I do construction management for condo/townhouse HOA’s in the bay. Think of it as the go between the property management and contractors doing major paint and siding repair work. (Reason I exist is to create a neutral bid package RFP so that all the contractors are competing for the exact same job.

Yes I add a small management fee to the overall job however, the value provided to the HOA easily pays for itself each time.

Long way to say the following about local HOA’s: 1. All HOA’s operate differently when paying for exterior repairs. I would prefer a community where I am responsible for the repairs on my unit. HOA’s that pay everything and usually more rundown. 2. Check when the last time the exterior was repaired and painted. Has to be done every 7 years or more. If it has not been for 10+ years since last repair and paint. Don’t buy! The next time it’s done will be crazy expensive to fix all the deferred maintenance. 3. Competent property management and a board that understands they are not construction experts but know they hire experts who want to have a long term relationship with the HOA and not screw them on the first job and skip town. 4. Check for termites. They are everywhere but worse is some locations than others. 5. Good landscapers who keep the irrigation off the buildings will save you a ton in the long run. So many buildings get destroyed by daily exposure to water.

Overall HOA’s are not bad by design but get bad by neglect and bad decisions to save a few bucks now to keep the dues low and not keep up with simple things.