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Chances are, during your search for a home, you will eventually look at a home that is in a community
that has an HOA or Homeowners Association.
Before you make a decision on purchasing in that neighborhood or not, I suggest that you contact the
HOA and ask some questions. There will likely be some important facts that are not plainly visible.
Some questions to ask include:
1. How much are the dues and how often are they billed? Not all dues are annual. Some are semiannual,
monthly or quarterly. Be sure that these are budgeted in to your expenses.
2. What is included in the HOA? Many communities have amenities that are maintained by the
Community Association. Ask for a list of included benefits that your dues will be paying for.
3. Who manages the Association? Is this a Volunteer managed HOA or is there a Professional
management company handling the accounts? Ask for the contact information for the
neighborhood manager.
4. Is there an Architectural Review Board? Believe it or not, some communities will not allow you
to make changes to the exterior of your home, (including paint colors) without the Architectural
review board approval. This could be a good thing. No one wants to live next to the hot pink
house with florescent green shutters. Just saying.
5. Ask for a copy of the Recorded Covenants and Restrictions. These are recorded documents that
spell out the rules and regulations that the owners are expected to adhere to. The time to look
these over is before you buy.
Now, there are other things that should be discovered prior to purchasing a home in any
community, but this is a good start. I am sure that you will come up with more questions during
this interview, so I suggest you take the time to have all your concerns addressed to your
satisfaction. You may be pleasantly surprised.
We wish you total success in finding your next home.
Southern Breezes Real Estate
3262 Landmark Dr.
Suite 101
North Charleston SC 29418
843 225-8890