Share your insights or perspective on the financial matter presented in the input.

Home owners association for houses, pro/cons
At its best, a HOA provides the same benefits as a condo association -- shared investment in the shared neighborhood resources/environment.  At its worst, a HOA has the same problems as a condo association, potentially creating unreasonable constraints on what you can or can't do with your own property because your decisions might affect the value of someone else's property or demanding shared investment in something you don't consider worthwhile. Basically, if an HOA is active in your neighborhood, (A) make sure you know its history and biases before you buy, and (B) make sure you're active in it, or you may be unpleasantly surprised by its decisions.