Is Your Homestead in an HOA or Governed by Restrictive Covenants?

[Calista]

Well, this was interesting to me. A business friend of my husband's has decided to relocate from California to a "redoubt" state for retirement and wishes to live a sustainable lifestyle on acreage. He and his wife have a good grounding in the skills and mindset required to make a go of it and are now actively searching for that perfect piece of property.

They are considering buying in to an HOA community. The friend knows of our commitment to and interest in being self-sufficient and sent us a copy of the headings for covenants attached to properties sold in this community.

Would you run the other way? Would you be able to achieve your sustainability goals within these parameters? (I do not have access to anything other than covenant headings right now.)

What do you think? Do you consider your HOA and/or covenants reasonable? Are these reasonable?

These are not five-acre "ranchettes" but lots from 20 to 80 acres per family.

Yes, we advised our friend to continue looking. For me personally? I feel suffocated just reading the headings.

General Design Considerations & CriteriaSite Planning Standards
Setbacks
Building Envelopes & Horse Properties
Paths & Terraces
Site Specific Design
Viewshed Protection
Site Disturbance
Grading & Drainage
Erosion & Sediment Control
Hardscaping
Exterior Service Areas
Retaining & Site Walls
Right-of-Way
Driveways & Parking
Tall Walls, Fences, & Gates
Landscape & Outdoor Structures
Hot Tubs, Swimming Pools, Tennis Courts, etc.
Outdoor Landscape Art
Exterior Lighting
Ponds & Water Features
Rainwater Collection
Berming
Weed Management & Mitigation
Architectural Style
Building Orientation
Building Square Footage
Building Height
Roofs
Chimneys
Exterior Walls
Inappropriate Materials
Windows & Doors
Detailing, Trim, & Accent Colors
Porches, Decks, & Balconies
Accessory Structures
Garages
Construction Management Plan
Permits
Inspections and Certificate of Compliance
Changes to Approved Plans
Appeal Process

 

[NH Homesteader]

NH's state motto is Live Free or Die. I can't stand the thought of someone telling me what to do on my own property. RUN!

 

[Mini Horses]

You really have to read the entire thing to see JUST how liberal it is, or not.

I once looked at a parcel, zoned for horses, and one of the restrictions was NO BARN !


WHAT??????

 

[frustratedearthmother]

X2! RUN!

I live in an unrestricted area and I put up with some stuff that I'd rather not put up with - BUT - I can do anything I darn well please on my own property and I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[CrealCritter]

Hell no my homestead is not in a HOA or any other type of restriction. If it were, I wouldn't be living here.

 

[sumi]

Hell no, that is ridiculous! Keep looking.

 

[tortoise]

Totally agree, I'll never live in a HOA.

 

[FarmerJamie]

No on a HOA, just no. Lolol.

Need to check out EPA restrictions too. Property I used to own had a perfect spot for a pond. Nope, protected watershed. Ponds all over the neighboring properties, grandfathered of course.. grr

 

[Calista]

No on a HOA, just no. Lolol.

Need to check out EPA restrictions too. Property I used to own had a perfect spot for a pond. Nope, protected watershed. Ponds all over the neighboring properties, grandfathered of course.. grr

Yes, we looked at a 30-acre property with a huge seasonal wetland, which thrilled me with its possibilities. We learned of the EPA designation of that wetland as a protected watershed, no development allowed.

Name of the waterway that supplied this wetland? DRY CREEK.

 

[Calista]

A few interesting comments I've found at different sites discussing rural HOA's:

"...HOAs (like local or state or federal governments) can go wrong, sometimes idiotically wrong. But so can your 5 or 10 acre unrestricted piece of rural paradise if you happen to be blessed with an ATV running, gun wielding, heavy-machinery enthused, junk car loving redneck neighbor. You can wake up to the smell of gasoline or noise of gunshots or both combined! Their kids can become your kids when you find them in your apple trees and their wandering hunting dogs or pit bulls can become your pets too. 'Cause they are not afraid of sharing all of that you see."

"I like having a crunched up car on my front lawn. It's a great burglar deterrent." LOL

"MY mortgage payments, MY decisions about what I will do with my patch of dirt. Period."