Nothing wrong with HOAs — if that’s the way you want to live your life. Some people do; some don’t.
We’ve lived in HOA developments, and rural areas without restrictions. There are positives and negatives for both.
In many places it’s almost impossible to buy without an HOA, unless you have the means to buy a lot of acreage. I know them to be a 2-edged sword. However, anyone who thinks it’s ok that a neighbor keeps hazardous waste, etc. piled up in the backyard adjacent to yours, has no idea how property values work, much less common courtesy.
Sane HOAs are a good thing. Unfortunately, one can never really tell when a lunatic or lunatic committee will gain power.