The Annoyed Man wrote:
I live in a suburb, and I don't have an HOA, and I agree with Charles. If you don't want an HOA, then don't buy a home in an HOA.
I see that opinion a lot. And when I was a board member, I understood both sides of it. The reality is that most new subdivisions are built with HOAs in place - the afford substantial control to the developer and long term, they're supported by interest groups like property management companies and attorneys that make money off of them. They're also VERY hard to get rid of, even if the vast majority of the neighborhood wants to do away with them...
So if you want to live in a reasonably priced development, say, under $200k in N. Austin or Cedar Park and want a newer house, the reality is that you probably won't be able to find one without an HOA... The homes that are non-HOA are older, often in more established neighborhoods. In Cedar Park, they may still be available at reasonable prices.. Older and "established" in Austin usually comes with a bigger price.
Short answer: They're getting harder and harder to find, especially at reasonable prices.
I fled the HOA scene (and I was on the board). I paid about twice as much for a smaller home, that was newer, much more father out, with a POA... That is, the POA owned common property, but had no power to tell you what to do with your property... That worked much better.
