I don’t mind paying dues of or around $100 per month IF they are going to good use in the neighborhood. An example of how this can go totally wrong is a friend who lives in LA. His association decided to spend all its money upgrading the entrance of their condo complex so it raised the value of their condos. All fine and good for investors seeking to sell and move up, but bad for people like my friend. His roof leaked and needed immediate attention. Even after he and several other neighbors complained the association ignored them and continued spending on stuff to increase the value of the property, but degraded the actual condos themselves due to neglect and ignorance.
I never want to own a money pit known as a pool. I’ll gladly pay the extra money for a hot tub, gym and pool in the community over spending money on a pool and maintenance costs.
