[tuscanytrailer]

These are 7 new houses in The Hills at Safe Harbor on Buchanan Hwy.
South Paulding High School District.
There will be an open house this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Come out and see the houses and get registered for the auction.
Homes right now are in the 115,000 to 145,000 range.

[naturegirl]

Isn't there a HOA in this subdivision???

[tuscanytrailer]

I checked the website and it does show a Home Owners Association.

[naturegirl]

I checked the website and it does show a Home Owners Association.

Those are very nice homes, we looked at one when my mom was shopping. I'm glad they didn't buy in a subdivision, I don't think they could have handled a HOA, you know how cantakerous older folks can get

[tuscanytrailer]

HOAs can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.
If you ride through this subdivision, you can see how well kept it is, no cars on blocks, no overgrown yards, house colors are uniform, etc.
However, if you want to have all your belongings being shown in your yard, like a redneck-(Jeff Foxworthy), then you probably don't want to
live in a subdivision with a HOA!

[Affordable Graphics LLC]

Just out of curiousity, why do you say the houses will go from $115,000-$130,000? My husband and I looked in that subdivision recently and have made plans to go to the auction, I just figured they may go for alot less. Have you been to these auctions before?

[tuscanytrailer]

I don't know how much they will go for at auction, but right now that is the range on the homes that will go to auction.
We will have more info tomorrow to see what the starting bids will be.
If you come out there on Saturday and register I should have all the information on the auction.

I changed my original post to reflect the prices of the houses right now. Sorry for the confusion!

[Affordable Graphics LLC]

I saw a website that stated bids were starting at $5000 and $9000 for those houses. Do you work for the company auctioning them? We are planning to come to the open house this Saturday if possible.

[tuscanytrailer]

No, I work for Keller Williams, we are the ones who have them for sale by the bank right now.
Do you know which website it is?

[Just thinkin' hard]

You know - with the HOA - you point out some of the FEW good points about living under a HOA. For example - you have contakerous people that think that they know better than you judging you and how you live. They don't like the color of your shutters (that have been that color since you bought the house) - there's a problem. They don't like you mail box - that's a problem. They don't like your kids - that's a problem. They want you to pay dues owed by the prior owner - that's a problem. I've lived under HOAs and I live in a neighborhood without them. I'll take without any day. We don't have overgrown yards or Jeff Foxworthy all your stuff in our yard. I actually take offense to that statement. We do have neighbors that live in their houses and use their private property as they see fit.

I don't need a HOA to tell me how to live.

[tuscanytrailer]

I wasn't trying to offend anyone with my Jeff Foxworthy comment. I actually have a brother that does put a lot of his stuff in his yard, especially since he is a hunter, deer stands, fake deer that you shoot at, his 4 wheelers, just to name a few. That does not bother me at all.
There are some people who don't want to live in a neighborhood like that. To each his own, when I take a home buyer to look at homes I am always sensitive to their wants and needs.
I prefer a home owner's association, my husband does not. He has so much stuff that it won't fit in our garage, so it spills over into the driveway. So far, no one in our neighborhood has said anything.

[Just thinkin' hard]

My issue is the apparent condemnation by others of your life. If I come home from camping and have the coolers outside drying - so be it - on my property - my problem. If it rains and they are still wet - so be it - leave them outside. If my kid has an asthma attack and ends up in the hospital - quite frankly - I don't give a d**n about the coolers in the driveway and have no desire to be living somewhere that someone feels they have the right or duty to condemn me because my coolers are in the driveway.

I will take a junky yard ANY DAY over a HOA.

[tuscanytrailer]

I have never experienced anything like that where I live, and if I did, I would certainly let the person telling me about my business the way I feel.
Our HOA must not be as strict as that because I always leave stuff out, especially coolers to dry, and beach towels and skim boards, anything I bring home
from the beach, and no one has ever said anything.

[HappilyMarried]

It is great for those hunting houses what a deal, but a hard pill to swallow for those homeowners in Safe Harbor who purchased when the prices were near 200,000.00 a couple years ago. Since the economy tanked, most are seriously upside down in their loans. Let's say they bought for 190,000.00 and the values dropped to 140 -150, if they sold they'd still ow 40 or 50 grand. Very nice subdivision, very sad what has happened to the homeowners there, in this county and all over America.

[tuscanytrailer]

It is extremely sad that the house values have dropped.
The thing I tell my clients is if they take a hit on selling their house at least they can make it up on the buying side right now.
House prices are coming back slowly, but I think it will steadily turn around.
If people can hold on to their homes for a couple of years I think they will be okay.
Just my opinion, but look at the stock market, It fluctuates, too, but it you stay in it for the long haul it seems to correct itself.

[bellagstudio]

You know - with the HOA - you point out some of the FEW good points about living under a HOA. For example - you have contakerous people that think that they know better than you judging you and how you live. They don't like the color of your shutters (that have been that color since you bought the house) - there's a problem. They don't like you mail box - that's a problem. They don't like your kids - that's a problem. They want you to pay dues owed by the prior owner - that's a problem. I've lived under HOAs and I live in a neighborhood without them. I'll take without any day. We don't have overgrown yards or Jeff Foxworthy all your stuff in our yard. I actually take offense to that statement. We do have neighbors that live in their houses and use their private property as they see fit.

I don't need a HOA to tell me how to live.

Just Thinkin' you are crackin me up this morning!

[naturegirl]

When we were looking at the house in there, the president of the HOA came there (I think he was waiting and watching) and told us we needed to tell the Real Estate Company that had it listed to come cut the grass...What the heck??? We were just looking, not a good impression unless you really love HOA's and all they stand for.

It is a very nice subdivision, but I have seen just as nice without HOAs JMO

[Just thinkin' hard]

Just Thinkin' you are crackin me up this morning!

Glad to be of service!! !

[Affordable Graphics LLC]

No, I work for Keller Williams, we are the ones who have them for sale by the bank right now.
Do you know which website it is?

I googled the company doing the auctions (REDC) but the website is auction.com I believe.

[HappilyMarried]

It is extremely sad that the house values have dropped.
The thing I tell my clients is if they take a hit on selling their house at least they can make it up on the buying side right now.
House prices are coming back slowly, but I think it will steadily turn around.
If people can hold on to their homes for a couple of years I think they will be okay.
Just my opinion, but look at the stock market, It fluctuates, too, but it you stay in it for the long haul it seems to correct itself.

Anyone who can buy now should! That way when they get ready to sell when values begin to rise they will actually walk away with a profit unlike those who are now upside down in their loans.

[HappilyMarried]

When we were looking at the house in there, the president of the HOA came there (I think he was waiting and watching) and told us we needed to tell the Real Estate Company that had it listed to come cut the grass...What the heck??? We were just looking, not a good impression unless you really love HOA's and all they stand for.

It is a very nice subdivision, but I have seen just as nice without HOAs JMO

The best thing to do is buy on a home NOT in a subdivision. We lived in one with covenants that meant absolutely nothing, and the neighborhood went straight to the toilet. Your home is valued against those around it, no matter how hard you keep it up, it just takes a few bad eggs to spoil the dozen.

The individual was wrong to ask YOU to ask the real estate company to cut the grass. He should have been welcoming and picked up the phone and called the company himself. I know someone living in the subdivision, and they LOVE it, and LOVE their neighbors. The bank owned homes are overgrown, nothing a mower won't remedy.

[LauraLeigh Farms]

You know - with the HOA - you point out some of the FEW good points about living under a HOA. For example - you have contakerous people that think that they know better than you judging you and how you live. They don't like the color of your shutters (that have been that color since you bought the house) - there's a problem. They don't like you mail box - that's a problem. They don't like your kids - that's a problem. They want you to pay dues owed by the prior owner - that's a problem. I've lived under HOAs and I live in a neighborhood without them. I'll take without any day. We don't have overgrown yards or Jeff Foxworthy all your stuff in our yard. I actually take offense to that statement. We do have neighbors that live in their houses and use their private property as they see fit.

I don't need a HOA to tell me how to live.

Before buying our farm my husband and I lived in a subdivision in Paulding with a HOA. The last meeting I attended I spent 20 minutes listening to a "young" woman complain about the purple pansies that her next door neighbor had planted in her flower bed. She hated purple and was forced to look at those horrible purple pansies everytime she walked out her front door. Even though I am older and based on information I have read here, I should be more cantankerous now, I still told the woman to "get a life", walked out and sold the house.

This post has been edited by LauraLeigh Farms: 09 October 2009 - 02:53 PM