What Are Homeowners Associations?

If you’ve driven around Orange County lately it’s not hard to see the fast pace of new construction in the area, especially planned communities. But with each planned community in Orange County condominium or subdivision the home buyer can expect to pay the additional cost of Homeowners Association dues on an annual or monthly basis.

In today’s post we will break down how homeowners associations work and what you can expect when dealing with them so you can be better prepared and informed about what you will get for your HOA dues.

Homeowners Association Fees  

A typical HOA fee will be for the maintenance and upkeep of parks, swimming pools, roads and other “common areas” that fall within the jurisdiction of the planned community.

HOA dues vary from development to development, and besides being a monthly cost, the Homeowners Association can also levy a special assessment on the homeowners in the community when the HOA doesn’t have enough funds for paying for repairs or problems that happen unexpectedly.

Dealing With Homeowners Associations

Although not every HOA is hard to deal with, some Homeowners Associations can be stricter when it comes to things like outside decorations that you want to use during the holidays, where you park your vehicles, window coverings that you may choose and more, but there are also many Homeowners Associations out there who will be more focused on just maintaining common areas, collecting dues and staying out of your way.

Before moving into a planned community where there is an HOA or Homeowners Association, you should do your due diligence and learn more about that HOA because, you may be in for a “rude awakening” when you realize that your HOA won’t let you do certain things to your home or property that you may have been accustomed to doing at the home you may have lived at before.

To learn more about Homeowners Associations in Orange County or to view the latest Orange County Homes For Sale Fred Sed & Associates today by calling us at (949) 272-0125.