Homeowners Associations: Everything you need to know

Everything you need to know about homeowners associations in Texas.

Nearly a third of Texans have selected residency in a home governed by a homeowners associations, commonly called HOA’s. For some homeowners this is not an issue but others want nothing to do with them. From my experience HOA’s are extremely inconsistent from neighborhood to neighborhood thus making it very difficult to make a decision on the matter.

The Good..

Homeowners associations can provide the comfort of knowing that your neighborhood will generally be maintained for the long run. For example, residents will not be able let their yards turn into a jungle. Nor will residents be able to leave their Christmas decorations out year round. They also would generally put a stop to your neighbor who insist on leaving his boat or RV parked in the street.

Have a neighbor who decided to repaint their house bright yellow? Thats not going to fly with the HOA. Anything that changes or alters the appearance of your home will be subject to review and approval from the homeowners association.

Back yards aren’t free for all zones either. Most HOA’s have strict rules regarding the size and height of kids play sets or trampolines. They may even have rules specifying how tall your fences can be.

If you are considering purchasing a home with a homeowners association. I would strongly recommend going over the rules and also asking the neighbors what their experiences have been.

The bad…

With any governing authority there is always the risk that those in charge will abuse their power. Or equally as troubling, they might pick and chose what rules to enforce and what rules to let slide. Like I said, homeowners associations can vary drastically and tend to be inconsistent.

Common reasons for homeowners to receive a dreaded certified envelope with a fine from the association.

Leaving trash cans out after collection, parking on the street, or walking the dog in a “pet free” zone seem to be the most common complaints.

Ive heard of people receiving fines for an over grown yard right after Harvey wrecked havoc on Houston! Im sure that particular homeowners association was ran by a third party group not even located in Texas!

Others complain that they are never informed when the monthly meetings will be. Or the HOA does not provide any transparency on where they spend the money the receive from homeowners. Which can be very frustrating, considering you are essentially paying them to tell you what you can and cannot do on your own property!

What are the fees for homeowners associations?

Like the rules themselves, cost can vary drastically. Generally speaking yearly cost can range from $200 to $2000 per year. Expect to pay more if the home is in a gated community or on a golf course. Chances are the more you pay the stricter the HOA will be. If you are looking to buy, I strongly encourage you talking to a few residents to see if they have any horror stories with regards to the homeowners association before submitting an offer!