Nov. 1, 2016—Falls Church, VA— Homeowners associations are preferred places to call home for millions of Americans, according to the "2016 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey," national research conducted by Zogby Analytics for the Foundation for Community Association Research (FCAR).
The majority, (66%) of respondents said their association's rules protect and enhance their property values, while 84 percent of those surveyed said members of their elected governing board "absolutely" or "for the most part" serve the best interests of their communities.
The group of randomly selected association residents were asked to rate their experience on a scale of one to five, with one being very bad and five being very good. Sixty-five percent say they are "very" or "somewhat" satisfied, with 22 percent neutral and just 13 percent expressing any level of dissatisfaction.
Nearly 70 percent of residents said their community managers provide value and support to residents and their association.
More than 80 percent of residents who had direct contact with their community manager report a positive experience.
Two-thirds (67%) of residents said community associations provide excellent value. Those residents also believe they pay about the right amount—some even say too little—in association assessments, versus paying too much.
"A large majority of Americans who live in community associations are happy and satisfied in their communities," says CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas Skiba, CAE. "This is a testament to how much the community association model has evolved in recent years. The concept has grown up, become well established and become an increasingly successful form of community governance and an essential component of the U.S. housing market."
68 million Americans live in 338,000 common-interest communities, from city-sized, master-planned communities and multi-building condominium complexes to urban cooperatives and small homeowners associations built into small tracks of open suburban spaces. Survey findings also showed that homeowners want to see less, or at least not more, government oversight and control of community associations.
Foundation for Community Association Research conducted similar surveys in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2014. Results can be accessed at http://cairf.org/research/survey_homeowner_past.aspx.
Foundation for Community Association Research (FCAR) was founded in 1975. FCAR is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports and conducts research and makes that information available to those involved in association development, governance and management. FCAR provides authoritative research and analysis on community association trends, issues and operations. Our mission is to inspire successful and sustainable communities. We sponsor needs-driven research that informs and enlightens all community association stakeholders—community association residents, homeowner volunteer leaders, community managers and other professional service providers, legislators, regulators and the media. Our work is made possible by your tax-deductible contributions. Your support is essential to our research. For more information, visit www.cairf.org.