This is anecdotal but here is the truth: I have a home that I bought around 20 years ago in Cali, and the HOA tripled during that time and is now rapidly approaching $700/mo. And that's with less benefits since we lost the earthquake insurance. And not to mention the special assessments that started showing up in 2025. You could make all sort of assumptions, but there is nothing special about the community.

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lesuorac 4 days ago | parent [-]

> And not to mention the special assessments that started showing up in 2025. You could make all sort of assumptions, but there is nothing special about the community.

It's pretty sad that both parts of the statements are true. Special Assessments occur when HOAs aren't capitalized correctly to cover the costs of largely maintenance and this issue is very wide-spread that being a part of an HOA that keeps issuing them isn't 'special'.

Although the alternative is basically your HOA fees would go up but whatever the special assessment is (divided by duration between them) which probably makes it harder to sell the house since you have to claim higher HOA fees compared to a correct capitalized one.

	▲	beezle 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		So many, many HOAs and condo assocs. are poorly managed and have no capital plans (I even had a condo once where the agreement prohibited a capital fund!). Two points - first to yours on it being more difficult to sell. In fact, it can be the opposite. To get a mortgage these days it often requires the hoa/condo to have at least 10% of the annual budget in reserves. While often not the case, buyers should also be comparing the relative reserve states too and realize low reserves means specials The second point is that failure to reserve the majority of the cost of expected capital needs can result in a situation of liens and foreclosures (to get a paying owner in) and the HOA going cup in hand to a bank who may or may not loan the shortfall at a terrible interest rate. Or the project is put on hold and the cost may rise because of inflation or further deterioration of whatever was being renovated. When homeowners gripe about the dues and 'look how much is in reserves' I always ask: so when the roof needs to be replaced, you'll be good to cut a $5 or 10K check within 30 days? No? That is why the HOA reserves the vast majority of the cost.