| Planning to buy a townhouse? Apart from other | | | | where you can do the maintenance work or can it |
| things, one important thing to be kept in mind is the | | | | be done anywhere you like. |
| rules of HOA. What is HOA? It is the homeowner's | | | | Many associations are very particular about the |
| association. Every community has a HOA and this | | | | landscaping of the community. You might want to |
| association has a set of rules and regulations for all | | | | plant some particular trees or flowers around your |
| the residents of that particular community. These | | | | house. Check with the association to confirm their |
| rules define what you can and cannot do in the | | | | rules about the height of trees, height of shrubs |
| community. So make sure that before you buy a | | | | along the pathway, kind of flowers that you can |
| house, you go through these rules to see if you they | | | | plant in your flower beds etc. |
| are conducive to your lifestyle. | | | | Also, if you are buying a townhouse, check if the |
| Some general rules which many HOA's have are: | | | | association allows anything like a dish to be put on |
| Many of us have our own vehicles. Many of us have | | | | the roof. Many associations are very particular about |
| a lot of guests coming over regularly. So check with | | | | the aesthetic appearance of the community and may |
| the HOA to confirm if they have any rules regarding | | | | not allow you to install anything on the roof of your |
| the amount of space you will have to park your | | | | townhouse. |
| vehicles. Also make sure you check if your | | | | Another thing which you should check in advance is if |
| association has any rules regarding not parking | | | | you can use the public parks for private parties. You |
| vehicles along the streets or driveway. | | | | might have a good stretch of a public park behind |
| Some associations have regulations regarding pets, | | | | your house, but your association may not allow you |
| number of pets and kind of pests. For example the | | | | to use it is for your own personal use. |
| association of the community you intend to buy the | | | | A violation of any of the rules of the homeowner's |
| house in might prohibit its residents to keep dogs as | | | | association can put you in trouble. It's wise to abide |
| pets as their barking can disturb the peace of the | | | | by the rules and not try to mend them. If you do so, |
| environment. | | | | you will be sent a notice to rectify your mistake |
| You may have to do some maintenance work on | | | | within a given frame of time. You might also be |
| your car occasionally. For example, you may have to | | | | penalized and required to pay some damages. If you |
| change the oil of the car. Make sure to check with | | | | don't rectify your mistake even in the given period of |
| the association if they have any designated areas | | | | time, you may be blacklisted by the association. |