Chris, this is why we did the video. One of my children lives in VA near DC and is looking at real estate. The vast majority of new developments are one or another kind of HOA. The luxury of buying significant land within driving distance of DC is not within means. Also, I have lived in 3 different HOAs with very different rules and possibilities. The stereotypes about HOAs simply cloud the issues. Quin, K8QS Subscribe to "Ham Radio Perspectives" YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3MJT8o8-XMxF8XROf7Q5GA/videos
Absolutely true! It also appears people who say they cannot "tolerate" nor "accept that mode of living" are completely missing the point. You always HAVE A CHOICE to not buy in any HOA restricted neighborhood. There is no "tolerance" or "acceptance " involved in the choice. You must first agree IN WRITING to tolerate or accept the conditions IN ADVANCE......... OR, you can choose not to agree and of course not buy the property. Anyone who buys in an HOA without knowing exactly what the "restrictions" are and knowing that they are bound to a legal contract & agreement are simply foolish for signing the agreement. Caveat Emptor
If I actually lived in an HOA, I'd be scheming to erect a stealth antenna. They can be concealed in trees. I live in New Mexico. Out here, authority is something you work around. Conformity is for other people, not us. If you ever vacation here, visit Madrid, you'll see what I mean.
I have always intentionally lived on the outskirts of urban areas, so that I can live in a rural setting but still have access to professional jobs. So I have never lived in a HOA. My antenna is a 600 foot loop that wouldn't be allowed anywhere near an HOA, even though if you came to my QTH you'd probably be here a long time before noticing the antenna (i.e., it's not ugly or obvious). If I had to live in an HOA, I might first see how many people named "Karen" are on the HOA committee. lol
Nice, but not realistic given the multiple personalities that comment on ZED forums. It can be quite entertaining to say the least to read how over-passionate one can become over a hobby that doesn't pay the bills nor puts food on the table.
Even worse are those prefab housing communities where you own a $100,000 home and pay $1000 per month for lot rental and other association "fees." And you get to live in 120 degree Arizona heat for 6 mos of the year.
Careful, guyz ... no antenna work out there in these 100+ degree days, K?? Stay inside and operate! --- And do a little ham radio work, too!
Zero outside antenna except for sat dishes! We are 60 miles from the TV stations and require some height to get any signal. So many neighbors have towers for TV.
To get to a place where an HOA isn't the norm around here, you're looking at living somewhere 2+ hours away. I moved as far west of DC as I could tolerate when I bought this house in 2001 and still had a 1+hr commute to my office at the time (it was 1.5-3hrs by the time I left that company in 2010). The DC Metro megalopolis has spread considerably since then and I'd have to move another 20+ miles away to get past where HOAs are the norm. But, the type of companies I work for aren't moving out there, so that's just another hour or more on my commute if I can't work from home as I do now. Think about the commute times I mentioned above. If you spend 2-5hrs on the road 5 days a week, is it really offset by having a cool antenna to play with on the weekends (when you're not doing yard work and other things you don't have time for during the week due to your commute)? When I had those commutes, I wouldn't think so. It was a miserable existence and I'd much rather WFH in an HOA than spend a considerable chunk of my day on the road in heavy traffic. That's not reality for everyone, but claiming "I'll never live in an HOA" ignores the fact that in some places, places where certain careers take you, that's the only option. Chris
The sad thing is, HOA life is not the most misery-inducing part of life in this area, not even in the top 10. Chris
So do developers there leave that clause out of the covenants (or modify it) or do they just copy it with all the rest and it gets ignored because of OTARD?
The basic issue here is, how many limits are we willing to accept, on our pursuit of Happiness. Judging by some of the posts in this thread, if you want access to a good job, you may have to accept the limits imposed by HOAs. So, before moving into an HOA neighborhood, I would research a good mobile rig.
