We’re fortunate to live in a really nice neighborhood with great neighbors. I recently saw a post online where readers were asked “what’s a sign you live in a very nice / expensive neighborhood?”
These are the top 30 responses …
- Extremely quiet streets
- Everything looks clean
- No litter anywhere
- Houses hidden from road
- Large private lots
- Nicely cared-for landscaping
- Lawn-care crews everywhere
- Constant home renovations
- Stay-at-home parents strolling
- Mature trees everywhere
- Underground utility lines
- Well-manicured lawns
- Decorative street signs
- Sidewalks in perfect condition
- Automatic sprinkler systems
- People out walking / jogging
- Neighbors wave
- Few cars street-parked
- Dog walkers very common
- Unique, non-cookie-cutter homes
- Weekends unusually quiet
- Expensive cars in garages
- No political signs in yards
- Excellent public schools
- Elaborate neighborhood signs
- Very little traffic noise
- Nice bike & walking paths
- Dog waste stations everywhere
- Homes have extensive security
As I think about our neighborhood developments – our home in MN and our vacation place in FL – I’d say we have almost all of these “signs”. That’s true for the most expensive parts of the developments and the areas that are quite affordable.
Both of our places are in developments with strong HOAs and standards – and I think that makes a difference. Some people will prefer to live more independently, but then you are subject to living next to someone who lets their property fall into disrepair or become a mess.
How is your neighborhood and what role do HOAs play in ensuring it’s nice for everyone?
Image: Pixabay
I moved to the burbs outside St. Louis, Misery (sic) after graduating from college. The locals after learning I was from Wisconsin commented that the small middle-class towns in Wisconsin (and for my wife I will add Minnesota) were all clean and tidy. No litter, mowed lawns, no graffiti and nicely kept houses.
I have only lived in one community with an HOA, and I had a really negative experience. I bought a pink house that was distressed, that actually had a toilet setting in the front yard when I moved in, and it had a satellite dish installed that allowed me to work from home. Of course, I threw away the toilet in the front yard and painted the house using an approved color. The HOA passed a bylaw that banned my satellite dish. The HOA didn’t seem to understand the concept of being Grand Fathered in. They also didn’t understand that Federal Law that supersedes State and Local Law granted me the right to have the satellite dish.
But, in the People’s Republic of California we have to worst HOA of them all, The California Coastal Commissions that puts crazy restrictions of issuing building permits. Many of the homes built after mine were not allowed to clear their brush in accordance with Fire Department Standards. This is one of the primary reasons for houses burning in Malibu. The CCC does however recognize the concept of being Grand Fathered in, and don’t F with me when I cut all my brush. And, then again, I live in the middle of a National Forest, and they have kept the housing density low for over 37 years.
In the end, whatever I want to do is cool and esthetic, but what the tacky neighbor wants to do is horrible and must be stopped.
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We don’t have satellite TV, but I know those dishes are a sore point with HOAs in many neighborhoods. Now they have become so common for internet access, perhaps those restrictions they pushed (keep it in the back of the house) have gone away.
Solar panels are another common issue. We have a neighbor who recently told us that the roof on the back of his house is covered in solar. I had no idea as you can’t see it from the street. Another neighbor has them on the front of the house.
Hopefully your CCC will update their rules for landscaping / brush. Often, rules get written to address our failures. I know that there has been few new houses permitted there after the fires. If nothing else, Spencer Pratt’s LA Mayor campaign brought attention that issue.
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I am still only seeing one house out of the nine in my neighborhood getting rebuilt. The house is owned by an architect and is reusing the foundation, fire-proof walls and roof tresses. 18 months to rebuild the exact same house.
Adam Carolla has been doing podcasts about the ‘rebuilding’ effort on the ocean front in Malibu. There were houses that stood for a hundred years built on telephone poles driven into the ground. These houses are being forced to build concrete foundations that I think Adam threw out the figure required 1000 cubic yards of concrete. They are also being forced to build some sort of sea wall to sequester their septic system. Several million dollars before you start actually building.
This was a chance for LA to have a real leader emerge and so far, we have nothing but the empty pants suit politicians. I wouldn’t bet on the California Coastal Commission suddenly becoming practical.
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