I have dealt with and been in hoa boards for many moons. Some truth in what everyone on here says. It is a thankless job that can be very time consuming. For that reason, my experience is that folks on the board are there for one of the following reasons:
1. They are concerned about their neighborhood and want to help (yes there are some good ppl on boards)
2. They have a pet issue that they want to have a voice in addressing (this is quite common).
3. They are retired and want something to do.
4. They like being in control.
5. They want to award the contracts to friends/family (i had to call a board member out on this and was successful in getting the rest of the board to see what was happening)
With a good board i think hoas are a very positive thing for a neighborhood. The best maintained, best looking areas are almost always in hoas. The problem arises when you get a majority on the board with less than noble intent.