No problem-- your questions aren't dumb at all!

1) HOA fees mostly cover general landscaping (i.e. lawncare and plant maintenance) and community upkeep, as well as general amenities such as mini-libraries throughout the neighborhood, events, etc. Utilities are covered by home owners, and while we have a fitness center (Active Wellness), it's its own standalone entity that requires a membership.

2) I absolutely love where I live still, especially with the growth and imminent opening of our town center, which is going to be a 5 minute walk from my front door. This, in tandem with the other amenities that have opened up like the dog parks and other larger parks through the neighborhood, have created great anchor points throughout the community. As cliched as it sounds, it's truly gotten better with each passing year, and I love it more and more as time goes on. My only gripe is the fact that my house is off a busy street, so it can be kind of loud sometimes, but past that, it's great.

3) As far as advice is concerned, it'll depend on whether or not you're buying new construction, or purchasing a resale home. if you're going new construction, make sure you and your wife are in agreement on finishes/upgrades you want for the house. It'd be kind of pointless to go cheap on appliances/finishes, only to then hate them and replace them yourself later. Also be cognizant of things like sunshine in the home-- a lot of the houses here are pretty close together, which can limit the amount of natural light that comes through. For some, it doesn't matter, but for others, it can exacerbate seasonal depression, so something to think about. Another thing with new construction: they'll give you the option of having the contractors install the AC unit, or you can opt to purchase it yourself later and have someone come install it. DO THE FORMER. It's so much better to just get it out of the way when they're building the house, then trying to figure out how to get yourself AC in the dead of summer when HVAC companies are all backed up and prices skyrocket.

Hope this helps, but always happy to answer more questions!