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Category: HOA

  • Potential Neighborhood With An HOA? Here’s What You Should Know

    Let’s say you have your heart set on buying a home in a community with a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and maybe even a playground or trails. Having access to these amenities often means living in a community with a homeowners association, or HOA.

    Generally, an HOA is responsible for keeping the neighborhood looking beautiful — and as a result, keeping property values high. But since no two neighborhoods are the same, no two HOAs will be the same, either.

    What You Should Know About the Homeowners Association

    Doing your research on homes and communities means finding the answers to dozens of questions. As a savvy home buyer, you’ve probably already considered some of the most important topics early on in your home search, such as the local property taxes and whether the neighborhood is appreciating in value.

    But if you’re considering a neighborhood with an HOA, there are a few additional things that you should know about the community and the association before you buy a home. Here are the essential questions you should ask.

    1. What Does the Homeowners Association Do?

    Each community varies, but in general, a homeowners association assists residents with property maintenance (by providing services like lawn care, trash removal, or Internet), regularly beautifies the neighborhood common areas, and upkeeps any shared amenities. In return for these services, residents pay an association fee, which we’ll talk about later.

    Since the HOA is also concerned with keeping property values high, the homeowners association may also dictate what residents can and can’t do with their properties. These rules keep residents from worrying about a neighbor painting their house a funky color or letting their lawn go wild.

    2. Are You Required to Join the HOA?

    Before you decide to buy a home in an HOA neighborhood, first check to see whether the community has a voluntary or mandatory HOA. A voluntary HOA doesn’t require that you join the association or pay dues, but a mandatory HOA does.

    3. How Much Are the HOA Fees?

    As we mentioned before, HOA fees cover the services that the association provides. HOA fee costs (and the frequency with which they’re paid) can vary from community to community, so ask your real estate agent about how much the fees are before you buy a home in the neighborhood.

    4. What Are the HOA’s Expectations for Residents?

    Typically, a homeowners association will have a list of rules and regulations that residents are expected to follow when they live in the community. (These are known as Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, or CC&Rs.)

    These regulations can dictate everything from what colors you can use to paint your home to how many vehicles you can park in the driveway. Again, each homeowners association varies, so it’s best to read the Bylaws of communities you’re considering to learn what’s expected of residents.

    5. When (And How Often) Does the HOA Meet?

    If you’re interested in joining your neighborhood’s HOA to get involved in your community, you might also want to consider when the association meets. The HOA may meet annually, bimonthly, or monthly, depending on the association’s size, so check to see if the regular meetings will fit within your schedule.

    6. Does the HOA Host Any Activities?

    Finally, when considering a neighborhood with an HOA, you should learn whether the HOA provides other ways for you to get involved and meet your neighbors. Ask your real estate agent about whether the neighborhood association hosts annual block parties, pool parties, holiday celebrations, Yard of the Month competitions, or any other neighborhood activities.

    Contact Gulf Life Real Estate and start working with a professional who can help you navigate all aspects of the home buying process!

  • Buying a Home? Research the Neighborhood!

    There’s plenty of factors that go into deciding what home will suit you and your family best, but the location you will live in should rank high on your list of considerations. You can always update a home, but you can’t change its location. When trying to decide if a neighborhood or area is best for you, you can start by determining your most important criteria. It may be community amenities, distance to work or school, or even traffic/proximity to travel hubs like airports. Comprehensive neighborhood research is critical when it comes to ensuring you will end up in a home you love, inside and out.

    Here are a list of some of the factors you should consider as you perform your neighborhood research.

     

    1. Transportation to Work or School

    t is key to research what your daily commute can look like and decide if it is doable. If heavy traffic could impact you, consider what a location could do to your commute time – even outside of work and schooling. If you are in need of public transportation, finding a home that fits that need should be high on your list of priorities.

     

    2. Community Atmosphere

    If you have children or are planning to, an important element to research is whether the area you are considering is family-friendly. While checking out potential neighborhoods, notice if there are children playing outside in their yards or if you see signage to slow down in the neighborhood. These are just a few signs that the neighborhood is a welcoming environment for children. If you don’t have children and are still wanting to be involved in your local community, check out neighborhood Facebook pages and see if they offer what you are looking for

     

    3. Neighborhood Curb Appeal

    Does the appearance of your community factor into your decision? Take a drive through potential neighborhoods and see if the houses in that area are well-maintained and consider finding out if the community has an HOA

  • Potential Neighborhood With An HOA? Here’s What You Should Know

    Let’s say you have your heart set on buying a home in a community with a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and maybe even a playground or trails. Having access to these amenities often means living in a community with a homeowners association, or HOA.

    Generally, an HOA is responsible for keeping the neighborhood looking beautiful — and as a result, keeping property values high. But since no two neighborhoods are the same, no two HOAs will be the same, either.

    What You Should Know About the Homeowners Association
    Doing your research on homes and communities means finding the answers to dozens of questions. As a savvy home buyer, you’ve probably already considered some of the most important topics early on in your home search, such as the local property taxes and whether the neighborhood is appreciating in value.

    But if you’re considering a neighborhood with an HOA, there are a few additional things that you should know about the community and the association before you buy a home. Here are the essential questions you should ask.

    1. What Does the Homeowners Association Do?
    Each community varies, but in general, a homeowners association assists residents with property maintenance (by providing services like lawn care, trash removal, or Internet), regularly beautifies the neighborhood common areas, and upkeeps any shared amenities. In return for these services, residents pay an association fee, which we’ll talk about later.

    Since the HOA is also concerned with keeping property values high, the homeowners association may also dictate what residents can and can’t do with their properties. These rules keep residents from worrying about a neighbor painting their house a funky color or letting their lawn go wild.

    2. Are You Required to Join the HOA?
    Before you decide to buy a home in an HOA neighborhood, first check to see whether the community has a voluntary or mandatory HOA. A voluntary HOA doesn’t require that you join the association or pay dues, but a mandatory HOA does.

    3. How Much Are the HOA Fees?
    As we mentioned before, HOA fees cover the services that the association provides. HOA fee costs (and the frequency with which they’re paid) can vary from community to community, so ask your real estate agent about how much the fees are before you buy a home in the neighborhood.

    4. What Are the HOA’s Expectations for Residents?
    Typically, a homeowners association will have a list of rules and regulations that residents are expected to follow when they live in the community. (These are known as Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, or CC&Rs.)

    These regulations can dictate everything from what colors you can use to paint your home to how many vehicles you can park in the driveway. Again, each homeowners association varies, so it’s best to read the Bylaws of communities you’re considering to learn what’s expected of residents.

    5. When (And How Often) Does the HOA Meet?
    If you’re interested in joining your neighborhood’s HOA to get involved in your community, you might also want to consider when the association meets. The HOA may meet annually, bimonthly, or monthly, depending on the association’s size, so check to see if the regular meetings will fit within your schedule.

    6. Does the HOA Host Any Activities?
    Finally, when considering a neighborhood with an HOA, you should learn whether the HOA provides other ways for you to get involved and meet your neighbors. Ask your real estate agent about whether the neighborhood association hosts annual block parties, pool parties, holiday celebrations, Yard of the Month competitions, or any other neighborhood activities.