Good luck finding a Phoenix home without a homeowners association — nearly three-quarters of Valley home listings included HOA fees last year, per a recent report by Realtor.com.
In metro Phoenix, they've been a popular way for developers to fund and maintain community infrastructure like streets, sidewalks and light poles for decades.
Threat level: HOAs can take delinquent homeowners to court, garnish their wages and even foreclose on their homes for failing to pay dues.