newbie question: Are there any real benefits to belonging to an HOA?

Hi all,
  I never lived in an HOA controlled neighborhood. Spent 95 percent of
my 50 plus years in a single family home. The problems I've had with my
neighbors in the past seem a small price to pay in comparison with
having to live under the jurisdiction of an HOA.

  Are there benefits that outweight the potential threats of an HOA?