Karens, ya gotta love them.
- Thread starter Wyatt
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I don't feel one bit sorry for people that have this sort of thing happen. They knew there was a HOA when they bought the place. Or if it happened after, they failed to move out...
When we lived in Orlando we purposefully lived in an area that did NOT have one. We had a garden, and chickens in the backyard in a close to downtown Orlando area .
When we lived in Orlando we purposefully lived in an area that did NOT have one. We had a garden, and chickens in the backyard in a close to downtown Orlando area .
I've always avoided buying property with ANY kind of HOA or POA... I deal with enough rules & regs from our fraudulent gubmint, why on earth would I want any more? You younger folks out there who are considering a property purchase, heed my advice and avoid all HOAs & POAs like the plague that they are. Having said that, I must admit the photo of the pink flamingos in the yard is pretty funny... 
After moving to the country in 1995, and living the rural lifestyle, I will never live inside any town or city limits ever again.
Our area is zoned OR - open rural. This means we can do pretty much whatever we want, Even keep hogs, if we so choose.
In fact, my wife said a few years ago "if they ever pave our road, we need to move further out" (My kind of woman)
Our area is zoned OR - open rural. This means we can do pretty much whatever we want, Even keep hogs, if we so choose.
In fact, my wife said a few years ago "if they ever pave our road, we need to move further out" (My kind of woman)
Same here, I'll never live in another town or city again... been there, done that, out on the overcrowded coast, and I don't miss the crowds, traffic, smog, crime, etc. Life is so much better in the boondocks, though I have resupply points five or six miles away in Alamogordo. Another thing I forgot to mention earlier: property taxes are generally cheaper beyond town or city limits. Younger folks who want to try this lifestyle but don't want to be TOO far out in the boondocks, you can find properties on rural water & septic systems... I'm actually on a community well (or several of them), which suits me fine because we're not tied in with the town water system (no unwanted chemicals).
My advice to first-time home-buyers would be to look for a fixer home in the outlying belt surrounding a town or city... I'm not talking suburbs here, go far enough out to get past the wall-to-wall subdivisions. I know this is a bad time to be looking for property, since the real estate market is still crazy, but the moment the market comes crashing down there will be some sweet deals to be had. I found my current home even as real estate prices were skyrocketing, but I lucked out because the out-of-state heir just wanted to unload it as quickly as possible. His loss, my gain... and though my lot is only 1/2 acre, it feels larger because I'm on a corner and the layout of the 'hood is rather spacious.
Remember, no HOAs and no POAs!!! Who needs the headache of additional rules & regs? Like one old hand told me in Show Low, Arizona: "ACREAGE IS YOUR BEST NEIGHBOR!!!" That old guy was funny too, he told me how he bought an 80-acre parcel of land and he built a home right in the center of that parcel, so he wouldn't have any nearby neighbors, lol. I thought that was hilarious... and not a bad way to go, provided you have the money. Moi, I was limited in my price range, but I searched far & wide on the web until I found this place. It's not bad, I can basically do whatever I want out here... some of my neighbors have horses and other stock, which don't bother me in the least. I like horses!
My advice to first-time home-buyers would be to look for a fixer home in the outlying belt surrounding a town or city... I'm not talking suburbs here, go far enough out to get past the wall-to-wall subdivisions. I know this is a bad time to be looking for property, since the real estate market is still crazy, but the moment the market comes crashing down there will be some sweet deals to be had. I found my current home even as real estate prices were skyrocketing, but I lucked out because the out-of-state heir just wanted to unload it as quickly as possible. His loss, my gain... and though my lot is only 1/2 acre, it feels larger because I'm on a corner and the layout of the 'hood is rather spacious.
Remember, no HOAs and no POAs!!! Who needs the headache of additional rules & regs? Like one old hand told me in Show Low, Arizona: "ACREAGE IS YOUR BEST NEIGHBOR!!!" That old guy was funny too, he told me how he bought an 80-acre parcel of land and he built a home right in the center of that parcel, so he wouldn't have any nearby neighbors, lol. I thought that was hilarious... and not a bad way to go, provided you have the money. Moi, I was limited in my price range, but I searched far & wide on the web until I found this place. It's not bad, I can basically do whatever I want out here... some of my neighbors have horses and other stock, which don't bother me in the least. I like horses!
We only have 5 acres. That's all we could afford. On a dirt road, out past the end of the pavement.
We put a brand new 24X40 doublewide on it. We have well and septic.
As time and money allowed, we cleared 3 acres around the house to protect from wildfires. This was once part of a pulpwood timber farm with pine trees planted 12X6. Like corn, in rows 12 feet apart with a tree every 6 feet. A LOT of trees involved here.
We left 2 acres at the back wooded as my wildlife sanctuary. Behind us is a cattle operation, woods all around.
I built a barn, a workshop, a three horse stable. We had a crew assemble a 12X16 metal building for my wife's garden stuff, and bought a prebuilt wooden shed to hold hay.
I fenced and cross fenced the property - that took years of weekends. I counted - we have 12 gates on the property. We can move the horses around to different areas, and keep the dogs away from other areas.
Then there's the chickens!! Geez Louise, what a learning curve that was. Now, 27 years into it I think I have everything covered. At one time the wife got carried away with different breeds and we had over 60 birds. Now we have 14.
The nearest town is a one stoplight affair, 6 miles away,
Because we are on Social Security, over 65, and even with me still working part time, we are below the poverty limit, so we get special property tax exemptions from our county. We pay zero property tax, just $189 per year to the school board.
We put a brand new 24X40 doublewide on it. We have well and septic.
As time and money allowed, we cleared 3 acres around the house to protect from wildfires. This was once part of a pulpwood timber farm with pine trees planted 12X6. Like corn, in rows 12 feet apart with a tree every 6 feet. A LOT of trees involved here.
We left 2 acres at the back wooded as my wildlife sanctuary. Behind us is a cattle operation, woods all around.
I built a barn, a workshop, a three horse stable. We had a crew assemble a 12X16 metal building for my wife's garden stuff, and bought a prebuilt wooden shed to hold hay.
I fenced and cross fenced the property - that took years of weekends. I counted - we have 12 gates on the property. We can move the horses around to different areas, and keep the dogs away from other areas.
Then there's the chickens!! Geez Louise, what a learning curve that was. Now, 27 years into it I think I have everything covered. At one time the wife got carried away with different breeds and we had over 60 birds. Now we have 14.
The nearest town is a one stoplight affair, 6 miles away,
Because we are on Social Security, over 65, and even with me still working part time, we are below the poverty limit, so we get special property tax exemptions from our county. We pay zero property tax, just $189 per year to the school board.
I'd never live in an HOA because I have, among other things, radio antennas and gardens that I'm not going to give up. But I have no problems with HOAs in general. If people want to live in a neighborhood where everything is more-or-less the same and there are no eyesores, that's cool.
Moving in to an HOA and then complaining about the rules is like moving next to a cattle farm and then complaining about the smell. You knew what you were getting into; don't complain.
Moving in to an HOA and then complaining about the rules is like moving next to a cattle farm and then complaining about the smell. You knew what you were getting into; don't complain.
We had some very Karen neighbor that felt it was their duty to start an HOA. They said that as an act of kindness they would head up the HOA until an election could be held in a year or so.
They held a big meeting and explained how things were going to be ran.
One little old lady sat there and listened to everything they said then raised her hand so they told her to go ahead and speak.
She walked up to the 3 guys that were pushing the plan and handed each one a letter from the law firm she worked for.
The letter informed the Karens they would be held personally accountable and they could not force someone to join.
She also informed them she would be represented for free but they would have to pay for their own legal counsel.
She was the hero of the neighbor hood.
The 3 guys immediately ended the meeting and that was the last time the subject ever came up.
Around here if some fool tried that they might have an unfortunate accident.
They held a big meeting and explained how things were going to be ran.
One little old lady sat there and listened to everything they said then raised her hand so they told her to go ahead and speak.
She walked up to the 3 guys that were pushing the plan and handed each one a letter from the law firm she worked for.
The letter informed the Karens they would be held personally accountable and they could not force someone to join.
She also informed them she would be represented for free but they would have to pay for their own legal counsel.
She was the hero of the neighbor hood.
The 3 guys immediately ended the meeting and that was the last time the subject ever came up.
Around here if some fool tried that they might have an unfortunate accident.
A HOA is a great excuse for me to have to paint my house plaid,(the two color rules.) have a 12 foot fence and fill my yard with carakal cats and ferrets and paint my Winnebago with a rebel flag and Never forget POWs, park it out in front of god and everybody and wander around in a speedo and a rotten cut off wife beater shirt. Might even kill all my grass and paint the dirt green or use green gravel, make one BIG driveway.
My neighbor's business stops at the property line.
My neighbor's business stops at the property line.
The other thing you need to watch, at least around here are covenants. Years back, an outfit bought big tracts of farmland, and cut em into 5 acre lots, with covenants. No Pigs, No chickens, horses are ok, Minimum house square foot, and no mobile homes no matter what size. Ways around em, but not on my budget, then or now
I could NEVER live in an HOA. I would have a gaggle of Karens complaining.
I'd have a bunch of speed bumps.
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I LOVE the response from this homeowner to the "Karen's" of this world! Our boys built a fort out in our woods when they were young so totally get this.
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I on the other hand, disagree with you.
HOA boards are filled with sick and twisted sociopaths that lost at playing marbles on the playground in grade school and now want to mete out revenge upon anyone that they can.
They are craven cowards and like Pearcy Wetmore in The Green Mile their courage is all in the tiny bit of authority they wield over others.
When confronted by a really bad 'Wild Bill' sort, they piss themselves just like he did.
My daughter bought a lot that had sat empty for years in a subdivision with a HOA.
The HOA immediately pounced on her demanding she clear the lot of trees, (some of which were 15 feet tall) and brush that had been growing for years, saying it was attracting skunks.
Why did they not demand that the previous owner do so instead of letting it grow up in the first place?
Because they were probably on the board of the HOA.
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My husband had his first 'Full Karen' experience on Saturday- I'm half annoyed, half amused. She picked the wrong person.
Yes please.
Why aren't more HOA Karens found face down by the mailman?
Just saying.
Why aren't more HOA Karens found face down by the mailman?
Just saying.
