How homeowners associations became so powerful

More than 80% of newly built single-family homes sold in 2022 belonged to a homeowners association, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HOAs tout themselves as a value-add to homeowners, specifically when it comes to maintaining high property value, but not everyone is pleased with these organizations. More than half, 57%, of homeowners with an HOA dislike the arrangement, and more than 3 in 10 say they feel their HOA has too much power, according to a 2023 survey from Rocket Mortgage.