Getting Down and Dirty With HOA's!

Expert Author Brandy L Unruh

I had a potential buyer call me about possibly moving to Colorado from another state the other day. He was interested in the Boulder area wanting to be near shopping, dining, entertainment all of the fun, a standard for the areas that I work in. During that conversation the buyer said under no circumstance did he want to live in a community with an HOA. This stopped me in my tracks. HOA's are not always seen in the best light however , more often than not they are there to protect you the home buyer. I know that in my neighborhood if it wasn't for the HOA, there would be dog messes everywhere as that is where a good portion of our dues go (unfortunately). It seems that in the area that I sell homes that there are so few communities anymore without them I really had to dig deep in my explanation as to why this may be difficult in the area that he described as desirable. This made me realize that there is a real need for people to understand the basics of what HOA's are all about, so they seem a lot less intimidating.

What is an HOA?

An Homeowners association is an entity that governs a An organization in a subdivision, planned community or condominium that makes and enforces rules for the properties in its jurisdiction. HOAs also collect monthly or annual dues to pay for upkeep of common areas like parks, tennis courts, elevators and swimming pools among other items as well. They can levy special assessments on homeowners when the association lacks sufficient reserves to pay for unexpected repairs, as well as deliver fines when the homeowner is not following the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions or CC&R's as they are commonly called. Without HOA's in many suburban and urban communities there would be a lot less to be desired aesthetically and otherwise. They prevent your neighbor from painting their home undesirable colors, and your other neighbor from leaving the big bunny blow up decoration out year around. They can often be misunderstood as strict, but often it is to benefit the community as a whole.

What does it cover?

Every HOA is different and it also depends on the type of community that the HOA is governing but here is a short list of the most common items that the fees go to. It is unlikely that your HOA will cover them all but there is usually at least 2-3 items on the list.

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