HOA Decoder turns CC&Rs into a buyer-focused risk report on rules, fees, fines, and hidden HOA exposure.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install hoa-decoder
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install hoa-decoder using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is HOA Decoder?
Openclaw Skills turns HOA governing documents into plain-language due diligence so buyers can see how a community will affect their lifestyle and budget before they close.
It reads the documents you have—CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, fee pages, and budget material—then ranks restrictions by real impact on the buyer's plans, exposes dues-increase and special-assessment mechanics, traces the enforcement path from notice to lien, and lists the exact records to request before buying.
HOA Decoder Use Cases
- Buying a condo, townhome, or lot and needing a fast read on HOA restrictions
- Checking whether pets, vehicles, rentals, home business, or renovations will conflict with the rules
- Estimating dues growth, special-assessment exposure, fines, and lien risk
- Preparing a records request for the board or property manager before making an offer
- Comparing multiple communities and identifying the one with the least lifestyle friction
How HOA Decoder Works
- Gather the provided HOA documents and the buyer's stated plans; ask only for missing essentials such as pets, vehicles, rentals, renovations, current dues, and known assessments.
- Scan the text for use restrictions, assessment mechanics, rental limits, enforcement steps, amendment powers, and fee escalation language.
- Rank every restriction by how much it affects this buyer's life and budget, using the severity scale to separate real-money risk from ordinary boilerplate.
- Quote the clauses that matter, calculate the realistic money exposure, and flag missing documents like the reserve study, budget, minutes, insurance, and litigation history.
- Deliver the final HOA decode with a verdict, ranked restrictions, red flags, records to request, questions for the board or manager, and the required jurisdiction-aware disclaimer.
HOA Decoder Setup
- Load the skill into your Openclaw Skills library or local skills folder.
- Provide the HOA documents you have: CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, fee pages, budget pages, and any assessment notices.
- Include the buyer profile so the ranking can be personalized: pets, vehicles, home business, rentals, and renovation plans.
- Add missing diligence docs when available, especially the reserve study, board minutes, master insurance policy, delinquency data, and pending litigation.
mkdir -p <your-skills-directory>/hoa-decoder
cp SKILL.md <your-skills-directory>/hoa-decoder/
HOA Decoder Data Schema & Taxonomy
Input layers
| Layer | Examples | How it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Governing docs | CC&Rs, bylaws, rules | Source for restrictions, amendment powers, and enforcement language |
| Financial docs | budget, fee pages, assessment notices, reserve study | Source for dues, cap mechanics, special assessments, and financial-health signals |
| Operational records | board minutes, insurance policy, litigation history, delinquency rate | Source for hidden risk and pending obligations |
| Buyer context | pets, vehicles, renting, renovations, home business, investment intent | Used to rank restrictions by lifestyle impact |
Derived taxonomy
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| restriction_type | use, rental, architectural, assessment, enforcement, amendment |
| severity | 🔴 real-money risk, 🟡 probe before buying, 🟢 standard |
| assessment_mechanics | vote threshold, cap, frequency, lien path, enforcement triggers |
| evidence_status | quoted, inferred, missing, jurisdiction-dependent |
| output_section | verdict, ranked restrictions, money exposure, red flags, records to request, questions, disclaimer |
Output shape
- One plain-language markdown report, not a database record
- Exact quotes preserved where possible
- Missing records explicitly called out as gaps
HOA Decoder Advanced Features
- Buyer-specific severity ranking instead of document order
- Special-assessment exposure analysis, including thresholds, caps, and worst-case bill scenarios
- Enforcement-chain tracing from notice to hearing to fine to lien, with jurisdiction-aware caution
- Rental-restriction decoding for caps, waitlists, minimum terms, and grandfathering
- Fee-escalation review for dues increases, transfer fees, and board amendment power
- Concrete records-request checklist for reserve study, budget, minutes, insurance, delinquency, assessments, and litigation
- Quality controls that prevent invented powers and preserve 'enforceability varies by jurisdiction' flags
SKILL.md
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