Re:HOAs may be evil, but she agreed to it (Score 1)

My HOA goes one step further. - Maintain common areas (pool, etc.) - Mow grass - shovel/plow streets (and driveways/sidewalks) when it snows - Insurance on the structure. I do live in a community where the majority of the houses are attached in some fashion so having a third party in charge of exterior maintenance is beneficial to all. I live alone and the yard is too small to do much with anyways. Basically, the tradeoff for me is that I don't have to worry about the outside of the house which is good since maintaining the interior on my own is about all I care to do. As other posters have said (and this holds true for everything), read what you are signing and determine if the benefits outweigh the costs. Whether $80 a month to the insurance company or $110 to the HOA for the same insurance plus the maintenance is worth it to you or not, your decision, but don't gripe when you are in violation of contract and don't like the consequences.