5 Signs of a Good HOA When House Hunting

If you’re looking to purchase a new home in the Aurora, Colorado, area, you may find yourself falling in love with a home in an HOA. Properties that are part of a community association often have high curb appeal and steady property values, making them desirable for homeowners. There’s also the additional appeal of amenities, exterior maintenance, and enhanced security, among other things. If you’re hunting for a new home within an HOA, look for these key signs that the community association you’re choosing is a good one.

1. Well Maintained Common Areas

One of the biggest advantages of having a home within a community association is the common areas and shared amenities. When touring the community, pay attention to how well maintained the common areas are. Facilities that are clean and properly maintained are generally indicative of an HOA that’s on the ball and will place members’ happiness at the forefront. The last thing you want is to move into an HOA where proper cleanliness and amenity management are neglected.

2. Open Communication

Communication is a crucial aspect of any well-run HOA. You want to ensure that your input and opinions are being valued and truly taken into consideration where you live, so open communication in both directions is required. Speak to other residents within the community association and find out how well the HOA board communicates with its residents. Check the website for meeting notes, community updates, and other signs of a well-run community. Your HOA may also have an HOA management firm in place that will ensure that you have a point of contact to communicate with at all times.

3. Community Newsletter

Another sign of a well-functioning HOA is a community newsletter. While not crucial for every community, it’s an effective way to communicate important news and events to residents. A community association that has a weekly or monthly newsletter is the one that is doing its part of open communication and keeps residents up-to-date on all the latest, most important happenings within the neighborhood.

4. Clear Rules

Before choosing your new home, make sure that the rules and regulations for the community association are clearly outlined. Confusion in the rules can be a detriment to your time living in the neighborhood, as it can negatively impact you, your neighbors, and the HOA board. You don’t want any surprise fines from rules you weren’t aware of or sneaky neighbors trying to report on one another using loopholes. To ensure that you have full transparency and peace of mind once you move in, make sure that the HOA you’re considering has very clear rules in place.

5. An Effective HOA Management Firm

Many modern community associations utilize an HOA management company to help run their operations. Having an HOA management firm allows your HOA board to focus on the big picture and pass new rules and regulations unencumbered while simultaneously ensuring that daily tasks are executed in a more timely manner. Having a community association management firm ensures that everything runs more smoothly and fairly, so it’s a common sign of a good HOA when house hunting.

HOAs that utilize a community association management firm will often be better equipped to handle any homeowner issues and can make your time at home more enjoyable and hassle-free. For more information about community association management services for the Aurora area, give The Management Trust a call today at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form. We serve more than 1,500 communities nationwide and have been an industry leader for more than 30 years.