article: why HOAs continue to be popular

[GON]

Over the years there have been dozens of discussions on BITOG about HOA horror stories. Regularly I read like horror stories on the internet and often see news broadcasts with HOA horror stories. Yet, the linked article below states HOAs are more popular and in demand now than ever.

The article author's thesis on why HOAs are in such strong demand by homebuyers:

"The reason is simple: The HOA is the last legal mechanism Americans have to artificially recreate something the country once produced organically — a high-trust society."

A few more paragraphs from the article"

"People want neighborhoods where streets feel safe, houses stay maintained, and neighbors behave predictably. We call these places “high trust” because people do not expect those around them to violate basic standards. Doors remain unlocked, kids play outside, and property values rise. Americans once assumed this was the natural condition of ordinary life. It never was.

High-trust societies are not accidental. They emerge only under specific cultural conditions. Trust forms when people can understand and predict the behavior of those around them. That requires a shared standard — how to act, how to maintain property, how to handle conflict. When those standards come from a common way of life, enforcement becomes minimal. People feel free not because they reject limits, but because the limits match their instincts and expectations.

Every social order requires maintenance, but the amount varies. When most residents share the same assumptions, small gestures keep the peace. A disapproving look from Mrs. Smith over an unkempt lawn prompts action. A loud party until 1 a.m. results in lost invitations until the offender corrects the behavior. Police rarely if ever enter the picture. The community polices itself through mutual judgment."

The article caught me by surprise. If in fact the author of the article is correct, I never would have guessed in a million years HOA popularity has a increase in demand/ on the rise.

https://www.theblaze.com/columns/op...ions-werent-supposed-to-replace-civilization?

 

[SC Maintenance]

The article caught me by surprise.

It should not. In the many HOA threads on this board the same thing has been said by people who live in HOA's. I guess it gets drowned out by all the "I will never live in an HOA" people, who unsurprisingly have never lived in a HOA so can't possibly know what its like.

 

[Burt]

That’s because people who complain are vocal. People who are satisfied don’t post positive stories about how much they like living with an HOA. This leads to a false impression.

I don’t recall developers boasting to come buy here - “there’s no HOA!”.

 

[PontiacHO]

I’m in the camp of preferably having an active HOA simply to protect the value of my home and property. I’ve never been in the position financially to afford a large sprawling lot to provide separation from other homes so I’ve always lived in neighborhoods. Attempting to sell a home is hard enough but if there’s no controls in place (HOA) then there’s different interpretations of how a yard is kept, home maintenance, cars parked in the street and-or non-running vehicles randomly sitting, multi-family situations that create noise etc., undesirable renters that bring an unwanted culture in a family oriented situation, and the list goes on. If these controls didn’t matter to me I would be in an apartment complex as a carefree renter…but nope, I can’t abide by others’ noise and the hours they keep.

 

[PontiacHO]

Over the years there have been dozens of discussions on BITOG about HOA horror stories. Regularly I read like horror stories on the internet and often see news broadcasts with HOA horror stories. Yet, the linked article below states HOAs are more popular and in demand now than ever.

The article author's thesis on why HOAs are in such strong demand by homebuyers:

"The reason is simple: The HOA is the last legal mechanism Americans have to artificially recreate something the country once produced organically — a high-trust society."

A few more paragraphs from the article"

"People want neighborhoods where streets feel safe, houses stay maintained, and neighbors behave predictably. We call these places “high trust” because people do not expect those around them to violate basic standards. Doors remain unlocked, kids play outside, and property values rise. Americans once assumed this was the natural condition of ordinary life. It never was.

High-trust societies are not accidental. They emerge only under specific cultural conditions. Trust forms when people can understand and predict the behavior of those around them. That requires a shared standard — how to act, how to maintain property, how to handle conflict. When those standards come from a common way of life, enforcement becomes minimal. People feel free not because they reject limits, but because the limits match their instincts and expectations.

Every social order requires maintenance, but the amount varies. When most residents share the same assumptions, small gestures keep the peace. A disapproving look from Mrs. Smith over an unkempt lawn prompts action. A loud party until 1 a.m. results in lost invitations until the offender corrects the behavior. Police rarely if ever enter the picture. The community polices itself through mutual judgment."

The article caught me by surprise. If in fact the author of the article is correct, I never would have guessed in a million years HOA popularity has a increase in demand/ on the rise.

https://www.theblaze.com/columns/op...ions-werent-supposed-to-replace-civilization?

Thanks for this article. It’s timely as our HOA is under scrutiny and a meeting is set for this month. Is there a possibility you could copy this and send it to me please (private message)? I really don’t want to subscribe to another publication and hand over my email, phone number, and name. My email and robo calls are annoying as it is. Thanks.

 

[BISCUT]

I've never lived under the rule of an HOA. I've been blessed my whole life to have housing in the woods in New England growing up and the last 25 years in NY. My queen is about to drop 550-600k on a home in Lakewood Ranch area of FL. We are keeping my home in NY and plan on a lot of back and forth for a few years to determine if we would be better served with both or one home as we age.

About 70% of the homes we are viewing have some form of HOA. Some are relatively inexpensive and offer very little while others are like a second mortgage and offer plenty of amenities. Some are not structured for coexistence. When we first started looking about a year ago, we considered a Lennar unit - the larger ones are two condo units attached by a single side - the HOA agreement stipulated these unit owners were responsible for exterior painting. I did not see anything that addressed a potential issue. When I asked Lennar what is the mechanism if one owner deems painting necessary in 5 years while the other refuses? Legitimate claim. I could see one unit having a greater sun exposure and "needing" paint while the other unit may be just fine. They had no answer. That is a dumpster fire awaiting a match, IMO.

HOA's have us talking a lot when we find a potential home for purchase!

 

[paulswagelock]

I am the president of an HOA in a large Florida community. I can see both sides of the argument for and against HOA. In a well run HOA it creates what the article describes. Unfortunately there are plenty of poorly run HOA’s that grab the media attention. Local news doesn’t come to our community to run a story on how well an HOA operates, maintains the aesthetics, operates fiscally responsible and has a 97%+ resident satisfaction.

 

[Skippy722]

As someone who wants absolutely no part of being in an HOA, I never understood the people complaining about living in one. You bought the property, they make it clear it's in a HOA, you have no one to blame but yourself.

 

[Propflux01]

As someone who wants absolutely no part of being in an HOA, I never understood the people complaining about living in one. You bought the property, they make it clear it's in a HOA, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Most complain because there always seems to be at least one “Karen” in the ‘hood that feels they are the be-all-end-all in what gets reported, what doesn’t, how often, and to what extent.

 

[paulswagelock]

As someone who wants absolutely no part of being in an HOA, I never understood the people complaining about living in one. You bought the property, they make it clear it's in a HOA, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Bingo….. HOA living is not for everyone. You give up individual freedoms in exchange for community living, amenities, freedom from maintaining exterior aspects, etc. but it is all clearly spelled out ahead of purchase -IF you read it. This is the biggest issue, buyers not paying attention to what they are buying and not taking the time to educate themselves. We have a few HOA homes. I am fine with the arrangement and it provides lifestyle that would be complicated or too expensive to duplicate. Our Florida home has a resort pool with waterfalls, grottos, and 150’ water slide. We have restaurants, bars, cafes, world class gym, all within the gates. The small amount we all contribute to have those amenities makes it a fair trade for me, but might not be for everyone.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I prefer to do my own maintenance however I can see why some people don't want the burden of doing snowblowing, cutting grass and whatever else comes with their compound.

 

[4wd]

As someone who wants absolutely no part of being in an HOA, I never understood the people complaining about living in one. You bought the property, they make it clear it's in a HOA, you have no one to blame but yourself.

That depends - we were fortunate to buy unit #1 of a 30 unit condo system - perfect end unit with a bit of yard/huge oak tree - and facing a far better view - made use of an oversized church parking lot a few feet away -
But the agent did not tell us the HOA Karen (President) was retired - home all day - and in unit #2

 

[nomas]

As someone who wants absolutely no part of being in an HOA, I never understood the people complaining about living in one. You bought the property, they make it clear it's in a HOA, you have no one to blame but yourself.

My opinion . most people move into a HOA situation without knowing exactly what is in the rules , etc. They ask " How much are the dues ? " and that's about it .

 

[64bawagon]

In MI the HOA was created to pass responsibilities for road construction and maintenance to the owners rather than the municipality along with code enforcement etc.
I lived in one, had one of the nicest, well kept houses in there. Unfortunately my sociopath neighbor was heavily involved in the board. We sold and built another house that wasnt in an HOA. I didnt move solely because of the HOA but it was definitely a factor.
A friend of mine who is a lawyer, primarily for land and title issues , commented to me that the HOA is the lowest form of Government and attracts people with control issues. Mind you I was on our board for a time but chose to not run again due to the trifling nature of my neighbor and the fact that most residents and board members didnt understand or follow Roberts rules of order for meetings or follow the procedures in the bylaws unless it benefited them personally . She was a Karen before there were Karens.

 

[SShooterZ]

I will never live under an HOA again. I've found that you can live in an area with all the benefits of an HOA, without the HOA and especially without the cost. Some neighbors mow their own lawns, some have a service. Same with snow removal. No eye sores, no issues and for the most part, we all live in harmony.

 

[4wd]

I will never live under an HOA again. I've found that you can live in an area with all the benefits of an HOA, without the HOA and especially without the cost. Some neighbors mow their own lawns, some have a service. Same with snow removal. No eye sores, no issues and for the most part, we all live in harmony.

Same - when we looked at our main house - there was only one neighbor yet dual fenced - a widow - and she had a Yard of the Month sign out front …

 

[4wd]

That’s because people who complain are vocal. People who are satisfied don’t post positive stories about how much they like living with an HOA. This leads to a false impression.

I don’t recall developers boasting to come buy here - “there’s no HOA!”.

The perception is unfortunate - after we decided to sell the condo we looked at a lake house with intents to move the contents there …
It was awesome and a steal bcs there was not a job market there …
Wife did not want HOA. I even showed her MoM and reasonable requests were granted - Nope

 

[zzyzzx]

I guess it gets drowned out by all the "I will never live in an HOA" people, who unsurprisingly have never lived in a HOA so can't possibly know what its like.

Some of us prefer to learn from other people's mistakes.

 

[zzyzzx]

My opinion . most people move into a HOA situation without knowing exactly what is in the rules , etc.

HOA rules should be posted on the internet, and there should be a link to it from any real estate listing. Personally, I wouldn't even make an offer on any real estate in a HOA without first reading through the rules and checking on their financials, etc. Everything else being equal, I would consider property in a HOA being less desirable and of less value than something not in a HOA.

 

[nbpt100]

I will never live under an HOA again. I've found that you can live in an area with all the benefits of an HOA, without the HOA and especially without the cost. Some neighbors mow their own lawns, some have a service. Same with snow removal. No eye sores, no issues and for the most part, we all live in harmony.

I agree. If you are turned off because you do not like that someone washes their own car in the drive way and leaves the garage door open or they do not like the color of someones shutters you belong in an HOA. It comes down to how tolerant people are. It seems to me, in general, every generation gets a little more tolerant of people and things. You do not need an HOA to prevent loud wild parties to 1AM.

Where I live,If some one does not mow their grass or take care of the outside yard, it is often because of a hard ship. The neighbors just help them out and show some grace, In an HOA, would someone just *****? I guess they paid for the right to do that. I never lived in one and from all of the pieces I have read, I doubt I would. What happens if someone has financial issues and does not pay their dues? You are all on the hook I guess? I suppose they are not going to have the money to paint their house or pay for other services the HOA requires.

Also, a good buyers Broker would make sure their client understood the rules of an HOA. If they do not they are sloppy or want the sale closed fast for personal reasons.