@Russell Brazil and @Wayne Brooks are both correct.

I'm looking in Las Vegas and with all the houses turning into rentals I thought an HOA might give my house an extra edge in value preservation and/or appreciation.Am I nuts, or does this make sense to others?

Thank you @Michael J. and @Russell Brazil for the information.

I was trying to find some information on the new Making Homes Affordable program and in particular the Modification portion and found the following in a nut shell: 1) Reduce your PITIA (principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association fees) to 31% of your gross income.

do some research into brazil. there are a lot of developers offering cheap off plan deals with all kinds of guarentees. the benifit is you may be able to buy 2 or 3 at pre build price then sell for huge profits after construction.

@Russell Brazil Thanks Russell!  

Yes, I have seen the mechanics and nuts and bolts with a team layout to make your dream work.Sometimes 'the mesage' in any experienced guru/coach has to be translated in a way that is unique to you and at the right time where you are ready to absorb it.   

Given your commute and this market, a 3-4 unit building isn't going to cashflow enough to cover your whole "nut", you're going to have to come up with money each month."

Originally posted by @Jake Jefferies:The Sunnyvale market has changed so dramatically (the new Mountain View) that I think it will just keep pushing south to Santa Clara and San Jose.Yeah, Sunnyvale has gone up like nuts in the last year or two.

@Russell Brazil thanks for the suggestion!