House dithering

[celticdragonfly]

Okay, I just got a fax of the CC&Rs for CurrentFavoriteHouse. It's actually a summary of the post-construction restrictions. Mostly okay. No more than 4 pets, normal stuff ("such as cats and dogs" - I expect a hamster in the future would be no problem, but nothing weird like a llama) The tricky part may be vehicles. Basically, you gotta park cars in the garage except temporary parking, and you can't driveway or streetpark a trailer. Now, we just sold the trailer, but the plan was to buy another, possibly closed trailer in the future.

Then there's also just the general notion of do I want to be involved with a CC&R, HOA property at all. Running the risk of "they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same". It's a good school district, sounds like a good safe neighborhood for kids to play, and is a lot of house and yard for the money. But do I run the risk of fighting the miseries of conformity?

(Relevant amusing story - A Flock of Lawn Flamingos

Comments

[ekaterin.livejournal.com]

I have owned an apartment (in europe) twice, so I know a bit about community rules. And it works better in small groups, because then you know each other. But both Dutch and Belgian law have a possibility to appeal any community rule that you feel is unfair.

Basically, the question is: do you think that you will hate the rules in the future? if so, or if you feel that might be the case, think about it. It is also possible that the house is cheaper because it is part of a community, and that would mean that the resale value would be lower.

How much do you feel the need not to conform to what your neighbors do? On the other hand, rules about the outside of the house means you do not have to make decisions on the outside of the house, and that might be easier too.

Anyway, if you are involved in running the community, it is a lot easier to live in. But would you have the time and energy to do that?

Remember, this is all based on my experience in europe.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

My husband is getting pretty twitchy about the idea. One thing that bothers him is that the board is *not* run by the neighbors - it's run by the developers. And what generally worries him more than the current rules is what could get added to the rules in the future.

I am gradually more and more agreeing with him. I was getting seduced by the nice beautiful house... but yeah, HOAs are bad. Maybe we go back and look at the house in the other area, which didn't have a HOA. Trouble is, I'm not sure if that house is within the diaper service delivery area. It's in Crowley school district, but not in Crowley proper, so we'll see. I'm going to try to call the diaper service company again tomorrow. The school district there is almost as good as the one in the HOA's house's school district.

Wennie Neighbors

[meerkat1.livejournal.com]

Actually, the developer as the power that be does at least insulate you from wennie neighbor syndrome. Where they decide they don't like you for some totally irrational nick-pic and then use friends on the board to harrass you with new stupid rules or enforcement of obscure ones. I would think the developer would have more important things to do than that.

However, I will put in my two thoughts here. One I wouldn't own a home, if I could avoid it, with a HOA. They make me twichy just on principle.

BUT, you have a very defined time limit you are raceing against AND there is nothing that says you can't move in 3-5 years after you have had time to get to know the area. And you have been living with much more restrictive rules (like what colors you can paint your bedrooms etc) as a renter for years. So going into it knowing it doesn't have to be forever can make it a bit easier to cope with.

Hugs
L

Re: Wennie Neighbors

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Karl worries about jerk neighbors - a handful of retired guys running the HOA who are anal rentives. But at least they'd have to live there. The developers could be worse - they just want to keep getting top prices for new houses, screw the residents.

Karl is digging out books that discuss HOAs - in negative terms - and having me read the excerpts. And it's bringing me back from the seductive edge of "but this looks like the best possible house!", back into right, okay, HOAs are evil, yes, sorry about that.

And yes, one of the reasons we want to move out to Texas anyway is to be masters of our own castle, and all that.

[ekaterin.livejournal.com]

Well, that would bother me too, I think. If it is run by the people who live there, that is one thing. But if it is run by people who do not live there, they do not have to follow any of the decisions themselves.

I wish you much luck with further house searching.