HOA fees/services, what are yours?
03-02-2009, 06:52 AM
#42
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
03-02-2009, 09:43 AM
#44
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Damn, you guys make me feel real good. I don't pay ****, When I was looking at houses that was one of the 1st things I looked at. Everyone keeps their lawns clean and straight so we bought...
03-02-2009, 10:52 AM
#46
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100 dollars Bob.
I do not think that I will be contributing to the president's new boat payment this year. The president is always one of a common circle of friends. They are only concerned with the people outside of their circle. If you are in it, then you can do or not do whatever you want. My next door neighbor only mows her lawn when it is about a foot high and plain told me that she isn't going to rebuild her outside fence until the HOA makes her. She said sense they are good friends that she doesnt plan on putting up a new one at all.
Now if a boat gets left in the driveway for more than two days then letters get sent out quickly.
I do not think that I will be contributing to the president's new boat payment this year. The president is always one of a common circle of friends. They are only concerned with the people outside of their circle. If you are in it, then you can do or not do whatever you want. My next door neighbor only mows her lawn when it is about a foot high and plain told me that she isn't going to rebuild her outside fence until the HOA makes her. She said sense they are good friends that she doesnt plan on putting up a new one at all.
Now if a boat gets left in the driveway for more than two days then letters get sent out quickly.
03-02-2009, 12:14 PM
#47
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$300/Per year.. My parents are in a gated community and pay $1200 per year.
I hear ya on the boat in the driveway.. BASTARDS!!! And what sucks is I know who called it in and they dont even have to drive by my house to get to theres. OLD *****
I hear ya on the boat in the driveway.. BASTARDS!!! And what sucks is I know who called it in and they dont even have to drive by my house to get to theres. OLD *****
12-21-2016, 05:32 PM
#48
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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.
BTW, I live in Woodforest and ours went up 10% to $1,050/year.
12-22-2016, 10:28 AM
#49
$450 a year, 5 pools, 12 Catch & release ponds (they all have fish) with fountains and 3 have water falls, 4 Parks for kids, Monthly events, BBQ cook-offs, Santa drawings for home visit, Easter Egg hunts, Halloween parties out the cazzoo (not part of the HOA) well maintained landscaping, HOA Newsletter and a website with their own residential version of Craigslist, Lost & Found, Help Wanted and services.
It's $450 that is well spent, no complaints here!
Chad
It's $450 that is well spent, no complaints here!
Chad
12-23-2016, 11:39 AM
#50
Realize it's an older thread but oh well, it got bumped so why not start fresh. I pay a little over 900 a year, gated community (gate is non functional more than it works), Id guess there are 150+ houses or so in total. Only things that are "included" is the gate that doesnt work half the time, lawn maintenance which is a complete joke...I dont even have a lawn and they wont touch trees, bushes, shrubs etc. There is also a pool and clubhouse, but the key to the pool is an extra 50 bucks a year (might be more now, it was 50 when I asked about it a couple of years ago) and the clubhouse is available for renting out, so its not really included either. There is also a "park" that has two swings and one slide, all of which are about as old as 95% of the people that live in the community. Ive been to several board and share meetings to try and figure out exactly what it is that Im paying close to $1,000 a year for and I get blown off every single time with excuse after excuse. Probably because I am one of the younger (27) members of the community and everyone on the HOA board is over the age of 65. My house is also just a hair over 1,200 sf. Luckily, some time in mid 2017 I plan on building a house on about 5.5-6 acres outside the city limits, and Ill make damn sure everyone on the HOA board knows where to shove it when Im leaving. Ive always kept to myself and never bothered anyone. Ive never been loud or disorderly inside or outside my house, and still I get evil glares from everyone but a select few who have turned out to be pretty great neighbors. The rest of em, including the HOA fees can kiss my ***.
05-21-2020, 03:30 AM
#54
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Showbox jiofi.local.html tplinklogin posters is well maintained. I also don’t necessarily agree a higher HOA fee is indicative of a nicer neighborhood.
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.
Last edited by zkaleem zae; 05-21-2020 at 03:51 AM.
06-02-2020, 01:06 PM
#55
Mine is around $560 a year. My neighborhood has a very large golf course, clubhouse, two pools, splash park, water fountains and a huge athletic park. It's got a lot of landscaped areas and stone work as well. While HOA fees may not necessarily correlate to the neighborhood being nicer, in my experience that's usually the case. Obviously, if your paying $900 a year and your neighborhood has no amenities to speak of, that isn't the case. I've seen a few places with some pretty landscaping and nothing else that had HOA fees in excess of $600 a year. I've looked at hundreds of houses in the Dallas / Ft. Worth Metroplex and usually, higher HOA fees equate to more amenities and a nicer neighborhood with a few exceptions.
The average I've seen is around $200-$300 a year. What you get for that varies. That said, I've never seen a place with a lot of amenities with less than $300 a year. I don't think you'll find that unless you've been there a while and got into the neighborhood back when it was built. Generally, HOA fees are locked in at the time the home was built for the original owners.
I don't get the bitching about HOA fees though. You can certainly choose neighborhoods where there are no fees. You may notice they aren't as nice, and that's because you can put up trashy steel car ports or put your Camaro up on blocks in the driveway or yard. Don't want property values to drop because someone decided to paint their house lime green? In neighborhoods that don't allow that thanks to having an HOA, these aren't things you have to deal with. The fees are disclosed up front and shouldn't ever increase past what they were when you originally bought the house. That's been my experience with the homes I've owned, which were all in neighborhoods with HOA's.
The fees are generally in line with the types of homes in the neighborhood. In neighborhoods with really expensive houses, you may see fees upwards of $1,500 a year. But those same houses are typically right under or far in excess of a million dollars. In neighborhoods where the houses are in the $230,000 range, your fees are usually closer to the $150-$300 range.
The average I've seen is around $200-$300 a year. What you get for that varies. That said, I've never seen a place with a lot of amenities with less than $300 a year. I don't think you'll find that unless you've been there a while and got into the neighborhood back when it was built. Generally, HOA fees are locked in at the time the home was built for the original owners.
I don't get the bitching about HOA fees though. You can certainly choose neighborhoods where there are no fees. You may notice they aren't as nice, and that's because you can put up trashy steel car ports or put your Camaro up on blocks in the driveway or yard. Don't want property values to drop because someone decided to paint their house lime green? In neighborhoods that don't allow that thanks to having an HOA, these aren't things you have to deal with. The fees are disclosed up front and shouldn't ever increase past what they were when you originally bought the house. That's been my experience with the homes I've owned, which were all in neighborhoods with HOA's.
The fees are generally in line with the types of homes in the neighborhood. In neighborhoods with really expensive houses, you may see fees upwards of $1,500 a year. But those same houses are typically right under or far in excess of a million dollars. In neighborhoods where the houses are in the $230,000 range, your fees are usually closer to the $150-$300 range.
06-05-2021, 07:59 PM
#56
On The Tree
Since I last posted we are at 850 a year now.
I'll never live in a neighborhood without an HOA. They aren't perfect but a bad neighbor can be a complete nightmare.
I'll never live in a neighborhood without an HOA. They aren't perfect but a bad neighbor can be a complete nightmare.
06-06-2021, 09:56 AM
#58
Staging Lane
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.
I have two properties in HOA’s and I got myself on the board of both.
The HOA fees for my place at Lake Tahoe are $901 PER MONTH. That pays for all of my utilities including cable TV and internet, all of the ground care, 16 bouys on the lake, pier maintenance, swimming pool, roofs, exterior painting, common area taxes and insurance, etc. We pinch every penny and are constantly short. At the neighboring property that is fractional 1/7 ownership has pool boys and bar service and valet parking, each of the 1/7 owners pays $1100/month!
The HOA for my shop is $2400/year and pays for roofs, paint, parking lot maintenance, gardening, common area insurance, etc. we do much better there and are discussing lowering the annual fees since we have a nest egg in the bank.
06-08-2021, 02:12 PM
#60
Wow, ours is only $330 per year (billed every 6 mo). We get nothing out of it. I just got dinged on my yard as the grass that didn't survive the freeze was washed away in the rain last month and this month. It took the HOA 8 months to approve my roof and fence insurance claim work and they held it 3 months for my wanting to put a solar powered roof vent up, when there are 8 houses with full solar roofs... We have a small amenity center with a pool, 4 small basket ball and 2 tennis courts. Due to this I didn't submit a request to remove my dead bushes this spring, maybe this is why they dinged my lawn with a 10 day fix or fine order... I attended a couple of meetings after moving in and they were obsessed with appearance but not safety (parking is anything goes as long as its not RV's, boats, trailers, or cars on blocks. At least they let people with pickups park in the neighborhood! My wife really wanted the house so I have to put up with this, if up to me I would want to be anywhere near a HOA. Bare minimum is they should help all homeowners lower their taxes by holding exemption workshops and assessment challenging workshops for free.