Hi Jane,
In my opinion, Home Owners Associations play an important and vital role in a community. One of my favorite communities in Roswell is a subdivision called Edenwilde. It's a wonderful family community with great amenities and is about $620 a year. The one time initiation fee is $600.

HOA's provide rules and regulations (covenants) so, for instance, someone can't paint their house a hideous color or park 14 RV's in the yard. Overall, they help maintain the value of your home and others around you.

Make sure you know what the current HOA fees are, if there are any Initiation Fees or Special Assessments.

As an agent that lives and works in Roswell, I applaud your choice of finding a home in Roswell. You'll love it.

Jane,

I know this was asked a month ago, but no-one has answered yet so I thought I'd take a shot at it.

I'd say your average swim/tennis annual dues will be in the range of $800 - $1500, but could go as high as $2,400 depending on the level of amenities. Most of the communities that have swim/tennis do require mandatory association fees, which should not negatively affect the market value unless the fee is out of line on the high side compared with other similar neighborhoods. On the contrary, having mandatory association fees is beneficial in that the amenities can be maintained and updated on a regular basis. In my judgment, for resale purposes you are better off paying these dues and getting into a neighborhood that has a nice swim/tennis facility - plus, your family will have a lot more to do in the summer, and you will end up having opportunities to meet and socialize with your neighbors (if you choose to).