The HOA in Ascension Parish

What is a HOA? It’s a Home Owner’s Association, and many neighborhoods have them here in Ascension Parish unless your home is in an area marked “rural tract”.

What you need to know?

If you have an “active” home owners association you already know that you have to pay dues at scheduled times of the year. Many HOA’s will have home owners’ pay quarterly and others yearly. You get a bill in the mail from the subdivision itself or from a property management company. If you are new to a neighborhood many times these dues are paid at the time of closing, and you will see them on your closing document (the HUD settlement statement), If not you may want to contact the home owners association to give them your information, so you don’t fall behind on payments and possibly incur liens on your home if the dues are not paid.

What does a HOA do for the home owner?

All HOA’s are different for different neighborhoods, but generally they maintain the front entrance and common grounds for your neighborhood. If you have community retention ponds, playground equipment, swimming pools or a golf course, the dues are used to maintain those as well. They also regulate home owners’ from adding or subtracting from the overall appearance of the neighborhood. If you want to add a shed, cabana or swimming pool to your backyard you must have plans approved, not only by the Parish, but by your home owners association as well. Never start a large project like this without the approval of both of these entities to avoid possible fines and liens on the property.

Advantages and disadvantages of an HOA

I’ll be the first to tell you, I love an HOA after living in a community that didn’t have one prior to living in my current home. I can tell you first-hand how ridiculous some people can get when putting things in their yards and home. In my old neighborhood we had people put up plastic sheds that stuck out like a sore thumb and people who’d park on their front lawns. We had others who would take they’re fishing boats and lean them up against the fence so half of it was sticking up in the air. The final straw for me was a neighbor who absolutely refused to fix a broken fence between my yard and theirs even after we offered to pay for the missing panels.
We had small children and pets, and I didn’t want them wandering in the neighbor’s yard. After that I had enough of not being in a neighborhood without an HOA. It’s like the Wild West to me when you don’t have one in your neighborhood.

On the flip side of this, there are disadvantages – for example, the fact I have to have permission to do anything to my yard. What if the HOA doesn’t like my aesthetic, and I have to start all over? It’s the price I have to pay to live in a neighborhood that stays uniform and pleasing to the eye. Some of the rules in HOA’s can be ridiculous. For instance one of my all-time favorites of being silly is “you can’t have your garage door left up”. I have two children who constantly get bikes, chalk, hover boards, scooters, and various other outside toys from the garage and leave the garage door up a lot. I have been cited for this, but I still wouldn’t live in a neighborhood without and HOA.

If you are unsure if a neighborhood has an HOA please feel free to call me. I can get you that information and a copy of the neighborhood’s most recent covenants (rules) so you stay informed if the HOA is in line with how you would like your next neighborhood to be maintained. I strongly suggest becoming a member of your own HOA so you stay on top and become a part of your community. It’s a great way to meet people and make sure your neighborhood is maintained the way you see fit. I tell you all this, as always ………

“Because YOU matter”

#yourrealestatewhisperer