COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS offer choices, lifestyles, amenities, services, and efficiencies that people value. More than fifty-four million Americans choose to live in condominiums, cooperatives, subdivisions with homeowner associations, and other planned communities.
For many, a condominium or planned community can be the most affordable way to own a home. Others are drawn to the architectural uniformity of the neighborhood or the landscaping. Still others are attracted by recreational amenities and social opportunities.
Many community associations offer services and amenities that most Americans cannot afford on their own—swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, walking trails, lakes and ponds, meeting rooms, fitness centers, professional security, even golf courses. These communities also provide some degree of protection against neighborhood degradation and deterioration, such as cars on cinder blocks, dilapidated homes, or yards that are not maintained.
With all of their inherent advantages, though, community associations occasionally face complicated issues, none more common than the challenge of balancing the best interests of the community as a whole with the preferences of individual residents. Issues often arise because of unrealistic expectations, misinformation, and misunderstanding.
You can help ensure a more positive and fulfilling community experience by learning all you can about a community before you buy a home in one.
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION?
A community association may have any number of names, including homeowners association, property owners association, condominium association, cooperative, orcouncil of homeowners, or the area may be called a common interest development. While there can be substantive differences among these types, the fundamental responsibility of an association is to preserve the nature of the community and protect the value of the property owned by members.
In all cases, the association is likely administered by a board of directors—volunteer homeowners elected by their fellow residents to set policy. Larger communities typically hire full-time, on-site managers.
Others contract with management firms for selected services, such as financial management and maintenance, for example. Smaller associations with more limited budgets often rely on resident volunteers for all management and oversight. One volunteer might handle bookkeeping, another might oversee landscaping, and still another may manage the pool.
Whether a community is self-managed or able to hire professional management services, homeowner involvement is essential.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
When you have your eyes on a particular home, the first thing you should do is ask your real estate agent if it’s part of a community association. If so, try to obtain copies of the governing documents, including the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), and read the information carefully. If you don’t understand something, discuss it with your agent or consult an attorney for guidance. Ask your agent how to get these documents. You may have to pay a fee.
It is essential that prospective buyers remember that homeowners—explicitly or implicitly—agree to comply with CC&Rs when they move into an association- governed community. These rules typically apply to assessments, architectural guidelines (such as additions, decks, and paint colors), landscaping, maintenance, satellite dishes, clotheslines, fences, flags, parking, pets, patios, and more. In some places they may even dictate what color curtains may show in your windows.
You can also talk to people who live in the community. Find out how they feel, not only about the neighborhood, but also about how the community is governed and managed. Talk to the president of the association, a member of the elected board, or the professional who manages the community, too.
ASSESSMENTS: YOUR FAIR SHARE
Before buying a home in an association-governed community, examine the association budget carefully, because it sets the level of assessments and services. Collected monthly, quarterly, or annually, assessments are not voluntary. They are mandatory homeowner dues that must be paid or the association can take legal action, such as placing a lien against your property, an action that can lead in rare cases to foreclosure. More importantly, as a member of that community, it is your obligation to pay your fair share of the costs.
Determine what the assessment covers and what it does not cover. Assessments typically cover expenses for items such as maintenance of common areas, trash collection, snow removal, private streets, recreational facilities, and other amenities. In some communities, assessments cover exterior maintenance to units.
Determine if the budget includes a reserve fund for major expenditures. Most communities will require large expenditures at some time—roofs replaced or private roads and parking areas resurfaced, for example. Sometimes bad weather or other unexpected events cause damage that must be repaired. If there is no reserve fund, the association will likely have to impose special assessments when major projects become necessary, and that can be an expensive and unanticipated financial burden.
MANAGING YOUR EXPECTATIONS
You’ve identified your ideal home. You’ve done your homework. You’re ready to buy. But there’s one more thing on your checklist: Resolve to manage your own expectations. Like any endeavor involving people, community association living is not utopia. With all their inherent advantages, community associations are not unlike any other human enterprise. Judgments are subjective and subject to change. Decisions are not always met with unanimous approval. Mistakes are made.
As you ponder your own expectations, remember that some personalities are not suited for community association living. Some people bristle when faced with rules and regulations that must be enforced to maintain established community standards. Ask yourself if you’re likely to have buyer’s remorse the first time you run up against a rule you don’t like.
Be sure to ask the most important questions: Is it the right kind of community for you and your family? Does it fit your lifestyle and sense of community? Does it provide the amenities you want—a community pool, recreational opportunities, attractive common grounds, ample parking, and proximity to schools? Is it a good investment?
Finally, once you’re in your home, make the decision to get involved in your community association. Attend board meetings, serve on a committee, or even seek a seat on the association board. It’s your community, your investment, and your home!
Special Issues and Circumstances
NEWLY DEVELOPED COMMUNITIES
Determine not only when but also how the developer plans to convert control of the community to homeowners.
RESALE
Consult a community association manager or association officer to determine if there are unresolved issues pertaining to that property, such as delinquent assessments or unapproved architectural changes, for example.
BUYING TO RENT
Examine the CC&Rs with respect to regulations affecting rentals. Remember, it will be your responsibility to educate your renters and ensure they abide by association rules.
CONDOMINIUM CONVERSIONS
Be especially diligent to make sure you know exactly what you’re buying. Appearances can be misleading. Old buildings are old buildings. A snappy, refurbished lobby does not necessarily mean the heating system, elevators, and roof aren’t due for expensive overhauls.
Questions You Should Ask
At a minimum, you should be able to answer the following questions before you buy a home in a community association:
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How much are the assessments, and when are payments due?
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What do the assessments cover?
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What is not covered and, thus, what are your individual responsibilities as a homeowner?
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What procedures are in place to collect delinquent assessments?
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How often can assessments increase and by how much?
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What is the annual budget, and how does it compare to similar communities?
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Does the community have a viable reserve to fund major, long-term maintenance and repairs?
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Have special assessments been levied by the association on homeowners? If so, for how much and for what purpose?
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Are there restrictions on renting the property?
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Do the architectural guidelines suit your preferences?
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Is the community age-restricted? If so, what is the policy on underage residents?
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Are there simmering issues between homeowners and the elected board?
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What are the rules with respect to pets, flags, outside antennas, satellite dishes, clotheslines, fences, patios, parking, and home businesses? Are board meetings open to all residents?