If the complex you are considering is a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and the unit you are considering in it is not attached to any other unit, then you, as an owner will be liable for everything except the common area. Your front yard may be mowed and maintained by Association landscapers.
If you have a preliminary title report for the unit and the plat map in it shows that you will own the lot the PUD sits on (however small) and the unit has an 8-digit Assessor Parcel Number (APN) instead of a 10-digit APN (signifying a condo), then you will be responsible for the entire dwelling, just like a SFR (within or without an HOA) and will need to secure a homeowner’s insurance rider for it prior to COE.
Usually, the monthly HOA dues on PUDs are significantly less than those for condos … that is, unless the complex has a lot of amenities for the residents which the HOA needs to maintain.
Even “twinhomes” (2 units usually joined at the garages) are considered “PUDS.”
