(CHEROKEE LAKE REALTY WRITES A WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE GRAINGER COUNTY JOURNAL NEWSPAPER. THIS WAS A RECENT QUESTION ASKED BY A READER.)
It’s not my opinion that counts, but yours. You will be the ones living in the community, not I. But here are some pros and cons which may help you decide. An HOA (Homeowners Association) consists of an elected board of volunteer homeowners that live in your residential community. They are your neighbors. Their “job” is to ensure compliance with the recorded Covenants and Restrictions of your neighborhood. Your realtor can give you a copy of this. Just for fun, let’s call this neighborhood Grainger Lake. So, two things to immediately keep in mind. Before you buy property and plan to reside in Grainger Lake, read the Covenants and Restrictions. Make sure you are OK with them. If they state that you cannot keep and raise chickens, and you have chickens, guess what, you cannot keep and raise chickens at Grainger Lake. Secondly, if you do move to Grainger Lake, and you don’t like the attitude of the board, and how they manage the HOA, attend the HOA meetings. Voice your opinion. When the board comes up for re-election, you can vote to make a change to the board. Changing the Restrictions, which have been recorded in the county where the community is located at, is not a simple process. But, if enough of your neighbors feel the same way about the current board, replacing them is a simple process. All it takes is a majority vote at the annual HOA meeting when they come up for re-election.
Typically, we only hear horror stories about HOAs, but if effectively run, they do serve a vital purpose. After spending a bundle of money on your new home, how would you feel if your next-door neighbor decides to paint their home bright yellow with red polka dots? Or decide to run a junkyard out of their front yard? Maybe call it Grainger Lake Junkyard? Most folks would not for a variety of reasons. Now, if your HOA bylaws state that you can’t park a boat in your driveway, and you own a boat which you plan on parking in your driveway, you may want to look at another place to live. So, as I mentioned in my opening sentence, you make the call if an HOA community works for you or not.
