I'm a soon-to-be Daybreak resident, and I have a few HOA-related questions for current Daybreak residents:

1. Is there a document somewhere that lists the services that you are buying with your HOA dues?

2. How much are the monthly dues?

3. Does the HOA include some kind of fiber-optic Internet connection? I seem to recall hearing something about that, but can find no definitive info on it.

4. The house I'm hoping to purchase does not share a common lawn (i.e., it has its own lot, independent of other lots). Does that mean that my HOA dues are less since there is no lawn care service (I presume)?

Thanks!

And another question: According to daybreakliving.net, "The Architectural Review Committee must approve alterations, additions and changes to the exterior of your home or landscape"

Has anyone had experience with this?

For example,I would like to fence in the back yard of the house I'm buying, and I might like to remove some of the beds from the back yard as well. Is this something that is subject to approval?

How often are things like this approved?

1 - There are a series of governing documents that describe the community and association structure, roles, and responsibilities. You should be able to obtain a copy at the HOA office. Now, getting them to live up to these responsibilities is another issue entirely.

2 - The dues vary according to the type of property, development phase, etc. I live in a single family home in Founder's Village. My quarterly assessment is $254.

3 - The HOA dues include an assessment for Qwest high-speed internet. It's $35/month. Some people love it; others hate it. I never succeeded in getting it to work properly, so I am still paying $35/month for the service even though I had to find a different ISP. If you like making your own choices about high-speed internet or have any unique needs, having the HOA mandate your provider and level of service is not necessarily a good thing.

4 - Yes, a single-family home with a private lot pays a lower assessment than townhouses, condos, or those with shared common areas.

5 - You would need to obtain approval through the review committee to install a fence and/or modify the landscaping (including in the backyard). The process sounds more ominous that I found it to be. I believe the committee meets twice a month. I submitted and had final approvals for my fence and landscaping within a few weeks. There have been complaints about how consistently the standards are applied throughout the community, and I know that others have had a much more difficult time getting things approved through the review committee.

Hope this helps.

Along the lines of number 5 above, I wouldn't recommend removing any planter beds without getting it approved first. There are guideleines the HOA uses to determine size and location of planter beds. They also limit lawns to no more than 60% of the total yard. These guidelines are to insure lower water useage in the community as well as a more uniform look. I know of at least one person who was fined for deviating from an approved landscaping plan. If you want to add plants to an existing bed or change what is planted it should be OK without approval as long as you stick to the planting guidelines. Again, I suggest you stop by the association off to get a copy of the landscaping guideleines and ask them about the process for making changes.

I heard that some home in Village 1 doesn't have the fiber optic connection to the house. So you might want to check with the owner to see if they have that infrastructure built-in.

I got my backyard design approved on the first try. It's not really that big of a deal. It's something simple, and very useful. They just want people to do something with the backyard, instead of leaving it to grow weeds.

I have good experience with the internet connection, even putting a wireless router on top of their router. So far so good.

Before you dig anything, get Blue Stake to come out and check things out. Really. If you happen to cut a fiber connection, lots of people won't be happy with you, esp. your neighbors.

I'm in Founder's Village Phase 1 single family home and no, we don't have the fiber optic cable. My HOA dues are $150 quarterly.

HOA fees cover the community center, splash pool, swimming pool, parks and more. I tried looking on daybreakliving.net for an easy document that would list out the fees and all the amenities included but I couldn't find it. Might be there if someone else can look.