HOAs are no joke BUT.... Suppose you bust you butt for years, save up enough for a down payment, finally squeeze your way into a house in a neighborhood that you deem good enough for your family, good schools etc. You bust your butt keeping your home in good repair. You keep up the property basically. Then some neighbors decide to let theirs go to hell, don’t take care of it, ignore the rules, paint the house purple or whatever. Drives your property value down and generally makes the neighborhood look less attractive. That’s where the HOAs are on your side. Pay the bills or GTFO. Everyone has problems. Lots of people have lost jobs etc.. but don’t you dare spit on what someone else has put everything they have into.