PC, I would agree with you. HOA is another way for the builder to pass the buck on to the home buyers. Professional HOA mgt companies have also become a lucrative cottage industry.
I am not sure that I would call the home buyer unsuspecting however. Although some certainly are and will learn the hard way. But, I am as guilty as the next guy, we have all allowed the market to evolve this way. I could not agree with Daniel more, we all have choices to make and you have to live with the consequences of them.
We all have different circumstances in our lives and buy or sell based our own specific situation. Whatever decisions you make, do your homework, and then be prepared for the risk and reward that goes with your choices.
I am still recovering from my losses from the tech stock bubble, but I learned my lesson and will not make that mistake again. Do I think that we were all scammed and screwed by the VCs and investment banks, who manipulated the market? Yes I do, but I am the idiot who drank the koolaid and bought Qualcomm at $400/share. So I will continue to lick my wounds and live with my decision.
That is why we all come to this site to learn from one another and share information in order to make more informed and better choices in our decisions.
