Resident Frequently Asked Questions:
2025 Proposed Indenture Change to Increase Assessment Amount
What is being proposed:
HOA Assessment increase from $280 to $380 per year, beginning 2026.
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Why is this being proposed:
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Strengthen Reserves: We currently hold 1.2x our annual spend in reserves, while 2x is recommended.
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Cover Rising Costs: Expenses like insurance and utilities continue to rise, while revenue has remained flat.
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Address Deferred Maintenance: Key assets including the playground, security cameras, common ground, trail, pool, and creek areas need continued reinvestment.
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Plan for the Future: This increase will generate $55,000, annually, to maintain operations, preserve assets, and sustain financial stability.
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Reduce Volunteer Support & Burnout: Expanding financial resources can help lessen reliance on volunteers and allow for professional services where needed.
What to Expect & When:
Resident Voting Process & Next Steps
Homeowners will receive ballots in mid-June via postal mail, with instructions on how to submit votes via postal mail or drop-off at City & Village Tax Office. If the assessment is approved, the new assessment will take effect in 2026.
Opportunities to Learn More:
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Gazette Spring Edition: Arriving in mailboxes in early May
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Spring General Meeting: May 20, 7:30 PM, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 13014 Olive Blvd
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Informal Poolside Q&A: Mid-June: Details to come
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Website: Visit & bookmark OldFarmEstates.org
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Calendar Subscription: Subscribe to OFE Google calendar
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Like & Follow Us!: Join the OFE private Facebook Group
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NEW - OFE HOA Emails: OPT-IN today with below link
Our Subdivision
Homeowners Association Information
Q: How many homes are in our subdivision and how old is it?
A: Old Farm has 558 single family homes making us one of the larger subdivisions in unincorporated St. Louis County. We are not part of another municipality such as Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, or Maryland Heights. That means we rely on Saint Louis County for services and amenities if they are not provided by the HOA. The subdivision was built over a 5 year period from 1964 - 1969.
Q: How does our HOA function?
A: The Indenture of Restrictions, which are our neighborhood governing documents, established a board of 15 volunteer trustees and defined their duties and powers. It gave them their mission to preserve the property values of our homes. Trustees serve for 3 year terms. The At-Large positions (8) renew this May and the District positions (7) renew November 2026. See our OFE Trustee page or review in the OFE Guide Book Directory for more details.
Q: What are the benefits of having well-maintained community assets?
A: The primary benefit of HOA community assets is the preservation and often increase of individual property values by maintaining a consistent aesthetic appeal through enforced rules and regulations. This ensures well-maintained common areas like landscaping, and providing shared amenities such as our ballfields, common ground, playground, pool, and trail. These all contribute to a higher quality of life for homeowners, fostering a sense of community.
Q: Can residents review the HOA’s financial reports and the 2023 reserve study?
A: Yes, we are committed to transparency. Financial reports and the 2023 reserve study are available for review on the Old Farm Estates website in our Documents section, and during HOA meetings.
Q: What has the OFE HOA Board of Trustees been doing to reduce expenses?
A: Trustees have continued to focus on acting as good faith stewards representative of the Old Farm Estates community, partnering together to identify ways to sustainably manage our community while preserving our neighborhood’s value. We have reduced expenditures by gathering neighborhood volunteers to support general maintenance, identifying alternative revenue sources, such as fundraising, and forming committees to prioritize responsible spending on proposed projects or doing without updates.
Annual HOA Assessment Fee
Purposefully Supporting & Sustaining Our Community
Q: What is the purpose of an annual HOA assessment fee?
A: The purpose of an HOA annual fee is to fund the maintenance and upkeep of shared community spaces and amenities such as landscaping, pool, playground, security, utilities, and fixtures, ensuring all residents contribute to the overall upkeep of their neighborhood. By maintaining the shared areas, HOA fees aim to preserve property values and enhance the overall quality of life within the neighborhood.
Q: Why is an annual assessment increase necessary now?
A: We are asking for an increase to strengthen our reserves, cover rising costs due to inflation, address deferred maintenance, plan for the future, and reduce volunteer support. The 2023 reserve study identified specific improvements to make over the life of an asset with corresponding funding recommendations. This confirmed that our current funding model is inadequate. Also, the current fee structure is capped at $280. The model of flat funding sources and increased expenses is not sustainable.
Q: What will the increased annual assessment fee be and will it be recurring?
A: The new proposed annual assessment fee is $380 with the option of an annual increase commensurate with, and not exceeding, the Consumer Price Index. This amount will help us cover the rising costs of necessary repairs and improvements. It is not the intent or goal to raise the assessment every year. As Trustees managing the funding sources, the neighborhood does need a mechanism to increase assessments to cover escalating costs and ensure there are sufficient funds for operations and preservation of the subdivision assets. Future increases will be determined by the Trustees each year and would be limited to the Consumer Price Index.​
​Q: What will the additional assessment funds be used to support?
A: Assessment funds will be used to: fund the reserve at the recommended level, cover rising costs, allow us to complete additional upgrades and asset preservation recommended in the reserve study, and have the ability to pay professionals to do work such as tree cutting instead of relying solely on homeowners. As maintenance requirements become more complex or time intensive, we require more skilled professionals to tackle larger projects which will require funding. Trees planted in the 1960s have gotten quite big!
Q: What happens if the increased assessment ballot measure does not pass?
A: This will be a topic we will do our best to cover in more detail in the upcoming Spring Gazette, at the General Meeting, as well as the poolside meeting we are offering in early June. If the increase does not pass, we will continue to defer maintenance, depend on volunteers to do professional work, ask for donations, risk not having enough in reserves to cover critical maintenance, and have continued deterioration of our neighborhood assets.
Q: What does the increased annual assessment mean in terms of our future market value?
A: One of the many purposes of the OFE HOA is to ensure the legacy of our neighborhood by protecting property values. By creating a beautiful, desirable community year round that is well-maintained and successfully managed, prospective buyers feel more confident in making a real estate decision based on the curb-appeal of their surrounding neighbors and the amenities available to them. According to a study conducted at George Mason University, on average, a house within an HOA community sells for about 5% to 6% higher than a house that does not belong to one. Source: George Mason University Study
Assessment Process & Resident Voting
Homeowners Association Information
Q: How did the HOA determine the necessity of this increase?
A: To determine the necessity, scope and timing of required maintenance and replacement of assets and the financial needs of OFE, the OFE Trustee Finance Committee conducted a detailed review of our financials and the current conditions of OFE community assets. The trustees obtained a professional reserve study in 2023, which provided external, non-partisan guidance. The OFE Trustee Finance Committee reviewed, analyzed, and synthesized the data, then made a recommendation and proposal to the Trustee Board.
Q: When will residents be asked to vote on the increased assessment?
A: Voting will take place in June 2025. If the assessment is approved, the new assessment will become effective for 2026 assessment.
Q: How many votes do we need to pass the increased assessment?
A: For a proposed amendment change to pass, the OFE Indenture of Restrictions requires the affirmative vote of a 60% majority of the votes cast by mail-in ballots or drop-off at City & Village Tax Office, each lot being entitled to one vote.
