Community Association Living
Last week I wrote about “15 Common Problems with HOA’s” and to counterbalance that assessment, I will detail what is good about community association living, based on a survey conducted by Zogby International of community association residents. Overall, a majority (70%) of the respondents of this survey told pollsters that they are satisfied with their homeowners associations, condominium communities and cooperatives.
The Zogby International survey that was conducted in December 2009 showed that seven in ten community association residents are satisfied in their communities, with only 12 percent expressing some level of discontent and 17 percent neither satisfied nor unsatisfied.
More than 60 million Americans reside in an estimated 305,000 assciation-governed communities, which includes townhomes, cooperatives, condominiums and planned community associations.
It is believed that this news is positive for the volunteer leaders who serve on association boards, with almost 90 percent of residents saying board members “absolutely” or “for the most part” strive to serve the best interests of their communities. Only 7 percent expressed displeasure with their boards. An estimated two million homeowner volunteers serve on the boards that govern associations.
Zogby, in their survey, also revealed the following information concerning community association living:
91 percent of residents say they are on friendly terms with their association board members.
82 percent say they get a “good” or “great” return on their association assessments.
76 percent say their professional community managers provide value and support to residents and the association at large. 18 percent of the residents surveyed indicated no opinion, which leaves only 6% who have negative feelings about professional management (must be the same ones who “expressed displeasure at their boards” – See above).
70 percent say their association rules “protect and enhance” property values.
27 percent believe that rules and regulations have no impact. Often called Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), rules in community associations typically address issues such as architectural guidelines, yard upkeep, pets, and parking, etc.
10 percent of those surveyed want additional government control of association-governed communities. Almost 90 percent oppose more government involvement.
Asked to name the best aspects of living in an association, residents most often cite neighborhood attractiveness (23 percent), less maintenance for individual homeowners (22 percent), community safety (13 percent) and property values (11 percent).
Asked to name the worst aspects of their associations, 37 percent say there is nothing bad. That is followed by restrictions on exterior improvements (14 percent), dealing with neighbors (12 percent) and paying assessments (10 percent).
Of those who cite neighbor-to-neighbor issues, 24 percent say conflict relates to the appearance of homes. Other leading reasons for strife include parking (12 percent), personal habits and noise (11 percent, respectively).
“Given the state of the economy and housing market, these findings are reassuring,” says Foundation President Lincoln Hobbs, Esq., a member of CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). “Americans have weathered difficult times, and that would normally create more negative views toward most institutions. That hasn’t happened in the case of community associations. That says a lot about the dedication and skill of the vast majority of homeowner volunteers and professionals who govern and manage these communities.”
We read so much about the “bad” things which occurs in associations, as the press does not report all of the “good” things that community volunteers do and provide to their associations. This bit of good news should be shared with your other Board members and Committee members. The survey was sponsored by the Foundation for Community Association Research, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Community Associations Institute (CAI).
The survey results and CAI Press Release can be accessed here
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