When we started building in 2004, this is how I imagined our house would be. It's wooded property on the side of a mountain, just like this little cabin. It has a small front porch, just like the one in the picture, and it's the perfect size for us. Well, I do wish we'd added one more storage room and one more bedroom but other than that, it's perfect. Where we went wrong was buying in a POA. This is our 3rd Property Owner's Association and it will be the last one too. Ongoing headaches with people who like to fight, not the kind of fight where you put your dukes up and dance around but nonetheless, fighting with words and actions that just keep everything stirred up. It looks like we are going to be voting on a security gate system soon, we're not in favor. We had one in Texas and the initial investment is just a drop in the bucket compared with ongoing maintenance. We've been talking about it for 3 years now, that's 3 years of meetings and 3 years of bickering. We are just about done I think, and maybe the voting will begin. Then maybe things will calm down a little and we can get back to quiet county living. No chickens though... they aren't allowed either!
I have always said we could not live in a POA community!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry the beauty of your home and surroundings have this ugliness attached. Here is hoping when this issue dies that will be it for a while!
You want to hear something funny. That little house looks exactly like one in one Wayne Glenn's books only it wasn't log. That was the style of most of the old houses. I showed it to a builder once who was BS'ing me about all the big homes he built for doctors and lawyers......he said he could never sell on like that.....Oh yeah! to me he could. BTW, Wayne writes books on Nixa and Christian County areas where all my "people" are from.
I just looked him up and will try to find one of his books, would be interesting reading! Yes Ma'am, it's a headache and we are just about tired of it all. Lots of good things about a POA, your property values mostly, but the bickering is wearing me down.
DeleteI am so sorry that some folks are making your lovely home a place where you'd rather not be. Sometime a little power goes along way. People!!!
ReplyDeleteExactly, sometimes I want to be a hermit!
DeleteUgh! It definitely takes away from the country atmosphere, doesn't it? And Chickens aren't allowed?
ReplyDeleteWe do love where we live, it's quiet and the neighbors are all nice. It's just not everyone sees the neighborhood in the same "light." I really do view my home as that little country cabin but it's nothing remotely close to the simplicity that picture shows!
DeleteAlthough our new place is in the woods, on a hill (not a mountainside) and only 1702 sq ft, we have 3 bedrooms (one used for a "den/office" which is TV-less!!!!) and two full baths which suits us just fine and no POA, thank goodness! That sounds a little unsettling...:)JP
ReplyDeleteYour home sounds perfect! We are already planning our next house... no POA!
DeleteSweet! I'm jealous! You live in NW Arkansas AND in a setting like this. Wow! Sad about the POA. We've never wanted to live in one because my Dear Heart is somewhat of a rebel and is always working on some kind of project that would get him (us) in trouble.
ReplyDeleteWe just hate the squabbling, it ruins the peaceful.
DeleteWe have lived in the city with POA rules and I am so glad we don't have them now1 I do feel for you!
ReplyDeleteIf you've ever had a POA, you know what I'm talking about. The people are nice, it's agreeing on things that causes problems!
DeleteWe live on a private street with wonderful neighbors & not much of a lot owners association to deal with. We keep our road paved, yards mowed, trash picked up & that's about it.
ReplyDeleteBut just on the other side of the Interstate is a beautiful area with lakeside lots & more rules to live by than I could stand. When my husband builds there, everything thing has to be approved, down to every window, shingle, door color, etc. They even have a strict landscaping guideline. They about hang you from the gallows if you bulldoze down a scrub tree, preparing the lot for a basement! After the owners move in, the association tells them when their garage door has been up too long! But...it is absolutely beautiful & every once in a while I think I just might like to live there. Then I think again.
Exactly, the garage door thing. One POA in Texas where we lived would send you a letter for a garbage can left in sight of the road. "Hang you from the gallows" ... now that's funny!
Delete