This Desert Sun article, by Rosalie Murphy, takes a look at HOA dues in the Coachella Valley. Some of the highlights:
- The median monthly payment for HOA membership in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area is $315, according to a 2015 study from real estate research website Trulia. That median puts the region in fourth place in the U.S., trailing New York City, Honolulu and Fort Myers, Florida. Median fees in those metro areas were $575, $438 and $356, respectively.
- Six valley cities have median fees higher than the Inland Empire median of $315, according to Trulia’s data.
- Many of the region’s residents live here part-time and like the convenience of an HOA to manage maintenance, landscaping and security during the months they spend elsewhere.
- Most gated communities fund street maintenance and security through their HOA budgets. Many HOAs also pay for common area landscaping —which can include HOA-owned golf courses — along with pools and owners’ yards. Some HOAs use reserve funds for house painting or roof maintenance every few years; others pass those fees onto residents as special assessments. Some offer golf course or country club memberships on top of HOA membership and use that separate budget to maintain the course. Others pay for cable.
- Most communities with high HOA dues also offer a large number of amenities.
- Both buyers and lenders need to carefully consider HOA fees, because spending more on HOA fees usually means spending less on a home.
- When buyers balk at higher fees, people in the HOA business tend to give a two-part response. First, they say, HOAs can negotiate deals with landscaping and cable companies because they’re buying in bulk, meaning those services are often cheaper as part of an HOA. And second, buying into an HOA community isn’t just about convenient access to services — it’s often about a certain lifestyle.
Please use the link below to read the article (courtesy of The Desert Sun) and view the pictures: