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@avivoca: @T.H.O.U.: my neighbor painted their home a salmon pink with baby blue trim and then sold the home. It's such an eyesore! I'm hoping the new owner paints it soon, but since the paint is fresh it's not a high priority.
I used to not want any oversight on things like paint color and parking, but I really would have loved for someone to tell my previous neighbors not to paint their home pink and blue!
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Nope, it's just not our style.
We bought a house in a pretty diverse neighborhood and even though our street isn't extremely kid friendly (narrow lanes, no sidewalks), we like it. We really wanted to experience a quirky neighborhood that reflects the population of our city with an older home. (but my in-laws lived in a more modern suburban home/neighborhood and my MIL is uncomfortable babysitting at our house) -
@T.H.O.U.: I live in a neighborhood where all the houses and yards are well maintained and people really take pride in their property. Before we bought our house, we drove around to make sure there were no dilapidated houses, rusted out cars, and all those things you mentioned. Driving around a neighborhood, you know what you'll get.
Our neighbors across the street painted their house fluorescent green with black trim. Not my style, but no it doesn't bother me.
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We lived in a planned (but not gated community) with strict deed restrictions. I love it. Everyone's property is well maintained and taken care of and as a result our area is very desirable and property values remain high.
We have to get big things approved, but its a pretty streamlined process. (Ex - there are pre approved choices for most things and you can petition if you want to do something else).
I think it depends on the neighborhood restrictions. A competent Realtor should be able to advise you on which communities to avoid based on your preferences.
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I would definitely not want to live in a gated community, but they're not common where I live so maybe that's part of why it seems so weird to me.
I get people's point on it being nice that neighbors can't do things that would lower property values. As it is, we bought a house on a street where most of the houses are really well maintained but on the lower half of the street there are a few houses that really need a paint job/other maintenance. Yes, it drives me nuts and I wish I could "report" these people to their home insurance or something because I know they'd require them to repaint, but we knew what we were getting into when we bought. I think most of the time you do. So the advantages of an HOA just don't seem to outweigh the inconvenience to me.
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We've looked at houses in gated communities. I wouldn't seek one out, but I wouldn't rule one out because of the gated community, either. We have always lived in areas where HOAs are the norm and deed restrictions are everywhere, so I don't think it would be that different.
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@stargal: this for us too!
also for an actual gate, we've always lived in "stop on over whenever" kinda places and i'm happier in that kind of neighborhood, rather than call, put you on the list, buzz you in, etc.
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If I had a choice I would not buy in a "gated" community. I like my home to have character and have my own touch. I don't like other people dictating what to do with MY home.
We both work full time and have two kids. We've been that house with embarrassing long grass. But there's been weeks where it thunderstorms and the grounds are too soggy to mow are days off. Or where it rains every third day and DH can't even mow after work like he wants to. It's called life. A few of our neighbor's have been very vocal that they don't like it when people put fences up. Because it ruins the "park like" setting of the neighborhood. Okay. They can go F off. We fully plan to put a nice looking fence up around our property because we want our kids to be able to freely run around in our backyard. -
No, I would not. I'm not really a "belonger" and having people tell me what to do with my own house would drive me crazy.
We live in a university town in a trendy downtown neighborhood, but with lots of student housing and older owners who probably have other things on their mind than how their house looks to the neighbors. Some houses need the lawn cut more often, some have couches on their front porches or don't pick up their trash very well, and other houses have been lovingly restored to their Victorian glory or have elaborate flower gardens. I enjoy the beautiful houses. For the rest, I am happy to let them live their lives however they want, as long as it doesn't affect my use of the neighborhood. (House value isn't much an issue. The neighborhood is popular enough that even the run-down houses have appreciated significantly.)
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I live in a gated neighborhood. We weren't particularly looking for one but it is where our house was. However, I very much like it. Our kids play in the street because there is no through traffic. There is a very nice sense of community. There is significantly less crime than in the surrounding community. Our HOA is not super restrictive but enough so that the neighborhood looks nice and houses maintain their value very well.
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@T.H.O.U.: Haha, I had to giggle at your extreme scenarios. I've never seen someone paint a house like that. A question for you about grass though. We don't have HOA's where I live, but if a neighbour never cut their grass, I can make a complaint to the city and they will send someone to cut it and then bill the homeowner. Is that sort of thing not done in your area?
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It depends. Non gated doesn't equal no HOA, so I don't know. And I would really want to see who was on the HOA board and how it was managed. And how strict they were about visitors, etc. I lean toward no, but never say never.
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We definitely didn't want a gated community but pretty much all the places we looked had HOAs. I think they are more common in some areas than others. Our HOA does have rules and restrictions like paint colors but everyone has a walled yard so you can do what you want in there and then the HOA covers all the other landscaping. They do a great job! And when my DH just wanted to change the configuration of our gate, he just had to do a quick plan for the board and they approved it.
For me the reason it is worth it to have the HOA is that it maintains our community pool. All the joys of having a pool and letting someone else deal with the maintenance and safety stuff!
I think the takeaway is to do your homework before you buy. My parents bought in a "historic" neighborhood that has an Architecural Review Board that sounds like a much bigger pain than our HOA!
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@Grace: we are not in city limits so no I don't think the city would step in unless it was a health and safet violation.
But yes, we have seen some "eclectic" houses from people that love purple and don't just do purple trim but go all out. We've also seen some areas with the issues of the RV or splitting utilities and adding a trailer or second dwelling to one property.
My point being some HOA or rules can be a good thing. I view a home as an investment and if there is a purple house with crazy weeds next door, my investment goes down.
I think there are probably a lot of harmless HOAs or other neighborhood associations that are very mild that you just don't hear about because they would only step in in extreme situations. I don't love the look of cookie cutter neighborhoods, but there are some great neighborhoods I've seen that maintain a cohesive look and style without seeming intruding.
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There aren't HOA communities in areas where I've lived so no, not for me. There are some communities here but they are way far away from the city and suburban life doesn't work for us.
ARB usually takes care of eyesore properties and overgrown lawns can be a health and safety issue so the city mows and fines the property owner. Trash removal is municipal. As far as ugly additions.... I'm not sure how it would affect my property value if a neighbor built something I don't like on their property. Zoning isn't going to allow a five story addition in a three story neighborhood.
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We live in a non-gated new construction community that is set within a rather ethnically diverse town. We chose here because we really liked the particular house, the wooded areas that surround the neighborhood, and the location.
We do have an HOA and my DH is one of the board members so I can answer questions if you have specifics. Definitely ask to see the rules and regs before you sign. Additionally, know that most HOA boards can add add'l rules and regs. Our HOA isn't crazy and mostly exists to protect property values. It's not for you if you want to paint your house pink, want backyard farm animals, want to do any construction in the front of your house, or might have squatters staying with you. There are also limits on the # of houses that can be rented at any time. Other than that though, it's nothing too crazy.
Our HOA pays to maintain our common playground, trees, green spaces and is there in case something like a giant tree from the big forest behind the property falls in someone's yard and damages their house.
But actually gated community? Not so much. Our neighborhood is quiet and has a cul de sac, but it's open to whoever wants to walk or drive through.
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