Is your HOA not doing its job?
Often buyers specifically look for houses that are part of a Homeowners’ Association so that their investment is protected, and their property values aren’t negatively impacted by the choices of their neighbors.
But sometimes an HOA isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, or their budget just doesn’t allow for everything that needs to be done. Sometimes the HOA is just poorly managed or negligent.
You have certain expectations of an HOA. Namely that they will enforce the rules of the neighborhood and keep it nice and safe.
We’ve worked with lots of homeowners in Tampa Bay and some of them have dealt with this too.
Some of the biggest complaints we hear about are homes not being kept up, yards that are a mess, people not cleaning up after their pets, and poor property management of rentals. Sometimes with too many rentals there’s a lot of turnover without proper home maintenance, so the values of those homes plummet, and unfortunately, they can take the value of the homes around them down too.
Sound familiar?
So, what can you do?
Talk With Your Neighbors – Speak directly with those around you where there is a concern. Is your neighbor’s yard a mess? Try addressing it with them and see what they say. Same thing with pet issues. If you ask people nicely, sometimes they understand and are willing to do better. Or you might find out they have something going on that is beyond their control. In that case, it may not change, but at least you’ll know.
Contact Your HOA Leadership – If dealing directly with the problem isn’t working, or it’s an issue with the common areas of the neighborhood, try contacting the leader of your HOA. It can be difficult to get in touch with someone, but keep trying. It’s their job to listen to homeowners and be responsive when there’s a problem. After all, HOA fees can be anywhere from $100-$700 a month, with the average at $200/month.
If you’re just not getting anywhere and you want to make a change, consider us at Hammock. We can help you move on to a better environment. We buy houses in any condition for cash and we can close in as little as a couple of weeks. Call us at (813)324-3131.