Real estate experts share horror stories that you must hear
The surprise fees and the shocking rules left these owners of Hoa in the rhythm.
When you dream of Have your own house , you probably imagine it in the fantastic form, with a large space, high ceilings, a taste of good taste and an endless sidewalk attraction. Of course, the realities of home ownership can be much more complicated than fantasy allow, especially if you buy within an association of owners (HOA) which has surprising rules or regulations. In fact, real estate experts say that, according to their experience, bubble horror stories are too common in HOA communities. Read the continuation for the worst Hoa tales they met by working in the field.
In relation: 6 red flags on online real estate lists, according to experts .
The one with invasive security cameras.
The first real estate expert to whom we have spoken relayed a story in which a board of directors of HOA has kept its residents under high surveillance - or at least retained the right to do so.
"The most shocking thing I have ever seen in a Hoa agreement was in one place in Florida. I worked with someone who was planning to move there, and she wanted to know if the community grants security cameras" , sharing Martin Oreve , a real estate expert and CEO of Rent to own Atlanta . "It turns out that not only has this community allowed them, but that Hoa's board of directors was also authorized, under the terms of the HOA agreement, to see images on any security camera in The property of a resident at any time, for any reason. "
Once pressed on the worrying clause, the HOA explained that it should only be used for criminal investigations, Oreve said: "It was not exactly reassuring, and no longer raised any questions than he answered. She did not end up going to this neighborhood. "
The one with unreasonable lawn rules.
When you join a HOA, you can lose the right to make some choices regarding your own house or garden. Example: when a community has deposited shocking restrictions on the height of the lawn.
Dan Wallace , a real estate expert working with New Western , said he met a case where an HOA in Arizona applied a rule forcing the owners to maintain their lawn at a specific height.
"One of my clients received daily fines for each day, their grass increased beyond the limit, which was only a few centimeters," he said Better life. "He resulted in an extraordinary expenditure and a legal action before the requirement was deemed unreasonable in court.
He adds that this incident recalls to read and understand the HOA regulations before buying a property. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
In relation: The FBI says that these are the scams of the owners to watch for the moment .
The one with forced foreclosure.
In some states, if you do not pay hoa fees or fines, the organization can impose a privilege on your property. This can have serious and permanent consequences for the owner.
"In some cases, the HOAs are even known to grasp the houses due to unpaid costs or fines," explains Alex Locklear , a real estate expert and founding member of NC cash home has buyers . "This can be devastating for owners who may not know the costs or who could not pay them in time."
He adds that some HOAs have strict rental restrictions, which can be "a nightmare for investors who count on rental income to cover their mortgage payments".
The one with impossible trash rules.
Ann Martin , director of operations Creditdonkey , said that she experienced her own Hoa horror story when she bought her first property.
"I will never forget the ridiculous rule that the HOA had in my first house here in California. They had encountered problems with people leaving their trash cans next to the road for days, so they have implemented a rule which The trash cans needed to be extinguished more than four hours before the time of collection and brought back more than four hours later, "she shares.
"First of all, the collection seemed to occur every hour. A week, they would be at 9 am, the next one they would not come before 5 years," she continues. "Basically, you could not stay in the letter of the law unless you are at home all day on the day of the trash - and called the collection society to know when the truck arrives."
The chaos ensued while the members of the HOA began to completely ignore the rule. "This, of course, led people to raise the problem as a way to come back to their neighbors. It was incredibly mean and boring, and I am even a little ashamed to say that I filed a waste complaint Against one of my neighbors one day when they parked in my favorite place in the street. It was the moment when I knew I had to get out of this neighborhood, "said Martin Better life.
In relation: I am a real estate expert and these are the 5 things that devalue your house .
The one with the non -regulatory fence.
Whether it is a painted entry door, the "bad" color or the decorations of the holidays that the neighbors consider as "sticky", a tight control of the aesthetic choice is a common theme in the stories of Hoas which went wrong.
"The most horror story I met was a couple who had bought their dream house in a closed community. Everything seemed perfect until one day they received an opinion from the HOA saying that their Back-down fence was not authorized and that they had to remove it immediately, "said Locklear.
"The couple had spent thousands of dollars on this fence, which was approved by the municipal council, and now they were told to remove it without any explanation," added Locklear. "After a long legal battle, it was discovered that the previous board of directors of Hoa had changed the rules without notifying the owners."
Ben Gold , founder of Recommended house buyers , says that these stories underline the need for transparency and clear communication within HOAs to avoid such disturbing scenarios.
For more new real estate sent directly to your reception box, Register for our daily newsletter .
