pBASEtobe 0 #26 March 31, 2006 Like others have mentioned...$144/year! I pay $291.50/month!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #27 March 31, 2006 QuoteOh everyone on here complaining about the cost of HOA fees can cry me a freakin' river. Try buying a place in So Cal! We we're looking at condo in our price range (way below the $600,000+ median in the area) and had to drop the whole deal b/c the damn HOA fees were $385 a month and didn't include squat! Edited to add: AND those condos were built in 1976! So move out of So Cal!!!! What do you expect from that area? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinghonu 0 #28 March 31, 2006 QuoteQuoteOh everyone on here complaining about the cost of HOA fees can cry me a freakin' river. Try buying a place in So Cal! We we're looking at condo in our price range (way below the $600,000+ median in the area) and had to drop the whole deal b/c the damn HOA fees were $385 a month and didn't include squat! Edited to add: AND those condos were built in 1976! So move out of So Cal!!!! What do you expect from that area? Thanks for your concern but I'll take CA I've lived in several states in the US and let's just say, you get what you pay for "Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #29 March 31, 2006 QuoteI've lived in several states in the US and let's just say, you get what you pay for Fake tits and liposuction? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinghonu 0 #30 March 31, 2006 QuoteQuoteI've lived in several states in the US and let's just say, you get what you pay for Fake tits and liposuction? I was talking about real estate & HOA fees (see topic at hand). Fake tits & lipo can really apply to any place - NY, So FL, AZ, CO, DC, GA, oh I could go on forever. You just get a much better "job" here than in those other places (must be the Hollywood/movie star thing). "Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #31 March 31, 2006 HOA's are the evil handiwork of the devil. Fucking little nazis. The people on their boards are control-freak little dweebs with penis issues. They should not be allowed to breed. Their children should be boiled down into lard so they cannot grow up to be the next generation of HOA board members. The lard should be molded into candles which are used to burn down the houses of the HOA board members. The ashes of their homes should be force-fed to their relatives. Then their relatives should be sold into slavery. Thank God I have never lived in a place with a HOA. Their only redeeming social quality is that they keep lawyers in business; for as sure as day follows night, litigation follows HOAs. Every cloud has its silver lining. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinghonu 0 #32 March 31, 2006 QuoteTheir only redeeming social quality is that they keep lawyers in business; for as sure as day follows night, litigation follows HOAs. I'm sure this will only fuel your deep love for HOAs but the right to sue is something you usually sign away when you buy your house. They call it mandatory Mediation but I like to refer to it as bullshit "Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #33 March 31, 2006 ***I'd say get a little more info. before you go off. It may be that the budget for your HOA is exhausted and even though this task is to be included in the HOA's responsibilities, they may be asking for volunteers so as to avoid RAISING your HOA fees to be able to provide a new budget that would cover the responsibilities the old HOA budget can no longer meet. __________________________________________________ First of all, they CANNOT raise our fees anymore than $144 a year. That is made very clear in our deed that we signed six years ago...and I am not complaining because we pay the fees, what I've got a gripe about is that we've been here six years and haven't gotten anything for our money....and I don't need more information, but apparently YOU do. I'm not interested in what you guys pay in CA. My sister lives there and I'm well aware of how expensive it is. I'm comparing what we pay (in an older neighborhood) to what others in the area pay (in uppercrust neighborhoods). They pay less and get a lot more from the HOA's. That was the only point of this whole thread....I would like to get what I pay for. For example, they've been promising new playground equipment since we've been here and we have not seen it yet. I find it funny that you're defending my HOA when you've had no experience with it and don't have all the info. yourself...and they are not doing us a favor by asking for volunteers.Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #34 March 31, 2006 Our HOA is $20/year, and the money goes towards an annual picnic. They also have a dinner in the winter but that is pay-if-you-go. The HOA loses money each year, but the president usually covers the loss.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #35 March 31, 2006 ***I pay $291.50/month!! _______________ Let me state once again.....we have no problem PAYING the dues! We wouldn't have bought the house otherwise. We have kept our part of the bargain by paying the dues every year...the HOA has not kept up their part!...and I'm comparing what we pay to other neighborhoods in our area. It really isn't relevent what you all pay in other states. EVERYTHING is higher in CA.Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hexadecimal 0 #36 March 31, 2006 QuoteQuoteI've lived in several states in the US and let's just say, you get what you pay for Fake tits and liposuction? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinghonu 0 #37 March 31, 2006 Whoa, whoa, whoa - no need to get your panties all in twist....but I can see it's a little late for that. "First of all", I understand your gripes about the HOA but it also sounds like you are exaggerating what the HOA does, which according to you is "nothing." What exactly is it you are expecting to "get for your money." Do you understand what an HOA does? If the HOA cannot raise your fees then stop your bitchin' - you're better off then a lot of others out there. Nasty littel surprise you might not be aware of, litigation against your HOA usually is an exception to that lovely clause. Also, you are completely, plain wrong about the upper crust neighborhoods paying less and getting more. Dear - I was not defending your HOA. If you knew me, you'd know how FREAKIN' laughable this statement is. I have sent "loving" letters to my HOA MANY a time. One thing I learned that is if I exaggerate everything and make ambiguous statements like "I'm not getting what I'm paying for" then they simply roll their eyes - who wants to deal with people that are already attacking you for DOING YOUR JOB. Also, you posted this on a PUBLIC FORUM. How many other people here who gave you advice "have experience with your HOA", huh? Have you even, CALMLY, asked them what the deal is with the volunteer thing? If so, tell us what they said...or were you mistaken and you actually don't have all the info. yourself. No wonder you are getting nowhere with them. Edited to add: QuoteWe are moving in May but I would still like to write a letter to them Good GOD! Let it go. "Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #38 March 31, 2006 Ten bucks a month, and that pays for entry lighting, mowing and maintaining the common areas, insurance, etc. Sounds like we're getting a good deal. Wish the association board was a little tougher on some of the covenant violators. They listen to sob stories and just let violators go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pBASEtobe 0 #39 March 31, 2006 QuoteIt really isn't relevent what you all pay in other states. EVERYTHING is higher in CA. I know, you're right. I just had to bitch. Sorry! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #40 April 1, 2006 QuoteHOA's are the evil handiwork of the devil. Fucking little nazis. The people on their boards are control-freak little dweebs with penis issues. They should not be allowed to breed. Their children should be boiled down into lard so they cannot grow up to be the next generation of HOA board members. The lard should be molded into candles which are used to burn down the houses of the HOA board members. The ashes of their homes should be force-fed to their relatives. Then their relatives should be sold into slavery. Thank God I have never lived in a place with a HOA. If you've never lived in a place with an HOA, then how do you justify your rant about them? I've only lived in one place with an HOA and I had absolutely no problem with them. But then I read the by-laws and understood exactly what I was getting into before I bought the place. My dues were $200 a month, and I felt like that was fair enough. They did the things that they were supposed to do and kept us well-informed, and the one time that I had a tree about to fall over on my condo they had someone out there immediately to remove it (on a Sunday afternoon). Maybe I was just lucky, and/or maybe I have lower expectations than other people... but I don't get the whole "HOA's are pure evil" stuff, especially if you've never even had to deal with one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elisha 1 #41 April 1, 2006 $241/Month, NorCal wine country, 26-27 years old units. HOA dues pay for: common areas, structural Property Insurance (you own from the studs inside technically speaking), roofing, exterior paint, fence repairs. I guess their fair enough. My only real gripe is no access to the sauna in the winter time, as the "pool area" is denied access for at least 6 months of the year and the bathrooms have the saunas inside and are behind the gate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #42 April 1, 2006 Well, I believe I will decide if there is a need to get my panties in a wad! The fact that they can't raise our rates is irrelevent. $144 is still a lot of money and we would just like them to do what they said they would. What if the situation were reversed? We were getting all the benefits from the HOA and not paying for them. That would be wrong wouldn't it? So then why is it okay for all of us to pay the dues and not get what the HOA promised us? I'm completely wrong about the upper crust neighborhoods paying less and getting more? Oh, I didn't realise you had checked out the BAYTOWN, TX area. Well, I have checked it out and I am not wrong. My in-laws pay $76 a year and they have tennis courts, an awesome playground and various activities throughout the year. If we got just the playground it would be great. Oh, and you are right, the HOA does do something. They send out lots and lots of letters! My husband served on the board of directors for a while and his job was approving people's request to paint their houses a certain color. Should I be thankful because my dues go to pay for this? Give me a break. And no one is "attacking" our HOA! I was going to write them a letter. We've gotten a few letters from them over the years and never thought they were "attacking" us. That sounds like an exaggeration to me. Again, why is it okay for them to send us letters and requests, but I'm overreacting because I'm thinking about sending them a letter?Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinghonu 0 #43 April 1, 2006 What is it exactly that you want to hear from people here? You posted in Bonfire and then get pissed when you thread gets hijacked or people tell you things you don't want to hear. Oh yeah, I'm sure you'll find a plethora of people here who have expertise on HOA fees in "BAYTOWN, TX " Here: You're right! Your HOA sucks. You should write them a letter and go off on them. That will solve everything. Ever heard of picking and choosing your battles? You're moving in May and you really want to spend this part of your life in a letter war with your HOA over things you probably won't even think about after May? Go for it - sounds like a good way to spend your time & energy. "Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #44 April 1, 2006 QuoteWhat is it exactly that you want to hear from people here? I'm guessing she didn't expect you to come attack her for "bitching." Sounds like an appropriate expectation to me! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinghonu 0 #45 April 1, 2006 QuoteQuoteWhat is it exactly that you want to hear from people here? I'm guessing she didn't expect you to come attack her for "bitching." Sounds like an appropriate expectation to me! Well, I am happy to be the one to inform both of you that expectations are seriously lacking. HELLO - you are in Bonfire! You bitch and I get to respond - deal with it. Do I REALLY need to lead to every thread here wherein people get flamed for useless, uninformative bitching? Continue on with your bitching................ "Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #46 April 1, 2006 I clearly state what I want from people in my first post. I'm simply writing a letter and I asked what you all would say. Some of the things that people can come up with on here are really funny. It really doesn't surprise me that the thread has become what it has...and I'm not ticked off because people are telling me what I don't want to hear. That is an assumption on your part. The only thing that I'm remotely ticked about is that you don't seem to be reading my posts. It's interesting how you talk to me about how to spend my time and energy. How much time and energy have you spent "going off" on me in this thread?....and picking battles? Who said this was a battle? It's a LETTER! Several of my neighbors are writing one as well. How is the HOA supposed to know how we feel if we don't tell them? People write letters all the time, for things alot smaller than this!...and when did I say I was going to start a LETTER WAR! Seems like you're making more out of this than I am.Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #47 April 1, 2006 ***I'm guessing she didn't expect you to come attack her for "bitching." Sounds like an appropriate expectation to me! __________________________________________________ Thanks KarenmealMrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #48 April 1, 2006 I'd just like to say that this thread has reminded me how happy I am that I have a penis. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #49 April 1, 2006 QuoteI'd just like to say that this thread has reminded me how happy I am that I have a penis. Blues, Dave Well I'm happy you have a penis too. I'd celebrate, but that would kind of give me the creeps celebrating the fact that you have a penis. Still, I'm happy for you. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #50 April 1, 2006 ***I'd just like to say that this thread has reminded me how happy I am that I have a penis. __________________________________________________ Well, I'm happy that my husband has one because that means I'm gonna have a good night!...and after this thread I need oneMrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
