> You are free to paint the inside of your apartment however you want but painting the balcony or the hallway side of your front door is not allowed as it compromises the visual image of the building.

Sounds monotonous with a lack of free expression and personality.

>No one will care if the rusted cars are inside a shed though.

Not necessarily true. Some HOAs will prohibit you from building the shed in the first place and some even go so far as to regulate the contents of your garage.

I should fess up that I actually do own one property in an HOA, so my declaration that it’s “not for me” is a little dishonest. It’s definitely a place that I don’t care about as much as my “real” house, so I’m a little more able to tolerate the silly rules. It’s a condo, and for example I’m not allowed to change my exterior blinds in any way. Gotta keep the exterior look of the building uniform, right? :eyeroll: It does have its advantages though. The place is very well kept and its resale value reflects that.

I am part of the minority that would not mind at all if my neighbor had a rusted out car in their lawn. I recognize that this isn't a very common opinion though.

By that logic you willfully associate with a city too. If you don't like the city ordinances you can buy a house in a neighboring city or outside the city limits. Even moving in to a reasonable HOA is no guarantee. The board can change and your dream home can become a nightmare. Trying to find a property without a HOA in some areas can be nigh impossible or at the very least can significantly increase your commute.