HOA Dues are revealed to all home buyers prior to purchase. And, since not all home buyers understand the issue, I wanted to address “What is an HOA Fee and Why is it a Good Thing?”.
First, HOA is short for Home Owner’s Association. This term signifies that the builder/developer of the building or neighborhood legally filed some Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions that run with the property and likely filed Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws outlining the establishment of the Home Owners Association, their duties and voting rights.
The presence of an HOA will show up as an exception on your preliminary title report. Exceptions on the title report validate that there is some claim or limitation on property ownership. In the event of an HOA, the significance is that there are limitations to property use. Owners must conform to the guidelines in the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, which is sometimes loosely referred to as Community Rules.
When you order a set of HOA documents for review prior to purchase of property, (Meadow Walk’s HOA Documents are available for viewing here on this website) especally newer property including condos and townhomes, you may discover that the HOA package is over an inch thick! The package will include all HOA documents of public record as well as minutes of meetings, financial studies, budgets and more. Read More
County officials and community representatives and organizations, including the Sarasota Audubon Society, will celebrate the completion of the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility and a related project – replacement of the Raymond Road Bridge and other improvements – at a grand opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. The ceremony at the gazebo just north of Palmer Boulevard will be followed by a 5k Fun Run starting at 6 p.m.
In early 2001, Sarasota Audubon began conducting bird surveys at the Fields. To date, 206 species have been recorded. Wintertime offers particularly good birding, hosting up to 8 species of sparrows, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, and several species of rails, including Sora and Virginia. The Fields also host breeding birds, including Black-necked Stilts, King Rail, Least Bittern, Limpkin, Eastern Towhee, Barn Owl and Eastern Meadowlark. Least Terns breed on nearby buildings and use the ponds as a primary food source. Rarities show up from time to time, including Upland and White-rumped Sandpipers, Short-eared Owl and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow.
