Category Archives: Homeownership

Don’t rely on a Realtor to explain Homeowners Associations (HOAs)

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Updated Jan. 22, 2019 Are you house hunting? Want to know more about homeowners associations? Unfortunately, many Realtor articles about HOAs are woefully inadequate and downright inaccurate. Today I’ll highlight some half-truths that you’ll read about HOA life on the internet. These examples are based upon actual published content.   Who’s in charge of the HOA? According to one agent from Texas,  The Community Impact Newspaper, Ask a Realtor column: Continue ReadingDon’t rely on a Realtor to explain Homeowners Associations (HOAs)→

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Firefighters say newer homes burn faster than old homes

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Many home buyers prefer the modern features of a new home. They enjoy the comfort and convenience of extra bathrooms, kitchens with new cabinets and appliances, and energy-efficient features. But lately I’ve been seeing some disturbing reports about the quality of some modern building materials. Specifically, three widely used products have been shown to create fire safety hazards. Developers and homebuilders have used these products extensively to create thousands Continue ReadingFirefighters say newer homes burn faster than old homes→

Smaller, more affordable housing doesn’t have to come with an HOA

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities It’s common knowledge that, following the worst real estate market in recent history, housing prices have rebounded in many fast-growing markets in the U.S. The result is that housing has become less affordable, whether you’re looking to buy or rent your next home. Clearly, the past several decades of housing policies at the federal, state, and local levels have created the problem. Local governments have enacted zoning laws that Continue ReadingSmaller, more affordable housing doesn’t have to come with an HOA→

Delaware townhouse developer turns HOA into a rental community, homeowners sue

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities   Today’s post is a real life example of how opportunistic developers use association governance to serve their own profit motives, without any regard to the expectations of homeowners. Some of my readers write to me saying that developers cannot wait to hand over control of the association to owners. That is true sometimes, but it depends on the intent of the developer, and the nature of the real Continue ReadingDelaware townhouse developer turns HOA into a rental community, homeowners sue→