We were thinking alike, but you wrote it better! Wait 10 seconds for the slew of posts about the Nazi like HOA’s...ever six months we go through it here.
I remember the last one, it was brutal.
It never ceases to amaze me how folks love HOAs, the perks and the rules that keep neighborhoods looking beautiful, until it applies to them.
When we went househunting a few years ago, I insisted on receiving copies of all the CC&Rs BEFORE we bought. I wanted to make sure the rules were a good fit for my family, not just the floor plan or the amenities.
Thankfully, more folks are doing that now than just a few years ago. In another 5 to 10 years (presuming it doesn't all go to blazes in a handbasket), most potential buyers will be more HOA savvy.