In decades of owning homes in different places, I never had one in a HOA neighborhood until I moved back to Indiana. I never had any problems with neighbors in the other places. Having said that, all it takes is a couple of self-centered jerks in a neighborhood to make life miserable. Not everyone is reasonable or even makes a half-hearted attempt to keep the peace with neighbors. Our HOA is very reasonable, the fee isn't high and they do a pretty good job of keeping the neighborhood in decent condition. I think one of the biggest helps in keeping people feeling like neighbors is our exclusive facebook page which allows neighbors to ask for help, answer questions, sell/ giveaway things and complain. It also serves somewhat as a neighborhood watch when people are victims of crime. It seems to me that most people who knock HOA's have never lived under one's covenants. To each his own. If you are a self-centered jerk who continually does things that really disrupts a neighborhood, then "you suck as a person"!