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Hello everyone,
My question is about gated communities. What are the benefits? Do must have a clubhouse/pool etc? maintenance fees? what are they normally?
We have communities here that you need to pay fees but they are normally town homes only and you are not allowed to change anything about the exterior of the home.
Does most single homes have a pool outside gates communities? Just wondering what is best for a young family.
Thanks so much!
It all depends on the community itself. Most gated communities come with a higher price tag (and generally stronger resale values). The amenities they offer to homeowners varies from community to community though. It could be anything from a play park for the kids, walking/biking trails, club house, golf course, swimming pools, community boat storage/docks, or all/none of the above. Generally speaking, gated communities do tend to have stricter guidelines through their HOA, that may restrict you from doing certain things with the property you own. However, more often than not, the restrictions tend to increase/help maintain your property value better than in communities without the above.
Judge every neighborhood for yourself though, and be sure to get a copy of the covenants to review prior to making a purchase.
The benefits of a gated community in my opinion is that they give some additional security to the residents, although from my experience it is not too difficult for a determined person to get into a gated community without an invitation or a right to be there. The major downside would be the increased costs to the residents in terms of home owners fees to take care of the added expenses connected with a security guard or gate and more than likely the expense of road maintenance as in most cases the community and not the state would have to maintain the private road behind the gate. I think you will find that most of the gated communities in the Charleston area do have pools and other amenities, but so do most of the newer subdivisions. Those communities with amenities will have a home owners association fee, generally annual, and ranging from about $300 to $1000 a year. There are some gated communities like Dunes West in Mt. Pleasant that have a rather high home owners fee ($1180) as well as an additional fee to use the pool, tennis and fitness center. I think either a gated or a non gated community would be fine for a family with children. You will also find condos in gated and non gated communities that will have an additional fee (monthly) to cover insurance and maintenance on the unit.
Is it necessary to have a pool in SC. We have one now and we love it. We only use it for about 2-3 months out of the year but regardless love it. Are house hard to come by with pools?
In my opinion it is certainly not necessary to have a pool in SC as most of the newer and some of the older communities have their own pool. You will more than likely have to pay the full annual regime fee which covers the community pool whether you use it or not. The community pool offers an excellent opportunity/venue in which to meet your neighbors and make friends. Most of the homes in the Charleston area do not have their own pool, although dependent on the price range in which you are looking you will have some pool home options. Keep in kind that if you have to have a pool already installed, that the number of homes from which you will have to select will be considerably less. It may make more sense to select a home which will allow you to put in a pool should you decide after moving in that this would be your best option. Also keep in mind that a pool will generally not work in your favor when it comes time to sell your home.
If you dont play golf, make sure they dont charge as part of the fee. You will be paying for amenities that you dont use. If the gate is only a card that someone swipes, forget it. Its not worth the extra money. If it has a guard there is some additional protection. Most thiefs have better places to rob than a place where the guard has eyeballed him and asked for identification.
My suggestion is to contact a real estate agent. He or she can get specific with you regarding your criteria and your options. Developments (subdivisions) vary and each area around Charleston is a bit different.
A personal pool may or may not be necessary. Looking for a home with its own pool will certainly limit your options. When it comes to selling a home with a pool, I have found that very few of my clients are willing to pay a premium for it.
We are renting in a gated community with a guard posted for 12 hours every day. It does give a much better sense of security for our neighborhood. We don't get solicitors coming through our neighborhood. If you don't live here or are not visiting someone that lives here, you don't come in. So it cuts down on traffic. And it deters crime. But it will not completely stop it.
Most of the neighborhoods in the Charleston area are places that have an HOA and require fees. But they are not gated. But they do have community pools and parks in most of them along with a community center.
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