Lake County is a very diverse community. Each area has its own unique attitude and flavor of a mixture of those who are totally independent and want to be left alone to those who like conformity and order.
When Lake County was discovered as a destination and a wonderful place to live over a hundred years ago people carved out little communities as they saw fit with little rhyme or reason with no thought of traffic flow causing narrow streets and congestion. Slowly but surely the county started to plan for size and conformity to what it is today though there are still issues with many lots in the county that are too small with poor infrastructure and poorly maintained roads. These are some of the reasons the Home Owners Association”s (HOAs) became popular. They are designed to set a standard of conformity and rules that go beyond the minimum required by the county. They are also concerned that there is adequate infrastructure such as roads, water and power for the owners within the community. They do this to protect the property value of the neighborhood.
On the other hand, HOAs can control other issues such as how high you can build, the color you can paint your house and what type of fencing you can use. HOAs are much stricter with enforcing weed and brush abatement as well as abandoned vehicles on the streets and trash strewn lots. Some feel that this is too restrictive and choose not to live in this type of community.
As a Realtor I am keenly aware of neighborhood conditions in all of Lake County and have observed that those who agree to conform to a set of standards and rules tend to keep or increase their values over those who don”t. The presence of HOAs can dramatically increase the value of the homes within their area. The rules and regulations established by an HOA are designed to protect the value of each property. The primary purpose of the association is to ensure that an individual or group cannot negatively impact the market value of homes in the neighborhood.
There are exceptions to this as some neighborhoods do show pride of ownership without someone telling them what they should and should not do. Investigate before you decide if you want to live in an area that has a HOA. If you feel that the covenants, conditions and restrictions are too much, look somewhere else.
Editor”s Note: Ray Perry is the past president of the Lake County Association of Realtors and works for CPS Country Air Properties located in the Riviera Shopping Center. He can be reached at 277-8000.
