We're looking to buy a single-family (detached) house in the south
Denver metro area. Price range: $250-300K. Some properties that have
been coming up in MLS searches have HOA fees that pay for snow and
trash removal (most common), sometimes also grounds maintenance, (and
even a community swimming pool - don't need, don't care.) The HOA
fees would be anywhere from $30 to $170/month (paid monthly, quarterly
or annually.) An HOA fee itself would not be a deterrent for us, as we
always approach a deal from the total monthly cost of ownership
standpoint. However, the two big unknowns that we can think of a

- How much/how fast could the HOA fees go up going forward.
- How much pain in the @$$ could an HOA be, and how much control would
we have over the situation.

I know there is no one simple answer to these questions, every HOA is
different. But I would appreciate any input from people who've dealt
with HOAs before.

Cheers