Let’s say you have your heart set on buying a house, condo or even a townhouse in a greater Indianapolis community with a less exterior maintenance or amenities like a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and maybe even a playground, lakes or trails. Having access to these services and amenities often means living in a community with a homeowners association, or HOA.

Generally, an HOA is responsible for keeping the neighborhood looking beautiful — and as a result, keeping property values high. But since no two neighborhoods are the same, no two HOAs will be the same, either.

What You Should Know About the Homeowners Association

Doing your research on homes and communities means finding the answers to dozens of questions. As a savvy home buyer, you’ve probably already considered some of the most important topics early on in your home search, such as the local property taxes and whether the neighborhood is appreciating in value.

But if you’re considering a neighborhood with an HOA, there are a few additional things that you should know about the community and the association before you buy a home. Here are the essential questions you should ask.

1. What Does the Homeowners Association Do?

Each community varies, but in general, a homeowners association assists residents with property maintenance (by providing services like lawn care, trash removal, or Internet), regularly beautifies the neighborhood common areas, and upkeeps any shared amenities. In return for these services, residents pay an association fee, which we’ll talk about later.

Since the HOA is also concerned with keeping property values high, the homeowners association may also dictate what residents can and can’t do with their properties. These rules keep residents from worrying about a neighbor painting their house a funky color or letting their lawn go wild.

2. Are You Required to Join the HOA?

Before you decide to buy a home in an HOA neighborhood, first check to see whether the community has a voluntary or mandatory HOA. A voluntary HOA doesn’t require that you join the association or pay dues, but a mandatory HOA does.

3. How Much Are the HOA Fees?

As we mentioned before, HOA fees cover the services that the association provides. HOA fee costs (and the frequency with which they’re paid) can vary from community to community, so ask your real estate agent about how much the fees are before you buy a home in the neighborhood. Depending on the amount of responsibilities the HOA has, the finances of the HOA can be critical. Especially with condos and townhouses any offer should be contingent on seeing a Balance Sheet and an Income Statement for the current and last year.

4. What Are the HOA’s Expectations for Residents?

Typically, a homeowners association will have a list of rules and regulations that residents are expected to follow when they live in the community. (These are known as Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, or CC&Rs.)

These regulations can dictate everything from what colors you can use to paint your home to how many vehicles you can park in the driveway. Again, each homeowners association varies, so it’s best to read the Bylaws of communities you’re considering to learn what’s expected of residents.

5. When (And How Often) Does the HOA Meet?

If you’re interested in joining your neighborhood’s HOA to get involved in your community, you might also want to consider when the association meets. The HOA may meet annually, bimonthly, or monthly, depending on the association’s size, so check to see if the regular meetings will fit within your schedule.

6. Does the HOA Host Any Activities?

Finally, when considering a neighborhood with an HOA, you should learn whether the HOA provides other ways for you to get involved and meet your neighbors. Ask your real estate agent about whether the neighborhood association hosts annual block parties, pool parties, holiday celebrations, Yard of the Month competitions, or any other neighborhood activities.

We’re Here to Answer Your Home Buying Questions!

Have a question about a specific neighborhood or the home buying process in general? We’re more than happy to give you the information you need. Contact us at Mitch@ToHelpUmove.com and let’s chat.


As A Seller... "I always felt relaxed and like his only client." 


I always felt relaxed and like his only client. It is without hesitation that we recommend Mitch Rolsky as a real estate agent for both the buy and sell side.

We have worked with Mitch twice in the purchase of a downtown Indy home and then with the subsequent sale of the same house just over 2 years later. Mitch's guidance allowed us to purchase the home in a desirable location at a price level that was at the lower end of the market range at that time. During the sale of the home, Mitch paid no attention to what the home was sold for earlier but focused on what the market would bear. Mitch focused on selling the value of the home and the location as opposed to price. He knows the market extensively and set a selling price and sales strategy that worked perfectly in a softening seller's market.

We moved because of a career change which forced us to move away during the sales process. Mitch took care of everything from there....in essence, we left our entire belongings in the care of Mitch. Friendly, detailed, trustworthy, knowledgeable and professional are but a few of the attributes of Mitch. Thanks Mitch....

ANNIQUE & MARTY G.

As A Buyer... "Purchasing Indy real estate virtually from California during covid, was not within my comfort zone."


Purchasing Indy real estate virtually from California during covid, was not within my comfort zone. I needed an agent to patiently show me things as though I was there myself, speak with blunt honesty and find balance between my "desire" list and a stable long term investment.

Mitch doesn't miss a beat! He is highly intelligent, engaged with his clients - stellar communicator with a wealth of wisdom not only through the home buying process, but in life. I always felt relaxed and like his only client, yet knew he was doing much hard work in the background.

I've heard in life that "your realtor is your best friend!" Best friends work for your best interest; he was always right there and always told it like it was....so appreciated!!! He exceeded all expectations and hope to work together again in the future!

KRISTINA & ROBERT O.

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