Thank you for sharing your thoughts Denise.

I (mostly) agree. I’ve owned one home within a town-wide HOA, and two without any HOAs. The HOA wasn’t too onerous, until it came time to sell, and I had to spend a couple grand to bring the house into compliance.

Their fee was also a couple grand a year, which added about 10% to my monthly mortgage payment. However, they did provide a lot for that money, including access to three outstanding recreational centers, a golf course (though I don’t golf, many do), tennis centers, etc. plus discounts on an ice skating rink and more.

All in all, I’d say HOAs may or may not be worth what you pay for them. However, if you really hate it when others tell you what to do with your own property, avoiding them is understandable.