We just bought a non-HOA house in a stable neighborhood and looked very closely at the neighbors. Things could change, but probably not anytime soon and an HOA neighborhood could change as well. The seller let me hang around the backyard/shed to get a feel for the place.
That was really nice of them.
We lived in an HOA that fell apart and you could tell by the neighborhood and what was going on. Big campers parked in front of the houses, boats in the driveways, a guy parked his semi truck in front of his neighbor’s house every night. Dogs started running loose and terrorizing the neighborhood.
We put our house up for sale and got out. Last I heard no one was in charge and the guy that held the checkbook was using funds for his own home improvements:(
If you have a HOA that can’t get people to run for office and the people won’t participate and don’t care it can fall apart. This time we chose one that also had a property management firm running things as well as a BOD. It works better.
We love it here and it is the best neighborhood we’ve ever lived in.
People should be able to live the way they want to. If they don’t want so much control there are more rural options where there aren’t as many rules. Many people want a place where they mow the lawn, take care of the landscaping, painting and snow removal so someplace with a strong HOA is a good option.