Image by lane.bailey via Flickr
Because I work with a lot of folks that have need for a large garage… and an accompanying car collecting habit… I am often asked to find homes that are “not in a subdivision”. But there is a huge issue here in the Atlanta area… There aren’t very many homes that are not in a subdivision.
In fact, there are a lot of folks that don’t even know that THEY live in a subdivision, but right there on the deed (and the tax record) is the name of a subdivision. And when real estate agents list the property, they generally review at least one of those documents… and they list the name of the subdivision.
The result is that fewer than 10% of homes for sale here in Gwinnett County, GA, are really not in ANY subdivision. But that isn’t that big of a problem for my buyers needing a little more freedom than many subdivisions offer. Because what they REALLY want is…
A house in a neighborhood with an inactive or loose HOA (Home Owners Association).
The problem that almost always is described to me is that they don’t want to have to deal with HOA rules regarding extra outbuildings (like a second garage and/or shed in the yard). They might want to be able to park a race trailer at the house. Or a boat, camper or even a work vehicle.
Some of the local HOA rules I have seen even disallow a home owner from parking a 1 ton truck (like my F-350) in the neighborhood overnight. I have seen requirements for building a shed (a garage would be a daunting project in these neighborhoods because of the paperwork requirements), fence or even painting the house.
The point is that there are a LOT of homes in subdivisions that are just fine for enthusiasts. Often, these are older neighborhoods, but not always. The best path is to find a house you like and then investigate the HOA to see what rules they might have. I see a LOT of neighborhoods that have homes with second garages, campers, boats and even F-350s.
There is a hope…
It is coming… Mud4Blood8 will be held on May 28th, 2011 at the Hooters in Kennesaw, GA.
