I did some rough research last night. I picked several major newspapers or media outlets and using the corporate identity I did a simple search on HOA's. Not one positive article on HOAs popped up on any, whether it was the WSJ, NYTimes, Wash Post, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Kiplinger on and on and on. None of them seemed to buy into the propaganda the HOA industry pushes which is HOAs protects property values. That's a myth.
In Sonoma County, Ca there is a 3200 HOA for people 55 yrs and up. A fight has developed over increasing fees to pay for amenities used by the few ... ie: the few want pickleball courts, white gloved doormen and state-of-the-art gyms VS those who ride tricycles to get around and need to be modest with their expenditures. A package containing a dead rat head was left on the President's door step.
In the past, and if today you live outside an HOA you either chose to renovate your home or not. Those who want amenities join clubs ... the Tucson Racket Club, Tucson Country Club, Ventana and Skyline likely all need members. This who live in the Sonoma County HOA probably have private clubs outside the HOA to join. The trouble is, those who want the amenities in their own HOA want everyone else to subsidize it. They want the convenience at a very low monthly cost financed by you. And you know who's going to get on the board to push this sort of thing through ... the team that wants. Then you have to trust or verify the ballots. Even in small communities the election process is corrupt.
Find out what's happening in Tucsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
This makes a strong case for private VS collective ownership. Please attend your HOA meetings if you have to live in collective ownership, read the minutes, compare the minutes, get as much correspondence between Board members as you can. Learn their dirty little secrets. Learn how the Management Company works. If you must buy in an HOA read as many books as you can find on HOA living. None will agree with the propaganda put out by the HOA industry. If you're buying a home, look for carefree living and that's not in an HOA.
If you have suffered HOA abuse, contact HOATruth.com. Dennis Legere is the principal advocate. Or you can reach me at EarsUp@iCloud.com. Full disclosure, neither are attorneys. We do this bc we don't like bullies. FREE.