Homeowner’s Associations. Love ‘em or hate ‘em. Buyers are sometimes not aware about certain rules and regulations when they purchase their home in a HOA

If you are thinking of buying a home in a Homeowner’s Association below are questions you should be asking. Some HOA’s are condos and some are single family homes so the questions below may not always pertain to the HOA development you are interested in:

1. Are there pet restrictions? If not, make sure to also ask if there is a pet weight limit restriction. Some HOA’s have a pet weight maximum of 30 pounds or less. Also ask if there are breed restrictions.
2. Are holiday decorations restricted? Also ask if there is a time limit of how long decorations can stay up.
3. Is there guest parking and where is that located?
4. Are outside alterations to the home allowed?
5. Have homeowners been assessed for repairs in the last 10 years? 5 years? Last year? If the answer is yes, find out what repairs were done and the assessment amount(s) per homeowner.
6. Is the HOA development FHA approved? Some are not FHA approved so this needs to be asked before you see the home.
7. Are rentals allowed? Some HOA developments only want owner occupied homes.
8. Are guests allowed in the community pool? Some have community pools so it’s a good idea to find out if guests are allowed and how many at one time. If yes, there may be only certain days that your guests are allowed in the pool.
9. Who is responsible for the roof? This question pertains to homes that are attached and not detached homes.
10. How many parking spaces are given? Some developments have parking space limits. Some only allow 1 car per registered owner. Some only allow 1 car and others have to park elsewhere on the property.
11. Can you plant flowers? Sounds like a nutty question but some actually do not allow you to plant your own flowers and/or hang flowers in baskets by your front door or on your deck.
12. Are there age restrictions?
13. Does the HOA allow home businesses? If you run a business from home find out if some businesses or all are prohibited.
14. Can I store my boat or RV on the premises?
15. Are there restrictions for commercial vehicles?
16. How many times in the last 5 years have the homeowner’s dues been raised and what is the current homeowner’s dues?
17. Are there any current litigations pending involving the HOA? If yes, find out what the lawsuit is about.
18. Do we have to keep to a certain color of paint for the outside of the house and front door?
19. Are For Sale signs allowed in front of the house? Most will say no but always good to ask. Ask about other signage regulations.
20. Are there smoking regulations?
21. Are grills allowed? Some will not allow open flame grills.

Finally…. Always ask for a list of their restrictions, policies, bylaws and any other governing documents before buying in an HOA.