For decades, the dream of living in that idealized suburban American sprawl presented through pop culture has been the goal of many home buyers. To help you better understand what that could truly entail, here’s what homebuyers should know about buying houses in Garner subdivisions.
Homeowners Associations
The first big potential plus or minus is if the subdivision in which you are interested in purchasing a home is part of a homeowners association, or HOA.
HOAs are ruling bodies of elected neighborhood residents that enforce regulations and mediate disputes, but their duties may go beyond that. An example of an additional duty is the common practice of an HOA to hire services to maintain public or common areas of the subdivision.
This regulatory body charges the members of the subdivision dues that can vary wildly from one HOA to the next.
When you begin your home search in a subdivision with an HOA, you need to be provided any and all documentation regarding the HOA. Specifically, this documentation needs to address the rules and regulations of the subdivision, steps for enforcement and mediation of disputes, and the dues owed along with the payment schedule.
Some HOAs strongly encourage member active involvement at regular HOA meetings whereas others may explicitly require it.
Community
Every neighborhood in the world has a culture that is cultivated over time, and planned subdivisions are certainly no exception to this.
As you begin to look at available properties in a subdivision, take the time to really get to know the area before committing to anything. You don’t want to purchase a home only to end up feeling like an alien in and around your own home.
It’s common for highly organized subdivisions to desire and attract highly social people for the sake of creating a greater sense of connection between residents and further push that team mentality for the sake of the subdivision as a whole.
Besides the social aspects at work, neighborhood aesthetics are often a point of common agreement and enforcement. More often than not you can expect the residents of a subdivision to want their homes to look harmonious, while some subdivisions may be focused on near-identical homes throughout.
Clearly, this can have a big impact on your ability to make changes to your home.
The Appealing Features
Oftentimes, home shoppers try to find a home in an exact subdivision due to its proximity to a good school system, public services, or shopping and entertainment venues.
Ease of access to major commuter routes or mass transit lines can be a top priority, and imagining your daily routine if you were to live in the subdivision can help you determine what is best for you when buying houses in Garner subdivisions. Amenities such as parks, pools, and libraries also make a large impression on the demographic of residents who are attracted to the subdivision.
Families are definitely looking for good schools and playgrounds while older potential residents look for quiet areas with trouble-free routes to healthcare facilities.
Future Expansion
One often-overlooked point to consider is not just the current layout of the subdivision, but any plans to make changes and expansions moving forward.
There’s always the possibility that you purchase a home on a dead-end street for peace and quiet only to, years later, find yourself dealing with substantially increased traffic after that dead-end street is connected up to alleviate congestion elsewhere in the subdivision.
Getting the best picture of where things are headed helps inform you of future choices on which available homes would best suit your wants and needs.
Your Partners When Buying Houses in Garner Subdivisions
If you’re one of the many people buying houses in Garner subdivisions in the near future, contact our professional team at (919) 300-5355!