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OK, so as I sit here calmly enjoying life in St James along with so many others.... listening to the comments on just how terrible it really is here and how it is just getting "terribler" and "terribler" every day, and getting to the point of being absolutely unbearable in the future... the fees, the rules, the POA, Legacy Park, the grass, the weather, the sky and the moon, etc.... from people who live here and have lived here for years.... I wonder about a few things.
In all candor, why stay here ? This is on my mind. This is America, there are no bars on the place, you can leave any time you wish. I don't understand. The market is brisk, there are people coming here every week, some buy lots and build, some buy used homes, there is a market for both. Life is too short to be so unhappy, you can sell your house and buy for half the price at any one of dozens of communities, plantations, etc within 25 miles of here, yes dozens.... and they don't have any of the bad things that you speak of in St James ( or do they ? ) But back to the original thought, why stay here ? I can't figure it out, if I were as unhappy with whatever you perceive to be so bad, I can tell you that I would not stay..... FACT, it's not going to change ! They are not going to lower the fees, they are not going to change anything at Legacy Park, etc. No petition is going to accomplish those things. They run this country club like place the way they run it and that is that, I personally am quite happy but if I were not, if I were as unhappy with things as "you" seem to be... I woud leave, as mentioned before, life is too short to be so unhappy, we left NJ because we were unhappy there and sought a better futire in retirement... we found it, obviously you did not. So to repeat, why do you stay ? You can leave just as others do for various reasons.
On the same level, if you have been looking at St James for a while... and have read about all these terrible goings on from all of these unhappy campers, the fees, the rules, etc.... why would you still consider this dump at all ? Why not simply cross it off your list because as mentioned earlier, St James is not going to change how they run the place. Why waste your time on this forum complaning and commenting on just how bad things are, let it go, move on, there are many, many other alternatives that don't have all the bad things..... I don't understand this either..... it's not going to change so why all this bother ? We visited and considered many other places before St James and once we saw that they did not met our criteria we crossed them off and moved on, we saw no sense in dwelling on them, let alone hanging around a forum that is EXCLUSIVELY about a place which we would never move to because it is so bad there.
Sorry but I don't get either of the above scenarios.
Last edited by Stonecreek67; 10-17-2014 at 09:00 AM..
I agree ditchy, enough yankees here now, they should ALL stay away.... keep what's left of the secret a secret, BUT, in all seriousness, if they are here now and they are THAT unhappy.... they absolutely have an alternative to bitching and moaning to a group of unknown internet people .... they can simply get out of Dodge and get on with their lives.
Last edited by Stonecreek67; 10-17-2014 at 10:53 AM..
I agree ditchy, enough yankees here now, they should ALL stay away.... keep what's left of the secret a secret, BUT, in all seriousness, if they are here now and they are THAT unhappy.... they absolutely have an alternative to bitching and moaning to a group of unknown internet people .... they can simply get out of Dodge and get on with their lives.
Take a look at the Zillow listings. People do sell, but below the Zillow estimates. Many of the homes in St James were constructed at the top of the market and unless they find a similar loss to buy, they are trapped. One couple on my street took two years to sell at a loss. They told me they overlooked that without an industry in the area, the demand is weak. The amenities are what sells St James and if they become too expensive for potential buyers, then people cannot leave. The people in the Reserve are upset because they see Legacy Park as something that will decrease their investment. Some have already seen a $200 hit on the land value. You may want to close the door behind you, but many people think of real estate as something that will hold financial value that they may someday want to sell and retrieve the investment. From their perspective, these changes will make that less likely.
Sorry, I will repeat.... life is too short, nobody is trapped here, unrealistic expectations of sale / listing prices of your home is what lets it sit on the market.... if one is that unhappy here they should sell their home and buy somewhere else... and for "much less" than in St James... that would make up any loss if there is one..... it's a choice and everyone has that choice, there is no reason to be unhappy where you are, you can and should leave.
BTW I am in the Reserve and could not care less about any aspect of Legacy Park, does not affect me or my property at all..... the lots are all spoken for and many will be built on immediately as soon as this foolishness about a few lot lines and / or setbacks that a few are upset over is settled. In addition, the people that lost "value" from when they purchased ( and not just the Reserve but everywhere in St James ) are simply in the same boat as millions of people all over the country that bought real estate at the height of the market and now prices have come down, no difference whatsoever.
St James is not the least expensive place to live and the amenities of a beautiful country club atmosphere cost money and must be paid for... it was a choice to come here and we are simply happy that we made that choice, if you are not you should leave and get peace of mind somewhere else that is more suited to your pocketbook / tastes..... a famous person once said "life is too short to be unhappy" !
Another BTW, Zillow Smillow, real estate is worth exactly what someone will pay for it TODAY... unrealistic expectations and thoughts of what your home is worth TODAY and NOT listening to the realtor is what lets your house sit on the market.
You know Stoney, as usual, you are absolutely correct about the "happiness" thing, especially in retirement. IMO though, the pebble in the shoe from my point of view (rhyme not intentional) is the dramatic increase in membership fees. If the increase were 1 or 2k or the 10k could be paid over a period of time, it would be much easier to swallow. As a future retired person, a 10k increase in the Signature membership is a pretty big nut for me.
I understand the business end. Troon is trying to make as much as possible before their "contract" is up for renewal and the possibility of new management for the clubs, but that doesn't make things any easier for the average Joe (like me).
BTW, we will be relocating to St. James in spite of all the nonsense going on...love the place!
Many of us on this board live in SJP and either a) are not members of the clubs or b) have memberships but are concerned about the changes. I don’t think it is fair to be categorized as unhappy dissenters. There are a few key points:
1) Members who have paid out their hard earned money and are now having the terms of their membership changed have the right to be upset and respectfully voice that concern. If I had a basic signature membership and found that my permitted rounds of golf were cut in half, my privileges to use the driving ranges restricted and my monthly cost increased, I would certainly be upset.
2) Current and Future members have a right to be concerned about the value of their homes and how they could be negatively impacted by the changing fee structure for the clubs. Many people are on fixed incomes and are concerned they will be priced out in the future. A membership going from $30K to $40K in one shot is very concerning. Also, if the fees go to high and new people considering Saint James find it prohibitive, it may impact the value of existing homeowners.
3) Many people live in SJP for the “community feel.” They are concerned about the “have” and “have not” feeling in the community if existing residents get priced out of membership. This may mean that next door neighbors cannot golf together if they are not both members. This certainly detracts from the “community feel.”
4) Given the proposed changes to membership, and the increased financial commitment to become a member, many are concerned about what happens when the clubs change hands in the not too distant future. That is a huge unknown.
Finally, given the price increase and change take effect on 1/1/2015, people like myself, who are not members of the clubs have to make a decision whether to join or not. That means we have to do our due diligence and individually make the decision that is best, within a short timeframe. Even if I do not join the clubs, I am still happy about my decision to live at SJP. It just means that if I want to eat at the Players club, I will have to come as Stoney’s guest. Did I mention that was another change?
A couple of year ago I played the Reserve course as an outside player. We put two foursomes out and enjoyed the course as one of the best in the extended Myrtle Beach golf area. If more residents pass on the higher fees Troon will pull more golfers "off the street". Can't see how that works for the residents.
Just came back from a lovely dinner at Thai Peppers in Southport with 6 other couples from St James.... NONE of whom were among the aforementioned and very subjective "many" that are supposedly so very concerned and consumed with worry about any of these issues that are being blown way out of proportion on this forum.
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