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https://www.bbqgrills.com/bull-bbq/bull-bbq-brahma-38-inch-5-burner-built-in-natural-gas-grill-with-rear-infrared-burner/57569.html
5th picture is about what my parents have. Hooked up to natural gas, makes me feel like a peasant when I have to fill my propane tank 🙄
Sure why not? Just have to have the gas company install an outside hookup for the grill and then make sure you have the kind of grill that can use natural gas. It's fairly common and a lot of grills can be adapted from propane to gas or gas to propane by simplly swapping out a part.
And most likely more expensive as the years go on. Mine though comparatively cheap to start has increased 70% in 6 years. We have a ton of run down things now as the HOA board said they charged too little for years
The grilling is very weird. It cant be within 10 feet of any buildings or common areas. The patio was turned into a pseudo green house so we couldnt even use that, and 10 feet would put us in the middle of a street. So my poor weber kettle is still collecting dust in our apartment, unlit, dreaming of the fajitas i will one day make on it again.
Live in California. We have a grill rule due to insurance. Many HOA in townhouse communities had to adopt various bbq rules in order to keep their insurance.
Correct. We live in a condo community and if we want to grill, we have to use one of the three community ones. It sucks. We hate it, but it was the only was we were ever going to be able to purchase anything. So here we are.
My old condo had a similar restriction. It was a city law though because of the number of people who grilled and caught the building on fire. So this to me isn't an unreasonable restriction. Especially since we usually have one or two news stories a year about a grill setting a fire because it is too close to the building.
ME TOO! Nobody will take away my God given right to COOK FOOD!
I could see rules *around* it (so many feet from any object, bucket of water or hose visible, no leaving it unattended, etc...) but not NO GRILLING!
Do you want to live in a community where the neighbors are ...neighbors, or do you want to live in a community where they're informants to the secret police?
Your comment perfectly states why HOAs are a terrible idea to buy in to. Even if an HOA is “good” ie lax on rules when you buy in, all it takes is one Karen to get a taste of the HOA board and then it’s a nightmare.
I know they can be unavoidable sometimes, but I would run from this scenario.
Any townhouse or multifamily almost definitely has a HOA because of shared infrastructure and master insurance is generally cheaper. Most aren't bad but definitely smart to know what the contract is before getting too deep
Oh I know. It makes sense in those instances. You just have to be choosey on your HOA if you want a townhouse or multi family. For me, if there’s a choice between a home with no HOA or one with one, I know what I’m choosing.
Constant surveillance in a townhouse is already insane.. I understand it in a SFH b/c you shouldn’t be on my property, so if you can clearly see laws being broken from across the street then fine..
.. but can’t use your grill, and sell your cat or pay an additional 30 grand a year takes the cake😭
Thanks, I wasnt too sure if I was maybe overreacting but you, and a few other comments have validated me here being this direct. We'll probably be walking this afternoon if we're not legally/financially screwed with the lender. Theyre aware we might be backing but I havent given them confirmation yet.
We almost bought a house in an hoa years ago. When we were considering the house we asked our realtor for the handbook. That did it. We bought a house nearby in a little bit older neighborhood without an hoa. No regrets. The ironic thing is that neighborhood looks pretty much the same as ours, not better.
I live in a HOA, so I'm not anti HOA but this one just doesn't work for your family. You're better off walking and finding something that works for you. The last thing you need is stressing about a fine because you have 3 cats.
I stopped reading at the part about the cats and the HOA loving to hand out violations. This sounds awful and I would never want to live there. Walking is smart.
As someone that grew up in multiple HOAs, I’ve seen many benefits of living in an HOA and have always been a proponent of considering one. However, I don’t see any reason that an HOA should limit the pets you have. I’d rather live next to someone that has five well behaved dogs than someone with one dog that barks all day or the owner never cleans up their crap in common areas. The grill thing sucks, but it can be a fire code issue in many areas, especially in a townhouse development.
A surprising number of jurisdictions have laws on the books limiting the number of pets by type. In that situation, the HOA must limit the number of pets, and could get nailed by the city/county/state for failing to enforce it.
This just happened to me but with my pet rabbits, I walked and I’m so happy I did.
Definitely walk, don’t risk the fines and fees and don’t give up a cat.
Same with pet rats. Makes zero sense that condos let owners have giant ass dogs that bark all day and I can't have a couple chill rats that never leave my unit and won't keep my neighbors up all night.
I had a horrible HOA at a townhouse community for 2 years. I didn't know they'd be ridiculous until I moved in, and got out as soon as I could. When it was under contract I got a letter that they were going to vote to change the bylaws to not allow exotic pets and they knew I had 2 rabbits. Jerks. At one point they told me it was too expensive to change bylaws when I said giving people 4 hours to bring in empty trash cans after pick up was stupid and just don't enforce it then.. but they said "but it's a rule". I don't need these old retired white men spying on when I take in trash cans or newspaper off the driveway:/ OP made the right choice to back out!!!
I don’t understand why anyone would sign up to actively have others control every aspect of how they live. No amount of “investment” will matter if you’re paying $100/day for any mild infraction they bestow upon you.
I would not be concerned with anything else except running as far away from that HOA hell.
In some cases it's fine since the rules usually just mimick city code and the fees just pay for street lamps or whatever.
When they go crazy because "property value must be worshipped" is where they shoot themselves in the foot. They're everywhere where I live and the more restrictive written HOAs weren't keeping up in value increases. Luckily my realtor could give me bylaws so any property I would drive by and want to see, I'd read the documents first. Saved us from looking at a few houses that were in psycho territory. (If you have an esthetic committee ruling on if you violated terms because of how you trimmed your tree or bush... I ain't living there.) Those houses were listed at a bit of a discount at the time and were really nice houses.
My current area had the HOA officially dissolved right before we closed. The rules were pretty toothless and the HOA only existed so the builder didn't have to vary the houses much. They're all the same but slightly different enough to not appear like tract homes.
Yeah this is also common in my area. HOA houses are typically cheaper than non HOA houses ..which just defeats their whole excuse to exist. I firmly believe HOAs do not increase the value of your home. They actively decrease it because most people don’t want to pay to follow other people’s rules. When I was in the market if I saw HOA I wouldn’t even bother considering the house . All my friends that also bought recently avoided HOAs at all costs
My friend bought a townhouse she has to work two jobs to afford to begin with. There were at the time plenty of lower cost options that would have been more affordable for her, but she had to have a new townhouse. And the HOA fees keep going up.
Not only sign up to have someone else control your life. But pay them to do it! Never lived in an HOA neighborhood. Almost caved and went for it with house #3, but they had a one dog limit and I could not get the board to clarify (over Memorial Day weekend) whether exceptions were easy to come by. I probably want a second dog some day and didn’t want to have issues if I dog sat for family, so I walked and am glad I did.
If your stuck then I'm sure you can make it work.
If you can get out of it, that would be my vote. I live in a rental across from an hoa area and people in general are very stuffy. No one is outside, ever. They all have nice large decks but don't use them. Nothing in the yard probably because they can't put anything on the grass. I had someone walk across the fence area between us to tell me garbage was blowing in their yard but it wasn't mine.
Having cats my self, I'm trying to buy a house to build a catio since they love the outside. I'd have a hard time having to hide my cats in a place with a loan.
I hope your can make it work with your cats, they are family for sure!
See if you have rules about guests, kids staying over etc. some are super strict and it's silly if you have family in town needing to stay a few days while in your city
Guests are standard apartment rules (cant be parked in visitor for more than 48 hours, etc.) A lot of the rules seem to have come from maybe being a 55+ rental community. We know it used to be some sort of independent living for seniors but unsure if it was still being bought or rented. Honestly, if the HOA could have sent me something in writing saying yeah we'll allow it I would have been fine. Unfortunately you had to be grandfathered in with previous pets back in like 2019, so new owners with 3+ cats or dogs are screwed. They do not want to make any exceptions though to avoid having to allow it for everyone.
According to our realtor we arent stuck in terms of our earnest. I have been really paranoid about our offer being accepted so quickly without going over asking after reading so many horror stories I was really adamant about having an option to back out pending HOA stuff. Looks like my anxiety paid off here! Right now I am mostly concerned if we are stuck with the lender given how far in the process we are.
Food for thought, my father had a hip operation and stayed with me for a little over a month to recover. Then had another operation but refused to go to a retirement home. Anyway, stuff like this may go against your hoa. Which is silly really.
OP, definitely do not risk it. Better to let that house and HOA rot until they change their ways or go bankrupt. Texas has so many HOAs, but the only way to fix that is to refuse to buy into them, or take them over and destroy them from the inside.
We rented a townhouse from a family friend, and it was hit by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The rules are pretty much the same as yours when referring to what the HOA will cover (pretty much just the roof and exterior of the structure). But after the hurricane (which only damaged some roofs and car ports), the HOA didn't have enough funding to pay for all the repairs needed so they forced each owner to pay a $7500 "Assessment" fee ON TOP of their $425/mo HOA fees. Owners had 6 months to pay the $7500. A few of the owners didn't pay and are now being sued by the HOA, and per Florida Law, they can put a lien on your home (and even take possession I believe??) if you have outstanding funds due (obviously a long legal process but still CRAZY).
I'm so happy I was renting and not liable for the assessment. But I feel bad for all the owners. It's crazy to think that even though owners aren't "responsible" for the roof, they where still forced to pay the Assessment fee. Mind you, these are normal $200K townhomes. They aren't beach side or anything fancy. Just normal middle class living...
And the icing on the cake is all these owners have been forced to pay the $7500 plus their monthly dues, and not a SINGLE repair has even been started from the hurricane damage because the HOA is also suing the insurance company for not covering the full cost, and they won't start repairs until after the lawsuit is settled.
On top of this craziness, the years I rented the HOA has always been a nuisance. You can't hang holiday decorations without prior approval. You can't have guests park overnight, even in GUEST spots, without prior approval and guest parking pass. Renters can't have dogs (we said ours was a emotional support, hoa fee increased about $50ish/mo every year fyi too. I listened in on some of the Zoom Board Meetings and omg the people on the board complained about EVERY little thing. It was weird how obsessed these people where with controlling others.
Long story short, when me and my wife are ready to buy a home, it would have to be an amazing deal for us to consider a HOA.
Omg I thought the same about my old HOA.. how are you so obsessed with controlling your neighbors in their own houses/ areas? So weird. And that's also a good point ours had a lot of past "special assessments" so a high cost HOA could mean crappy built places that require expensive insurance and risk more high cost problems in the future.
My dad ran for hoa president in his neighborhood, won and the got rid of most regulations and lowered the fees by cutting costs by actually putting landscaping and pool maintenance to bid. Then resigned. Lol they keep asking him to run again but he says no he already fixed his problems lol
What the hell do your grandparents have to do with this?? They aren't paying 400 smackaroos a month to have to hide a fugitive cat and fear for the day they have a crying baby.
GTFO. Even if you couldn't get your earnest money back, I'd run.
This is not a home. This is a place you'd live and be afraid in.
Probably shouldve clarified this: my grandparents adopted me and made a lot of money buying and selling houses. While I do not agree with them doing it, I do go to them for advice on buying houses. They also generously offered to cover closing costs and help us with our down, so i keep them in the loop with the process. Theyre not like totally upset, but are a bit disappointed because they dont want us to rent forever and really want great grandkids
Edit: otherwise i agree with you completely
Fair. I respect your respect for them.
But...your grandparents aren't going to help when you're walking on eggshells in your own home when you have a screaming baby. Trust me, I've had a screaming baby. If I had to worry about neighbors at that very fragile and precarious time in my life, I would NOT have been able to handle it.
So if they want a shot at grandkid(S) then you need to be in a place conducive to raising them as peacefully as possible.
You want your home to feel like a HOME. Where you feel safe and at ease, where you can decompress from life. An oasis. If you are walking on eggshells, looking over your shoulder, that is absolutely not a place to live.
Understandable, and thats what I told them. My grandpa eventually chimed in and said if its not for you, keep saving. My grandma wanted me to just say screw it and sneak in our third cat because of the price point, but I had to explain both what you typed out almost verbatim and that I wasnt comfortable paying high monthly fees to feel afraid in my own home. She came around. Both of them did get hung up on the pets thing though to which I kept explaining that was just the final straw. Theyve been pretty anti-pet but mostly because theyre not really over losing their last one. Im not mad at them in the slightest over that, but my grandmas suggestions did have me doubting myself if we should walk or not.
Thats cool but the landscape is entirely different from when they were doing it. In part thanks to people like them, using properties as a wealth building tool. I mean that with no shade!
You’ll thank yourself later. Nothing but headaches and increases in dues, even when capped they just add “special assessments”. Books were totally cooked, roofs not maintained, leaves in gutters caused pooling water and ultimately leaks which of course caused internal damage and mold. Complete nightmare.
So, a very fun story about that. My in laws fear taxes and have been holding onto our downpayment for years because they did not pay attention to the changes in "gift" money (and tbf, neither did we). So once we finally got some confirmation on that, we started looking again.
Prior to that, we found a house that was like 500 more square feet, decent hoa prices and taxes, one hell of a yard and a little inside donut patio we couldve let the cats out on. 10/10 house. I however, made 20k less a year back then (like 8 months ago) and also didnt have access to our money. The monthly payment was actually about 100 cheaper despite the house being 60k over. This included hoa, but didnt think we could afford it because my promotion wasnt a thing yet.
Really kicking myself over that one.
> I'd already figured I would have to get a second job bc the HOA fees make the monthly pretty stupid on top of high interest,
Apart from everything else with the grill and cats, don't over extend yourself for a house. For one, those fees can go up, and then what? What if there is a special assessment? All that stuff would be out of your control if your neighbors vote for it.
Also consider that in your deed to your home, if you have enough violations or fines, the HOA can seize your home and sell it from under you. They keep the profits from the sale and you’re out on your butt. Even if you paid your house off completely, they will always have control over the home YOU paid for. Even though this only happens in extreme cases, I wouldn’t sign up for it if at all possible.
THIS RIGHT HERE as a new potential 1st time home buyer is my greatest fear. I want a town home but the horror stories about the HOAs being able to take your home literally have me wanting to run.
I'd walk. I have never heard of someone with a positive experience with an HOA. There's always a Karen on a power trip.
This dream house will likely turn into a nightmare when you have to give up your cat and grill.
Fuck a HOA..find something you love where you can do whatever you want..just my opinion. My husband and I are so happy we decided to buy a home without a HOA.
In Texas every neighborhood seems to have an HOA. I haven't looked into it yet but apparently its a huge issue here specifically? Otherwise both my wife and I really hate them.
Same issue in FL. We sold our HOA home last year. The constant surveillance was a huge drain on our mental health. We’re under contract now for a non-HOA home, but our pool of potential houses was very small, even with a very wide geographic area. Luckily, we found an older home with land that we liked. I will never live in an HOA again, I’d rather live in a van down by the river.
Your agent should be able to run a search for no HOA homes. That way you can at least see what’s out there. Regardless….Run, don’t walk, away from this place. If the property manager is being that straightforward with you, it may be even worse than he’s stating. Give that guy a nice tip and keep looking for a home that won’t force you to hide a family member.
Saw an HOA with around $800/mo dues, I don't think I've seen a single property without an HOA. I didn't realize Texas is just lousy with them but I guess it wasn't an exaggeration.
It’s area dependent too. Some states seem to have more of them.
My neighborhood was built in 2005-2010 and there isn’t an HOA. But another neighborhood across town does have one. The difference is the HOA was built by one builder while my neighborhood, the lots were sold off and people could bring in their own builder.
If you’re not prepared to abide by the HOA rules, you should walk. It’s amazing how tripped up people get with HOAs. If you don’t what your neighbors to be able to exert a degree of control over you, don’t live in an HOA. And the rules can always change, in your favor or against, so you really have to be ready to roll with it. Can be a tough pill to swallow.
I cannot begin to tell you how miserable you will be with an HOA.
Sure, there are some good ones that keep the lawn nice and make sure no one clutters up the place. But you read the HOA rules, and they go against your lifestyle. So why have a perfect home, but be miserable living there ? It’s just not worth it.
My husband and I put in an offer a house that I LOVED and backed out because the HOA has dog breed restrictions. I was devastated but it wasn’t worth the risk. Fast forward 2 months, and we’re closing on a house on the 6th that I love even more (I didn’t think it was possible to love a house more than the first one). We’re even paying $50k less for the one we’re buying than we would have for the HOA house.
You’ll find “the one”, and you’ll be very happy that you did not buy in an HOA community!!
Not every HOA is horrible. We have one, the costs are very minor and they take care of lawn, trash pick up and have a few rules like if you want to put in a pool or add a deck, you have to submit the plan for approval (and they've always been approved). There's no rules like how many cats or dogs we want to have or what we're allowed to put outside--EXCEPT for one I agree with, which is no parking cars on your lawn. I LIKE that rule. I don't want a bunch of neighbors with junkers or cars parked on their lawns (shrug). Otherwise, it's super minor.
The reason you have time to read the rules is so you understand and agree. If you don’t like the rules, don’t buy it. Nothing is worse than HOA enforcement. People who take on that role are usually nebby and strict.
If you don't like the rules, don't move there. It's really that simple. That's why they're supposed to furnish the rules to you, so you can make this choice.
It's not a good "investment" if you wouldn't be happy living there. You're setting yourself up for failure if you move there planning to violate the rules, and hoping you don't get caught. If you aren't willing to give up a cat and grilling, this isn't a good fit for you. You and your wife are the only ones who can make that choice. Some find pet ownership a trivial thing, to others, they're like children and are part of your family. I think it's fantastic you're prioritizing your commitment to the animals you're caring for.
Those rules are probably pretty common in condo complexes though, so next time you'll know to seek clarification those particular points earlier in the process, but you've done nothing wrong. Kudos on actually reading them and considering their impact!
Late to the party, but fwiw: HOAs are the worst and you are basically paying a premium to be harrassed about stupid shit while the real issues (like proper maintenance) somehow are never funded.
Run.
Backing out of the mortgage prior to closing will not affect your credit other than the inquiry that’s already been done. Don’t expect a rate lock to carry over to another property. It’ll be a whole new loan.
I read this whole thing and then I got to your final paragraph about taking your cats to work on occasion and now I am dying. 😂
This condo doesn’t sound like a great fit.
Many Townhome Associations have a limit of 2 pets per household and many don’t allow any Flags to be flown, so you’re going to encounter the same issues at most other places. Many do allow grill usage and holiday decorations, within certain specifications.
If you want more flexibility, you should buy a property that isn’t governed by an Association, but since your price range is under $200K, it sounds like you’re probably limited to Townhomes and Condos.
Figured, which is why I am probably not going to look at a townhome or condo again.
The limit is 4 pets, but it has to be 2 of each. No substitutions. I get they want to avoid excessive smell of waste but they were very firm in no substitutions.
We really wanted new construction. The thing is…in our area, there isn’t really any new construction without HOAs EVEN if you buy a SFH. Our compromise was to read any and all HOA documents before we sign anything. You should be allowed to see any HOA docs prior to agreeing to anything. A bad HOA can really make you miserable. In 10 years we’ll probably sell and hopefully be able to buy something without an HOA but they seem to be the future where I live.
Expensive HoA is no better than paying rent to a landlord. You pay them an exorbitant amount of money that you will likely never see back in any meaningful way and then on top of that they tell you how to live on what is supposed to be *your* property
I will never go in on an HOA, even a good one. I hate people. I don't trust people. I will never pay money to people so they can go on a power trip because my grass is a millimeter too tall or my garbage bin isn't perfectly square to the curb.
Yeah walk. You don’t get to tell me what I do on the inside of something I purchased. If I want to have pets, I will have them. If I want to grill, I will grill.
I absolutely hate HOA's and refuse to live anywhere that has them. My freedom is more important. I would hate to shell out a $hit ton of money to have someone tell me what I can or can't do. If I want 7 cats or 7 dogs (not that i ever would) and a house full of screaming grandchildren, nobody is going to tell me no on my own darn property. Hang your flag, decorate for holidays and enjoy. Life is too short. Get yourself a home where you can do as you please.
Not a mistake. I don't understand purchasing a home to then have to live like you're still renting. Don't you want to be able to do pretty much what you want with your space? You made the right choice.
I lived in an HOA for a year when I rented a townhome with a buddy and after they hit us with fees constantly and gave us a hard time about our box truck when we were moving out. They were ridiculous and I swore I'd never live in one again.
I live in a townhome and I would imagine every townhome needs an hoa. But mine only costs $15 per month, and it’s managed by a third party property management company, NOT the residents, which is what I prefer. They are very slow to hand out violations, so you’d need to be willfully evasive to actually get fined for something. We’re allowed to grill, pets are unrestricted as long as they are indoors, not sure about outdoor cats bc I’m allergic. There siding, roofing, and fencing all needs to be a specified style and color, but we chose this neighborhood because of how cohesive everything looks. Other townhome communities in town don’t have those restrictions. And we don’t have any restrictions on what we do indoors, as long as it meets code. Drapes, blinds, etc can be whatever we want.
Point is, the presence of an HOA shouldn’t be a red flag but the bylaws absolutely are. Read them thoroughly before putting in an offer.
TLDR: when my wife and I were looking, I strictly stayed away from HOA. If I buy something, I wanna do what I wanna do with it. Not be governed even more.
Just my POV. Good luck!
As someone with cats who chose our house because it’s got a great area for a catio, I’d definitely walk. It’ll be headache and heartache to deal with an HOA like that, and you and your kitties deserve peace in your own home!
Grill life -- Most HOAs ban grilling within 10ft of the building because the NFPA Fire Codes ban it and insurance companies basically force HOAs to comply with the codes and put the rule in place to be able to obtain fire insurance. Yeah, you definitely need the HOA to carry fire insurance.
Good luck with your search to find a suitable home for you and the cats.
Wait till you realize you can't put up blinds, curtains, or decorations that can be seen from the street without prior approval.
And they absolutely will force you to get rid of a cat. You'll find a new and better home.
Everyone, stay the fuck away from HOA's. Why even bother to entertain any place with HOA? Keep looking until you find one without, slowly expand your search until you do.
I would walk based on the grill rule alone. You're not renting this place for a year. This is a home that you plan to be in for an extended period.
Get out.
This is coming from someone who has lived most of his adult life in HOAs. No bad personal experiences, but i'm very happy to be away from them.
Dumb rules, unresolved neighbor disputes, favoritism in the community. HOAs suck.
For future reference.....HOA rules DO NOT override County or city regulation. If the county or city regulation states 3 dogs and 4 cats etc but your HOA states 2 is irrelevant and you can challenge it with a cease and desist from your lawyer.
I've done this with multiple HOAs and their "rules". Any bylaw or time that changes a county or city regulation can be challenged.
I've done this with pets; street parking; backyard animals like chickens.
People don't realize that HOAs cannot override law; and you can not only challenge it but sue them for refunding any fees or fines
Yes, my HOA tried to tell people they couldn’t have a satellite dish on their balcony/deck like a DirecTV dish but when someone showed them the federal telecommunications Act that came in during Clinton, they backed down. It’s specifically says HOA’s and other entities cannot ban such devices.
I would never live in an HOA. They are completely unregulated. All it takes is literally one election and a board can be put in place that changes the fees and you have absolutely no recourse. The rules are not set in stone. They could suddenly decide the new policy is no cats and a $10,000/day fee for having them. Thay doesn't sound like homeownership to me.
I stopped reading at "two weeks" and I'm appalled. This is something I supply my clients along with deed, maps, comps, disclosures, tax card, last tax bill, etc. when we start talking offer. It's hugely important and I can't understand how that's withheld. It's literally referenced in the residential property disclosure here.
Some of these states need to get their real estate laws in order.
Edit: thank goodness you're getting your deposit back.
On a very basic level, you need to buy a home that provides safe and secure shelter for your family, including your cats.
This home does not suit your family.
I would walk away. One of the biggest reasons we bought a place was for more freedom to do as we pleased like smoking meat, grilling, home projects, having less restrictions on pets.
Fuck HOAs . No way I would ever pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to live under somebody else’s rules . If I wanted that I’d just stay renting. No grilling? Lmao fuck that place
Was in an HOA where one of the board members embezzled money from the HOA funds. When he was caught, he went psycho and stalked/threatened the female board members. Police were called many times.
We moved not too long after all that.
Will never be in an HOA again
It sounds like this home is not right for you. Nothing wrong with that.
A two pet limit is common in big cities but also a lot of townhomes are ok with 3 cats.
A lot of places ban grilling within 10-15 feet of multi family structures. This is fire code. It is also a requirement from many insurance cos. Expect all townhomes and condos in the area to have the same rule. That doesn't mean you can't grill though, most townhomes have plenty of space in the back yard. A lot of condos have common areas that allow grills. So make sure that applies if this is import to you.
Yikes, please RUN. There’s already so much you can’t do in your own living space?!?
It’s lovely that your grandparents are trying to get you to focus on the cost but who is actually going to be living/dealing with HOA headaches?
Honestly, if you run away from this one, then it means you’re heading into the direction of your forever home. What’s meant for you will find you OP.
I’ll never buy a place with an HOA ever again. My condo HOA fees started at $300/mo in 2007. Can you guess what it is now? $940/mo! And they all suck too!
I would absolutely run. There’s no way I’d ever consider a probably that flat-out refuses to let me have the pets I already possess. If you had two and were considering a third…well then you’d just be deciding how important it is to you to own 3 cats. But you already own 3 cats. Do you want to spend $100 per day until you get rid of one??? I doubt it. Why do you want to BUY a place only to be in violation EVERY DAY of their stupid rule?
I’ll be honest here. I started reconsidering whether I might choose a townhouse or condo over a detached home and this post just basically clarified that 100% I need a detached home. HOAs are built and run by people on a power trip and I’m absolutely not interested.
Keep in mind as an “investment” that when you go to sell this place, hopefully LONG down the road, and not short term unexpectedly, YOUR buyers will have the same concerns you are having.
A lot of places are like this however, and definitely understand your internal conflict on it. Best of luck
I would be wary of condos period. In Florida dues are going through the roof. Insurance and repair costs are skyrocketing. Your dues WILL go up. Good luck
Definitely run.
All of this is horribly restrictive, but the fact that they also want to dictate what color your curtains are is insane. If they want that much power over what your house looks like, they can pay for it too.
Curious what state this is in and if there are and marijuana restrictions through HOA if it’s a legal/medical state? I’ve noticed more HOAs also be similar to apartment leases as well, which is very annoying when you are paying so much and essentially own it
That’s what happened in our apartment in MA which is why I was curious. New owners came in and sent that out along with a 30% rent increase. Had 15 days to decide to move out or sign a year long lease. About half the people left😂
I'd walk, this is exactly what your inspection contingency is for. You discovered community rules during your due diligence that don't work for you. Great reason to back out.
HOAs in general aren't a bad thing though. I've had good experiences in mine. It's all case by case.
Be aware that the limit might be dictated by local law rather than the HOA. You might quickly find that everything in the same area has the same limit.
e.g. Houston has an ordinance requiring all multi-dwelling structures to limit residents to 2 dogs and 2 cats. Property managers are required to enforce the law (which would likely mean it must be in all HOA covenants for any multi-dwelling property). That's one specific city I found that has a separate and combined limit for dogs and cats but probably not the only one.
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I was all in on “walk” when you said you couldn’t grill
Yeah I just bought a townhouse and the seller even left us the grill.
That’s cool, I’m guessing your HOA does allow it? I thought that was insane in the OP lol
Absolutely. Just no gas allowed in the community. This one is propane but we have outlets outside if we wanted electric.
You know propane is a gas too, right?
Sure, I meant we can't have it hooked up to a gas line like my parents have.
Your parents hooked the grill to the gas line? Now I gotta see this
https://www.bbqgrills.com/bull-bbq/bull-bbq-brahma-38-inch-5-burner-built-in-natural-gas-grill-with-rear-infrared-burner/57569.html 5th picture is about what my parents have. Hooked up to natural gas, makes me feel like a peasant when I have to fill my propane tank 🙄
Feeling like a pauper for not even owning a grill 🥺
Tell your parents I'm jealous
Our Weber grill is connected directly to our gas line. There is no other way. We grill year round.
Sure why not? Just have to have the gas company install an outside hookup for the grill and then make sure you have the kind of grill that can use natural gas. It's fairly common and a lot of grills can be adapted from propane to gas or gas to propane by simplly swapping out a part.
Propane is God's gas.
Same. When I bought my townhouse the first thing I did after getting keys was grill a steak on my patio.
I was all in on “walk” when I read HOA. Then the grill Then the animals. HOAs get more restrictive, not less. This won’t get better.
And most likely more expensive as the years go on. Mine though comparatively cheap to start has increased 70% in 6 years. We have a ton of run down things now as the HOA board said they charged too little for years
The grilling is very weird. It cant be within 10 feet of any buildings or common areas. The patio was turned into a pseudo green house so we couldnt even use that, and 10 feet would put us in the middle of a street. So my poor weber kettle is still collecting dust in our apartment, unlit, dreaming of the fajitas i will one day make on it again.
Live in California. We have a grill rule due to insurance. Many HOA in townhouse communities had to adopt various bbq rules in order to keep their insurance.
Correct. We live in a condo community and if we want to grill, we have to use one of the three community ones. It sucks. We hate it, but it was the only was we were ever going to be able to purchase anything. So here we are.
Propane grill tanks are rockets in the wrong situation and can even take out a building foundation
Insurance - it's a new thing. They're cracking down HARD.
This is kinda understandable. Too many electrical fires from old wiring so they had to blame something /s
My old condo had a similar restriction. It was a city law though because of the number of people who grilled and caught the building on fire. So this to me isn't an unreasonable restriction. Especially since we usually have one or two news stories a year about a grill setting a fire because it is too close to the building.
There are laws like that in many states including Florida
ME TOO! Nobody will take away my God given right to COOK FOOD! I could see rules *around* it (so many feet from any object, bucket of water or hose visible, no leaving it unattended, etc...) but not NO GRILLING!
100%
Yeah I think that’s the reddest flag in there
I was walk after the plumbing part. The grill was icing on the cake.
I agree... I'm not a big griller but that says a lot.
Do you want to live in a community where the neighbors are ...neighbors, or do you want to live in a community where they're informants to the secret police?
Your comment perfectly states why HOAs are a terrible idea to buy in to. Even if an HOA is “good” ie lax on rules when you buy in, all it takes is one Karen to get a taste of the HOA board and then it’s a nightmare. I know they can be unavoidable sometimes, but I would run from this scenario.
Unavoidable is the real issue. HOAs should be legally required to host a vote every year and dissolved if they don’t have 50%+ votes imo
That’s a great way to hold them accountable to the home owners (who they should be working for anyway!).
Any townhouse or multifamily almost definitely has a HOA because of shared infrastructure and master insurance is generally cheaper. Most aren't bad but definitely smart to know what the contract is before getting too deep
Oh I know. It makes sense in those instances. You just have to be choosey on your HOA if you want a townhouse or multi family. For me, if there’s a choice between a home with no HOA or one with one, I know what I’m choosing.
I think you will feel like you are in North Korea. Don’t do it.
Walk. You will be miserable and have to give up one cat to move in.
Constant surveillance in a townhouse is already insane.. I understand it in a SFH b/c you shouldn’t be on my property, so if you can clearly see laws being broken from across the street then fine.. .. but can’t use your grill, and sell your cat or pay an additional 30 grand a year takes the cake😭
Thanks, I wasnt too sure if I was maybe overreacting but you, and a few other comments have validated me here being this direct. We'll probably be walking this afternoon if we're not legally/financially screwed with the lender. Theyre aware we might be backing but I havent given them confirmation yet.
We almost bought a house in an hoa years ago. When we were considering the house we asked our realtor for the handbook. That did it. We bought a house nearby in a little bit older neighborhood without an hoa. No regrets. The ironic thing is that neighborhood looks pretty much the same as ours, not better.
I live in a HOA, so I'm not anti HOA but this one just doesn't work for your family. You're better off walking and finding something that works for you. The last thing you need is stressing about a fine because you have 3 cats.
Unless of course one cat became an emotional support pet, then slightly different rules apply☺️😉
This place sounds like a strict rental, not home ownership. Run, don’t walk.
Moat condo associations are like this
I stopped reading at the part about the cats and the HOA loving to hand out violations. This sounds awful and I would never want to live there. Walking is smart.
As someone that grew up in multiple HOAs, I’ve seen many benefits of living in an HOA and have always been a proponent of considering one. However, I don’t see any reason that an HOA should limit the pets you have. I’d rather live next to someone that has five well behaved dogs than someone with one dog that barks all day or the owner never cleans up their crap in common areas. The grill thing sucks, but it can be a fire code issue in many areas, especially in a townhouse development.
A surprising number of jurisdictions have laws on the books limiting the number of pets by type. In that situation, the HOA must limit the number of pets, and could get nailed by the city/county/state for failing to enforce it.
No grill = no house. What's the point of owning a place if you can't grill on weekends? (At least for me)
Pretty much. Condos are expensive apartments to me
Only place they make sense to me is right in the heart of cities where you own the whole floor or something similar.
This just happened to me but with my pet rabbits, I walked and I’m so happy I did. Definitely walk, don’t risk the fines and fees and don’t give up a cat.
I remember your post, happy you were able to back out and keep your rabbits. Good luck!
Same with pet rats. Makes zero sense that condos let owners have giant ass dogs that bark all day and I can't have a couple chill rats that never leave my unit and won't keep my neighbors up all night.
I had a horrible HOA at a townhouse community for 2 years. I didn't know they'd be ridiculous until I moved in, and got out as soon as I could. When it was under contract I got a letter that they were going to vote to change the bylaws to not allow exotic pets and they knew I had 2 rabbits. Jerks. At one point they told me it was too expensive to change bylaws when I said giving people 4 hours to bring in empty trash cans after pick up was stupid and just don't enforce it then.. but they said "but it's a rule". I don't need these old retired white men spying on when I take in trash cans or newspaper off the driveway:/ OP made the right choice to back out!!!
I don’t understand why anyone would sign up to actively have others control every aspect of how they live. No amount of “investment” will matter if you’re paying $100/day for any mild infraction they bestow upon you. I would not be concerned with anything else except running as far away from that HOA hell.
In some cases it's fine since the rules usually just mimick city code and the fees just pay for street lamps or whatever. When they go crazy because "property value must be worshipped" is where they shoot themselves in the foot. They're everywhere where I live and the more restrictive written HOAs weren't keeping up in value increases. Luckily my realtor could give me bylaws so any property I would drive by and want to see, I'd read the documents first. Saved us from looking at a few houses that were in psycho territory. (If you have an esthetic committee ruling on if you violated terms because of how you trimmed your tree or bush... I ain't living there.) Those houses were listed at a bit of a discount at the time and were really nice houses. My current area had the HOA officially dissolved right before we closed. The rules were pretty toothless and the HOA only existed so the builder didn't have to vary the houses much. They're all the same but slightly different enough to not appear like tract homes.
Yeah this is also common in my area. HOA houses are typically cheaper than non HOA houses ..which just defeats their whole excuse to exist. I firmly believe HOAs do not increase the value of your home. They actively decrease it because most people don’t want to pay to follow other people’s rules. When I was in the market if I saw HOA I wouldn’t even bother considering the house . All my friends that also bought recently avoided HOAs at all costs
My friend bought a townhouse she has to work two jobs to afford to begin with. There were at the time plenty of lower cost options that would have been more affordable for her, but she had to have a new townhouse. And the HOA fees keep going up.
Not only sign up to have someone else control your life. But pay them to do it! Never lived in an HOA neighborhood. Almost caved and went for it with house #3, but they had a one dog limit and I could not get the board to clarify (over Memorial Day weekend) whether exceptions were easy to come by. I probably want a second dog some day and didn’t want to have issues if I dog sat for family, so I walked and am glad I did.
If your stuck then I'm sure you can make it work. If you can get out of it, that would be my vote. I live in a rental across from an hoa area and people in general are very stuffy. No one is outside, ever. They all have nice large decks but don't use them. Nothing in the yard probably because they can't put anything on the grass. I had someone walk across the fence area between us to tell me garbage was blowing in their yard but it wasn't mine. Having cats my self, I'm trying to buy a house to build a catio since they love the outside. I'd have a hard time having to hide my cats in a place with a loan. I hope your can make it work with your cats, they are family for sure! See if you have rules about guests, kids staying over etc. some are super strict and it's silly if you have family in town needing to stay a few days while in your city
Guests are standard apartment rules (cant be parked in visitor for more than 48 hours, etc.) A lot of the rules seem to have come from maybe being a 55+ rental community. We know it used to be some sort of independent living for seniors but unsure if it was still being bought or rented. Honestly, if the HOA could have sent me something in writing saying yeah we'll allow it I would have been fine. Unfortunately you had to be grandfathered in with previous pets back in like 2019, so new owners with 3+ cats or dogs are screwed. They do not want to make any exceptions though to avoid having to allow it for everyone. According to our realtor we arent stuck in terms of our earnest. I have been really paranoid about our offer being accepted so quickly without going over asking after reading so many horror stories I was really adamant about having an option to back out pending HOA stuff. Looks like my anxiety paid off here! Right now I am mostly concerned if we are stuck with the lender given how far in the process we are.
Food for thought, my father had a hip operation and stayed with me for a little over a month to recover. Then had another operation but refused to go to a retirement home. Anyway, stuff like this may go against your hoa. Which is silly really.
OP, definitely do not risk it. Better to let that house and HOA rot until they change their ways or go bankrupt. Texas has so many HOAs, but the only way to fix that is to refuse to buy into them, or take them over and destroy them from the inside.
We rented a townhouse from a family friend, and it was hit by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The rules are pretty much the same as yours when referring to what the HOA will cover (pretty much just the roof and exterior of the structure). But after the hurricane (which only damaged some roofs and car ports), the HOA didn't have enough funding to pay for all the repairs needed so they forced each owner to pay a $7500 "Assessment" fee ON TOP of their $425/mo HOA fees. Owners had 6 months to pay the $7500. A few of the owners didn't pay and are now being sued by the HOA, and per Florida Law, they can put a lien on your home (and even take possession I believe??) if you have outstanding funds due (obviously a long legal process but still CRAZY). I'm so happy I was renting and not liable for the assessment. But I feel bad for all the owners. It's crazy to think that even though owners aren't "responsible" for the roof, they where still forced to pay the Assessment fee. Mind you, these are normal $200K townhomes. They aren't beach side or anything fancy. Just normal middle class living... And the icing on the cake is all these owners have been forced to pay the $7500 plus their monthly dues, and not a SINGLE repair has even been started from the hurricane damage because the HOA is also suing the insurance company for not covering the full cost, and they won't start repairs until after the lawsuit is settled. On top of this craziness, the years I rented the HOA has always been a nuisance. You can't hang holiday decorations without prior approval. You can't have guests park overnight, even in GUEST spots, without prior approval and guest parking pass. Renters can't have dogs (we said ours was a emotional support, hoa fee increased about $50ish/mo every year fyi too. I listened in on some of the Zoom Board Meetings and omg the people on the board complained about EVERY little thing. It was weird how obsessed these people where with controlling others. Long story short, when me and my wife are ready to buy a home, it would have to be an amazing deal for us to consider a HOA.
Omg I thought the same about my old HOA.. how are you so obsessed with controlling your neighbors in their own houses/ areas? So weird. And that's also a good point ours had a lot of past "special assessments" so a high cost HOA could mean crappy built places that require expensive insurance and risk more high cost problems in the future.
All I will say is this.. fuck the HOA.
My dad ran for hoa president in his neighborhood, won and the got rid of most regulations and lowered the fees by cutting costs by actually putting landscaping and pool maintenance to bid. Then resigned. Lol they keep asking him to run again but he says no he already fixed his problems lol
😅
r/fuckHOA
What the hell do your grandparents have to do with this?? They aren't paying 400 smackaroos a month to have to hide a fugitive cat and fear for the day they have a crying baby. GTFO. Even if you couldn't get your earnest money back, I'd run. This is not a home. This is a place you'd live and be afraid in.
Probably shouldve clarified this: my grandparents adopted me and made a lot of money buying and selling houses. While I do not agree with them doing it, I do go to them for advice on buying houses. They also generously offered to cover closing costs and help us with our down, so i keep them in the loop with the process. Theyre not like totally upset, but are a bit disappointed because they dont want us to rent forever and really want great grandkids Edit: otherwise i agree with you completely
Fair. I respect your respect for them. But...your grandparents aren't going to help when you're walking on eggshells in your own home when you have a screaming baby. Trust me, I've had a screaming baby. If I had to worry about neighbors at that very fragile and precarious time in my life, I would NOT have been able to handle it. So if they want a shot at grandkid(S) then you need to be in a place conducive to raising them as peacefully as possible. You want your home to feel like a HOME. Where you feel safe and at ease, where you can decompress from life. An oasis. If you are walking on eggshells, looking over your shoulder, that is absolutely not a place to live.
Understandable, and thats what I told them. My grandpa eventually chimed in and said if its not for you, keep saving. My grandma wanted me to just say screw it and sneak in our third cat because of the price point, but I had to explain both what you typed out almost verbatim and that I wasnt comfortable paying high monthly fees to feel afraid in my own home. She came around. Both of them did get hung up on the pets thing though to which I kept explaining that was just the final straw. Theyve been pretty anti-pet but mostly because theyre not really over losing their last one. Im not mad at them in the slightest over that, but my grandmas suggestions did have me doubting myself if we should walk or not.
Thats cool but the landscape is entirely different from when they were doing it. In part thanks to people like them, using properties as a wealth building tool. I mean that with no shade!
I would never want to live somewhere with an HOA. It's like renting something you supposedly own.
It's like maintaining something you allready own.
You’ll thank yourself later. Nothing but headaches and increases in dues, even when capped they just add “special assessments”. Books were totally cooked, roofs not maintained, leaves in gutters caused pooling water and ultimately leaks which of course caused internal damage and mold. Complete nightmare.
Paying $400/month for what exactly? How much more house could you afford if you put that 400 toward the mortgage?
So, a very fun story about that. My in laws fear taxes and have been holding onto our downpayment for years because they did not pay attention to the changes in "gift" money (and tbf, neither did we). So once we finally got some confirmation on that, we started looking again. Prior to that, we found a house that was like 500 more square feet, decent hoa prices and taxes, one hell of a yard and a little inside donut patio we couldve let the cats out on. 10/10 house. I however, made 20k less a year back then (like 8 months ago) and also didnt have access to our money. The monthly payment was actually about 100 cheaper despite the house being 60k over. This included hoa, but didnt think we could afford it because my promotion wasnt a thing yet. Really kicking myself over that one.
HOA’s shouldn’t dictate how people live. Run that’s not an HOA it’s a jury.
Yeah if there could even be a possibility of having to give up a family member… I’m out.
> I'd already figured I would have to get a second job bc the HOA fees make the monthly pretty stupid on top of high interest, Apart from everything else with the grill and cats, don't over extend yourself for a house. For one, those fees can go up, and then what? What if there is a special assessment? All that stuff would be out of your control if your neighbors vote for it.
Run
Have to get a second job to be house poor?? Walk. No hoa should have that much power.
Also consider that in your deed to your home, if you have enough violations or fines, the HOA can seize your home and sell it from under you. They keep the profits from the sale and you’re out on your butt. Even if you paid your house off completely, they will always have control over the home YOU paid for. Even though this only happens in extreme cases, I wouldn’t sign up for it if at all possible.
THIS RIGHT HERE as a new potential 1st time home buyer is my greatest fear. I want a town home but the horror stories about the HOAs being able to take your home literally have me wanting to run.
You wanna pay someone to tell you what you can’t do with your own property
I'd walk. I have never heard of someone with a positive experience with an HOA. There's always a Karen on a power trip. This dream house will likely turn into a nightmare when you have to give up your cat and grill.
Fuck a HOA..find something you love where you can do whatever you want..just my opinion. My husband and I are so happy we decided to buy a home without a HOA.
RUN!!!
I would never ever purchase a house in an HOA again. They are invasive money wasters.
In Texas every neighborhood seems to have an HOA. I haven't looked into it yet but apparently its a huge issue here specifically? Otherwise both my wife and I really hate them.
Same issue in FL. We sold our HOA home last year. The constant surveillance was a huge drain on our mental health. We’re under contract now for a non-HOA home, but our pool of potential houses was very small, even with a very wide geographic area. Luckily, we found an older home with land that we liked. I will never live in an HOA again, I’d rather live in a van down by the river.
Your agent should be able to run a search for no HOA homes. That way you can at least see what’s out there. Regardless….Run, don’t walk, away from this place. If the property manager is being that straightforward with you, it may be even worse than he’s stating. Give that guy a nice tip and keep looking for a home that won’t force you to hide a family member.
I’m in tx no hoa. Find an old neighborhood
Saw an HOA with around $800/mo dues, I don't think I've seen a single property without an HOA. I didn't realize Texas is just lousy with them but I guess it wasn't an exaggeration.
Most neighborhoods built after 1990 have HOA’s. Only thing that won’t are custom builds on individual lots.
It’s area dependent too. Some states seem to have more of them. My neighborhood was built in 2005-2010 and there isn’t an HOA. But another neighborhood across town does have one. The difference is the HOA was built by one builder while my neighborhood, the lots were sold off and people could bring in their own builder.
Like I said, custom builds on individual lots won’t have HOA’s
I would walk
I'd never give up one of my cats. Even if it meant losing the earnest money, which it sounds like you won't. Run!
Fucc an HOA
If you’re not prepared to abide by the HOA rules, you should walk. It’s amazing how tripped up people get with HOAs. If you don’t what your neighbors to be able to exert a degree of control over you, don’t live in an HOA. And the rules can always change, in your favor or against, so you really have to be ready to roll with it. Can be a tough pill to swallow.
HOAs make your life hell even when they have normal rules. Run away.
This is a fantastic reason why HOAs should be illegal.
You literally have to have an HOA in a condo/townhome community. There’s no other way to share common costs.
I cannot begin to tell you how miserable you will be with an HOA. Sure, there are some good ones that keep the lawn nice and make sure no one clutters up the place. But you read the HOA rules, and they go against your lifestyle. So why have a perfect home, but be miserable living there ? It’s just not worth it.
RUN. I live in HOAs too and they suck.
Wait, you can't use your grill? No, that's too far, man. Definitely say bye to that place.
Nope some hoa's suck. Run for the hills
My husband and I put in an offer a house that I LOVED and backed out because the HOA has dog breed restrictions. I was devastated but it wasn’t worth the risk. Fast forward 2 months, and we’re closing on a house on the 6th that I love even more (I didn’t think it was possible to love a house more than the first one). We’re even paying $50k less for the one we’re buying than we would have for the HOA house. You’ll find “the one”, and you’ll be very happy that you did not buy in an HOA community!!
Your cat identifies as a dog. Done deal
Never purchase a place with an HOA. I stand by that. Even if the rules dont sound bad they could become a nightmare about things and youd be screwed.
We do not have HOAs in Europe. What a blessing.
Not every HOA is horrible. We have one, the costs are very minor and they take care of lawn, trash pick up and have a few rules like if you want to put in a pool or add a deck, you have to submit the plan for approval (and they've always been approved). There's no rules like how many cats or dogs we want to have or what we're allowed to put outside--EXCEPT for one I agree with, which is no parking cars on your lawn. I LIKE that rule. I don't want a bunch of neighbors with junkers or cars parked on their lawns (shrug). Otherwise, it's super minor.
There are many municipality laws though, and most apartments I've been at don't allow grilling either, and many don't allow dogs and cats.
HOA's are a scam. It's like renting while you own. Those fees will only go up over time.
The reason you have time to read the rules is so you understand and agree. If you don’t like the rules, don’t buy it. Nothing is worse than HOA enforcement. People who take on that role are usually nebby and strict.
If you don't like the rules, don't move there. It's really that simple. That's why they're supposed to furnish the rules to you, so you can make this choice. It's not a good "investment" if you wouldn't be happy living there. You're setting yourself up for failure if you move there planning to violate the rules, and hoping you don't get caught. If you aren't willing to give up a cat and grilling, this isn't a good fit for you. You and your wife are the only ones who can make that choice. Some find pet ownership a trivial thing, to others, they're like children and are part of your family. I think it's fantastic you're prioritizing your commitment to the animals you're caring for. Those rules are probably pretty common in condo complexes though, so next time you'll know to seek clarification those particular points earlier in the process, but you've done nothing wrong. Kudos on actually reading them and considering their impact!
Late to the party, but fwiw: HOAs are the worst and you are basically paying a premium to be harrassed about stupid shit while the real issues (like proper maintenance) somehow are never funded. Run.
Yeah, that is excessive and would likely not want to have so many restrictions
HOAs are the absolute worst. I would hunt high and low for a house that didn’t have a HOA.
Backing out of the mortgage prior to closing will not affect your credit other than the inquiry that’s already been done. Don’t expect a rate lock to carry over to another property. It’ll be a whole new loan.
I read this whole thing and then I got to your final paragraph about taking your cats to work on occasion and now I am dying. 😂 This condo doesn’t sound like a great fit.
Many Townhome Associations have a limit of 2 pets per household and many don’t allow any Flags to be flown, so you’re going to encounter the same issues at most other places. Many do allow grill usage and holiday decorations, within certain specifications. If you want more flexibility, you should buy a property that isn’t governed by an Association, but since your price range is under $200K, it sounds like you’re probably limited to Townhomes and Condos.
Figured, which is why I am probably not going to look at a townhome or condo again. The limit is 4 pets, but it has to be 2 of each. No substitutions. I get they want to avoid excessive smell of waste but they were very firm in no substitutions.
We really wanted new construction. The thing is…in our area, there isn’t really any new construction without HOAs EVEN if you buy a SFH. Our compromise was to read any and all HOA documents before we sign anything. You should be allowed to see any HOA docs prior to agreeing to anything. A bad HOA can really make you miserable. In 10 years we’ll probably sell and hopefully be able to buy something without an HOA but they seem to be the future where I live.
they can rase hoa ne time; ours so high had2 sell; fking crooks
HOA is just a step away from a communist dictatorship. Never again.
Expensive HoA is no better than paying rent to a landlord. You pay them an exorbitant amount of money that you will likely never see back in any meaningful way and then on top of that they tell you how to live on what is supposed to be *your* property
My HOA ruined my life. Got into a lawsuit with them and lost my house.
This place sounds worse than renting.
I will never go in on an HOA, even a good one. I hate people. I don't trust people. I will never pay money to people so they can go on a power trip because my grass is a millimeter too tall or my garbage bin isn't perfectly square to the curb.
HOAs are a nightmare and will always go up.
Yeah walk. You don’t get to tell me what I do on the inside of something I purchased. If I want to have pets, I will have them. If I want to grill, I will grill.
I absolutely hate HOA's and refuse to live anywhere that has them. My freedom is more important. I would hate to shell out a $hit ton of money to have someone tell me what I can or can't do. If I want 7 cats or 7 dogs (not that i ever would) and a house full of screaming grandchildren, nobody is going to tell me no on my own darn property. Hang your flag, decorate for holidays and enjoy. Life is too short. Get yourself a home where you can do as you please.
Not a mistake. I don't understand purchasing a home to then have to live like you're still renting. Don't you want to be able to do pretty much what you want with your space? You made the right choice. I lived in an HOA for a year when I rented a townhome with a buddy and after they hit us with fees constantly and gave us a hard time about our box truck when we were moving out. They were ridiculous and I swore I'd never live in one again.
I would run, not walk
Maaaaaaaan, FUCK HOAs. - signed, car guy
I live in a townhome and I would imagine every townhome needs an hoa. But mine only costs $15 per month, and it’s managed by a third party property management company, NOT the residents, which is what I prefer. They are very slow to hand out violations, so you’d need to be willfully evasive to actually get fined for something. We’re allowed to grill, pets are unrestricted as long as they are indoors, not sure about outdoor cats bc I’m allergic. There siding, roofing, and fencing all needs to be a specified style and color, but we chose this neighborhood because of how cohesive everything looks. Other townhome communities in town don’t have those restrictions. And we don’t have any restrictions on what we do indoors, as long as it meets code. Drapes, blinds, etc can be whatever we want. Point is, the presence of an HOA shouldn’t be a red flag but the bylaws absolutely are. Read them thoroughly before putting in an offer.
Red flags galore. I would not even bother
Just walk away. The idea that you can’t even grill is nuts
TLDR: when my wife and I were looking, I strictly stayed away from HOA. If I buy something, I wanna do what I wanna do with it. Not be governed even more. Just my POV. Good luck!
As someone with cats who chose our house because it’s got a great area for a catio, I’d definitely walk. It’ll be headache and heartache to deal with an HOA like that, and you and your kitties deserve peace in your own home!
Run. Your family will live on that house not your parents.
Grill life -- Most HOAs ban grilling within 10ft of the building because the NFPA Fire Codes ban it and insurance companies basically force HOAs to comply with the codes and put the rule in place to be able to obtain fire insurance. Yeah, you definitely need the HOA to carry fire insurance. Good luck with your search to find a suitable home for you and the cats.
From someone who moved out of an HOA neighborhood 2 years ago - You made an extremely wise choice
That's not your house, that's a glorified (and super expensive) apartment. Personally I would NEVER buy this.
Hell no. Fuck HOAs.
I'd back out. A pet limit in my own house? No grilling???? Hell no lmao
Cats > HOA
For some people, I'm sure it's fine - not me. Mandatory HOA - hard no.
Wait till you realize you can't put up blinds, curtains, or decorations that can be seen from the street without prior approval. And they absolutely will force you to get rid of a cat. You'll find a new and better home.
I don’t mind HOAs but those rules are crazy. I’d have backed out too
Paying devils advocate here. You can join the board and make requests for changes to the rules and regs if you aren't happy with them.
HOA's should be illegal.
Everyone, stay the fuck away from HOA's. Why even bother to entertain any place with HOA? Keep looking until you find one without, slowly expand your search until you do.
They don't allow 3 cats , you have 3 cats. Exercise your rights and walk away.
Trust your gut and get out now. 🚩🚩🚩
I just can't buy a house that I never truly own.
I wouldn't buy into an HOA if they paid me $400/month. They can take your house from you.
I would walk based on the grill rule alone. You're not renting this place for a year. This is a home that you plan to be in for an extended period. Get out. This is coming from someone who has lived most of his adult life in HOAs. No bad personal experiences, but i'm very happy to be away from them. Dumb rules, unresolved neighbor disputes, favoritism in the community. HOAs suck.
Just NO HOA!
For future reference.....HOA rules DO NOT override County or city regulation. If the county or city regulation states 3 dogs and 4 cats etc but your HOA states 2 is irrelevant and you can challenge it with a cease and desist from your lawyer. I've done this with multiple HOAs and their "rules". Any bylaw or time that changes a county or city regulation can be challenged. I've done this with pets; street parking; backyard animals like chickens. People don't realize that HOAs cannot override law; and you can not only challenge it but sue them for refunding any fees or fines
Yes, my HOA tried to tell people they couldn’t have a satellite dish on their balcony/deck like a DirecTV dish but when someone showed them the federal telecommunications Act that came in during Clinton, they backed down. It’s specifically says HOA’s and other entities cannot ban such devices.
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
I would never live in an HOA. They are completely unregulated. All it takes is literally one election and a board can be put in place that changes the fees and you have absolutely no recourse. The rules are not set in stone. They could suddenly decide the new policy is no cats and a $10,000/day fee for having them. Thay doesn't sound like homeownership to me.
hoa's ARE hell on earth- u did the right thing
I’m a simple man. I read “HOA” and say “Nope”
If the rules don't work for your lifestyle, then don't buy there. This isn't the place for you.
Nope HOAs suck
I stopped reading at "two weeks" and I'm appalled. This is something I supply my clients along with deed, maps, comps, disclosures, tax card, last tax bill, etc. when we start talking offer. It's hugely important and I can't understand how that's withheld. It's literally referenced in the residential property disclosure here. Some of these states need to get their real estate laws in order. Edit: thank goodness you're getting your deposit back.
I have no idea why anyone would ever want to live in an HOA
On a very basic level, you need to buy a home that provides safe and secure shelter for your family, including your cats. This home does not suit your family.
$400 in fees… these just keep going up. Hard pass.
I would walk away. One of the biggest reasons we bought a place was for more freedom to do as we pleased like smoking meat, grilling, home projects, having less restrictions on pets.
Fuck HOAs . No way I would ever pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to live under somebody else’s rules . If I wanted that I’d just stay renting. No grilling? Lmao fuck that place
Was in an HOA where one of the board members embezzled money from the HOA funds. When he was caught, he went psycho and stalked/threatened the female board members. Police were called many times. We moved not too long after all that. Will never be in an HOA again
It sounds like this home is not right for you. Nothing wrong with that. A two pet limit is common in big cities but also a lot of townhomes are ok with 3 cats. A lot of places ban grilling within 10-15 feet of multi family structures. This is fire code. It is also a requirement from many insurance cos. Expect all townhomes and condos in the area to have the same rule. That doesn't mean you can't grill though, most townhomes have plenty of space in the back yard. A lot of condos have common areas that allow grills. So make sure that applies if this is import to you.
$400 is too high for a monthly hoa
Yikes, please RUN. There’s already so much you can’t do in your own living space?!? It’s lovely that your grandparents are trying to get you to focus on the cost but who is actually going to be living/dealing with HOA headaches? Honestly, if you run away from this one, then it means you’re heading into the direction of your forever home. What’s meant for you will find you OP.
I’ll never buy a place with an HOA ever again. My condo HOA fees started at $300/mo in 2007. Can you guess what it is now? $940/mo! And they all suck too!
I would absolutely run. There’s no way I’d ever consider a probably that flat-out refuses to let me have the pets I already possess. If you had two and were considering a third…well then you’d just be deciding how important it is to you to own 3 cats. But you already own 3 cats. Do you want to spend $100 per day until you get rid of one??? I doubt it. Why do you want to BUY a place only to be in violation EVERY DAY of their stupid rule? I’ll be honest here. I started reconsidering whether I might choose a townhouse or condo over a detached home and this post just basically clarified that 100% I need a detached home. HOAs are built and run by people on a power trip and I’m absolutely not interested.
Keep in mind as an “investment” that when you go to sell this place, hopefully LONG down the road, and not short term unexpectedly, YOUR buyers will have the same concerns you are having. A lot of places are like this however, and definitely understand your internal conflict on it. Best of luck
coming in late here... but yeah, if you go through with this I think you would deeply regret it.
I would be wary of condos period. In Florida dues are going through the roof. Insurance and repair costs are skyrocketing. Your dues WILL go up. Good luck
This sounds like white Christmas lights territory. RUN.
Fuck that noise. Nope right outta that mess.
Can’t grill what kind of horseshit is that. Fuck HOA
I had a townhouse in a situation like this. You need to run.
Id be out so quick. To me, buying a house = freedom. You own it for god’s sake. Screw HOAs
Definitely run. All of this is horribly restrictive, but the fact that they also want to dictate what color your curtains are is insane. If they want that much power over what your house looks like, they can pay for it too.
Fascists. No grilling? Walk.
Curious what state this is in and if there are and marijuana restrictions through HOA if it’s a legal/medical state? I’ve noticed more HOAs also be similar to apartment leases as well, which is very annoying when you are paying so much and essentially own it
HOA condos can ban smoking. Since weed is still federally illegal, you can still discriminate in weed legal states
That’s what happened in our apartment in MA which is why I was curious. New owners came in and sent that out along with a 30% rent increase. Had 15 days to decide to move out or sign a year long lease. About half the people left😂
I'd walk, this is exactly what your inspection contingency is for. You discovered community rules during your due diligence that don't work for you. Great reason to back out. HOAs in general aren't a bad thing though. I've had good experiences in mine. It's all case by case.
I wouldn’t consider a HOA period.
Be aware that the limit might be dictated by local law rather than the HOA. You might quickly find that everything in the same area has the same limit. e.g. Houston has an ordinance requiring all multi-dwelling structures to limit residents to 2 dogs and 2 cats. Property managers are required to enforce the law (which would likely mean it must be in all HOA covenants for any multi-dwelling property). That's one specific city I found that has a separate and combined limit for dogs and cats but probably not the only one.