If you are planning on buying a house, there is a multitude of information you need to think about, not to mention the things you need to remember to do before you commit to anything. Therefore, you should spend some time educating yourself as to what you need to know before submitting a contract on any given home. One of the issues many people don't realize they need to consider is the neighborhood homeowner association. Yes, if they are buying a house in a neighborhood that has a homeowner association, they are probably already aware that there will be homeowner association fees, but in many cases that's where the forethought stops.
However, when you are moving into a neighborhood that has a homeowner association, you really need to dig a little deeper. There are several important questions you must ask, if you don't want to have to drastically readjust your lifestyle or have to move because you are unwilling or unable to do so. Here are the top seven most important questions you should ask any homeowner association, before you submit a contract on any given home.
1. Do You Allow Pets?
This question is a shocker for many people who don't think to inquire about whether or not pets are allowed. However, many homeowner associations don't allow pets, or don't allow certain breeds, or large-sized pets. That means if you move into a neighborhood that restricts large breed dogs and you have a Labrador or any other large-sized dog, you could have to either get rid of your beloved family member or move.
2. Do You Allow Fencing?
This is another question most people would never think to be an issue in any neighborhood. However, many HOA's won't allow their homeowners to install fencing of any kind. And if they do, sometimes there are restrictions as to what type and what height that fencing can be.
3. Do You Allow Parking On the Street?
It's very common for a homeowner association to restrict you, your family and your guests to park on the street for any reason. And if you have a large family with many driving age members, then parking might be an issue. Or if you like to entertain and there is nowhere for your guests to park, then that will be an issue, as well. If this is the case, you should ask the homeowner's association if they have any place set aside for guest parking. While that might not help you if you have a large family with several drivers, it will offer a solution for when you plan on entertaining.
4. Are There Any Age Restrictions?
If you're looking at homes in a 55+ neighborhood, you are probably already aware of any age restrictions. But what you might not know is that there are usually other restrictions that accompany the 55+ rule, as well. For example, if you are married and you're over 55, but your spouse is younger, what are the community rules? Some communities have restrictions on the age of the secondary spouse. And sometimes there are other rules such as, if you have a child in college that comes home to live with you in the summer, some communities won't allow that at all.
5. Do You Allow Grills?
Yep, this is another question you might find strange. However, many homeowner associations will not allow grills, or grills with an open flame. So if you like to grill, you would be out of luck.
6. Do You Allow Holiday Decorations?
It's common for a homeowner's association to restrict or dictate what you can and can't do when it comes to holiday decorations. Even when it's just a simple wreath on your door. If the HOA does allow holiday decorations, you should find out if they have any time limits for the display. Some associations only allow holiday decorations to be hung during a set timeframe and if you don't know what that timeframe is, you could be slapped with a fine.
7. Do You Allow Rentals?
If you don't plan on living in that home year round and have planned on paying part of the mortgage payment via a short term or vacation rental income and the HOA doesn't allow rentals, you could be put in a major bind. Therefore, this is something you need to know in advance and is something that could mean the difference between buying this home or one in another location that does allow rentals.
On the flip side, if you plan on being a permanent resident in the home and the HOA does allow rentals, and several of your neighbors use their property for vacation rental income, this could also cause problems. Vacation rentals could pose a danger from not knowing what kind of renters are staying there because background checks are not usually performed for vacation rentals. And oftentimes, when people are on vacation, they like to "party," which could mean an endless stream of noise, trash, vehicles, and unfamiliar people hanging out year round.
Are There Any Other Questions I Should Ask the Homeowner Association?
Yes, there are actually plenty of other questions you should ask a homeowner association before you submit a contract on any given home, but unfortunately, there are just too many to cover within the scope of this article. Therefore, we recommend you do a little online research to develop your own list of questions that you can ask your potential neighborhood homeowner's association. If you don't, you could end up having to drastically change your lifestyle, get rid of a pet or move. None of which are good solutions to a problem that could have been avoided by doing a bit of preliminary research. So don't let that be you!
2 Point Highlight
1. If you are planning on buying a house, there is a multitude of information you need to think about, not to mention the things you need to remember to do before you commit to anything.
2. Here are the top seven most important questions you should ask any homeowner association, before you submit a contract on any home.
