Episode 20

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Published on:

1st Nov 2025

When the Watchdogs Fail: A Warning for Homebuyers in HOA Communities

In this eye-opening episode, Cheryl Spangler exposes the shocking truth behind one Virginia homeowner association that failed to protect its own community. What started as a simple townhome purchase turned into a discovery of animal cruelty, sewage backup, and dangerous living conditions—while the HOA focused instead on enforcing exterior paint colors.

Cheryl dives deep into how HOAs are supposed to operate under Virginia law, where they often go wrong, and what every homeowner or buyer should do before trusting an association to safeguard their investment. This isn’t just a story about one property—it’s a warning for anyone living under the watch of an HOA.

If you’ve ever wondered who’s really protecting your neighborhood, this episode will make you think twice.

Connect with Cheryl:

📧 hello@cherylspanglerteam.com

📸 Instagram: @cherylspanglerrealestate

📘 Facebook: @liveinoldtown

💼 LinkedIn: cherylspangler

🐦 Twitter/X: @cherylshowlive

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About the Podcast

Life in Northern Virginia
with Cheryl Spangler
Life in Northern Virginia is more than a podcast about real estate—it’s a real, unfiltered look at what it means to live, work, grow, and find your place in one of the most ambitious regions in the country.

Hosted by Cheryl Spangler, a Northern Virginia entrepreneur, real estate broker, builder, and relentless problem-solver, this show dives into the everyday experiences that shape people’s lives here: the struggles, the wins, the transitions, the courage it takes to build something new, and the mindset required to rise above the noise.

Each episode explores a different angle of living in Northern Virginia—whether it’s navigating the housing market, managing relationships in a high-pressure region, discovering local places to explore, facing personal roadblocks, reinventing yourself, or learning how to build a life that actually feels like yours.

From real estate and business to mindset, motivation, lifestyle, and the realities of being human in a fast-moving area, Life in Northern Virginia brings truth, depth, and practical insight for anyone trying to make life work here.

If you want real conversations about growth, courage, community, and the honest day-to-day of living in Northern Virginia, this podcast is your place.
🎧 Subscribe to Life in Northern Virginia with Cheryl Spangler or visit me and say hello
📧 hello@cherylspanglerteam.com
📸 IG: @cherylspanglerrealestate
📘 FB: @liveinoldtown
💼 LI: cherylspangler
🐦 TW: @cherylshowlive
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About your host

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Cheryl Spangler

Weekly real estate lifestyle blog and podcast focused on people, places, events and hidden treasures within Northern Virginia. Find our things you never knew existed about the community you live and work. Engage with people that could change your life. Save money, invest in yourself and find opportunities in our content. No topic off limits!