The report predicts the Charlotte real estate market will have a combined growth rate of 19.0%, factoring in both sales growth and growth of home prices.All key metrics are in favor: population growth, job market trends, homes prices on the rise and increase in rent prices. 

Prediction: take this with a grain of salt but the place that is going to improve the most in the next 10 years is the Hill District.

(Disclaimer:  I am repeating what an owner in this condo told me; I do not own here.)All I'm saying is that, unless you can foretell the future, no one can predict if an HOA truly has sufficient reserves. 

Most of the time the issues they have can be predicted. eg, what expense are you looking at that will eat 1.5 years of cashflow?

Roofs, siding, exterior paint, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, all have statistically predictable useful lives based on actual age and observed conditions.

To borrow from Yogi Berra, "It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future." 

Is it possible to accurately predict what an area will be like in 15 or 20 years?

Investing = long termSaving = short term,   Keep saving the money, enjoy the predictability & use it to plan your purchase. 

Insurance - ValuePenguin, Metro Property Taxes - LendingTreeThere are more location considerations, but the above is a good start.The limitation of return calculationsReturn calculations only predict how a property is likely to perform under ideal conditions on the first day.

I think the reason it's not very popular is those values are just so hard to predict.