Let's Compare Budgets

RobE4 I live in an HOA in Florida with 473 lots. Our dues are $262.50 for each lot per year. We have no amenties but have two parks with playground equipment. We have to maintain 14 retention ponds and a wall at the entrance to the subdivision along with grass cutting and landscaping. Recently a fountain was added to pond near the entrance and some lighting and fenceing added at the parks. Thats the extent of our budgetexpenses to date. We have 16 forclosures and 10 leins filed and 50+ warning letters filed for non payment of dues. Even with those hits we are still able to meet our budget expenses so far. Knock on wood. JerrellC

Ours is a 215 home HOA in Central AZ and the monthly dues are $41. The largest expense by far is for landscapers to maintain the greenbelt/parks that the HOA owns and to pay for repairs to the irrigation system. Overall the budget goes to pay: Landscape ~40%, Utilities ~30%, Management ~30%. This is just a rough overall percentage. We also maintain a fully funded reserve fund. With all the foreclosures, bank owned properties and owners not paying dues we struggle to make ends meet without raising the association dues.