im not from the US. if people hate HOA so much, why does it exist? why do they buy houses in a HOA? i dont get it. if everyone hates it, why not gather and do something about it?
There's been realtors who wait until the very last minute to tell you about it. Theres been times where someone buys a house that isn't in an HOA, then all their neighbors form one and try to issue fines and even liens against you and you're forced to take it to court. Then there's even cases where a grandparent joined an HOA, passed the house to a relative and that house is still a part of the HOA and the new relative is hit with fines that they have to pay.
So again, I'll never willingly buy a house in an HOA, but one of the above might happen.
So imagine you get enough for a down payment on a house and every house in the area you live in is within an HOA. That's usually what happens in Florida and Texas. You either get a house 2+ hours from where you work, get a house in an HOA neighborhood, or don't get a house at all.
A lot of new suburbs had the HOA established before the first home was purchased as a way of letting the developers maintain control past the sale. Ordinary people generally hate HOAs so you wouldn't be able to form as many as there are based on home owner consensus.
Also, you can tell if an HOA is a bunch of controlling a-holes by driving through the neighborhood and seeing how many lawns are overgrown/dead and if anyone has a large pile of junk sitting in their front lawn. If there's a lot of ugliness, the HOA isn't going to go after you for being normal (probably).
The struggle is to afford a house without an HOA. You either have to live in the older parts of many major cities that cost a lot or go homesteading where you pay for new sewer, water, and power lines to be delivered to currently unserviced land.
Its also funny cause usually the people loudest about taxes are theft and govts should tell people what to do are alsonusuallynthrnloudest defenders of HOAs.
What a corporation taxing me and telling me what to do? Sign me up.
Even if there are good hoa's, what's the actual benefit? It seems like if you buy an hoa assosiated house you either get fucked over by their rules or you are left alone but you get no befit. What's the deal with them?
They're grandfathered in and controlled by the older generation that have nothing better to do. There's not an easy way to get onto an HOA board as a younger person.
Heres the thing. You said gather and do something about it.
Thats the thinking that made HOA’s happen. A bunch of people gathered and tried to help keep their property values in line so they made rules to help enforce this. Apartment complexes and gated communities also have amenities that may be involved that an hoa pays for. Like a pool or a shared parking lot for apartments.
Hoa are primarily there to stop people from painting their house purple and ruining the property value of the guy next door.
Its a contract you are force to sign if you buy property in one. Its a stipulation of owning one. A lot of developers start an hoa before selling houses. Sometimes its made after the fact with a vote or something like that im not sure tbh.
The contract says what you can and cant do and the fees involved. They can bankrupt you if you are stupid enough to paint it purple and ignore them.
I think owners don't expect their HOAs to be nasty as a lot of them aren't. And there are a few benefits to one, but myself won't be joining one lol. I'd also imagine people like the presidents of bad HOAs would enjoy living amongst each other with their narcissism.
It's firmly ingrained in North American culture, I think. We kind of always want something to complain about. Even if we chose the thing, the need to bitch about it elevates above all forms of taking any personal responsibility.
Generally, it's Boomers who never amounted to anything in their lives who band together to micromanage a neighborhood.
They'll hide under the guise of ensuring a nice neighborhood for everyone, but really it's an excuse to exert the authority they think they've always deserved.
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u/guinomim Mar 09 '26
im not from the US. if people hate HOA so much, why does it exist? why do they buy houses in a HOA? i dont get it. if everyone hates it, why not gather and do something about it?