skydivermom

Definately the big toe! Because of a dominant gene though, my second toe is longer than my big toe! Everyone on my mom's side of the family has the alien toes! Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***I'm guessing she didn't expect you to come attack her for "bitching." Sounds like an appropriate expectation to me! __________________________________________________ Thanks Karenmeal

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

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

***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

***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

I can't even imagine I'm so sorry man. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

As a newbie it has been very interesting reading this thread, and that article. I often get confused as I hear so many different opinions and ideas from experienced skydivers, and sometimes I don't know what to think. I will be having an AAD installed on my rig, as I have two very good reasons to do so (Andrew - 7 and Timothy - 3). I owe it to them big time! I realize I could still die doing this, but it'd be a shame for anyone to say - "If she only had an AAD" Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***If you don't get anything for your money, get with the other homeowners and vote it out of existance. This can be done with a lot of associations, but there are some that don't alllow this. Depends on your contract. __________________________________________________ We did look into that, and this can't be done right now. I believe there is something about a contract? When it runs out if the neighborhood so choses, they can be booted out. We are moving in May though, and this won't be an issue. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***I like the idea that the rednecks in my family can't pull a trailer up next door to me though __________________________________________________ I'll take the trailer full of rednecks over the two crackhouses we live next to any day! Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

My husband did serve on the board for a while and no he didn't get paid, but we do PAY the homeowner's association! If we had the use of a pool and tennis courts and it was covered by our dues, I would feel like we were getting our money's worth

***I live in a 20 year old condo. I pay 225 a month for fees and currently an extra 200 for assessment. __________________________________________________ What do you get for your money though? If you get nothng, like we do, then you should be upset. As I stated in PREVIOUS POSTS, I wouldn't mind paying the money if we got something for it!!!! ....and I wouldn't even mind being asked to volunteer ....and I believe I also stated that not all HOA's are like mine! Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***I hope you don't have a HOA where you are moving to. It's wonderful living without one. __________________________________________________ No way will we ever do that again! We're buying land and building. I'm sure not all HOA's are bad, but I believe they are few and far between...and no, my husband did not enjoy his experience on the board of directors either. I hate it when they give that BS about increasing the property value. When my husband was growing up, his neighborhood did not have an association and they had no problem keeping their property value up! Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

I would be happy to thank them if they did anything for us. We moved here six years ago and my husband actually served on the board of directors. They have been promising new playground equipment since then and we haven't seen it yet. I really wouldn't mind them asking for volunteers if in the six years I've lived here I'd seen anything positive from them. My sister lives in CA and she loves their HOA....because it works the way it's supposed to

***I wish I only paid $144 a year. __________________________________________________ Do you live in a thirty-year old house? My in-laws live in an uppercrust neighborhood and pay only $76 a year! They actually see their money being put to good use. I wouldn't mind paying $144 a year if we got something out of it...but it's a little unnerving to shell out that money and get NOTHING for it accept a letter asking for me to volunteer my time. Yes, they did say "volunteer", that's the point. They don't do anything for us and we PAY them...so it's awfully nervy to ask us to do something for FREE. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***Do you have any documentation / budget that outlines what services the homeowners' association provides and what they don't provide? I would start with that, then point out where they aren't providing those services. __________________________________________________ In our deed, it states the association is supposed to take care of the common areas in the neighborhood. It does not specify in detail exactly what jobs they are supposed to do. I don't know whose responsibility the storm drains are (the city's or theirs) but I know they are not ours. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

Hopefully this will not get moved to SC. We pay $144 a year to our homeowner's association. The only thing we've ever gotten from them are letters telling us to move our trashcans, or some other stupid crap. Yesterday, there was a flier on my door that almost made me choke! Our homeowner's association asking for volunteers to clean the storm drains in our neighborhood on Saturday morning. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! What are we paying for? We are moving in May but I would still like to write a letter to them. I think it's appalling and ridiculous that they take our money and ask us to give our time and effort to something THEY should be taking care of. I thought about writing in the letter that we have no time to help them because we're too busy keeping up our yard so we won't get any letters! What do you all think we should include in our letter to this wonderful organization? BTW, I'm not ani-homeowner's association when it works the way it's supposed to Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***The thought of a needle going into my back (especially the bottom for some reason) just doesnt make my day at all. Anyone know what that feels like? __________________________________________________ Yep.....had two epidurals (sp), but at that point I wouldn't have cared if they stuck me in my big toe...I JUST WANTED THE PAIN TO STOP! Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

It worked for me too. I lost 35 pounds when I started the Atkins 3 years aso. My doc said I had hypoglycemia (not sure how to spell it) and that I needed to break my sugar addiction. Boy did it work! Of course, you are supposed to gradually add the good carbs back. Three years later and I haven't gained but maybe 5 pounds back. I don't eat refined sugar period. There's no nutritional value in it at all. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

***I was out there on saturday, you didn't see me hobling around? __________________________________________________ I was there on Feb. 26 but I left before sunset to come back to Houston. My friend Cannie saw it all and told me about it later. I'm sorry Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

Man Jeff, When did that happen? Was that the same day Eric Butts swooped and got completely submerged? Denise is super! Hope you get better soon and I'll see you out there. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

Yes, Sat. was awesome. Got a great jump in at San Marcos and signed off on some of my A license requirements. The best part was watching my friend leave the plane to do her hop n' pop, and then see her coach give a thumbs up. A few minutes after that I dove head first out the door and had the time of my life! Boy that was such a luxury after all those Cessna exits Yes, Walt does Rock. He's gonna rock with me in the sky next Saturday so I can get my A.

Well, I would try to find my husband sooner so we could have more years together. He's awesome! Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

Something else made my day...We showed our house at 10:00 this morning and the first words out of the woman's mouth..."Now this is MUCH better!" YES!!! I don't expect the first person to look at it to be the buyer, but those words really made my day. Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

We put our house on the market two days ago and have two showings booked today