My New HOA Has These 4 Ridiculous Rules — Here’s Why I Don’t Care and I’m Buying Anyway

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Buying a home in an HOA neighborhood might mean you’re subject to some extreme rules. Find out why I decided those restrictions were worth it for me. 

Soon, I’ll be moving into an HOA neighborhood. I have repeatedly vowed I would never live in one again, but I actually ended up going the complete opposite direction and buying a home in a place with the most extreme homeowners association I’ve ever lived under.

Here are some of the rules I’ll have to comply with when I buy my new house.

1. Any exterior changes to your house must go to a vote

If you want to make any exterior modifications to any public areas of your house in my new neighborhood, you must get prior approval first.

That’s a pretty common HOA rule, but our neighborhood is particularly strict. You have to submit an application detailing the current colors and any proposed changes if you want to paint or put a new roof on. You must provide info about what contractor will do the work, as well as exactly what brand and color of materials you are using.

There are some colors that are approved in the neighborhood. If you paint with one of them, you may be able to get expedited approval. If you want to use colors outside the approved palette, a meeting must be scheduled and a vote must be taken before you’ll be allowed.

2. Window coverings must be white or natural wood

My new neighborhood association doesn’t just care what color I paint my house or what shingles I put on my roof. It also wants to make sure window coverings are up to par as well.

Specifically, any windows visible from the streets, alleys, or any public areas must be blinds, shades, shutters, or curtains. And the color facing the street must be white, or natural wood if shutters are chosen.

3. Dead plants are a no-no

If you don’t have a green thumb, you might have trouble with my neighborhood association. See, if you happen to have a plant on your porch that dies, you must replace it promptly with a living one.

4. Garbage cans can’t stay out too long

If you’re taking out your trash, you must be on a strict schedule in my neighborhood. All garbage cans must be kept out of sight until trash day, and you can’t place the cans outside before 7 p.m. on the night before your designated pickup date.

Why am I willing to put up with this?

While all HOAs have rules, some have more restrictions than others. And for a long time, I chafed at the idea that I could get an entire mortgage and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a home just to be told what to do with it.

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The reality, though, is when I visit this neighborhood, I adore the look and feel of it. It’s one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been; it just has a special feeling to it. Every street is wonderful to walk on, and the location can’t be beat. And the reason the neighborhood has this perfect feel is because of the strict rules.

See, HOAs have a lot of downsides, including that you pay fees and are subject to restrictions. But if you want to ensure a neighborhood has a certain style and maintains a certain minimum standard of upkeep, then they are a necessity.

Before you buy a home in an HOA neighborhood, though, you need to think very carefully about whether the tradeoff is worth it. Do you want to give up autonomy in your home in exchange for a board that maintains neighborhood quality (and property values)?

Ultimately, only you can make this decision. But as someone who swore off HOAs, you may be surprised to find that the perfect neighborhood just happens to change your mind.

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