On Buying a New Home--Community or Not?

I am going to start to blog about tidbits that I come across that I want to remember when I go to purchase a new home. Things that I wished I had thought of when I was having this particular home built for me.

First, about my own experience with this house...

This home is in a community. Now I had heard about all the horror stories about living in a community but I weighed the pros and cons of it, but just to go over it now:

Pros:
The rules of the community stops the dead beats and the people who just don't give a damn from having a car lot at their place.
Makes people be responsible and not be rednecks and leave their Christmas lights on all the time.
Makes people pull their weeds and mow their lawns.
Makes people be more responsible for their pets.
Makes people bring their trash cans up from the road.
They provide a nice pool/water park to which they keep clean and maintain.
They have a lot of activities and a clubhouse you can rent out.
They have decorating contests that are fun and can win little gift baskets.
They get volunteers to police the neighborhoods.
They keep you updated as to what is going on in the area.


Cons:
They fine you if you don't take down your holiday stuff by a certain time.
They can fine you for not pulling your weeds.
You have to ask permission to redo your garden or plant trees or any major work to be done outside to your property.
You don't really own your property at all.
They can fine you for not bringing the trash cans up.
They have street lights on that are intrusive at times.
They can be nosy about your business.
They can tell you how many pets you can and can't have in your own home.
They can fine you for having a car parked for too long even if you are working on it.
Although you have no-soliciting signs up, people still do so.
They close the pools often for lap swimmers and close it to the regular community.
They charge you for having guests go to the pool.
They charge you for home owner's association fees and they increase those prices as they like.


Those are just off the top of my head.
So just with that, would I buy another home in a community?


No.

What bothers me most is not being able to do what I want with my own land and property when I want to do it and that I have to ask permission and if I don't like something like a tree, I can't just simply replace it with any tree I want. Just too many rules. Some of the pros and cons, I can see and are kinda nice to make sure you don't have a messy neighbor or something, but....other than that? It's just way too restrictive.
If you are looking for a place or neighborhood that you want to have social activities, an apt or community is going to be the better choice for you.

But not for me.