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Is a neighborhood with a HOA/POA right for me?

Posted by Ted Michaelsen on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 2:47pm.

When shopping for a home, it’s not unusual to find one in a neighborhood that has a Property Owner Association or a Homeowner Association, commonly referred to as a POA or HOA. The Community Associations Institute trade association estimated that POA’s governed 23 million American homes and 57 million residents in 2006. The POA collects dues from property owners in order to cover expenses involved in whatever duties the POA is charged with. The dues and duties vary by community, so it’s important to know exactly what is covered through a particular POA. For example, a community with single-family homes and few amenities may cover landscape maintenance, along with insurance and taxes for the common areas, whereas a townhome or condominium community may also cover those along with individual yard maintenance, trash removal, exterior pest control, master insurance, and even more. Pools and tennis facilities in upscale communities are also often maintained by the POA. If you see a home in a community governed by a POA or a specific POA-governed community that interests you, be sure to ask your agent for this information if he or she hasn’t already provided it.

Another important task the POA is charged with is the enforcement of the community’s covenants. You will hear these referred to as “restrictive” or “protective” covenants. The covenants are installed to keep the community uniform and appealing, although some may find them a bit too restrictive for their lifestyle. Some of the more common restrictions may involve minimum or maximum square footage of homes, architectural styles, fencing styles, setback requirements, home additions and/or improvements, satellite dish installation, and general upkeep of the home and the property. It is also possible to see covenants that restrict certain breeds of dogs and other animals, or even what type of vehicle may be parked on a property overnight. Again, if you find a home you are truly interested in and it’s in a community governed by a POA, be sure to review the protective covenants. Imagine how you’d feel if you closed on a home only to find out later that you can’t park your 18’ center console in the driveway or you can’t keep the Doberman Pinscher or German Shepherd your family loves so much…