HOA fees/services, what are yours?
****, i have to pay a puny 85$ a year, all we have is a small *** run down park that gets mowed every few months, but there are events like Halloween and what not that they get together and have a social gathering.
One big expense for HOA's is also liability insurance, of course.
Our's is just under 500 bucks a year and we have lots of common areas, pool, playground, lakes etc. so I think it is just about right.
I hate to pay especially for the pool maintenance since we now have our own, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I'll just pay.
Our's is just under 500 bucks a year and we have lots of common areas, pool, playground, lakes etc. so I think it is just about right.
I hate to pay especially for the pool maintenance since we now have our own, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I'll just pay.
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Joined: Feb 2009
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m about 900 a year but we have two pools a little lake with track around it and a small gym and also my neigborhood is gated with 24 he security also we have a constable patrol over night but the only problem with my HOA is they send letters for very stupid thing like leaving you garbage out for an extra day but I agree you really have no complaint because the HOA was there when you moved in
People that complain about their HOAs crack me up. You knew it existed when you bought the house. Just pay your dues and quit your sniveling. I was the president of the HOA in my last neighborhood. I have never seen so many adults act like such children.
Unless you are comparing a community with the same number of houses and amenities there is no way to compare dues. It cost more per household to maintain a gated community with 50 houses than a non gated community with 250 houses and a community pool.
EDIT: My comments are not necessarily directed a the posts here. They are directed at the people who complain about the dues without making an effort to find out why they are what they are.
Unless you are comparing a community with the same number of houses and amenities there is no way to compare dues. It cost more per household to maintain a gated community with 50 houses than a non gated community with 250 houses and a community pool.
EDIT: My comments are not necessarily directed a the posts here. They are directed at the people who complain about the dues without making an effort to find out why they are what they are.
What is bullshit is you not getting involved and finding out the real reason why the dues went up.
My guess is a combination of two things caused your dues to go up. 1) It is a fairly new neighborhood and it was just turned over from the builder. Builders tend to kick in money until a neighborhood is closed out. Once it is closed out and the homeowners actually have to pay the bills you find out what it really costs. 2) The bills have gone up. Not sure if you have noticed or not but you own electric bill is probably almost double what it was in Feb 2007 when you moved there.
I bet there is a management company involved as well that has raised their fees as well. I seriously doubt there is one single bill your HOA has that has not increased in the last two years.
I understand people getting upset about the increases but quit complaining and get involved with the HOA board. Obviously think you think you could manage the money better so get out there and show them how.
My guess is a combination of two things caused your dues to go up. 1) It is a fairly new neighborhood and it was just turned over from the builder. Builders tend to kick in money until a neighborhood is closed out. Once it is closed out and the homeowners actually have to pay the bills you find out what it really costs. 2) The bills have gone up. Not sure if you have noticed or not but you own electric bill is probably almost double what it was in Feb 2007 when you moved there.
I bet there is a management company involved as well that has raised their fees as well. I seriously doubt there is one single bill your HOA has that has not increased in the last two years.
I understand people getting upset about the increases but quit complaining and get involved with the HOA board. Obviously think you think you could manage the money better so get out there and show them how.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Cypress, TX
$890/yr. Northlake Forest. Not gated. It has several lakes with fountains, a community pool, park, basketball and tennis court, greenbelt and seasonal foilage at the entrances to each individual section. Went up this year because the builder closed out the subdivision a year or two ago and they needed to contribute to widening Spring Cypress in front of the subdivision. We also have a community newsletter
Last edited by CySevans; Mar 2, 2009 at 04:15 PM.
My problem isn't just that they're raising our rates. We've been here for just over a year, and we were talking to neighbors before they finished our house, who told us there would be a rec center for our subdivision (still doesn't exist), tennis courts (last time I checked, they hadn't been repaired since the hurricane), and we have shared access to swimming areas, but not the nearby waterpark, since that was paid for by another subdivision (I agree with this...I would be pissed if we paid for a waterpark and the neighboring communities invaded).
Still, the biggest problem is still the fact that people aren't paying their dues, and those of us who are get to foot the bill. HOAs have a lot of power in Texas (too much, IMO), and rather than exercise that power, they choose to act like cowards and make us pay for the freeloaders.
What remains to be seen is what will happen when the area is done being developed, which will take YEARS now that the economy sucks. The HOA tells us dues are high because we're not at full occupancy, but I have extreme doubts that our dues will go down once we're there. Somehow, that never seems to happen.
-Mike
Still, the biggest problem is still the fact that people aren't paying their dues, and those of us who are get to foot the bill. HOAs have a lot of power in Texas (too much, IMO), and rather than exercise that power, they choose to act like cowards and make us pay for the freeloaders.
What remains to be seen is what will happen when the area is done being developed, which will take YEARS now that the economy sucks. The HOA tells us dues are high because we're not at full occupancy, but I have extreme doubts that our dues will go down once we're there. Somehow, that never seems to happen.
-Mike
$374/ year. We have 3 pools, clubhouse, tennis courts, and a nice park with lake + probably some more stuff I don't know about, our neighborhood is kinda big (1198 homes). A lot of nice people live here, most of our HOA fees goes to hiring patrol cars. this year they built new entrance signs because kids kept stealing the letters off of them.
Last edited by bigburb; Mar 2, 2009 at 06:39 AM.