spouse of scouse

I agree that this is ridiculous, as is your example of your sister having to leave for work half an hour earlier than the allowed time for putting out the trash can. Yes, HOA and strata rules are essential to keep an area safe, clean and pleasant for all residents but for god's sake, a bit of common sense wouldn't go astray

scrubbedexpat091

Some rules are fine, but goodness I think those who want control over others but can't have it in their work life get on strata boards and go wild sometimes...lol

If owning was an option for us, we would never own in a strata, I would go bonkers having to deal with it all, would still fee like renting to be honest. The biggest reason I wanted to own a house was to not have so many rules, and of course stability, and not having to live in such close proximity to others...Oh well, another life maybe I can own, wont happen in this one.

Oh I would like to own so I can have a bike and yard so I can spend time outside with privacy.

Oh and have a real Christmas tree, thus far they have been banned in every building I have lived in, although that could be a government imposed rule, not sure.

My sister is looking to sell her house, they have decided HOA living isn't for them.

civilservant

Here's our nearest neighbor off to the lefthand side of this shot (the property line is roughly half way between our 2 properties) along with a couple of front/back shots. House is nearing completion, we have our final walk through in 2 weeks, then close in 3.

They will have some work to do though, the internal paint job was a little 'slap dash' About 3200 sq ft total when including the basement. Plenty enough for me, wife and cat

ddsrph

Steerpike

Thanks for a sensible post regarding HOAs! I've recently moved into a development that has an HOA, and they do a great job. My front yard is maintained beautifully, and the entire street is a delight to see. A few trees were dying and they replaced them with healthy specimens. They just replaced my roof. All the houses look like they've been freshly painted. I forgot to take in my trash can one day, but someone kindly rolled it close to my house. One neighbor has replaced the decorative driveway lamps with a high-powered, motion sensed spotlight that blinds everyone as they drive by at night ... I'm counting the days before he has to remove it. Yes, some rules seem arbitrary or annoying, but overall, I want to live in an environment where property prices can't be dragged down by one neighbor letting their house turn into a shit-hole. I specifically don't want to deal with neighbors who want to park junk cars on their property, nor massive RVs. I also don't want to live next to a house that some color-blind owner wants to paint some god-awful color.

Some posters on this forum have the luxury of living in areas where land is relatively inexpensive, and thus, they can own a fair amount of land and with that, get a good deal of separation from their neighbors. But I've chosen to live in an area where land is expensive and thus - I live close to my neighbors. Having rules that keep things in line is not such a bad thing.

zzrmark

See if you can find out which shingles the builder used, basically speaking they come in 3 grades and builders being what they are tend to opt for the cheapest option, ie the ones with the shortest lifespan.

Starting a maintenance slush fund is a good idea, even a minor service call can be bloody extortionate.

sid nv

I have an interest in roofing replacement, as my asphalt shingles are close to knackered at 26 years old. I replaced the curling ridge tiles and patched things up a bit a few years ago, but there are areas where the gritty stuff has washed away completely, especially on the Southern side. So, any recommendations on choice of shingle - I was unaware there are different grades of shingle - and does colour affect shingle life? Also I recall reading a choice of putting down a new shingle layer over the top of existing layer, but it seems to me to make sense to remove the existing layer down to the plywood. And is it practical to DIY?

OldJuddian

In the HoA that I live in you can summarize the whole document as "Keep it looking nice" or "common sense". They have a relaxed attitude and try to work with violations. In 6 years I have never had an issue, and I don't even try as my wife complains way before the HoA.
I do like the neighborhood BBQ and other events, it helps feel like a community, and if anything happens they are there to help.

ddsrph

civilservant

Good call on that. The shingles are under warranty for 20 years, but that said they probably are the cheapest they could buy.

I hear you on the slush fund too, that's something I'll have to put into practice.

ddsrph

civilservant

15 year is not available with the loan program we're using. That said, I'm intending to get it paid off in about 18 years.

ddsrph

civilservant

There isn't

TexanScot

If you're looking to overpay and clear it off early, it's worth looking into your lender requirements for a "recast".

Basically you can pay them a lump sum in advance and in return, they will recalculate your amortization table based on your new (and lower) outstanding principle, reducing the interest your pay each month.

Unfortunately my own lender wants a lump sum of $30k before they are willing to perform a recast, but some are significantly more flexible than that.