HOA Notes

HOA Guides

HOA buyer guides and reviews

Free, statute-cited guides for HOA buyers across 10 states: the disclosure law by state, individual rules compared across states, and red-flag reviews of specific California communities. The parts a standard disclosure packet leaves out, before you order your own brief.

HOA rules by topic

One rule, compared across every state we cover, with the statute behind each state and a link to the full state guide.

HOA solar panel rules by state 10 states - when a solar ban is void, the cost and efficiency limits, and approval deadlines Compare states → HOA foreclosure rules by state 8 states - delinquency thresholds, pre-lien notice, board votes, and where a court order is required Compare states → HOA fine rules by state 9 states - fine caps, required notice, and the right to a hearing before a fine Compare states → HOA rental restriction rules by state 8 states - when a ban or cap is allowed, fee limits, and grandfathering of current owners Compare states →

HOA law by state

Buyer guides to the disclosure statutes, fine caps, lien-priority rules, and state-specific gotchas in each of the 10 states HOA Notes covers.

California Davis-Stirling Act, Civil Code §4525 - rentals, solar, assessments, plus 8 community reviews Read guide → Texas Property Owners' Association Act (Ch. 209) - no statutory dues cap, solar and flag protections Read guide → Florida Two regimes (Ch. 720 HOA, Ch. 718 condo) - fines under $1k can't lien, 18% interest cap Read guide → Virginia POA Act (Title 55.1, Ch. 18) - low fine caps, $5,000 minimum for nonjudicial foreclosure Read guide → Arizona Planned Communities Act + Condo Act - 20% cap (planned communities only), solar void by statute Read guide → Colorado CCIOA (post-1992 communities) - 67% supermajority for new rental restrictions Read guide → Nevada NUCIOA (NRS Ch. 116) - 9-month superpriority lien over first deed of trust Read guide → Washington Two regimes (RCW 64.38 older, WUCIOA post-2018) - $2,000 minimum for nonjudicial foreclosure Read guide → North Carolina Planned Community Act + Condo Act - solar excludes high-rise condos, flag-restriction notice rule Read guide → Illinois CPA (condos) + CICAA (larger HOAs) - CICAA threshold is 10 units or $100k assessments Read guide →

California community reviews

Free red-flag previews built from each community's own published governing documents. Every review shows the top 3 red flags, 2 sample agent talking points, and what to request before removing contingencies. The full brief - every flag, 5 talking points, page citations, and a Risk Score - comes when you upload your own packet.

Orange County (browse all 5 →)

Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) Ladera Ranch - 6 active lawsuits as of Nov 2025 Read review → Lake Forest II Master Homeowners Association Lake Forest - every exterior change needs written MAC approval Read review → Tanglewood West Homeowners Association Cypress - 1969 townhouse community; owners maintain interiors incl. plumbing Read review → Coto de Caza Community Association Coto de Caza - 2019 CC&R restatement unsigned and possibly unrecorded Read review → Laguna Audubon II Master Association Aliso Viejo - documented drainage flooding, 3-layer dues for condo buyers Read review →

San Diego County

La Costa Oaks Community Association Carlsbad - 2003 master-planned community, ~844 homes, likely Mello-Roos special tax Read review → La Costa Valley Master Association Carlsbad - 1,073 homes (~2001), reserves 70% funded, ~$135/mo dues Read review →

Sacramento County

Camino Village Homeowners Association Carmichael - active sewer dispute, 2 board seats vacant, 90-day minimum lease Read review →

Guides and comparisons

California HOA disclosure packet guide A buyer's walkthrough of what the seller must hand over under Civil Code §4525 Read guide → Compare California HOAs side by side 8 communities in one table - dues layers, rental rules, litigation, and drainage risk Open comparison → Orange County HOA reviews All 5 reviewed Orange County communities in one place Browse OC →

How these reviews work

Each community review is based on the governing documents that HOA publishes on its own website - CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, architectural guidelines, and any financial or litigation disclosures. HOA Notes reads every page, flags the items that affect buyers most, and writes them up with the document name and page number next to each claim.

The free preview on each page shows the top 3 red flags plus 2 agent talking points. The full brief - ordered at $149 when you upload your own disclosure packet - covers every flag found, all 5 talking points, a Risk Score 0-100, and a checklist of what to request from the HOA before closing. It also analyzes the SPQ, TDS, and NHD together with the HOA docs, not separately.

Don’t see your HOA listed? Upload your disclosure packet and get the full analysis in under an hour.

Order a brief - $149 See a sample brief (PDF)