[sunspring]

Originally Posted by Timtheman

There is another post on the Forum about Bella Vista. It asks to tell "the good, the bad, and the ugly." I would like to hear from folks out there the same thing about Cherokee Village. Thanks.

Property taxes in Cherokee Village are very low but SID (Suburban Improvement District) fees, billed with the property taxes, are about $150 annually.

Not hard to take, but building lots in Hidden Valley right on the border of Cherokee Village do not have SID fees, so you're looking at only about $7 property taxes annually!

That can be favorable if you're planning to just sit on the property for a few years before building, or to buy several lots for investment possibilities.

[Timtheman]

I'm sure glad this post has been picked up on and hope it continues. The issue of rational vs irrational code enforcement is one that can exist anywhere. There sure are lots of jokes about "terrorist HOA."

The thing that I've noticed about CV in the past was not the turning of an over critical eye on innocent oversights of normal residents but rather the deliberate turning of code enforcement eyes to flagrant abuses in the past years.

My theory on that was the number of those abuses that were tied to rental property and those who owned them. Then there also seemed to be whole areas in the past that code more or less "wrote off" and "let slide" while focusing on the higher end real estate. The great movement of late is to be very even-handed and fair, and the difference in the Village is amazing.

When it comes to planned communities and code enforcement, I believe in a bottom up approach. It seems to be what's happening now and it sure is working.

As for the folks next door turning others in, that is never to be preferred. What is best is to staff code enforcers at a level adequate to patrol and get the job done fairly and independently. Still, few of those complaints called in are coming from nowhere! The difference in CV now is night and day.

[CVer72529]

Originally Posted by sunspring

Property taxes in Cherokee Village are very low but SID (Suburban Improvement District) fees, billed with the property taxes, are about $150 annually.

Not hard to take, but building lots in Hidden Valley right on the border of Cherokee Village do not have SID fees, so you're looking at only about $7 property taxes annually!

That can be favorable if you're planning to just sit on the property for a few years before building, or to buy several lots for investment possibilities.

I am going to respond to this post by saying there is more to the story on Hidden Valley and shouldn't be confused with Cherokee Village, as this thread is about Cherokee Village and some people might get the impression that Hidden Valley is a section of CV. That is not the case.

Yes, Hidden Valley has no SID fees, that is true, however......

Hidden Valley is not inside the city limits of Cherokee Village, that is why there is no SID fees. If you are not paying an SID fee, you are not entitled to use any of the amenities that CV has to offer. You are not allowed to play on the golf courses, use the pools, or have access to the 7 lakes unless accompanied by a Cherokee Village Property Owner with a valid property owner's card. The Cherokee Village amenities are private and for the exclusive use of CV property owners and their guests.

Folks, there are many lots being sold in the area that highlight a "benefit" that the lot being offered for sale does not have any SID fees, and it's just a few dollars per year for Sharp County property taxes. It is true that Sharp County property taxes are just a few dollars per year on the average residential lot, whether it is in Cherokee Village, Hidden Valley, or anywhere else in the county. If you do realize that you're not purchasing a lot in Cherokee Village and you don't want or have the desire for the amenities that CV has to offer, then there's no problem. Buy your lot in Hidden Valley. As with any purchase of land, always do your due diligence and visit the area first. Once you visit both Cherokee Village and closeby Hidden Valley, you will then have a much better idea of where you'd like to purchase land in the area.

The rule of thumb is that if you're thinking of buying a lot in Cherokee Village, and you see a lot on ebay or elsewhere saying it is close to Cherokee Village or even says it's in Cherokee Village, as some of us have seen in the past on ebay, but the lot in question has no SID fee, then it is one of two things. It is a lot in Hidden Valley or it is a very small, unbuildable lot called a "gift lot". Gift lots are generally very small and because of the small size of the lot, you cannot build a house on the lot because you will not be allowed to put in a septic system.

I suppose if you bought multiple gift lots all in a row to make one larger lot and had it officially changed to be one large parcel, then I would guess you might be able to build a home on that as long as you could pass a perc tests, etc. However, I am by no means an expert on that, so I would check with a local realtor or a local real estate attorney who could properly advise you if that was possible or not.

I am not saying do not consider Hidden Valley if that is your cup of tea. I am just letting you know that a lot in Hidden Valley is not part of Cherokee Village and it does not entitle you to the use of the Cherokee Village amenities.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by CVer72529

Please fill us in on more details on those two. I would like to hear the reasoning behind those. Was their a monetary fine as the outcome or was it settled in a reasonable manner?

I don't know how either of them settled it, the flower issue was the summer before last and they've sold and moved to Hardy, the guy with the stone belongs to a fraternal org that I belong to and been there in awhile.

I agree with "reasonable" enforcement, but that hasn't been the case for awhile over there. I don't know if it's the hassle of getting ahold of owners that are not residents or what.

I also think that anybody thinking about buying should be aware of these issues and the folkways, mores, and taboos that are associated with any particular enclave.

[marmac]

I also noticed there are a lot of really inexpensive houses for sale and to lease in CV.

I'm guessing since many of those houses were built in the 70's or early 80's the retired out-of -state people who moved here to purchase them have passed away.

W/O strict ordinances,they might sell easier but I believe those cheaper houses could soon turn CV into a slum.

What makes one mobile home park desirable to live and another an eyesore?
ordinances

Yes, w/o strict enforcement of ordinances I believe CV could easily turn into an eyesore and a slum

(I am not referring to the more "upscale" houses and areas of CV-------I am referring to the many lower priced houses that are on the market today)

just my observation

[Timtheman]

Which is why "the bottom up" approach is critical in code enforcement. Now let me be clear, this is not a value statement about decent folks who are not "high end" real estate holders. I'm certainly not one of those people myself! What it is a statement about are the many rental properties that are allowed to "let slide" and get run down, and a few folks you will find anywhere who don't quite get what makes for a decent "community standard." I don't like fusspots. But there's a difference between caring and neglect and looking to turn a cheap profit. I hope CV will always be a place for folks across the economic scale. In fact, I think it is what makes CV great. We must, however, have just one reasonable standard for everyone.

[adysmom]

Originally Posted by sunspring

Property taxes in Cherokee Village are very low but SID (Suburban Improvement District) fees, billed with the property taxes, are about $150 annually.

Not hard to take, but building lots in Hidden Valley right on the border of Cherokee Village do not have SID fees, so you're looking at only about $7 property taxes annually!

That can be favorable if you're planning to just sit on the property for a few years before building, or to buy several lots for investment possibilities.

True, But look at Hidden Valley

[Timtheman]

Hi adysmom,

What are your thoughts on code enforcement in CV? Can anyone out there talk to the changes they have seen over time? Thanks.

[adysmom]

Originally Posted by CVer72529

RogMar,

That was a great post. You have a way with words.

I am on your side on that one about the two examples of over the top in the code enforcement. I trust you realize from my post, that is not what I am referring to. I would sure love to hear the reasons behind those two examples. Was this recent or long ago? The stone landscaping would show an effort to make the property nicer for the owner and the neighbor's view of it, and decorative stone for a backyard walkway in CV would not be a reason to pull a permit, or so it would seem to me. So why did the neighbors call it in and why the harsh reaction from CE? The plants in the carport, that is a doozy and is anyone's guess as to what and why!?

Please fill us in on more details on those two. I would like to hear the reasoning behind those. Was their a monetary fine as the outcome or was it settled in a reasonable manner?

I am in awe of the beauty of CV, too. I just want "reasonable" code enforcement that doesn't go to either extreme. CV is not a private, gated enclave in Beverly Hills, but it is not the disgusting trailer park you see on an episode of Cops, either. There has to be a balance, and I hope and believe CV will find that balance when it comes to code enforcement.

iN DEFENSE OF cHEROKEE Village, my husband and I had a home built here two years ago, and we did not have any problems with SID, we complied with the guide lines and everything went fine, I feel that a lot of the "rules" are pretty understanderable, most not all do make sense, I would not want a nieghbor who had a lot of junk in his front yeard, or and unkempt yard either.

Hidden Valley, does not have a lot of rules, but believe me I WOULD NOT want to live there!

Just my oppinion.....

[Timtheman]

Adysmom,

I sure agree. There is not a thing in the Bill of Assurances that regulate the building process and upkeep issues that isn't reasonable and necessary. The issue at CV has not been code enforcement, but the lack of enough of it in the past. To be honest, I think it had to do with who owned some of the rental property in the Village. A blind eye was turned, but no more. The issue now is funding this effort at clean-up and code care at a level that will keep it going. Everyone benefits if there is just one reasonable standard everywhere. I've seen places where HOA go crazy, but CV isn't like that. I congratulate the City for its work in this area. Good job!