Covenants
There’s a new development in town. You drive through it and every home has a well manicured lawn and is exquisitly landscaped. It appears to be an answer to your dreams, and you want your new home located right in the heart of this development. If you are using a modular building technology to build your dream home, you better check the covenants that apply to the development first. Covenants are meant to protect the home owner so the value of their new home never decreases due to something the neighbors have done. In theory it sounds wonderful, and sometimes it is. Often modular technologies are excluded due to a misnomer that the building quality is somehow inferior. This could not be further from the truth, as has been documented over and over again. There are other things you need to look for in a covenant document. Anything can be written in as forbidden; it’s a private document for a private development. Check this housing resource guide for a list of some of the more common items found in a covenant. It will convince you to read a covenant thoroughly before signing on the bottom line. Additionally, you need to keep in mind that restrictions can be added to a covenant, usually with a vote from the association. There may be times when your needs are overruled by a board decision. Often living within a restricted community has both positive and negatives attached to it. Make sure you weigh out the pros and cons as they apply to your lifestyle.
