For Some Home Buyers, a Homeowner’s Association is a Deal Breaker

Depending on your point of view, a homeowner’s association is either a force for good, protecting property values and providing desirable amenities and services (see this survey here), or a meddling overlord, intent on infringing on your rights to do what you please with the property you rightfully own. Ideally, a good homeowner’s association can maintain a tidy, desirable community without resorting to overzealous policing, but it is, to be sure, a difficult balancing act.

Here in northeast Florida, and especially in St. Johns County, homeowner’s associations are more the norm than the exception. This is especially true in the newer communities like Nocatee, Shearwater, Twin Creeks, etc. But for home buyers who would prefer to have a little more autonomy with regard to what they do on/with their property, there are still plenty of options in and around Jacksonville. [Read more…]