A cold hating Pennsylvania man in Florida

[LRDave]

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.....

 

[Silver]

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.....

All of us 12 monthers can only hope.....

 

[Scuba]

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.

Your #3 point is the root cause of most of the issues in our condo development. Former SFR owners move in and don’t read the Rules & Regulations. Then they’re shocked when they learn that they have to have Board approval to do X, Y, or Z. 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.

 

[Scrapr]

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.

Flooring? What is the thinking behind new flooring? Noise on install? Noise in use? Attachment issues? (in floor heating)

Just curious.

 

[Dtail]

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.

Although we have more of a cookie cutter look than SWR's community, it is nowhere as strict as what is described above.
Yes there are HOA rules, but Christmas lights can be any color lol, and certainly I would not live somewhere with a dress code (especially on the Pickleball Court).
So no we do not wish to see a rusty car on the lawn either. YMMV of course.

 

[Dtail]

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.

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.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The crime in JAX is going up also. We are 40 miles south of JAX and did not have any freeze nights last winter. Normally we get about a handful. Global warming no doubt....

 

[GravitySucks]

I'm built more for cooler weather. (Also famine resistant) I do hope to spend a month during the deepest winter down there though. The summer hear would wilt me like the delicate flower that I am.
Odd that folk move there for the low taxes, but then pay for a gaurd at the gate. Wonder how much these gaurds would sacrifice for their near minimum wage jobs.

 

[audreyh1]

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.

 

[youbet]

Heavy traffic and congestion, in Florida and elsewhere, is a sign of prosperity.

Although in the case of winter time Florida, it's often the sign of prosperity someplace else with well-heeled snowbirds (who can afford to purchase a second home or pay elevated prices for winter rentals) from other areas packing the roads, beaches and restaurants.

Everyone we know in Florida are fellow geezers, so we get little input regarding what family-orientated amenities, such as top notch elementary and secondary schools, are offered in return for the bargain sounding tax rates. Or perhaps the fact that so many geezers are paying taxes but not utilizing family-orientated services, that the younger generation does get top notch services at bargain basement prices courtesy of Mr. and Ms Northern Snowbird?

 

[Koolau]

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.

 

[Rianne]

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 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.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

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.

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.

 

[Cut-Throat]

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.

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.

 

[beanctr88]

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.

Native born Jacksonville guy here. Most years you may need a sweater or light jacket for five or six weeks total, but not in a row, between Thanksgiving and the end of March. A heavy coat maybe on the four to six days a year it approaches freezing. Not even sure it ever froze this year.

The bugs and alligators are way overblown on here. As is the heat. We have many months each year of nice weather with breezes off the river and ocean where you can enjoy the outdoors in shorts, flip flops and a short sleeves.

There are plenty of areas in Fernandina, Jax and St. Augustine that you will find nice houses with plenty to do nearby. Happy hunting.

 

[audreyh1]

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.

Oh, there are some places around here that are a real eyesore. Fortunately they are in our immediate neighborhoods.

 

[Sunset]

... 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.

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

 

[Scuba]

Flooring? What is the thinking behind new flooring? Noise on install? Noise in use? Attachment issues? (in floor heating)



Just curious.

Mainly noise prevention. We require a specific underlay for noise insulation, and some homeowners did not know this and moved ahead with a flooring installation that had to be stopped in process. One homeowner resurfaced their outdoor balcony floor without approval and was forced to remove it as it was determined that the alteration could impact potential water intrusion into the building structure.

 

[Scuba]

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.

Hard to disagree with this, at least for me.

 

[Scuba]

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.

This is why we always preferred vacationing in the Caribbean to Hawaii, although Hawaii is beautiful.

 

[Scuba]

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

See my post in response to Scrapr.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Oh, there are some places around here that are a real eyesore. [-]Fortunately[/-] they are in our immediate neighborhoods.

You mean UN-Fortunately....

 

[Cut-Throat]

This is why we always preferred vacationing in the Caribbean to Hawaii, although Hawaii is beautiful.

Agree! - Antigua next winter for us.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Funny, we actually saw an alligator lurking near one of the ponds yesterday. First time in the last 10 years... It was a novelty and nice to see the wildlife returning now all the building has tempered down a bit.

 

[wyecrabber1]

Flooring? What is the thinking behind new flooring? Noise on install? Noise in use? Attachment issues? (in floor heating)

Just curious.

Have a condo at the beach that is rented April to October, its not a year-round unit. Water and electric are turned off in the off season. The condo above us was sold and flipped in the off season. The carpet and padding was replaced with ceramic tile with no noise absorbing padding/cork underneath. We have lost renters due to the noise coming through the floor. New owners who purchased the property are not interested in making alterations. Permit and zoning office suggested we taking legal action against the contractor. This is going to be costly and messy.