As homeowners association fees become increasingly common in new construction, David Patterson Homes is taking a different approach at two of its newest Forsyth County communities: one-acre plus homesites, just 4 and 6 homes and no HOA.
Pools, clubhouses, pickleball courts and manicured common areas have become familiar selling points in new-home communities.
But for a growing segment of buyers, the amenity they may value most is something a community does not have: a homeowners association.
A January 2026 YouGov survey found that 63% of Americans would prefer to buy a home in a neighborhood without an HOA, compared with just 12% who would choose one with an HOA. The preference was even stronger among adults ages 45 to 64, with 72% saying they would rather buy without one.
That preference is colliding with a new-construction market where HOAs have become increasingly common. Realtor.com reported this year that 67.9% of new-construction listings carry an HOA fee, compared with 38.9% of existing homes. Across the entire for-sale market, the share of listings with an HOA rose from 34.3% in 2019 to 43.6% in 2025. Realtor.com’s 2026 HOA analysis found the median monthly HOA fee reached $135 in 2025.
For Lori Lane, President and CEO of LLANE & Co., the numbers point to an important reminder for builders: not every buyer defines “community” the same way.
“Amenities absolutely have value for the buyer who wants them, but there is another buyer who sees space, privacy and fewer restrictions as the amenity,” Lane said. “The opportunity is understanding which buyer you’re building for rather than assuming everyone wants the same version of new construction. David Patterson Homes understands that and is intentional in how they plan their communities.”
A Different Kind of New-Home Community
That is the buyer David Patterson Homes is targeting at Reece Run and Enclave on Wallace Tatum in Cumming.
The boutique communities feature just four and six homesites, with European transitional farmhouse-style homes priced from the $700s. The homes sit on one-acre plus lots and have no HOA. Both communities are also located roughly half a mile from GA 400 and minutes from the North Georgia Premium Outlets.
For buyers accustomed to seeing new construction on smaller lots with mandatory association dues and extensive shared amenities, that combination stands out.
At Reece Run and Enclave on Wallace Tatum, the land itself becomes part of the lifestyle proposition.
Current homes offer roughly 3,000 square feet with five bedrooms, multiple living spaces and large, usable lots that create significantly more separation between neighboring homes than is typical in many newer subdivisions. Reece Run and Enclave on Wallace Tatum are being marketed around that combination of new-home design, land and independence.
“There is a buyer who wants new construction but doesn’t necessarily want the traditional subdivision experience,” Lane said. “They want the new kitchen, the current floor plan, the warranty and the energy efficiencies, but they also want a bigger yard, space between neighbors and more freedom in how they use their property.”
The Appeal Isn’t Necessarily About Saving the HOA Fee
The no-HOA conversation can easily become a discussion about cost, particularly as association fees rise.
But Lane says that misses part of the appeal.
For many buyers, the bigger issue is control.
A larger homesite can create room for a future pool, garden, play space, outdoor entertaining or simply greater privacy. Buyers may also be drawn to the idea of owning a newer home without an additional layer of community rules governing how they use and maintain their property.
That does not make an HOA inherently better or worse.
HOAs can provide significant benefits, including professionally maintained amenities, landscaping, private roads and community standards. Realtor.com notes that many newer communities rely on associations specifically because of the shared infrastructure and amenities they provide.
The distinction is about buyer preference.
“If someone wants the resort pool, staffed clubhouse and full amenity calendar, an HOA may be exactly what supports the lifestyle they’re buying,” Lane said. “But if the buyer’s dream is an acre of land and the ability to create their own backyard lifestyle, that’s a completely different value proposition.”
A Builder With North Georgia Roots
The approach also fits the history of David Patterson Homes.
David Patterson is a second-generation homebuilder who was born and raised in Forsyth County. He grew up learning the business from his father before overseeing the construction of more than 100 homes for regional and national builders. In 2015 he founded David Patterson Homes.
Over more than 15 years of building in metro Atlanta and around Lake Lanier, Patterson has focused on custom and semi-custom homes, European transitional and modern farmhouse architecture, and communities that respond to their individual locations rather than following a single development formula.
That portfolio ranges from estate-style homesites to Lake Lanier properties. At Long Hollow Landing in Gainesville, for example, David Patterson Homes is completing a small lake community with homes priced from $1 million. Only 2 lakeside homes remain with a deeded, covered boatslip at the community dock.
At Reece Run and Enclave at Wallace Tatum, the selling proposition is different: one acre plus homesites with plenty of usable land, convenient access to GA 400 and no HOA.
Space and Freedom Can Be Amenities, Too
The larger trend does not suggest that master-planned communities or HOAs are disappearing. In fact, the opposite is true: the majority of new construction now includes an association.
That is precisely what makes communities without one noteworthy.
When nearly seven in 10 new-build listings include HOA fees, a new home on approximately an acre without an association becomes a point of differentiation rather than simply the absence of a feature.
For Lane, that is the larger lesson.
“New-home buyers have more choices than simply ‘new versus resale,’” she said. “They can choose high-amenity, low-maintenance living, or they can choose land, privacy and independence. Both are legitimate versions of what buyers want today.”
At Reece Run and Enclave on Wallace Tatum, David Patterson Homes is betting there are North Georgia buyers looking for the latter.
And in a new-construction market filled with amenity lists, perhaps one of the most interesting selling points is increasingly simple:
More land. More privacy. Fewer rules.
