056_Community Center

What is included in 55+ HOA Dues?

October 2, 2020

The cost of the HOA dues and what they cover varies greatly between communities. The offered amenities, level of maintenance, community size, and activities offered can all impact the price of the HOA dues. You’ll want to weigh the importance of the offered amenities and their impact on the HOA dues as you’re searching for your best-fit 55+ community.

What is typically included in the community HOA dues?

All or most of the HOA dues for Active Adult Communities cover some variation of the following items.

  • Lawn maintenance, to some extent, is included in most community HOA dues
  • The amenities of a given community both in quantity and size account for most of the balance of the dues.
  • For purpose of this discussion I am including an Activity Director as an amenity as their salary is covered by the HOA dues.
  • There are also additional costs if a community is gated.

In most cases, the number of homes in the community also determines to some extent the amount of HOA dues. Larger communities offer more people to split the payments, but they also require more substantial amenities to serve their residents.

Why do amenities impact the cost of HOA dues?

Amenities require upkeep and maintenance as well as reserves, or money set aside for future repairs and replacement. It stands to reason, the more amenities the more upkeep and reserves are required.

What kind of maintenance is included in the HOA dues?

In some cases, condominiums for example, the HOA dues also cover most or all of the exterior building maintenance, often described as the roof and from interior paint outwards. This exterior coverage is reflected in higher HOA dues. This is somewhat offset by lower homeowners insurance premiums as they need to have less coverage. This type of Homeowners policy is an HO6 policy. It is important to note you cannot determine if a property is a condominium or not just by looking at it. Condominium determination is a legal status determined when the land was last registered with the county. What appears to be a stand-alone home can in fact be a condominium.

In many 55+ communities, which are slated as “low-maintenance living” options, some form of lawn maintenance is included. For specifics on the communities be sure to talk to a 55+ real estate specialist in your area or seek information directly from the community.

Why do HOA dues matter in the house-hunting process?

HOA dues are an important factor in determining your monthly cost for a given home and community. You must understand what is and is not covered to determine what impact the HOA dues will have on your budget.

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