Understanding What an HOA Can Do for You
You may have heard the term “HOA” before, but do you know what it means? It’s shorthand for a homeowner’s association, but what are the responsibilities of these entities? If you move somewhere that has one, is that beneficial?
We’ll take some time to talk about HOAs and what they offer homeowners right now.
What Does the Typical HOA Do?
HOAs do not exist for every property. More properties than not don't have HOAs. You will usually encounter an HOA if you want to move into a condo, subdivision, or planned community. This entity, usually made up of elected officials that are also homeowners, makes rules for living in one of these spaces that you must follow if you want to reside there.
As part of an HOA-controlled area or building, you’ll need to pay dues. Those dues go toward things like hiring groundskeepers to maintain the properties or grounds. For instance, if you pay HOA dues, those might go toward maintaining the communal pool or tennis courts. They may go toward maintaining the elevators in the building, the lobby, landscaping, patios, a communal clubhouse or common area, etc.
You’ll also usually see maintenance fees going toward common utilities, such as garbage disposal companies and sewer or water fees. Just about every community needs those things, so you should feel comfortable paying whatever the price tag turns out to be.
How Do You Join an HOA?
If you choose to live somewhere that has an HOA, you can probably become a member of the board if you like. That means you’ll have a say in all the decisions the board makes. Usually, board members are elected to higher-ranking positions, so you’ll need to have some degree of popularity if you hope to attain a position of authority.
You can also sometimes find HOA management companies that will help you manage an HOA if you are not sure how to do it or if there are contentious issues that ever come up. For instance, if you Google something like “HOA management Tacoma,” you’ll come up with HOA management companies in Tacoma, Washington.
You can do the same thing in New York or virtually any locale if you need to find an HOA management company or service. These companies can act as intermediaries if HOA members argue or they’re not seeing eye to eye on any subject.
Is It Better to Live Somewhere Under HOA Control?
Opinions vary about whether it’s better to live somewhere with an HOA or not. Most people will go through life without ever living somewhere that has one. However, some residents in communities with an HOA feel there’s some measure of security that goes along with their presence.
We already mentioned some of what HOA fees pay for, but they also typically go toward hiring private security forces. If you have an HOA, there’s no reason you can’t call the police if there’s a mugging, a robbery, vandalism, or anything along those lines. You might also pay for a private security company that patrols the area, though.
That will probably give you some extra peace of mind. Say that you know that you have another layer of security preventing crime in your building or neighborhood. You might feel better about walking around or knowing your kids are playing in your front yard or in the street in front of your house. You might like the idea that you’re insulated from the harmful elements in the world more than relying on the police alone.
Are There Any Potential HOA Drawbacks?
Some individuals feel like living somewhere with an HOA comes with drawbacks, though. It’s a matter of opinion, but there’s no denying that if you live somewhere with an HOA, that can impact what you can do with your property and certain ways you choose to conduct yourself.
For example, if you live somewhere with an HOA, there may be some community rules or bylaws that talk about what color you can paint your house, how tall you can grow any plants or bushes in your front yard, and so forth. The HOA has a say in many of the behaviors pertaining to your house or condo.
If you don’t like people telling you what to do, and you’re more of a free spirit, you might chafe at this idea. You have to relent if you want to do something, and the HOA has rules in place that expressly forbid it.
HOAs Exist in More Expensive Areas
There’s one additional aspect of living somewhere with an HOA that you should understand. If you live somewhere that has seen fit to set up an HOA to govern how you live there, that probably means you’ve bought a home somewhere that has a higher cost of living.
Less wealthy areas generally do not have HOAs. If you find out that a condo or house you’re thinking about buying has an HOA, that likely means you’re moving up in the world.
Do You Want to Live Somewhere with an HOA?
Some people like living in HOA-controlled locales because of the reasons we mentioned. You pay to have your home and property well maintained, usually by professional groundskeeping services and things of that nature.
At the same time, you’re somewhat restricted regarding what you can do with your property. If you’re someone who doesn’t like law and order being imposed on you other than what society already demands, you may choose to deliberately live somewhere that does not have an HOA.
If you’re looking at a house or condo that has an HOA, you now know what that means and implies for you. If you feel like you’ll be okay living somewhere with some additional rules that you must follow, then there’s no harm in buying that property. If you feel like someday, you’ll want to paint your home an unusual color, that could be enough for you to look at non-HOA properties instead.
