They are really annoying when they tell you that it pays for trash. We get that anyway!
I had a deal fall through because of poor budgeting by the HOA and they wouldn't fix it. Cost my client the house she wanted and cost me like $3300.
The one thing I will say is that there is a big visual difference between communities that do and do not have HOAs.
But I agree, it shouldn't be a battle to get responses from them.
(BTW, the HOA boards are usually volunteers, so you aren't "paying their salary")
Our HOA is run by a management company, and they manage several HOAs so we definitely are paying for their salaries, or a portion of it.
We get trash, common area lawn service and snow removal, of which the snow removal has been lacking lately. We pay more for communities that get all that and a pool. WTF?
They recently replaced all the sidewalks and tore up a good bit of my yard and never properly replaced it. Now I have a steep drop off on a small hill where weeds have taken over.
I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?