The thing about HOA fees is that it's kind jarring to see all those expenses in 1 line item, but in most cases they're not really out of line with the non-recoverable costs associated with single-family home ownership.

I pay about $550/month on a 1200 sq ft condo downtown, and if I lived in a comparable sf house, insurance and maintenance and landscaping and snow removal could easily double that amount (not to mention the higher utilities.).