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Ward Lucas is a longtime investigative journalist and television news anchor. He has won more than 70 national and regional awards for Excellence in Journalism, Creative Writing and community involvement. His new book, "Neighbors At War: the Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association," is now available for purchase. In it, he discusses the American homeowners association movement, from its racist origins, to its transformation into a lucrative money machine for the nation's legal industry. From scams to outright violence to foreclosures and neighborhood collapses across the country, the reader will find this book enormously compelling and a necessary read for every homeowner. Knowledge is self-defense. No homeowner contemplating life in an HOA should neglect reading this book. No HOA board officer should overlook this examination of the pitfalls in HOA management. And no lawyer representing either side in an HOA dispute should gloss over what homeowners are saying or believing about the lawsuit industry.

Another Great One From Deborah Goonan

One of the country’s best Homeowners’ Rights bloggers….perhaps THE best is Deborah Goonan. Her blog is Independent American Communities. Articulate, wise, informed. In short, I’m wildly jealous of her! Maybe in the next lifetime I’ll be reincarnated with her brain.

In any event, her current post, linked below, is one you should print out and keep copies in a file folder where you can quickly find it to hand out to friends.

10 tough questions for opponents of HOA reform

Dang Those Pet Chickens!

Billionaire Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, have a great heart for Africa. They’ve put billions of their own dollars into improving life for those in the third world. Recently, Gates made a somewhat startling statement. He said that Africans could double their annual income if each person had two chickens.

We’re not talking chickens in a pot, we’re talking about creating a continent-wide industry, eggs, protein, new income sources. When the average person in the third world earns just two dollars a day, generating a new source of income actually makes common sense. Although silly at first blush, Gates’ comments are actually another stroke of genius.

Hey, Sweetie, Let’s Buy A Condo

Condo, co-op, duplex. Growing numbers of people are moving into Homeowners Associations with approximately ZERO knowledge of what they are and how dangerous they can be.

It’s been tough getting the media’s attention, but the movement to wake American homeowners up seems to be gaining momentum. Every little bit helps, including the article linked below.

(a word of warning from TheStreet)

 

Just Wait For The Earthquake!

It’s unsettling how so many tens of millions of people have just blithely wandered into the Homeowners Association experience without thinking. And so many people think they’re getting such a deal by being one of the first to believe the developer’s promises and move in.

Hoo, boy. A number of prospective homeowners bought condos in a residential skyscraper under development in San Francisco. The developer just didn’t tell them all the relative facts; that one side of the building has sunk sixteen inches into the ground and the building is tilting.

Wow!

Run Like Your Hair Is On Fire From Village Cooperative

guest blog by Nila Ridings

Facebook has lots of HOA, COA and cooperative ads that pop up and most I ignore. This one I could not because it said Village Cooperative a 55+ housing community. And wouldn’t you know Facebook has it blocked so I cannot make any comments. A year or so ago I did comment on some sort of HOA advertising and since then I’ve been blocked from making comments on all things HOA. Coincidence? I think not.