Ding, ding ding! We have a winner.
HOAs are no different from any other level of government. Keep them small and stay involved. We are in one because the house and property were planned that way from the start. There are only 39 homes but they are on acreage in a gorgeous rural setting. I made sure I got elected to the board (of 5) and I frequently talk to my neighbors so they will keep me there. And then I recruited like-minded people to run for the board as well.
This is my ballot statement that gets me reelected every two years:
The last thing any of us needs these days is another layer of rule-making government in our lives. It is my goal in serving on The Board to seek a balance between minimal intrusion in our lives and retaining an attractive neighborhood where we can tastefully personalize our own properties within the guidelines of the original quiet, rural vision for [development name].
...I am aghast at the flawed logic of some so called free market conservative folks.....it’s one thing to find it on left wing sites, but it’s more frightening to find it here....and it’s here in spades.