News from the ARC

Caring for Your Home's Exterior

It is important to know and understand the community rules when purchasing a home in an HOA regulated community. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the exterior of all structures on their property including the house, garage, shed, fence, deck or patio, and driveway. The Linwood Farms homeowner's associations (HOAs) has started annual property inspections.

With warmer weather coming now, to avoid receiving that dreaded HOA letter, be proactive and perform a visual inspection of your home for the following common violations:

• Peeling, blistering or faded paint on the home, shed, garage, etc.
• Mismatched or faded paint colors on the doors, shutters, etc.
• Rust, dirt, mildew and mold (lots of this currently exists in the neighborhood) that is visible on the home’s exterior siding, walkways, and driveways
• Mildew, mold, mismatched stain color or incomplete staining or other stains on fencing or decks visible from the roadway

The most common HOA violation our homeowners encounter is for dirty, moldy siding or worn fences in need of repairs, pressure washing and sealing or stain service. If you identify any of the issues above, address it as soon as you can – hire a pro or set some time for a DIY project. Check with your neighbors and see if they would like to set up service with you, and ask the contractor if they offer any discounts for scheduling multiple houses. Once you receive an HOA warning letter it may be too late to schedule in time to avoid a fine. Most professional power washing companies are scheduled a few weeks out and in addition would need some time to estimate and get pricing to the homeowner. A proactive approach means you should never see one of those letters again.

Typically, homeowners have 30 to 60 days to address violations. Plan accordingly to complete work within the HOA's deadline.

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