Buying or selling a home involves a lot of things, it also raises questions. In this column ‘Ask Bob’, real estate expert/broker Bob Bartikoski of RE/MAX Paradise Homes Bonaire answers a real estate question from a reader. This time:
Question: How do HOA dues work on Bonaire? Are they only for condos or do houses in a development have them too?
Home Owners’ Associations (HOA or VVE), apply to most condominiums in Bonaire, and some houses in developments. These associations charge various monthly or yearly fees according to what services they provide, such as maintenance of pool, taking care of landscaping, security gates, etc. Some owner associations also provide vacation rental services to the owners who choose to rent their condos.
Houses may also belong to an association that has fees or dues for any common areas such as a security gate or entrance landscaping, or no dues if there are no common areas to maintain. In developments with no common areas to maintain, there are frequently what we refer to as sleeping or inactive HOAs, which means there are no dues and no meetings. These associations if active, usually exist in order to be able to enforce any neighborhood restrictions.
If you own or are considering a condo that has an HoA be sure to ask what costs are included in your monthly dues, as items such as TV, Internet or insurance may be included in your monthly fees. Every association is different so be sure to ask for a copy of the HoA /VVE documents if you are going to buy an property.
Please email me directly if you need more information on a specific property at [email protected]. Bonaire: +599-717-7362. Call for free from the US: 1-866-611-7362. See all our listings here.