paint vs stain on exterior door

I have a 2 1/2 year old house with an east/west orientation. My front door faces due east and receives the full brunt of the morning sun every day. The builder put on a stain/sealer finish which has degraded to the point of needing to be refininshed. My homeowner's association has a "preference" for stain/sealant finishes but I would rather paint it for durability and esthetics. I need some solid information to present to the architectural committee regarding my choice to paint rather than stain. Can anyone support my position that paint will hold up under the beating sun better than stain? I should mention that I live in Houston, TX where the sun is almost a constant.
Thanks.

 

There isn't anything I can say that would convince an assication to change the type of finish on a door. The only real way to change their minds concerning finishes, is to get more home owners like yourself together and request the change. The more the better.