Late last year I was quoted in a Washington Post article about the need for buyers to carefully read the condo association documents before closing:

Read Them or Weep: Condo Association Documents Give Buyers a Glimpse of the Future

Life can be hectic when you’re moving. And after finding your dream condo the last thing you probably want to do is read through a hundred or more pages of fine print. But buyers and their agents need to make sure that the condo’s rules don’t conflict with the buyer’s future plans (like getting a pet or renting out the condo).

One weekend this spring I was surprised to see that The Cavendish (a condo building at 1200 Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, VA) has outlawed the use of open house signs.

Open houses are an important part of the home-sale process and with no signage it becomes impossible to direct potential buyers to the unit. This speaks to an interesting movement by condo associations to restrict—or outright prohibit—the use of for sale and open-house signs on the property grounds.

The argument is that open houses are a security risk to the building and that signs clutter the grounds. And supposedly these factors depress the values of the condos.

While I agree that large for sale signs constantly in and out of the front yard of condo buildings can be tacky, banning the use of open house signs does not help the owners of units in the building. These restrictions hinder the agents’ ability of the agent to do his or her job, which in turn can lead to lower sale prices—for all owners