Type of Vehicles that can be allowed to park at the complex

Do your governing documents prohibit vehicles of that type from parking in those spots?

No... our documents do not so stipulate or distinquish

Alex,

I have been trying to hold back the laughs but my moral fiber is only so strong. I am forced to give in to temptation. Just exactly what makes a condo complex "upscale?" Those are two terms that do not normally belong in the same sentence.

As one who lives in and owns a single-family detached home in a neighborhood full of such homes, my property values would take a dive if there was a condo complex nearby.

Let's not laugh boys... There are some really nice condo's out there that are nicer than stand alone homes. I know many along lakes or rivers. We have many here even in a high rise hotel in an upscale outdoor shopping mall/community.

I think people confuse property value with being "ATTRACTIVE" to potential buyers. Many here will argue those terms granted. However, home values are based on real numbers and realities. Home values are based on what other homes in the area have sold/appraised for. It's NOT the amount they have the sale amount for. A foreclosure/short sale has more effect on home values than having ugly plants in the yard. Home values are based on square footage and the number of bedroom/baths available amongst similar homes. Typically 3bd/2ba houses are tied in with similar 3bd/2ba houses. A 5bd/2.5ba house is not going to have the same value as a 3bd/2ba house. Although a family of 5 may find it of more value. That is part of the "Attractive" factor.

Location plays the other major role in home values. Homes close to rivers/lakes/downtown will have more value than homes in the country/suburbs. It is Location, location, location when you deal with real estate. That is why you hear that in terms of real estate sales and values. It also play a big portion into the attractive value as well.

Overall, a HOA does not maintain or increase home VALUES. What it does do, is maintain a certain ATTRACTIVENESS to potential buyers. A buyer is more likely to buy into a HOA for it's amenities and looks versus a stand alone home with none. I bought mine because it provided lawncare. That was of value to me but not to my bank who approved the loan. Hence why I define HOA's based on their ability to attract owner versus being involved in home values. A bank loans for numbers not if you have access to a pool or tennis courts.

So tell your CCO that it is NOT a home values issue. It is just a less attractive thing for the neighborhood. If they want, they can submit their idea to modify your rules to put in vehicle restrictions. That then in turn takes a vote of the board to put that up to the general membership to amend the CC&R's. A HOA is managed by it's people for it's people. So it can make the rules up as they feel as long as it doesn't violate local, state, or federal laws.

Upscale condos in Alabama does NOT mean a trailer put up on blocks with gold underpinning... ;-)

EDIT

We did not allow commercial vehicles to park overnight in a driveway (we had no street parking) but you could park your commercial vehicle in your garage. All homes had double wide, deep driveways, and two car garages.

Our issues came when the garage was full of stuff and people wanted to park their commercial vehicle overnight in their driveway.

All of the residential properties within 8 or so blocks of us are condo buildings, Matthew. I'd say that ours is a cut above some and a cut below others. The ones a cut (or more) above have concierge service, valet parking, sauna rooms, and more conference rooms and lounges than we have, for example. Among all the condos near us, some have great water views and/or wonderful amenities, and others have fewer amenities and/or no water views. All except one were built in 2000 or more recently.

About a mile from us is a very nice neighborhood that has a mix of detached homes, small apartment bldgs., & low-rise condo buildings. Because the location is so desirable, the condos & apts., all of which are well-maintained, do not harm the value of the detached homes.

Pretty funny, Melissa! I think we saw some nice condo buildings in Mobile near the water while on a car trip though the deep south two years ago.

Carol,

I think you could count all the high-rise condos in Phoenix on one hand. Four of the five that I can think of were already built when I moved here in 1968 and the newest was built some time in the 1980's.

Sometime before I moved here, the city council had decreed that high-rises (residential or commercial) could be built only within a zone five miles long and one mile wide. The four older high-rise condos were all located in that zone and the newest is just outside the original boundaries. While it did create a high-rise corridor it also led to rampant speculation with investors buying up all the property within the zone in the hopes that they would cash in.

Fast-forward 50 years and hardly any new high-rises have been added in the high-rise corridor since the 1960's. The properties that the speculators bought up are all overgrown with weeds and are eyesores. Some properties have reverted to their original residential use with new homes built as in-fill projects, but much of it lies dormant. The city eventually abandoned the high-rise corridor concept and commercial high-rises can be found in other areas.

I learned years ago that building upward is more expensive than building outward. Therefore, it makes sense to build high-rises only when the land becomes so expensive that outward expansion is no longer feasible. Phoenix is surrounded by hundreds of square miles of fairly flat desert so the land costs remain fairly low. There is far more supply than demand.

Aside from the high-rises, there are few "upscale" condos of any type. That's because if you have the money to be upscale you live in Phoenix only during the winter months.

Here in florida there are numerous condos. Especially during the housing boom many apartment complexes converted to condo units and now some newer developments have been timeshare/hotel/condo/apartment combos. Before the housing boom a huge development was taking place near my home that was going to build condo towers. I was excited because someting like that could have helped the area and improved my valueas.