kind of worthless.
Finally, when you do buy a home?
Get involved in your community.
