"RAM³" writes:

FWIW, I, too, am happy that my house is paid for and in a small rural
town...

Me too. My neighborhood actually has some covenants, which nobody
pays any real attention to, and no HOA has ever been formed, though
the covenants call for one. A few months ago, a neighbor asked me if
I'd mind if he put up an open carport (since they're banned). I
answered, "see that metal storage shed in my back yard?"