We have a HOA in a neighborhood close to me. The prices start at $500,000 for the bare lot. They tell you how much landscaping you need, what kind it has to be, what type of grass you have to use, etc... They get so granular as to tell you what kind of DOG you can keep. (No Pits, Shepherds, Akita's, etc). I could never understand how they were granted that kind of power. Then again, these people are PAYING for the right to impose rules they find acceptable on those around them. Don't like the rules, don't live there, there are plenty of houses around. (especially in post-Katrina N.O.)

By the time I'm able to afford a $1M+ house, I'll likely be old enough to be interested in those kinds of rules. That being said, I am really glad I don't live in a neighborhood where it's OK to put tinfoil on the windows. Not that there's a rule prohibiting it, it's just a common sense thing. My neighbor does, however, have 2-4 boats at any give time, which can be annoying.