In a battle of wits, the smartest player comes out on top. Unfortunately, when you're dealing with an HOA, the rules are skewed to their advantage and simple smarts are not usually enough to defeat them.

When buying a home, you face enough hassle without the HOA making it harder for you. But that's what HOAs are known for — making you miserable. This young couple relocated for work and rented the wife's father's vacation condo while settling in. They absolutely adored the place, and to their surprise, her father offered to sell it significantly below market value. While they suspected this generosity might be fueled by his desire for continued summer visits, they seized the chance to become hom…

First-time home buyers have over-inflated confidence in their DIY skills

Always double-check your paperwork because you never know what sorts of sneaky evils lurk in the fine print. Unfortunately for OP in our next story, he found himself in a sticky situation after signing a lease with a money-grubbing landlord.

Apartment residents don't always have complete control over what happens in their home, and sometimes nature does its duty, a contractor pulls the wrong wire, or your four year old nephew pulls the fire alarm. Whatever the case may be, sometimes our supervision and good intentions make no difference. Such was the case for one person whose fire sprinkler went off due to something their contractor did. Of course, OP was not at fault, but the HOA apparently disagreed. Let's start at the beginning.…

Mudslinging isn't very neighborly, but neighborhood feuds are more common than affordable housing. In buildings with close quarters, paper-thin walls, and rickety floorboards, it's easy to get swept up in the downright fury of a noisy, irritating neighbor– especially when you have opposite sleep rhythms. For this tenant, it was more than just the tight living conditions that sent her over the edge...