Many of us often complain about our homeowner’s associations. In fact, almost every week I get at least one phone call from a client having a dispute with the homeowner’s association. Just the other day, I received a complaint about my car parked out on the street. The letter stated that there was a white mustang parked in front of my home at midnight. At first I couldn’t figure out whose car it was and then I realized that it was my daughters fiancée's rental car. He was just back from Iraq and was dropping off my daughter. The car was at most parked there from 11:30 to 12:30 a.m. My initial response was anger and outrage which was cured the next day.

The next day I proceeded to show homes in a certain area of El Mirage where there was no HOA. After spending the afternoon in that particular neighborhood, I began to feel privileged that I live in a neighborhood with a strict HOA. Between the trashy, un-kept front yards, to the trucks and trailers parked along the side of the road and homes, I could not imagine having to drive home everyday to such chaos. In addition, the common areas, which are supposed to be maintained by the City, were so overgrown, the community looks abandoned. Many people would say that this could not happen in our neighborhoods, but they are wrong. That subdivision was built from 1999-2001 and the area looks like it is 15 years old. The next time you get a warning letter that is in error, just remember a little aggravation from time to time is far better than the plummeting market values that this area in El Mirage is experiencing.