TOTALLY GEEKED!

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

RE: Local Officials Are Coming for Your Garden

FNW · Guru

I might not mind seeing a boat in a driveway if they take me for a ride in it.

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

We have an HOA board. They do a good job. smile

But, our neighborhood is so big, we have a management company, too.

No way, could a volunteer board, look after 3300 homes.

The board did find a new management company, a couple of years ago. They weren't happy with the old company, so they found a new one.

Is it perfect? No.

But, it's pretty good.

Moving from out of state. Not knowing exactly what we would be getting into, I'm glad I listened to our realtor.

She got us into a nice neighborhood, which has doubled in value, since 1996. smile

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Fort Worth Mom wrote:
We have an HOA board. They do a good job.
But, our neighborhood is so big, we have a management company, too.
No way, could a volunteer board, look after 3300 homes.
The board did find a new management company, a couple of years ago. They weren't happy with the old company, so they found a new one.
Is it perfect? No.
But, it's pretty good.
Moving from out of state. Not knowing exactly what we would be getting into, I'm glad I listened to our realtor.
She got us into a nice neighborhood, which has doubled in value, since 1996.

You got that right!

WYSIWYG · Guru

Still not seeing the value of home ownership if you can't do as you see fit with the property that you own. HOA's or over-restrictive city ordinances would actually lower property values in the eyes of many people, including me.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

WYSIWYG wrote:
Still not seeing the value of home ownership if you can't do as you see fit with the property that you own. HOA's or over-restrictive city ordinances would actually lower property values in the eyes of many people, including me.

Well, factually and statistically speaking, that is not the case at all. That's what I do - real estate. I see it everyday. And your planned communities have higher values. And the houses are normally better taken care of because it is a requirement. And while YOU may be doing whatever you want with your property, that doesn't often relate to the taste of others, and all they see is the work they have to do to change it.

backpacker365 · Newbie

We live in a very nice area of about ten houses. Surrounded by cornfields but right on the edge of a small town. Officially we have neighborhood covenants but no one to enforce them. We live in the house the builder built for himself (and then got divorced and had to sell)

That was a major problem looking at lots to build on. They all have hoa fees. Couple that with big property taxes and it got really pricey quickly. My dream is close to town, a few aces of WOODED land (no more constant cornfields) and maybe a pond nearby. Therr are areas around here like that but so far they all have a fatal flaw somewhere.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Lawyerlady wrote:
WYSIWYG wrote:
Still not seeing the value of home ownership if you can't do as you see fit with the property that you own. HOA's or over-restrictive city ordinances would actually lower property values in the eyes of many people, including me.
Well, factually and statistically speaking, that is not the case at all. That's what I do - real estate. I see it everyday. And your planned communities have higher values. And the houses are normally better taken care of because it is a requirement. And while YOU may be doing whatever you want with your property, that doesn't often relate to the taste of others, and all they see is the work they have to do to change it.

The value WYSIWYG is referring to, isn't monetary.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

It's getting tiresome being chastised for my choice.

NO ONE is forcing anyone else to live in a neighborhood with an HOA.

flan

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

I've lived in my house for 28 years...raised 2 kids, 3 dogs...a few gerbils...

The upstairs carpet is the original, and it shows! LOL

I can still remember the first time I came to my new home. DS1 was 3 months old. I walked upstairs, looked at all the empty space, and sat down with my back against one of the living room walls & nursed him.

flan

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

lilyofcourse wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
WYSIWYG wrote:
Still not seeing the value of home ownership if you can't do as you see fit with the property that you own. HOA's or over-restrictive city ordinances would actually lower property values in the eyes of many people, including me.
Well, factually and statistically speaking, that is not the case at all. That's what I do - real estate. I see it everyday. And your planned communities have higher values. And the houses are normally better taken care of because it is a requirement. And while YOU may be doing whatever you want with your property, that doesn't often relate to the taste of others, and all they see is the work they have to do to change it.
The value WYSIWYG is referring to, isn't monetary.

A person's home, for many, is the biggest investment they have. Protecting that investment should be a priority.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

flan327 wrote:
It's getting tiresome being chastised for my choice.

NO ONE is forcing anyone else to live in a neighborhood with an HOA.

flan

Well, that's exactly it. If you don't want to live in an HOA community, don't. But many, many, many people do. Everyone has their own preferences.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

Lawyerlady wrote:
flan327 wrote:
It's getting tiresome being chastised for my choice.

NO ONE is forcing anyone else to live in a neighborhood with an HOA.

flan
Well, that's exactly it. If you don't want to live in an HOA community, don't. But many, many, many people do. Everyone has their own preferences.

DH and I need to move. Stairs are getting hard, and the laundry room is downstairs. He's leaning towards a condo, maybe in the county west of us.

I'm looking forward to it, but the place must be pet friendly.

Maybe in a year or two...

flan

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

I have always wanted a house with a bay window...

And would a turret be too much to ask?

flan

Cheerios4606 · Guru

HAHAHAHA!!!

Sorry for the lol but in the many years of me playing computer games, a turret is a minigun. So when you mentioned "would a turret be too much to ask" I imagined a minigun strapped to the roof of your new house, and you taking out people that have come to bug you! HAHAH!

FNW · Guru

Or perhaps to take out the HOA enforcers!

Mary Zombie · Guru

I'm glad we don't have an HOA in our neighborhood though the dude across the street works on old cars and are always people parked over there. But we can have our red neck pool and fire pit in our back yard 😜

TrudyML · Guru

Mary Zombie wrote:
I'm glad we don't have an HOA in our neighborhood though the dude across the street works on old cars and are always people parked over there. But we can have our red neck pool and fire pit in our back yard 😜

Guiness while in the pool?

Mary Zombie · Guru

You know it Trudy. We have a table set up lol

WYSIWYG · Guru

The value WYSIWYG is referring to, isn't monetary.
- lilyofcourse

___________________________________

Actually in that case, I was referring to monetary value (but I do agree there are other values in play as well).

Show me two identical homes (built by the same building contractor, using the same plans). One in a HOA, and one in a place where the owner has rights.

I'll pay MORE for the place where the owner's rights have priority. The more restrictive the HOA, the less I'd be willing to pay for the same house - up to the point where I wouldn't even consider buying it if it's TOO restrictive.

Can't have a boat or an RV? That's 20-30% off of the value right there (because now I have to pay to store it somewhere else!)

WYSIWYG · Guru

Funny thing is, I may never own a boat or an RV (I don't currently), but you have to look at the possibilities. I could get one or both in the future (I will retire one day, and who knows?).

I may even like the colors they require for houses to be painted. But there's a difference between "choosing the colors on your own" and "being forced to do it the way someone else makes you do it".

My house, my choices. Keep your choices to your house.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

The trade-off being the neighbors can't paint their house any horrible color they want, either. Which I would have to look at everyday. Let's face it, I look at the neighbors house more than mine b/c I'm in mine.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

So flippin what?

I swear.

People are all "mind your own business" but then they want to tell a neighbor what to do on their land.

Don't want to see the neighbor's house, put up a flippin fence.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

Why should I have to put up a fence?!

flan

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

We had a purple house in the middle of town.

It was fabulous.

We have several houses that are brightly colored.

Heck, San Francisco has an historic neighborhood with brightly painted houses.

People need to mind their own dang business.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

The neighbors behind us often let their grass get way too long. Does it bother us? Nope.

A woman & her elderly mother live there. DH cuts part of their lawn to help out.

Oh...or should we mind our "own dang business?"

flan

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

lilyofcourse wrote:
We had a purple house in the middle of town.

It was fabulous.

We have several houses that are brightly colored.

Heck, San Francisco has an historic neighborhood with brightly painted houses.

People need to mind their own dang business.

Why are you so against people making choices they want to make? What does it have to do with you? If someone wants to live in an HOA community - why does it matter to you? People need to mind their own dang business.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

lilyofcourse wrote:
So flippin what?

I swear.

People are all "mind your own business" but then they want to tell a neighbor what to do on their land.

Don't want to see the neighbor's house, put up a flippin fence.

You seem to think fences are this miracle thing that magically blocks anything you don't like? Does a fence protect you from the sounds of the games?

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Lawyerlady wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
We had a purple house in the middle of town.

It was fabulous.

We have several houses that are brightly colored.

Heck, San Francisco has an historic neighborhood with brightly painted houses.

People need to mind their own dang business.
Why are you so against people making choices they want to make? What does it have to do with you? If someone wants to live in an HOA community - why does it matter to you? People need to mind their own dang business.

Like I've said, why choose to give another that control over you?

Would you let your neighbor tell you what car to drive? Or maybe where to shop?

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Lawyerlady wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
So flippin what?

I swear.

People are all "mind your own business" but then they want to tell a neighbor what to do on their land.

Don't want to see the neighbor's house, put up a flippin fence.
You seem to think fences are this miracle thing that magically blocks anything you don't like? Does a fence protect you from the sounds of the games?

A fence will keep you from having to see a blue house instead of a tan house, keep you from seeing an RV.

And again, the park was built nearly 10 years after we moved here.

It's government land that was donated by a private citizen.

Even if there was a crazy no noise rule for this neighborhood, that park is not part of the neighborhood.

So that really is a ridiculous question.

FNW · Guru

Sometimes fences need to be of a height that exceeds city regulations in order to shield a bad view. Growing up, we had an apartment building behind us. But it was there when we moved in. Our solution was to plant Eucalyptus trees. That worked very well.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

lilyofcourse wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
So flippin what?

I swear.

People are all "mind your own business" but then they want to tell a neighbor what to do on their land.

Don't want to see the neighbor's house, put up a flippin fence.
You seem to think fences are this miracle thing that magically blocks anything you don't like? Does a fence protect you from the sounds of the games?
A fence will keep you from having to see a blue house instead of a tan house, keep you from seeing an RV.
And again, the park was built nearly 10 years after we moved here.
It's government land that was donated by a private citizen.
Even if there was a crazy no noise rule for this neighborhood, that park is not part of the neighborhood.
So that really is a ridiculous question.

No, it won't. It's not my house that would need hiding. And you can't put fences blocking the front of your house. That is just ridiculous. A fence doesn't block the view of your neighborhood.

And you bought in a place where there was no restrictions on any of the neighboring property - so you ended up with a ball field across the street. My house is surrounded by land protected by covenants - no one is going to build a park, ball field or anything else behind, across, or next door to me except single family residences that comply with the architectural requirements, or anywhere within several miles. Because those same rules I agreed to abide by when I moved in apply to my neighbors, too. I will never have your issue. That means more than being able to put plastic flamingos in the front yard.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

FNW wrote:
Sometimes fences need to be of a height that exceeds city regulations in order to shield a bad view. Growing up, we had an apartment building behind us. But it was there when we moved in. Our solution was to plant Eucalyptus trees. That worked very well.

I am at the end of a cul de sac. I can see down the entire street from my front porch.

Cheerios4606 · Guru

Our back porch over looks the whole street in back of us.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

And quite frankly, I don't WANT to put up a fence. I like big, wide open spaces, and talking to my neighbors and living in a community. That's why I live in a nice, pretty, covenanted neighborhood - so I don't have to worry about it.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I just can not, for the life of me, understand why or how an intelligent human being would choose to give away their freedom of choice.

It makes no sense to me.

No matter what property values are or anything else.

To give away freedom is just foreign to me.

It's seems backwards.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Lawyerlady wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
lilyofcourse wrote:
So flippin what?

I swear.

People are all "mind your own business" but then they want to tell a neighbor what to do on their land.

Don't want to see the neighbor's house, put up a flippin fence.
You seem to think fences are this miracle thing that magically blocks anything you don't like? Does a fence protect you from the sounds of the games?
A fence will keep you from having to see a blue house instead of a tan house, keep you from seeing an RV.
And again, the park was built nearly 10 years after we moved here.
It's government land that was donated by a private citizen.
Even if there was a crazy no noise rule for this neighborhood, that park is not part of the neighborhood.
So that really is a ridiculous question.
No, it won't. It's not my house that would need hiding. And you can't put fences blocking the front of your house. That is just ridiculous. A fence doesn't block the view of your neighborhood.
And you bought in a place where there was no restrictions on any of the neighboring property - so you ended up with a ball field across the street. My house is surrounded by land protected by covenants - no one is going to build a park, ball field or anything else behind, across, or next door to me except single family residences that comply with the architectural requirements, or anywhere within several miles. Because those same rules I agreed to abide by when I moved in apply to my neighbors, too. I will never have your issue. That means more than being able to put plastic flamingos in the front yard.

When we moved here, the land across the street was owned by a guy who lives 3 doors up, over 100 acres.

My cousin owns all the land around that.

When that one guy died, it was donated to the county.

It was 100 plus heavily wooded land.

HE owned HIS land.

He gave it away because it was his land.

I may not always like the noise, but there is no way on earth I'm going to tell another what they can and can not do with THEIR land.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

But Lily you do live in a hoa of sorts. I'msure your town and county have zoning, building code, restrictions,etc laws.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Zoning keeps bars away from churches, and directs which school kids go to.

Restrictions like you can't put a pool under powerlines.

Laws about keeping dogs restrained.

Those are some of the zoning, restrictions and laws.

But they say nothing about rvs or big rigs in yards or the color of the house.

The only thing I can think of is we must have our street number visible from the road.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

And there is a difference between following the law and choosing to give away freedom.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

lilyofcourse wrote:
Zoning keeps bars away from churches, and directs which school kids go to.

Restrictions like you can't put a pool under powerlines.

Laws about keeping dogs restrained.

Those are some of the zoning, restrictions and laws.

But they say nothing about rvs or big rigs in yards or the color of the house.

The only thing I can think of is we must have our street number visible from the road.

Most areas of the Northeast have zoning laws restricting being able to park a commercial vehicle, boat, and RV:s.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

lilyofcourse wrote:
And there is a difference between following the law and choosing to give away freedom.

LOL, but you are not giving any freedoms away if that is how you want to live.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

lilyofcourse wrote:
I just can not, for the life of me, understand why or how an intelligent human being would choose to give away their freedom of choice.

It makes no sense to me.

No matter what property values are or anything else.

To give away freedom is just foreign to me.

It's seems backwards.

I didn't. I CHOSE to live in a neighborhood I like the looks of. I CHOSE to live in a community with amenities. I CHOSE to move somewhere that I know will be required to stay nice.

And since I moved in two years ago - I have put in a small fenced dog run at the back of the house, I have chosen a dark pea**** blue for the door color and I have built a small detached garage that matches my house. And when it comes time to repaint my house, I may change the color. We have about 50 different shades in our neighborhood to choose from. Oh the horrors of simply showing my plans to the board and having them say "ok". I didn't give up choice, I chose to live in a neighborhood where aesthetics matter; where driving home I get to see nice lawns, and pretty flowers, and well kept property.

I like being in a picturesque neighborhood.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

And I, for the life of me, cannot understand why anyone would buy a piece of property without taking into consideration zoning, and potential uses of the vacant land all around them.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

Lawyerlady wrote:
And I, for the life of me, cannot understand why anyone would buy a piece of property without taking into consideration zoning, and potential uses of the vacant land all around them.

I think we are BOTH intelligent people, LL, who CHOSE to buy a house in a neighborhood with an HOA.

flan

cadiver · Senior Member

I would not want to live an HOA, but I am the type to work on my car in the driveway and need some place to put the spare car and engine.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

A whole heckuva lot of people choose to live in HOA communities. I realize it's not for everyone for a multitude of personal reasons to each his own, but I think it's ridiculous to judge those that do.

Ohfour · Hooker

I think I live in the best of both worlds. We don't have an official HOA, but all of us have an understanding. We have a neighborhood association. We understand how we need to behave. We bought this house 5 years ago, and that was the last house to sell. People just do not move from here. We LOVE it...

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

Ohfour wrote:
I think I live in the best of both worlds. We don't have an official HOA, but all of us have an understanding. We have a neighborhood association. We understand how we need to behave. We bought this house 5 years ago, and that was the last house to sell. People just do not move from here. We LOVE it...

Same here, no HOA but most keep their properties looking good and don;t store trash, etc. Our property values are over the top. I actually would embrace and HOA here.

WYSIWYG · Guru

Oh the horrors of simply showing my plans to the board and having them say "ok". I didn't give up choice, I chose to live in a neighborhood where aesthetics matter;
- Lawyerlady

_______________________________________

And if they don't say "ok"? What then? Did you give up choice if now you can't make that telescope dome addition you wanted to put off of the greenhouse, because they didn't "say 'ok' "?

You assume that they will be "ok" with your plans. What if they aren't? If you owned your own property and had full rights to your property, it wouldn't be an issue at all. You could add that telescope dome to the greenhouse if you wanted to.