Gosh man, consider Atlanta. My taxes are $1,200 A YEAR. I put next to nothing down for an FHA loan. I was more interested in getting into a home before prices r

Gosh man, consider Atlanta. My taxes are $1,200 A YEAR. I put next to nothing down for an FHA loan. I was more interested in getting into a home before prices rose too high, than instant equity, but you make a good point. I specifically avoided HOA communities for the reasons you mentioned. I don't think they keep property values high, on the contrary I think they keep property values artificially high!