HOA

If you are looking for a new home in Florida you will be finding that many are in communities that have homeowners associations (HOAs). You’ve heard many things about them, but aren’t sure if it is something that will be good for you. So let’s look at the pros and cons of owning a home in a HOA.

Standard of community appearance

One major thing an HOA does for all the homeowners in the community is uphold a standard of community appearance. The bylaws and rules of the HOA will outline what those standards may be. Typical rules include the upkeep of your lawn and landscaping, house exterior upkeep and paint colors, improvements to your home, and what kinds of vehicles can be parked outside your home such as boats or RV’s.

In some situations HOAs also provide maintenance and services such as trash removal and lawn care are handled by the association, leaving less work for the homeowner. Typically, common areas are maintained by the association, which can include pools, tennis courts and gyms, community centers and walking trails.

The HOA will also act as manager if there are problems like dogs barking, loud music or other disputes. HOAs also charge monthly fees to cover the services and maintenance.

Pros

Knowing all these things can tell you pros and cons. Pros are that your homes value will stay higher because your neighbors can’t let their properties become overgrown, paint them some wild color and keep 14 dead cars and a boat on their property. It also can mean less work due to the maintenance and enjoying amenities without having to put the work into caring for them. It can also help you stay friends with your neighbors even if you have complaints about them.

Cons

The cons are a bit more difficult to see, but are there. The most obvious one is that monthly fee. It’s not optional. If you fail to pay it the HOA can place a lien on your home and ultimately you may lose your home. Others are a bit harder to suss out, but have to do with your personality. If you are more of a free spirit who likes to do things your own way the rules of an HOA can be rather restrictive. If you are the kind of homeowner who feels that your property is YOURS and no one can tell you what to do with it, an HOA may not be for you either.

Knowing yourself is important, so weigh those pros and cons and see how it fits.

You’re looking for a new home and you’re considering maintenance a golf course home. They seem like a dream, but can they really be a nightmare? Here are the good, the bad and the ugly of owning a golf course home.

Deed restrictions and HOA

First and foremost, a golf course community will have deed restrictions and a homeowners association. That means what you can do with your home and property is subject to the restrictions and the HOA.

In order to maintain a certain look and feel of the course, house exterior paint colors are limited and putting things in your yard like a swing set or sandbox are usually a big no no.

Think you’ll be able to get away with it? Think again. Those golfers paying for the privilege of using the course will probably complain to the community or HOA if they see something is amiss. That may be a big deal for you either way, so be sure to ask about it before buying.

Not for community use

Along with those deed restrictions, be aware that during off hours the actual course and cart paths are not for community use. You can’t walk, jog or bike on cart paths or the greens. Letting your dog run on the fairway is really not ok. If space to do those activities is important to you ask about community space set aside for them.

Course maintenance

Those gorgeous grass courses need constant maintenance. Course management won’t inconvenience their bread and butter, the golfers paying to use the course. So all that grass is cut very early in the morning, most likely before sunrise. That means that the groundskeepers are out on golf carts and riding mowers with headlights. If a bedroom window faces a green, those lights will shine on through. And while the golf carts may be quiet electric ones, the mowers certainly aren’t.

Cart paths are a reality that can be a distraction

The path for golf carts will run along one side of the fairway from tee box to green. If that’s behind your home, you’ll see them all day. So remember that if the home you are looking at is less expensive than others in the same community, there are probably cart paths close by. Those greens and tee boxes are also a gathering place for golfers. That means you will hear conversations and laughter and see a lot of rather loud clothing.