Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

My View: HOA-industry makes housing less affordable

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities In case you haven’t noticed, in just about every city and town in the U.S., housing costs are going through the roof. (Pun intended) Here in my home state of Pennsylvania, I’m starting to see reports of piecemeal government programs designed to increase the supply of affordable housing. For example, WBRE reports that four Monroe County organizations have received $300,000 in state grants to tackle the problem. Pocono Mountains Continue ReadingMy View: HOA-industry makes housing less affordable→

3 HOAs need help managing their stormwater ponds

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Suburban pond lake sidewalk storm water woes

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities It’s been 15 – 20 years since the construction boom of the early 21st century. And now that thousands of planned communities are reaching maturity, it’s time for homeowners associations to dredge retention ponds, clean out stormwater detention basins, and unclog drain pipes. Homeowners and residents complain about unattractive, foul-smelling, stormwater ponds, some of which periodically overflow and flood nearby property. But many HOA boards are discovering that stormwater Continue Reading3 HOAs need help managing their stormwater ponds→

HOA, condo, & co-op corruption and fraud roundup (April 2019)

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Arrest handcuff fraud theft

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Updated April 29, 2019 7:35 PM EDT This month: a bumper crop of HOA embezzlement and fraud investigations, arrests, and plea deals. Most of the crimes were committed by former HOA board members or managers. A common theme in these reports — the embezzler makes all kinds of lame excuses for stealing from neighbors, and then tries to bargain with the HOA to avoid criminal charges. Quite often, white-collar Continue ReadingHOA, condo, & co-op corruption and fraud roundup (April 2019)→

Landslide threatens homes in two HOAs in Santa Clarita (CA)

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safety-first-sign

By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Two homes have been yellow-tagged and several residents in two HOA-governed communities are on high alert, due to an unexplained landslide in Canyon Country, California. Homeowners speculate that recent heavy rainfall may have triggered the earth movement, which began Monday. By Friday, homeowners of two Terri Drive homes were advised to evacuate, pending a geological investigation of structural damage and the cause of the landslide. CBSLA reports that several Continue ReadingLandslide threatens homes in two HOAs in Santa Clarita (CA)→