HOA’s that Disappear
Working most recently with a family relocating to Stafford County from Florida, I was challenged when trying to confirm whether or not the property was located within a Homeowner’s Association. Because I was the Buyer’s Agent, I was relying on the information from the listing which indicated there was indeed an HOA. Of course, everyone knows this information may or may not be accurate so we have to practice due diligence to get to the bottom of things when information isn’t as black and white as we’d like.
What do you do as a Buyer’s Agent if your clients are requesting an HOA package from the seller and the seller is not exactly sure where that HOA is or if there even is one? What if the seller is an investor who has no real knowledge of the community, restrictions, covenants, fees, or history of the area? Even after having lived in this area for 25+ years, as a Realtor, I cannot be expected to know every HOA and even if I did, it would be incomprehensible to make myself responsible for knowing all of their contact information, covenants/restrictions, fees, etc – especially since they often change dramatically over time.
I took it upon myself when given the answer “I don’t know” to call as many of the residents of that community to find out for myself whether or not there was a functioning Homeowner’s Association. Interestingly enough, not only did I get a full history from residents who had been there from the beginning, but I had an opportunity to introduce myself and my clients who would soon be there new neighbors. This satisfied the seller, the title company, the lender and most especially, my clients.
It always pays to go a bit above and beyond for your clients.
Irene Morales Ward, Realtor
REMAX Distinctive
Northern Virginia Real Estate
