retired53 wrote:

"Norminn" wrote in message
om...


clipped



I've never been in an HOA but I have been in a Neighborhood Assoc. (NA).
They were the only people I could turn to when my across-the-street
neighbor started throwing pot parties in front of his house at 3:00am.

In some areas (outside city limits) a good NA can be useful.

I'd have no problem moving into another NA but I'd take a carefull look at
the contract and the neighborhood first. Also, maybe get to know the NA
president or attend a meeting if possible.




I wouldn't want to move to another HOA or condo, but the first step,
before making an offer, would
be to ask the seller to see minutes from an association meeting. Only way
to get a true picture of
issues and how they are handles. Next step would be to get police records
for calls to the address
and neighboring properties. Drive through late on a weekend evening.



Excellent suggestions.

My next house is going to be in the country away from all neighborhoods if
possible. We're planning on moving into a more rural area in south TX. It's
been my experience, in TX, that people here don't respect each other as much
as they did in NM. Weird. Too bad my wife's family lives here.

olddog




I like neighbors at least close enough to hear if I holler "help" ) I
live with a high concentration of drunks
who live off trust funds. Who me? Work? I could drop dead on the
front sidewalk here and I doubt they
would even bother to have the corpse removed. Have had neighbors in
other places who looked out for
me even before we got to know each other. Have had neighbors who came
to the door about problems
between children who settled things in a friendly, responsible way. Had
one neighbor who was a dream;
severely disabled by emphysema but helped out when I had a plumbing
problem. He wasn't able to WALK across
the street, but he insisted on helping and got on his riding mower to
come over and help me out. He's
in heaven now, bless his soul.

Another friend became a widow when her hubby died at 88. He was the
last husband to go in the neighborhood
they retired to, and several close friends who were also widows still
lived there. My friend had multiple
health problems, and one of her buddies, also high eighties became very
ill and could no longer drive them
both to the grocery. I heard my friend on the phone one day saying,
"Well, if you don't get out of bed,
you will never get better." Hell, they both got better in spite of
severe limitations. Lived for each other,
I suppose. I've know some of the best and some of the worst.