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I believe that there are more venomous snakes in NC, than in any other state in the US. I have killed copperheads in the st. james subdivision. however, that doesn't mean that you will come across them. if you see a black snake, that is good. the black rat snake keeps venomous snakes away. where you are most likely to encounter a copperhead is among the "rust colored" fallen pine needles. they blend in quite well, and do not flee upon feeling the vibration from your footsteps. they will wait until they are underfoot to strike. if you do encounter one, and are able to kill it, simply toss it into a fire ant mound. they devour the flesh within seconds, and the fire ant mounds are everywhere.
Nelly622 - I am also debating Waterford vs. Brunswick Forest. It boils down to 3 things for me: cost of living including house, activities, and people. Waterford homes and remaining lots are generally less expensive than those at BF, and the monthly HOA fee is less. There are clearly more activities at BF - larger fitness center, exercise classes included in HOA fee (they now charge $2 per class), indoor and outdoor pool (year-round water aerobic classes), Town Creek for small boats in a totally natural setting (vs. canals of WOTC with houses on either side), funcions at The Forest (the restaurant at the golf course), many clubs. While WOTC has several clubs, I don't think they have as many as BF but not sure. As to people, I know some folks at BF already, which helps. If I knew some people at WOTC that might help, but I don't. My impression is that WOTC may have more young families and I am a pre-retiree. The landscaping at WOTC is very lush, tropical and compact, whereas BF is more natural and spread out. Not sure if any of this helps you, but I think it may be helping me by articulating the differences. This is my first entry in The Forum; I'd like to discuss with you individually and share notes but not sure how to have you call me without having my personal info out there for everyone to see. If anyone has any info on what I've just described, please let me know.
Brunswick Forest will eventually have over 12,000 homes. According to a friend that lives in BF, the classes at the Wellness Center are very hard to get into now. The classes only take so many and the sign up sheet gets full very quickly.
The clubhouse at the golf course is also very small. The two available rooms will not accommodate many people. The service is very slow and the food is subpar.
They have also raised the membership dues at the golf course 14+% for this year if you are a golfer. Since it is a public course and gets a lot of play, it is tough to get on the course if you are a resident golfer.
There have also been numerous car break ins at BF. There will also be a connector road between BF and Mallory Creek which will increase traffic through BF and the potential possibility of increased vandalism and crime.
I would suggest you go to the town of Leland website where you can log onto the police report to review the incidences at BF. The care break ins occurred last November.
Brunswick Forest will eventually have over 12,000 homes. According to a friend that lives in BF, the classes at the Wellness Center are very hard to get into now. The classes only take so many and the sign up sheet gets full very quickly.
The clubhouse at the golf course is also very small. The two available rooms will not accommodate many people. The service is very slow and the food is subpar.
They have also raised the membership dues at the golf course 14+% for this year if you are a golfer. Since it is a public course and gets a lot of play, it is tough to get on the course if you are a resident golfer.
There have also been numerous car break ins at BF. There will also be a connector road between BF and Mallory Creek which will increase traffic through BF and the potential possibility of increased vandalism and crime.
I would suggest you go to the town of Leland website where you can log onto the police report to review the incidences at BF. The care break ins occurred last November.
I live in BF, play golf, and neither my husband nor I has any trouble getting a tee time. We aren't even members of Cape Fear National (i.e., we do not pay for the annual pass). I also take classes at the Fitness and Wellness Center and have never been closed out, even once, due to overcrowding.
You are correct that the clubhouse is small. You are also correct that there was an incident last fall (not "numerous" incidents) in which unlocked cars in BF were broken into, and one was stolen.
I am quite sure that the folks who live in the Mallory Creek development would just love being characterized as those who might bring increased crime and/or vandalism. If you lived here--which you don't--you would be aware that one of the primary reasons that the connector road has been proposed is to allow quicker emergency response times, and quicker evacuation times during hurricane season. There is a helpful link about the northern Brunswick County connector, with a map and an explanation of why it's proposed: CONNECTINGNBC.COM . Why you would think that connecting one side of Leland (State Hwy. 133) with the other (Route 17) would increase either crime or vandalism is a mystery to me, and probably to many others who, again, actually live here.
Your impressions of this area, as a potential resident, are valid for you, and I can appreciate your generosity in wanting to share your thoughts with others who might move here. However, in reading your many, MANY somewhat antagonistic responses to the folks at St. James (a wonderful community where my husband and I have friends) about the bleeping grinder pumps--and your misinformed comments to the OP here about Waterford and BF, I was struck, again, by the thought that, when scouting possible retirement locations, it's best to (1) experience living there by renting for a short time, if possible, to gather information firsthand and (2) if this is not feasible, ask those who actually live there what life is like.
Hello! We also are looking in this general area for retirement in about five years. My first consideration to you would be: find out which development is prone enough to flooding that you need mandatory flood insurance - I hear that the rate for 2013 in NC is going to skyrocket. A friend of ours just bought a lot in St.James Plantation and her flood insurance is going to be high - but still cheaper than the Jersey Shores insurance she is used to paying now. Snakes? I think any area that is called 'Low Country" is going to have snakes - and, unless you are going to have a small dog or cat run free in your development, I don't think alligators is going to be a problem - although a huge one was spotted on Holden Beach last year......We love the coastal area and snakes (even though I am terrified of them) and alligators are not going to bother me.....Keep your grass cut short and just keep your eyes open when walking around I always say.....we live in Southern NJ and I have seen my share of snakes just around my yard (our backyard backs a large pond) so I am just cautious in that regard. Leland has bad crime?????????? anyone know of this???
We are buying a second lot in St. James and both times chose lots not in the 100-year flood plain. So in St. James, you can choose a lot nearer the water and need to pay flood insurance or choose a lot in higher areas and have a choice about it. I'm not experienced with the other developments.
Theres tons of "venomous snakes" in my company so I look forward to the time when I can toss them into the "Red Ant" mound.........
Ha!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lionsgators
I believe that there are more venomous snakes in NC, than in any other state in the US. I have killed copperheads in the st. james subdivision. however, that doesn't mean that you will come across them. if you see a black snake, that is good. the black rat snake keeps venomous snakes away. where you are most likely to encounter a copperhead is among the "rust colored" fallen pine needles. they blend in quite well, and do not flee upon feeling the vibration from your footsteps. they will wait until they are underfoot to strike. if you do encounter one, and are able to kill it, simply toss it into a fire ant mound. they devour the flesh within seconds, and the fire ant mounds are everywhere.
My husband and I retired in 2012 from Manhattan and moved to Waterford and love the lifestyle. We did not want to move to Brunswick Forest because of the size of the development. It just seemed rather large and we wanted something smaller.
Waterford has many planned activities including bake sale, dancing under the stars (at our pool), veterans day activities, Christmas play, Halloween trick or treat, pot luck dinner and newcomers welcome brunch, etc. Additionally, there are many groups in Waterford to which any resident may join - bocce, tennis, mah jongg, pickle ball, poker, etc. You just select an activity and attend to determine if you are interested in it (activity) or the folks that are there. My husband learned how to play bocce and looks forward to time spent weekly meeting with the 'guys' . I learned to play mah jongg and have made many good friends through that activity. We are learning to play pickle ball. We have acquired two kayaks and enjoy the water and walking paths...
Hope you find the perfect place for yourselves
My husband and I visited Brunswick Forest a couple of months ago and also drove through Magnolia Greens and Waterford. Waterford just didn't feel right to us. Magnolia Greens felt much more comfortable ... the layout, landscaping and overall feel of the place left a better impression on us than Waterford. But others obviously may completely disagree - it's a very personal thing. Though we liked the look and feel of Magnolia Greens, it seemed like there were many seniors there. I could be wrong on that, and I'm sure the residents are perfectly fine people, but we are looking for more diversity (we are in our mid-50's). A true 55+ community doesn't really appeal to us. For this reason Brunswick Forest appealed more to us. There are a higher percentage of empty nesters and retirees in Brunswick Forest than other age groups, but it seems that the younger set is better represented there than in other communities. That's something I plan to verify with some fact checking. Two concern I have: 1. the cost of the homeowners association fee, which is higher than most in the area (could effect re-sale value down the road) and 2. the problem of not knowing what's coming down the road. The community is in it's infancy and that makes me a little nervous. I'd prefer to be in a place that was at least 75% built out so what you see is pretty much what you get.
I have a property management background and so asked many,many questions when we took our tour of Brunswick Forest. There is only one clubhouse and pool at present but they are going to be building 5 more I believe (possibly more?). There will also be multiple homeowners associations representing different neighborhood groupings and one master association that umbrellas over the entire community. That also makes me a little uncomfortable.
I love the fact that I can do my grocery shopping and most other errands without having to even leave the boundaries of the larger Brunswick Forest property. To me that's huge. Then, when we want some fun or culture or entertainment, we hope over the bridge into Wilmington. We are going to visit again this summer. BF will put you up in one of their cottages for 2 or 3 nights at a decent rate. We are going to take advantage of the offer and see what it's like. Good luck to you ... relocating is a very tough decision. Visit the communities you are interested in at least a few times before committing to anything!
There are a higher percentage of empty nesters and retirees in Brunswick Forest than other age groups, but it seems that the younger set is better represented there than in other communities.
There is anecdotal evidence that about 30% of BF residents are younger. I also went into the US Census Bureau's 2010 data, and sample one census tract in BF. That was a coupl years ago, and it was slow and tedious, but the census numbers confirmed the presence of about the same numbers of younger residents. I wish I know of something easier than the census data. A Zip code is not detailed enough to zero in on BF.
Time has passed since many of these comments were posted. We are close to retirement age and are in the process of choosing between BF and Waterford. We like the idea that lawn care is included in BF so that yards will all look nice. We also like the water canals present throughout Waterford. We prefer a neighborhood where the majority of residents are close to our age. If you have visited the two communities or currently live in one, I'd love to hear your observations. Thanks!
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