The HOA mandates the work you do on your own property - they don't do it for you as a service.
And while it sounds good in theory... in practice many people hate HOAs. They hate not being able to decide what to do themselves and they hate the pettiness and politics of it.
Sure, but if I don’t have anything I want to do in contravention to their guidelines, then I don’t care. The monthly fee is an annoyance but they take care of the exterior work I don’t want to manage. A relationship I am fine with.
Word of warning, this is what I thought HOAs were about when I bought a house in one, with extremely reasonable rules and landscaping services. But unfortunately power corrupts and the board members went out and hired a lawyer in secret, re-wrote the CC&Rs, and then used obscure vote procedures to take total control.
Once the board members gave themselves the ability to write rules without a vote, they started going after everyone for petty violations, like parking a car in your driveway for too many days or having the wrong colored door mat. And they have the legal power to foreclose on your house if you don’t play along.
And while it sounds good in theory... in practice many people hate HOAs. They hate not being able to decide what to do themselves and they hate the pettiness and politics of it.