An estimated 74 million home and condominium owners now live in properties governed by associations of their fellow residents. And to hear the Community Associations Institute tell it, the vast majority are pleased with how their boards run the show.

But hold on a minute. Another survey, this one from HomeAdvisor, has found that 4 out of every 5 folks living with an association would just as soon live elsewhere. And even more say the rules and regulations are restrictive, if not downright oppressive.

The striking differences between the two studies should stand as a stern warning to anyone thinking about buying a place run by a small, elected fraction of their fellow owners. If you don't mind living under the potentially heavy hand of board members, fine. But if you value your freedom, perhaps you should look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, that latter choice is becoming more difficult every year, especially in the new-home market. In 2020, the last year for which data is available, more than 657,000 houses were started in places governed by a community association, according to the Census Bureau. That's up from 545,000 in 2019. And the number was undoubtedly higher last year.

There are good reasons to reside in a place where there are rules. For one thing, rules help maintain property values. With a homeowners association in place, for example, you're not going to live next door to someone who puts his car up on cinder blocks in the front yard, or who parks her 40-foot RV in the driveway.

Associations also make sure any common areas and amenities are clean and maintained, arrange for trash pickup, and ensure that residents keep their grass mowed and their shrubs pruned.

Of course, residents fund all this by paying monthly or quarterly dues to the association. Membership is not optional. You live there, you pay.

But, as reported here and elsewhere, the restrictions and rules can be legendary -- and ridiculous. Some say you can't park a work vehicle in your driveway. Pets' feet are not allowed to touch the ground in common areas. No flagpoles allowed. Political signs are verboten. This kind of shrub is permitted, but not that kind.

All this is fine for most people, the CAI study found. In its 2020 survey of 1,500 residents, about 70% rated their overall experience of living in a community association as "good" or "very good," and about 19% rated it as "neutral."

Not so with the HomeAdvisor study. Of the 1,000 folks polled, a third said their association had caused them "regular stress," and 4 out of 5 admitted they'd rather live elsewhere.

To be sure, just one run-in with an HOA can be enough to sour a resident's happiness -- like the guy who told HomeAdvisor that his situation was "a nightmare." Many of his fellow owners were "in arrears with their dues," and the board president "stole money and mismanaged the insurance and vendors."

For the most part, though, things run well in an association-governed community, and most folks are either pleased or uninterested. Unfortunately, some association boards are, shall we say, a bit overzealous in their quest to keep their communities beautiful and running smoothly. And some board members can overstep their bounds.

One of the chief complaints unearthed by HomeAdvisor is that nearly 3 out of 4 owners are frustrated by a board member or two. Said one homeowner: "The people on the board are the worst power-hungry types."

There's really nothing residents can do about that, save for electing others to replace the offending individuals. But there's a lot you can do in deciding whether or not this is the place for you and your family.

One step you can take is to obtain a copy of the association rules and read them before buying the place. Another is to speak directly with a few of your prospective neighbors to learn of their experiences. Consider HomeAdvisor's findings as a backdrop to your discussions:

-- Eight in 10 respondents griped about dues, saying they had to pay too much. In the CAI survey, however, 62% of respondents reported paying "just the right amount."

It should be noted that rather than being static, dues often rise, sometimes annually -- largely because the cost of running the community goes up apace. Owners are also susceptible to special assessments approved by their boards to pay for big-ticket items deemed of immediate importance.

-- The vast majority of HomeAdvisor's respondents said the rules are too restrictive, especially when it comes to lawn and holiday decorations. They also don't take well to architectural rules that govern exterior paint colors and additions, among other things, and they find limits on the size and number of pets to be particularly appalling.

-- Not surprisingly, offended owners are less than pleased when they are flagged for violating the rules. Two-thirds said the notices were unfair. Most received warnings. But a third were fined -- too much, as you might imagine. Fines for minor infractions, like a stray bicycle left on the front porch, were a major issue.

-- Nosy neighbors constitute another gripe. The tattletales who reported minor rule infractions were called "invasive."

The call couldn't have come at a better time for Beatrice Nwana. "I needed the money," she told me. It came out of the blue: "They contacted me. I don't know how they got my phone number."

Florida-based MV Realty offered Nwana $850 to sign a listing agreement saying that if she decides to sell her Arlington, Texas, house at any time in the next 40 years, she will use MV as her listing agent. She said she "thought it was a good idea," adding that who lists her place is "not important. ... They asked me if I was willing, and I needed the money."

Judging from the 70-odd reviews filed with the Better Business Bureau, none of which have been verified, MV Realty has plenty of satisfied customers. "The process from beginning to end was simple, well explained and professional," according to one. "Would absolutely recommend to anyone."

But others are not so pleased -- not with the concept, not with the way it's presented and not with the results. Some even say it's fraud. But MV claims its practice is perfectly legal, and no court has yet said otherwise.

The pitch for this Homeowner Benefit Program is simple: Sign a binding 40-year listing contract and MV Realty will pay you a percentage of your home's value, up to $5,000. In an email, a spokesperson for the company, which has been totally forthright in answering my numerous questions, says MV "assumes all the risk ... with no certainty of getting any return on its investment."

"We are trying to disrupt the real estate market by developing a long-term, and not transactional, relationship with our customers," said founder Amanda Zachman in a statement. "Our focus is on investing in these relationships and becoming a trusted provider of critical real estate information, support and related resources."

If you sign up with MV, you must list with the company when you decide to sell. The company then has six months to find a buyer. If it does, you owe a 6% commission, which is split with the buyer's agent. If it fails, you are free to use another company or sell the place yourself -- but if it remains unsold after 180 days, the listing reverts to MV.

The contract has a three-day right of rescission period, during which customers can change their minds. But after that, the contract runs with the land for 40 years -- meaning your heirs are bound by the agreement if you pass away before the place is sold.

The company has more than 500 agents on staff as employees -- as opposed to most other firms, where agents are independent contractors -- and a "presence" in 33 states. Its agents work from home, though, so there are no offices to visit. MV hires must be licensed members of their local real estate associations and compliant with their continuing education requirements and codes of ethics.

MV claims its agents earn nearly twice the industry median "salary," but most agents work on commission, not salary. And while some agents glowingly praise the company online, not all do.

On employment website Indeed, for example, a San Antonio agent said working for MV was the "worst work experience" in her 23 years in the business. "If you get contacted by a recruiter for MV Realty, beware," she warned. "They don't care about your success; it is all about the numbers."

"It's as easy as can be, as long as you don't mind feeling like you are setting very vulnerable people up for a very terrible contract," griped another agent.

Near as I can tell, this program is sold largely over the phone. The company says it "only engages" with would-be clients who respond to its ads. But some BBB commenters say they don't recall contacting the company.

Though documents are sometimes emailed, it appears that the first time any paperwork is delivered is when a notary shows up to gather the owner's signature. If the prospects have questions, they're out of luck: Not only do notaries have no knowledge of the program, but their only job is to confirm the identity of the people signing the documents.

"They (MV) do not explain to consumers the contract that they are signing," said one notary -- agents "try to bind them with (a) cash payment and tell them false information."

Perhaps that's why one Washington, D.C.-area notary hasn't had a lot of success obtaining signatures. Of 12 assignments on behalf of MV Realty, 11 people balked, he said. Some were seeing the papers for the first time; others had been emailed the documents, but still had questions.

In no case was an MV agent there to respond to queries -- yet the company claims its customers receive "five-star service."

Some title companies have raised concerns about MV's exclusive right-to-list contracts, which are recorded as liens against the property -- a step that has some owners miffed. One homeowner, who received $1,500 from the company, said she wasn't told about attaching a lien on her property and only found out about it when she applied for a home equity loan.

She said MV wanted $15,000 to terminate her six-month-old contract. "At least 10 emails" to the company went unanswered, she told the BBB. "My lender is requiring (the) MV Realty lien to be dissolved before we can get the proceeds. ... Trying to work out some type of compromise seems impossible."

Unfortunately, compromises don't seem to be part of MV's modus operandi. On numerous occasions, the company has gone to court to enforce its contracts. In Florida alone, I found eight cases in which MV was the plaintiff.

Buying a house in the winter is a different animal, especially in colder climates where the weather can limit your ability to fully see a property.

Members of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents say that buying in winter comes with "unique challenges." As the name suggests, NAEBA members never take listings -- they work solely with homebuyers, working to obtain the best deal possible and protect them from making poor decisions.

Recently, the group produced a white paper highlighting issues winter buyers should be aware of. The top challenge, according to the paper, is the lack of inventory of houses for sale -- but that's not limited to the winter. No matter the time of year, when competition for homes is fierce, exclusive buy-side agents believe you have a better chance with one of them by your side.

"If we see a house of interest come on the market," says Victoria Ray Henderson of The Buyer Brokerage in McLean, Virginia, "we work to see it immediately."

Traditional agents may not be so nimble, the report claims, due to managing listings and other obligations. It could be two or three days before they can get you a showing -- which could be too late.

A more specific winter challenge is the lack of daylight. On the East Coast, it can start to turn dark as early as 4:30 p.m. And since most folks don't finish work until 5, it's tough to get a good view of a house's exterior. You can usually see well enough inside, but most exteriors need to be seen in full daylight.

To combat this, take a few hours off during the day for showings, or skip lunch for a quick look-see. Otherwise, you or your agent should be equipped with a powerful floodlight-type flashlight -- something stronger than your cellphone light -- and a compass to assess how the rising and setting sun will affect the light the house gets during the winter.

Another issue arises when the seller works from home and doesn't want people traipsing through the place during the workday. More than 25% of NAEBA agents called this a "significant issue." In these cases, your agent should be in close contact with the listing agent to pinpoint exactly when the place can be seen.

Snow, ice and cold temperatures can make it difficult to evaluate roofs, decks and other structural components. One way to address this is to pay keen attention to weather forecasts so you'll know when roofs and yards are likely to be snow-covered and when they will be clear.

It's also wise to have a home inspector ready to check the exterior at a moment's notice when the conditions are right. (The interior inspection can be scheduled later.) If that isn't possible, NAEBA suggests extending the inspection date just for the roof.

Snow and cold can also make it difficult to evaluate septic tanks, air conditioning systems and other functional components. To protect your interests, your agent should negotiate to have an escrow account set up and funded at closing to cover any issues that are discovered once the weather warms up.

If everything turns out to be in good shape, the set-aside will be released to the seller. But if something needs to be repaired or replaced, the money to cover the cost goes to the buyer. If there isn't enough, the buyer is out of luck. But if there is some leftover, the seller gets it back.

Pools, hot tubs and water features like ponds and streams present another winter obstacle because it's often impossible to examine them. To minimize concerns here, NAEBA suggests asking for recent photos and receipts to show that mechanical items have been maintained properly. You might even go so far as to call the pool service or other contractors to ask about the condition and maintenance.

The condition of trees and other landscaping elements are equally difficult to access. To see if a tree is alive and just playing dead for the winter, scrape a bit of bark off a small branch. If you see a green layer under the bark, the tree is most likely dormant and will spring to life again. If you don't see green, the branch is dead. And if you find several dead branches, the tree is likely a goner.

Another bad omen: If a lot of bark is separated from the trunk and there's no new bark underneath, the tree could be in trouble. If the tree is important to you, the NAEBA paper suggests hiring a professional to evaluate it.

Frankly, it's more difficult to evaluate just about everything outside in winter. Smells, for example, aren't as noticeable. Ditto for noise and traffic. But what you don't notice now may become a significant issue when everything thaws out. So force yourself to be aware of your surroundings, even when all you really want to do is go inside and warm up. Make sure you wear winter shoes or boots for good traction, plus a heavy coat, gloves and a hat to keep warm.

Finally, Jon Boyd, a NAEBA past president, says the sooner you get into the market, the sooner you'll see what features and drawbacks are common in the area.

"That market knowledge is critical," Boyd says. "No matter how great the (listing) description reads and how lovely the pictures are, every home will have shortcomings. You just want to find the house where you love the features and you can tolerate the flaws."