[Madfly]

I will be retiring in a couple of years and was thinking about relocating to Heritage Village in Southbury, Ct. My 2 children just moved to Newtown, Ct. so I think it would be a smart move. I can't seem to find any information about what the maintenance fees cover. Do they cover gas, electric, heating, etc. If not, what is the average cost of a 2 person Berkshire condominium for utilities. I need to have a ballpark figure so I can estimate what I would have to retire with to cover all my costs. Thanks for your help in advance.

[JayCT]

Madfly - There was thread on Heritage Village on this Board a couple of months ago. The link below should bring you to it. I am not sure it answers your questions though. I too wondered what the fee covered since it seemed very high. You might need to contact a real estate agent for information on it. Good luck, Jay

http://www.city-data.com/forum/conne...-s-don-ts.html

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by Madfly

I will be retiring in a couple of years and was thinking about relocating to Heritage Village in Southbury, Ct. My 2 children just moved to Newtown, Ct. so I think it would be a smart move. I can't seem to find any information about what the maintenance fees cover. Do they cover gas, electric, heating, etc.

The HOA fees (or common charges) cover grounds, snow removal, security services, trash removal, and management.

They do not cover utilities.

[JayCT]

Any idea why the HOA fees are so high? I remember looking at them and thinking they were outragous. Jay

[Rich Lee]

I showed my mother units at Heritage Village. She said the common charges must pay the Grim Reaper's salary. (Leave it to my mother to make such a remark.) Needless to say, she didn't purchase a property there.

[ChristineL]

My guess is that they are so high to cover the cost of their amenities but this is just a guess.

[seymourct]

My bother-in-law's parents live there. I heard something last Thanksgiving about a special assesment to fix something (I think it was the roofs - not really sure), but with sooooo many buildings in Heritage Village it figures that what ever the repair is X times the number of buildings = big common charges.

[JayCT]

I own a unit in a large complex too and do not pay anywhere near what the charges were at Heritage Village and my place a lot of amenities too (clubhouse, pool, tennis, racquet ball, etc.). What else does Heritage offer that other communities don't to make their fees so high? Jay