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Hi, my wife and I are considering a move to Puna, and noticed that while most subdivisions have rather modest HOA fees from $10-30/month, at least two--Ainaloa and Seaview--are much higher, in the $60/month range. This is surprising because those subdivisions have smaller lots, and appear to be more filled in, so I would think the road expense per household would be smaller than in larger, less filled-in subdivisions. Of course, it is possible that some roads in the latter are fully paved while the former are thoroughly paved. But are there other factors I'm not thinking of which might explain this differential cost? Do the more expensive HOAs provide more or better services of other kinds (e.g., parks) with these fees?
I don't mind paying more if you get something for it, and frankly am a bit afraid of the cheaper HOAs and the looks of their "roads." I also just had to strike one gorgeous home off our list because it was on a private road with no HOA at all, and without a written document saying who takes care of the private road it was ineligible for a mortgage. But it's unclear to me exactly what the more expensive HOAs provide with their fees so I just want to be better informed.
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I would not make a buying decision based upon the cost of the HOA. What the HOA actually does or does not do, or how dysfunctional it is, is more important. Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) being one of the more dysfunctional ones.
Leilani's HOA is $210 annually and has great roads. Unfortunately, the HOA has become somewhat dysfunctional in the last year and a half.
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12-16-2020, 02:30 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-16-2020, 02:32 PM by ScottEF.)
(12-16-2020, 02:05 PM)leilanidude Wrote: I would not make a buying decision based upon the cost of the HOA. What the HOA actually does or does not do, or how dysfunctional it is, is more important. Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) being one of the more dysfunctional ones.
Leilani's HOA is $210 annually and has great roads. Unfortunately, the HOA has become somewhat dysfunctional in the last year and a half.
I thought I was clear that a high HOA was *not*, in fact, a major factor for me. Again: I'd generally rather pay a higher HOA for better services than less for poor services. So perhaps I should rephrase my question: what, precisely, are the better services one gets in the higher-HOA subdivisions which make them superior and worth that cost? Just better roads, or something else?
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Have you actually been here and checked out any of these subdivisions, in person?
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12-16-2020, 03:32 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-16-2020, 03:42 PM by ScottEF.)
(12-16-2020, 03:07 PM)leilanidude Wrote: Have you actually been here and checked out any of these subdivisions, in person?
Was there two years ago, went through parts of HPP, HA, OL, Shores-Beaches, Ainaloa. I think Leilani and Nanawale at that time were closed to non-residents, and I didn't visit Seaview. Will be back next month but trying to gather more information in advance from those who know more about this. I see that some offer, e.g., swimming pools and community centers, but I remain puzzled as neither Ainaloa nor Seaview has such facilities (I think). Leilani does, and between those facilities and good roads it sounds like it makes good use of the HOA fees. Others like HPP/HA/OL have lower fees, but provide essentially nothing beyond roads, while e.g., Fern Forest charges almost nothing and hardly even has roads. I understand the trade-offs there, but Ainaloa and Seaview seem like outliers and I'm trying to understand why.
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I went with Leilani partly due to restrictions on farm animals - no roosters, etc. That may be a better focus for you; seeing what is or is not allowed by the HOA and if they enforce the provision.
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(12-16-2020, 03:37 PM)leilanidude Wrote: I went with Leilani partly due to restrictions on farm animals - no roosters, etc. That may be a better focus for you; seeing what is or is not allowed by the HOA and if they enforce the provision.
That makes sense that the cost of such enforcement could be part of what is paid for; so what can people tell me about such benefits in the higher-cost HOAs?
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Mowing and trimming back of the jungle, along the roads, are a major expense in Leilani as the roads are recent enough that they aren't in bad shape. Leilani does not slack off on the mowing, nor does Seaview which also has that large, park-like area in front. Maybe that is part of the expenses that these subdivisions are occurring to you are excessive? Also, I do not know of any subdivision that allows for monthly fees, they are all paid annually.
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I'm not sure where you got your info but Seaview and Ainaloa have much lower fees than what you posted.
Seaview has paved roads that are county maintained so their HOA fee is very low. They just maintain the parks.
None of the Puna subdivisions provide much of anything.
Nanawale has a swimming pool but I wouldn't want to live in most of Nanawale. The crime rate is out of sight.
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what can people tell me about such benefits in the higher-cost HOAs?
Find the HOA meeting minutes for the past few years and study them carefully. Attend a meeting in person if can. There's a huge difference between "the stated CC&Rs" and "what the HOA will actually enforce". Read the CC&Rs to determine whether dues/membership are required. Figure out what recourse you have if the HOA refuses to abide by their bylaws.
An HOA is not always "better". Some are functional, some aren't, and it has nothing to do with subdivision size or how much the dues are.
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