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Great analogy. Is that ok? It would seem that people entered the contract together without duress? Are there other neighborhoods? Run by other HOAs with bet

Great analogy. Is that ok? It would seem that people entered the contract together without duress? Are there other neighborhoods? Run by other HOAs with better terms? Isn't it a market contest at that point to see which one buyers will prefer?

wvenable 5y ago
They definitely entered into that contract without duress. But the majority of other neighborhoods are also run by HOAs with similar terms. There are a few neighborhoods that are completely free of HOAs that but those houses are not as nice and neighborhoods not as nice. If you want a nice house in a nice neighborhood, an HOA is your only option. I'm positive some people, if they had the option, would prefer to buy their current house free of the HOA. Others, on the other hand, like that HOA protects their neighborhood and don't care that they can't paint their house a different color or buy TV's directly from manufacturers. Sadly, the house and neighborhood you want determines whether or not you'll have to enter into that contract with a particular HOA.
- jungturk 5y ago
  > There are a few neighborhoods that are completely free of HOAs that but those houses are not as nice and neighborhoods not as nice. I think the HOA tries to argue that this isn't coincidence - its the HOA's policies and governance that have resulted in the niceness (we can cite examples that both support this and contradict this, of course, so its hard to assess whether this is true). Folks might argue that it isn't fair that the most desirable goods are encumbered, but then its kind of up to them to create or support institutions that can manufacture the unencumbered version. That's the promise of a market opportunity where we can create brand new neighborhoods to test your hypothesis that people will prefer the nice-but-no-HOA version (I think the recent buzz around the Framework laptops is an example of this).
MomoXenosaga 5y ago
No it would not be okay, factories used to pay their workers with coupons to be spent exclusively in company stores.
- jungturk 5y ago
  Agreed - but I think that would be an example of a contract under duress - the workers have no choice and the company can exploit them. With iPhones I think we have a choice, and while it isn't ideal, we can vote with our wallets and support other institutions or companies.
  - wvenable 5y ago
    But that's exactly like arguing the workers can just get another job.

wvenable 5y ago

They definitely entered into that contract without duress. But the majority of other neighborhoods are also run by HOAs with similar terms. There are a few neighborhoods that are completely free of HOAs that but those houses are not as nice and neighborhoods not as nice. If you want a nice house in a nice neighborhood, an HOA is your only option. I'm positive some people, if they had the option, would prefer to buy their current house free of the HOA. Others, on the other hand, like that HOA protects their neighborhood and don't care that they can't paint their house a different color or buy TV's directly from manufacturers. Sadly, the house and neighborhood you want determines whether or not you'll have to enter into that contract with a particular HOA.

jungturk 5y ago
> There are a few neighborhoods that are completely free of HOAs that but those houses are not as nice and neighborhoods not as nice. I think the HOA tries to argue that this isn't coincidence - its the HOA's policies and governance that have resulted in the niceness (we can cite examples that both support this and contradict this, of course, so its hard to assess whether this is true). Folks might argue that it isn't fair that the most desirable goods are encumbered, but then its kind of up to them to create or support institutions that can manufacture the unencumbered version. That's the promise of a market opportunity where we can create brand new neighborhoods to test your hypothesis that people will prefer the nice-but-no-HOA version (I think the recent buzz around the Framework laptops is an example of this).

MomoXenosaga 5y ago

No it would not be okay, factories used to pay their workers with coupons to be spent exclusively in company stores.

jungturk 5y ago
Agreed - but I think that would be an example of a contract under duress - the workers have no choice and the company can exploit them. With iPhones I think we have a choice, and while it isn't ideal, we can vote with our wallets and support other institutions or companies.
- wvenable 5y ago
  But that's exactly like arguing the workers can just get another job.