Plum Creek in Kyle, TX (Dallas, San Antonio: sales, foreclosure, rentals)

[JTC123]

I am living in a Traditional Neighborhood Development in North Atlanta but am considering moving to either San Antonio or Austin. I do like our type of neighborhood but it is hard to find TNDs in other cities that are NOT really expensive. I do see one called Plum Creek and it is very affordable but I am unsure if it is really as nice as it appears. Do people take care of their properties and homes and does it have charm?

Please advise...

[cb71407]

We don't live in Plum Creek but I drive by it on my way to work. From what I've seen the few times I've driven through the neighborhood, the great majority of homes and yards seem to be well kept. The lots are generally fairly small in size and the houses close together, most garages are behind the homes, there are a lot of white picket fences, matching mailboxes etc. I have never been inside any of the homes and don't know anything about the builder(s) so can't comment on quality of homes, etc. I think the homes are priced as they are because Kyle is outside of Austin. In regards to charm, I think it really depends how you define the term, and what you like in a neighborhood and home. Some might see it as charming; others might see it as artificial. I would recommend coming for a visit to see for yourself. Good luck!

[chrispykreme]

My friends live in Plum Creek. The homes are built by reputable builders and they are nicely kept. But, the lots are small and the houses are close together. Depending on which section you are looking to buy, you may not have much in the way of a back or front yard. But, there are nice neighborhood amenities and it is a very family friendly place.

My friend says the HOA is pretty "active." Which means that you aren't going to have neighbors with shabby yards, but that also means you may find yourself the recipent of annoying letters should you bring your trash can in a day late or any other minor transgression.

[IC_deLight]

The term "Traditional Neighborhood Development" isn't familiar here, but if you are living in an HOA-free zone you might not want to move into an HOA neighborhood - if that is what you are referring to.

Those "annoying letters" referred to by others are just the tip of the iceberg. You can be foreclosed upon for trivial fees. The management company, attorneys, and HOAs have the power to create "debt" out of thin air and they can lien and foreclose on your home for the same.

Far from being the democratic organizations they are falsely portrayed as, typically you will be disenfranchised from voting as well as excluded from community amenities once accused of being "in violation". In declarant-controlled subdivisions, your vote probably won't count for decades. Don't expect "harmony" since the neighborhood is patrolled by the private police who profit from the fining process. You shouldn't rely on equal protection or due process because such concepts don't exist in HOA land.

Check out page 10 of the following document from the Plum Creek HOA:
http://www.plumcreektxhoa.com/plumcr..._sml.pdf?24523

The ARC isn't really accountable to you and is often encouraged by the management companies and attorneys which tend to derive income from the fining process. They can justify anything under the pretext of preserving "property values".

Look at page 6 of the following document:
http://www.plumcreektxhoa.com/plumcr...sweb.pdf?17570

Plum Creek has adopted the "priority of payment" scam. This is where owner's assessment payments are re-characterized against their will and applied to pay vendors such as attorneys and management companies prior to being applied to assessments. This allows the management company and attorney to extract monies from you under threat of foreclosure. See the "partial payment" paragraph at the following link:
http://www.plumcreektxhoa.com/plumcr...2007.pdf?21260

If you like being commanded as to what kind of tree you are permitted/required to plant street-side, you've found such a place: http://www.plumcreektxhoa.com/plumcr...15-07.pdf?8821

Given the amount of development still going on in Plum Creek, the HOA is likely under declarant control. Indeed you might ask when control is going to be turned over to the homeowners. If you are told some percentage threshold of ownership, don't rely upon it. The declarant can add new phases and alter the number of votes it gets per lot to preserve control.

One trend the last several years is that the declarant has been amending CCRs to impose transfer fees on the sale of your home. Typically these are made payable to some entity that the declarant controls or the management company. Looks like Plum Creek also has transfer fees. FYI, I don't know what they are specifically in Plum Creek, but I've seen them as high as 0.5% of the sales price of the home in declarant-controlled subdivisions and there is no cap.

It's easy to make the decision based upon what is visible like the home. The real threat, however, is the unseen HOA which primarily serves the vendors rather than the homeowners.

[pfrench99]

Hi JTC123,

In response to your question about Plum Creek and whether or not it has charm, I would recommend that you google "Front Porch Days" in quotes and read about the annual community-wide event they sponsor every year. This is just one of doznes of events that the HOA volunteers put together. This year's FPD included a 5K in the neighborhood, a 1K for kids, a golf tournament, live music on three stages (including the Biscuit Brothers), a garden tour of homes in Plum Creek, pie baking contest, ect. Almost 2,000 people came out celebrate, hang-out, and mingle on a Sunday afternoon. You can download the HOA's newsletter from the website. I just heard a story about a family who was moving from El Paso to San Antonio to close on a home there. On their way to San Antonio they stopped in Plum Creek to spend a weekend with friends and chose to forfeit their earnest money and deposit on the house they were going to buy in SA, so that they could live in Plum Creek.

Plum Creek also has a walkable elementary school, daycare, medical services, a coffee shop with wi-fi, salon, dance and music school, all right in the neighborhood.

It is a real affordable TND in every sense.

[pfrench99]

I would also add that in response to IC_deLight's comments about the Plum Creek HOA, they are not all accurate and I don't think IC-deLight lives in the community. A quick search of IC_deLight's posts show what I would describe as a bias against HOAs.

60 people attended the first Plum Creek garden tour where residents and non-residents alike walked from home to home looking at people's gardens. This is uncommon for a suburban community and reflects the true nature of how people in Plum Creek live and care for their properties.

[cwr64]

Retired & moved from Dallas area to PC in December. PC is QUIET - very little traffic on the streets - even on weekends. Lots of walkers, joggers, and a few cyclists on the trails near the 2 ponds bordering the golf course. Some walkers and joggers are active in the neighborhoods on weekends.

PC golf course changed owners recently and the new management has jacked up the rates to where I don't care to play there anymore. I live off the 3rd fairway and walk my dogs along 3 of the fairways daily. Since the rate increase almost no golfers are on the course except late afternoons and on weekends. A shame - as a senior I have to drive elsewhere (even with the cost of gas) to play. For $9 on weekdays seniors can walk the 9-hole course at San Marcos (12 mile drive) or they can walk the Austin muni's for $10 on weekdays.

Many of the homes in PC are DR Horton tract homes. They are OK - basic & fairly affordable. I think DR Horton does not build in PC anymore. KB Homes has come in recently - I don't think that KB is known for its quality homes.

I've been catching bass in the 2 PC ponds since moving here. Catch-and-release only, no boats, no live bait. They keep it mowed around the ponds so the ponds are very accessable. They are rebuilding the 2 floating docks this week.

City (Kyle) water is VERY hard. I had Culligan install a water softener at my home this week (over $2,000). Water pressure in PC is a paltry 50psi and Kyle thinks it is just fine. It is NOT.

Some owners are allowing weeds to replace all the grass in their formerly nice bermuda lawns. I suspect that most of the "bad" properties are rent houses. I've been informed that over 20% of PC homes are rentals.

I don't like paying the HOA dues but when I look at the other housing developments in the Kyle area I see lots of decline that I don't see in PC.

[achtungpv]

I'd be concerned about the commute from Plum Creek. At $3.50/gallon and 20 miles to downtown, averaging 20MPG you'd spend an extra $140/mo on gas. Don't forget, since there is not much to do in Kyle, you may end up driving a lot more to Austin or San Marcos increasing that gas bill even further.

I'm a lot closer to Austin than Plum Creek and with two cars (4Runner & Tacoma) we drop $600+ per month on gas right now.

It's something to seriously think about. Living closer in and paying a bit more may be a wash when you spend less on gas.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by cwr64

Water pressure in PC is a paltry 50psi and Kyle thinks it is just fine. It is NOT.

A buddy that lives there said you can see a noticeable drop in water pressure between 6am-8am when a lot of people are showering for work.

[JTC123]

Thanks everyone for your input. We are having a tough decision deciding between moving to San Antonio, Kyle or Austin.

Does anyone know of people that have moved from Atlanta suburbs to Austin/SA and their comparisons?