Category Archives: Infrastructure maintenance and repair

Condo owners, tenants deal with safety hazards

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Buyers and investors purchase condos, expecting that the association will maintain a safe and attractive property. Unfortunately, many condo owners find that their HOA doesn’t live up to their expectations. Even worse, some condo HOAs put off major repairs and avoids renovations. In other cases, deferred maintenance or shoddy renovations result in safety hazards. Check out this roundup of condominiums that aren’t aging well.     Balconies could collapse Continue ReadingCondo owners, tenants deal with safety hazards→

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Kansas homeowners deal with defunct HOA and foul smelling ponds

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Retention-pond

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities With technical assistance from city officials, homeowners in one Wichita subdivision will share costs to be rid of a foul smell from neighborhood ponds. As reported on KAKE, the unpleasant odor is caused by a combination of stagnant water, organic debris, lawn fertilizer run off, and dying algae blooms. The Dell was developed in the 1950s, and, at one time, had a homeowners association to adjust pond levels and Continue ReadingKansas homeowners deal with defunct HOA and foul smelling ponds→

Reader seeks affordable solutions to pave HOA private roads (VA)

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Problems and solutions sign blackboard

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities   QUESTION: I read your article about private roads and the need for out of the box solutions for the problem. I very much agree. We have a very small HOA, less than 50 homes, in northern Virginia. There are several private roads that provide access to about half of the lots. The other lots are on the main state road. The cost of paving our road in this Continue ReadingReader seeks affordable solutions to pave HOA private roads (VA)→

HOA Issue #2: HOA Realities — living next to a retention pond or wetland

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities   Have you ever seen a real estate ad for a home boasting its “water view” or a “lake” view? Have you ever seen a real estate ad for a home boasting its “water view” or a “lake” view? Here’s a Buyer Beware message for retention ponds, wetlands. Unless you’re viewing a home near a recreational lake — a real lake used for boating, fishing, swimming and other water Continue ReadingHOA Issue #2: HOA Realities — living next to a retention pond or wetland→

HOA Issue #7: Homeowners need new ways to pay for HOA private roads

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Private neighborhood roads across the nation are in desperate need of repair. Residents seek help from local governments.   An infrastructure maintenance crisis is underway in association-governed communities across the U.S. Private subdivision roads are in poor condition. Some are downright unsafe. Decades of fast and cheap road construction saddled thousands of homeowners with narrow, substandard roads, as well as awkward traffic plans that create daily commuting headaches. The following examples illustrate the need for Continue ReadingHOA Issue #7: Homeowners need new ways to pay for HOA private roads→