3 Reasons I Won't Consider a Home in an HOA

If you're looking to buy a home today, there's a reasonable chance you'll come across an available property that's part of a homeowners association, or HOA. HOA-USA says there are over 370,000 homeowners associations in the U.S. This represents more than 53% of the owner-occupied households in America.

Now, I know some people would rather not buy a home in an HOA because of the fees. When you buy in an HOA, you pay monthly dues on top of your mortgage.

But HOA fees don't really bother me in theory. The way I see it, yes, it's an extra expense on top of the money I owe my mortgage lender. But in exchange, I'm probably getting some benefit, like access to a pool that's been maintained on my behalf or a manicured lawn I didn't have to work on myself.

But while I don't necessarily mind the idea of HOA fees, I still won't consider a home in a HOA. Here's why.

1. I love dogs

I love dogs and currently own one. If I had it my way, I'd own more. And hopefully, one day I'll be able to convince my husband of such. But one situation I refuse to land in is not being able to bring a dog into my home because my HOA prohibits that due to its size or breed.

This isn't to say that buying a home in an HOA will automatically mean having difficulty getting a dog. But it's fairly common for HOAs to ban certain dog breeds or impose limits on the size of a dog. That's something I refuse to deal with.

2. I own a business

Owning my own small business is sometimes a nuisance because I have to deal with all sorts of administrative tasks and paperwork on top of my actual work. But I happen to enjoy working from home. And I want the option to continue doing that for as long as I'm able.

Some HOAs, however, prohibit homeowners from running a business from home. In some cases, that doesn't apply to every home business. My business is content production. It's not noisy and it doesn't involve having people constantly coming in and out of my house.

But technically, an HOA can bar you from running any type of registered business from your home. I can't take that risk.

3. I don't like being told what to do

One of the reasons I deal with the expenses of homeownership rather than pay rent and let a landlord handle things like upkeep is that I like to make my own rules. And if I'm going to pay for a home, I want to be able to call the shots -- all of them.

So the final reason I wouldn't buy a home in an HOA is that I simply don't enjoy being told what to do. Why put myself in a position where I can't have the shutters or bushes I want because it doesn't conform to somebody else's taste? To me, that's just silly. 

It's not always easy to find a home outside of an HOA. So if you're looking to buy, you may have no choice but to take on the rules and obligations of a homeowners association. And you may also find that buying in an HOA isn't so bad. 

But before you sign a contract that binds you to HOA regulations, read through the rules carefully and make sure you can live with them. You don't want to regret your home purchase because the rules you now need to follow impede your lifestyle in one way or another.