LRDave
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
One would get the impression from reading this thread that 1/3 of the houses/condos in FL are vacant from May 1st until after Xmas.....
One would get the impression from reading this thread that 1/3 of the houses/condos in FL are vacant from May 1st until after Xmas.....
We have lived in gated communities for the last 30 years. We find them very accommodating. Firstly in SoCAL and Now FLA.
Here is what we have experienced in the last 30 years or so:
1) One of the real benefits is no solicitors, none nada, not one in all 3 years, this is a biggie for us.
2) People cannot repair their cars or store sofas, refrigerators etc. in their front yards, we do live in Po Dunk FLA remember.
3) Folks cannot paint their homes exterior bright purple to attract all extra terrestrials.
4) Folks must keep their homes looking reasonable from the outside and keep them generally maintained, this keeps home values stable. Most folk are quite house proud and make an effort to keep their homes looking presentable.
Homes when built (Only 5 lots left in ours) must be over 2,000 sq.ft. and built to a certain standard.
5) In our case we have always had garden maintenance covered by the association, we like that.
6) Living in a Country Club community, the association maintains all the common lands, trees, street lighting and roads, so it is always a pleasure to drive or walk around the community. No garbage on the streets, leaves, potholes etc.
7) Lakes are all managed (we have a lot) and wildlife protected. We do not have Alligators as the special Alligator Gates on the lake inlets tends to keep them at bay.
8) Nice open spaces in our case as it is an 18 hole course with well manicured lawns. Golf cart paths circumnavigate the course and make for a nice walk with lots of wildlife.
9) No dog poop, people pick up after their dogs as we have maintained poop stations with bags strategically placed near the open areas.
10) Water fountains can be found around the golf course.
11) In our case we do not have to be golf club members (It is a private club), but get the benefits of the landscaping and surrounding vistas.
12) In our case we have 2 manned gates with no un-manned entryways. Auto Entry for residents.
Those are just a few, I could name more, we like it.
There are some Cons too:
1) The main one being over zealous board members, but in our case, I have never encountered any resistance for anything we wanted to do, in fact the opposite. But I do know a couple of folks that have complained. We can do a lot of things without board application, it is quite flexible, and for the things that they would like input, most make sense.
2) Sometimes a little slow to spend money on things, took them a while to get the roads resurfaced a few years ago, and to fix a lake drainage issue we had.
3) Most problems is that the owners have not read the CC&Rs and have no idea what they are responsible for vs the association. This is a user issue not an association issue.
I was on the Board for 4 years. The R&R’s all have good reasons but some people have been really upset, especially those who tried to put in new flooring without approval and were stopped in the process.
It's a matter of taste. We have friends who live in a gated, well managed community. Every 5th house is the same floor plan as the first. All the paint and landscaping, home improvements, behavior, dress code follow strict regulation. The pickle ball court attire is very specific. If you paint your front door the wrong shade of beige, well, you know. Someone complains. We live in a free country. I also believe, if one desires to live in a box and drive a rusty car, that is their prerogative.
We're headed to NE Florida (Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, St. Augustine) next week to search out possible retirement areas. We've been all over the rest of the state but not the NE corner. We both work for the navy now and hope to retire in 2-3 years. If we can job transfer and get them to move us, Jacksonville would be the most logical choice for work experience. Not expecting paradise but hopeful it will be a good match. We plan to spend 3-4 months of the year in mid Michigan or northern Ohio once retired and miss the hottest weather.
Heavy traffic and congestion, in Florida and elsewhere, is a sign of prosperity.
I only meant, I try not to pass judgement on a person if that's the way they chose to live. Just as our friends live in a managed gated community with specific rules that I find pretty regulated. I'm happy for them! They love it. After all, Sam Walton was famous for driving a rusty pick up truck.I very am glad I don’t have to worry about someone buying the lot across from me, installing a box to live in, and parking a rusted out car on blocks next to it.
They are perfectly welcome to do it somewhere else.
I very am glad I don’t have to worry about someone buying the lot across from me, installing a box to live in, and parking a rusted out car on blocks next to it.
They are perfectly welcome to do it somewhere else.
I know very little about florida. My experiences with it are primarily that it is hot - (in the words of Robin Williams in Good Morning Viet Nam) it's d@mn hot! Having said that, I was in orlando once when it was 22 degrees. I've been from north to south - and the keys, both sides and the only place that really appealed was St. Augustine - and I wasn't there long enough to know if that was just a first impression that would quickly change. But I would consider it if Paradise doesn't work out. We have good friends (lived one floor up in our condo) who now reside in Florida; 3 times the space for half the money.
One thing I DO like about Florida (as opposed to where I live) is that you can drive from Florida all the way to Alaska and never get on an airplane! Kind of nice that way, but YMMV.
Check out the Jacksonville weather in the winter. It can have a bunch of cold days and there is a short winter season there, if however much milder than Michigan.
Our sentiments exactly, I will only add the somewhere else should not be in my field of vision when I am going about my daily routine.
... The R&R’s all have good reasons but some people have been really upset, especially those who tried to put in new flooring without approval and were stopped in the process.
Flooring? What is the thinking behind new flooring? Noise on install? Noise in use? Attachment issues? (in floor heating)
Just curious.
Our sentiments exactly, I will only add the somewhere else should not be in my field of vision when I am going about my daily routine.
We just spent the last 3 months in Hawaii, and for us, it was too cool.....When we wintered in Florida and the Caribbean we ate every meal outside. When the sun sat in Hawaii, most people had on jackets to be outside. I don't complain about heat under 100 degrees, especially since I spent 50 winters in Minnesota. BTW - I did live in Florida for 3 years.
I get the exterior rules , but how is the flooring a concern ? And if flooring is a concern, then wouldn't interior paint color also be a concern ?
I am seriously wondering as a relative just install hardwood flooring himself, and he told me he didn't get a permit from the Assoc. I waved him off as I felt it's not their concern about his livingroom floor, but maybe it is
Oh, there are some places around here that are a real eyesore. [-]Fortunately[/-] they are in our immediate neighborhoods.
This is why we always preferred vacationing in the Caribbean to Hawaii, although Hawaii is beautiful.
Flooring? What is the thinking behind new flooring? Noise on install? Noise in use? Attachment issues? (in floor heating)
Just curious.