Buying a home with an association fee changes your monthly budget and your long-term costs. In Marysville, WA, dues can range from a small annual charge for subdivision upkeep to hundreds of dollars a month for a condo with shared utilities.
Key Takeaway
Two current Marysville listings show HOA fees that differ widely in size and coverage. Judge a fee by what it covers rather than its size: the higher one, at Country Villas Condominiums, includes water, sewer, and trash. Townhouses sold for only modestly less than single-family homes at the median, and because townhouses sell slowly, negotiating the price down to offset the fee is usually the better choice.
Who This Guide Is For
You're weighing a Marysville townhouse, condo, or HOA subdivision home against one without dues, and you need to know whether the monthly fee is reasonable and what it will cost you over the years you plan to stay.
How Much Are HOA Fees in Marysville, WA?
No single average fee exists for the city, but two recent local listings show monthly dues of $85 and $578. For context, the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey put Washington's median monthly HOA or condo fee at $82 statewide.
Townhouses sold for a median $582,457 against $620,253 for single-family homes in the 90 days ending September 30, 2026, a gap of $37,796. At the higher fee, $6,936 a year in dues uses up that gap in about 5.4 years. At the lower fee, $1,020 a year takes about 37 years to do the same.
These medians compare homes of different sizes, and the townhouse figure rests on just 10 sales. If you plan to stay longer than the break-even period, a no-dues home may cost less overall, unless you negotiate the purchase price down.
Count dues alongside taxes, insurance, and utilities when you add up the full cost of living in Marysville.
Marysville HOA Fee Examples From Recent Listings
Country Villas Condominiums
Per an active NWMLS listing dated October 18, 2026, dues here are $578 a month. This covers common area maintenance, earthquake insurance, lawn service, road maintenance, sewer, trash, and water. A single-family owner pays water, sewer, and trash separately, so subtract Marysville utility costs before calling this fee high.
The earthquake insurance also stands out: most Washington homeowners don't carry it unless they add it as a rider. The listing doesn't confirm FHA approval, so check the HUD condo approval list before relying on FHA financing. It also doesn't show how well the reserves are funded, so don't assume the fee will hold steady.
Lakewood Commons
Per a sold NWMLS listing dated January 23, 2026, the fee was $85 a month, covering common area maintenance and exterior painting every 8 to 10 years. This is the lower-dues model, with the owner paying utilities and most upkeep directly.
The listing doesn't state the property type, and FHA approval is unconfirmed, so ask the listing agent what financing the property qualifies for. A fee this low leaves little room for roofs, siding, or paving, so the special-assessment questions below matter most here.
Townhouse vs. Single-Family Home Costs in Marysville
The choice comes down to dues and negotiating power on one side, and higher prices with more competition on the other. Buyers evaluating these options can look at the Marysville housing market for further context.
Townhouses: smaller price, slower sales, more room to negotiate
Townhouses took a median 67 days to sell in the 90 days ending September 30, 2026. Supply ran to about a year's worth for this segment, against roughly three months for single-family homes, a buyer's market you should use.
You can ask for a lower price or a seller credit sized to a year or two of dues. At the higher example fee, a 12-month credit covers your first year of dues at closing.
The tradeoff: the slow pace that helps you buy will also slow you down when you sell. A future buyer will weigh the same dues you're paying now.
Single-family homes: fewer dues, faster competition
Single-family homes sold in a median 20 days, and 28.5% went above list price, so you're more likely to compete than negotiate.
Always confirm whether a specific subdivision has an association, since many Marysville plats do. Single-family doesn't guarantee a complete absence of covenants or dues.
No dues also means no one else pays for the roof, exterior paint, yard, or utilities. Over a long ownership, those costs can match or exceed a moderate HOA fee, so budget for them before treating a lack of dues as pure savings.
How to Choose Between a Home With and Without HOA Fees
Start by asking whether the fee would replace bills you'd otherwise pay. If it covers water, sewer, and trash, as at Country Villas, compare it with city utility costs before judging the amount.
Then consider how long you'll own the home. The break-even math above shows the higher fee erases the townhouse discount within a few years, while the lower one takes decades.
Next, check your financing type. Condo approval status isn't confirmed for either named complex, so verify it before you fall for a unit. Finally, ask yourself whether you could cover a one-time bill, because a low monthly fee often means big projects are funded later through special assessments.
If you want dues that cover your water and trash, start with Country Villas Condominiums. If you want no monthly dues and plan to stay more than about five years, start with single-family homes in subdivisions confirmed to have no HOA. If you want room to negotiate the price or a credit toward dues, focus your search on Marysville townhouses. If you want the lowest monthly dues among recent Marysville examples, look for Lakewood Commons.
What to Check Before Buying a Home With an HOA
Washington law gives buyers the right to review association documents before they commit. In those documents, look for healthy cash reserves and a clear maintenance history.
Ask for the resale certificate
In most Washington association sales, the seller must give you a resale certificate before you sign the sales contract. It shows current dues, unpaid assessments, pending litigation, and the budget. The association must deliver it within 10 days of the owner's request and can charge no more than $275 to prepare it. Older condos may fall under the Washington Condominium Act, which has the same certificate requirement.
Ask the HOA or listing agent for current monthly dues and whether an increase has been budgeted for next year. The certificate shows what's known today, not what the board might vote to do next year, so read the last year of board minutes to see what projects are under discussion.
Read the budget and reserve study
The reserve study tells you whether the fee is realistic. A low fee with thin reserves often points to a future assessment. Ask for the study and check its percent-funded figure and its date, since reserve studies are estimates that can be years out of date.
Ask about special assessments and one-time fees
Ask the listing agent which one-time charges the HOA collects at closing and who pays them, such as transfer fees, capital contributions, or resale certificate charges. Also ask whether any special assessment is approved, proposed, or was levied in the past five years. These charges often surface late in escrow, so ask before you write the offer and make them part of the negotiation.
Confirm FHA or VA approval
Search the complex on the HUD approved-condominium list and the VA condo list before choosing a loan type. If a complex isn't approved, FHA and VA buyers can't use those loans there, which also shrinks your buyer pool when you eventually resell the unit.
At a Glance
- All homes, Marysville: median sale price $617,956, down 4.2% year over year, 254 sales (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
- All homes: 3.7 months of supply, 303 homes in inventory (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
- Single family: median sale price $620,253, down 4.6% year over year, 232 sales (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
- Single family: median 20 days on market, 100.2% sale-to-list, 28.5% sold above list, 3.3 months of supply, 248 in inventory, $365 per sq ft (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
- Townhouse: median sale price $582,457, up 11.5% year over year, based on just 10 sales, so treat with caution (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
- Townhouse: median 67 days on market, 99.5% sale-to-list, 19.9% sold above list, 12.1 months of supply, 40 in inventory, $340 per sq ft, based on 10 sales (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
- Condo: no median reported for this window because fewer than 10 sold
Marysville HOA Fees FAQs
How much can an HOA raise fees in Washington state?
State law relies on budget ratification rather than a percentage cap. Within 30 days after the board adopts a proposed budget, it must send owners a copy and set a ratification meeting. The budget passes unless owners holding a majority of the association's votes (or a higher percentage set in the declaration) reject it, so ask for the last three years of budgets to see how often dues rise.
What is the average monthly HOA fee in Washington state?
The most reliable statewide figure is the Census median of $82 a month cited above. Private trackers report higher averages driven by expensive Seattle-area condo buildings, but those figures aren't government-sourced and don't reflect Marysville.
Is $500 a month high for an HOA in Marysville?
It depends on what the fee replaces. For 2026 within city limits, Marysville charges a flat $107.00 every two months for single-family sewer, a $28.70 bi-monthly water base rate for a 5/8" meter plus volume charges, and $38.99 every two months for a 36-gallon garbage cart. Subtract those from any fee that covers water, sewer, and trash, as Country Villas Condominiums' does.
How high is too high for HOA fees?
A fee is too high if it breaks your loan approval or your monthly budget. Per Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, HOA dues can be counted in your debt-to-income ratio alongside principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, so ask your lender to run your numbers with the exact dues for the home you want.
Are HOA fees a waste of money?
Not if the association is funding real reserves for shared big-ticket items like roofs and exterior paint. In that case the fee works as a forced savings account for maintenance.
Why can't you opt out of an HOA?
Membership and dues come from covenants recorded against the property, which bind every future owner. You can look up a subdivision's CC&Rs through the Snohomish County Auditor's official recorded documents search system.
Are HOA fees in Marysville paid monthly or yearly?
Both named examples, Country Villas Condominiums and Lakewood Commons, state monthly fees, though some single-family subdivision associations bill quarterly or annually. Ask the HOA for its billing schedule and late-fee policy.
Can you rent out a condo or townhouse in a Marysville HOA?
Rentals depend on each association's declaration, and some communities cap the number of leased units or ban rentals entirely. Read the CC&Rs and community rules for rental caps and minimum lease terms before buying an investment property.
Sources
- Redfin: Data Center
- NWMLS listing #2583568 (active 2026-10-18)
- NWMLS listing #2450770 (sold 2026-01-23)
- Compare HOA Managers: HOA Fees
- Washington State Legislature: RCW 64.90.525
- Washington State Legislature: RCW 64.38.025
- Washington State Legislature: RCW 64.90.640
- Washington State Legislature: RCW 64.34.425
- HUD: Condominium Search
- Fannie Mae: DTI Ratio Calculation
- City of Marysville: Water Rates
- Snohomish County: Search Recorded Documents
- Washington State Legislature: RCW 64.38
