55+ Communities (Lewes: public school, transport, roach)

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by little eggplant

My realtor said she has to report back to the SB program twice a week to check in and explain what they are doing for us, so that sounds as if they really are working for us which is a good thing. Time will tell if the program succeeds......

Thanks Little Eggplant. That's an important part of it that I failed to mention. I'm still assimilating all that I heard and haven't yet finished reading all that was given to me.

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by Goin'2DE

I do have some friends who might be interested, but who are too stubborn to review this forum

WOW. Really? Gee I'm trying to read and learn everything I can. I figure if I'm going to relocate myself to another place, I better know as much as I can before I actually do it!

I hope you're able to "invite" them to come join the conversation. Who knows? They might have questions that we never even thought about.

[cant wait to retire]

I have my "one month" since settlement walk-through with the builder next week. Can anyone share any experiences they had or give me any suggestions?????? Thanks group!

[NapaJoe]

CWTR, if you haven't done so already, you might want to try your heat. My 30 day is coming up also and this is on my list. Also if you have a crawlspace, check for water. This has been one of my problems. We had mold growing on the stairs.

[NJtoDE]

Napajoe,

Where did you buy? Because you mentioned stairs I am assuming you have a conditioned crawl space with a crock pit and sump pump. 8'' pour concrete walls? 3'' slab with crushed stone below? Interior/Exterior drain tile system? Is your grading per plan? If you have mold growing, there is something serious going on down there. Be sure to check your warranties and document everything. Mold is a major problem and will never go away unless it is properly treated.

In General, I visited many communities and I am leaning towards Spring Meadow and Longacre Village. I come from the construction field and both builders in those communities do a nice job. The builder from Spring Meadow is more locally concentrated where the builder for Longacre Village is a National Builder that is well known in my state. I walked homes under construction in both communities and the homes are very well built. I was not impressed with some of the other communities that have been mentioned. It is not important for me to have a clubhouse and pool built before I buy, but more importantly I want to be sure the community can sustain it. I heard that of some of the communities that you mentioned are in debt, and the only reason why the clubhouse and pool are running is because the builder is subsiding it. I do not want that - it will be a disaster down the road when the builder leaves. There should be a documented budget for each community and where the HOA fees are going. Be sure to review very carefully before buying.

[Goin'2DE]

Originally Posted by NJtoDE

Napajoe,

It is not important for me to have a clubhouse and pool built before I buy, but more importantly I want to be sure the community can sustain it. I heard that of some of the communities that you mentioned are in debt, and the only reason why the clubhouse and pool are running is because the builder is subsiding it. I do not want that - it will be a disaster down the road when the builder leaves. There should be a documented budget for each community and where the HOA fees are going. Be sure to review very carefully before buying.

You are absolutely correct about the clubhouse. At Roesville the documentation for the clubhouse budget (before and after completion) and the HOA fees are spelled out in our contract. We visited several communities with completed clubhouses and were definitely impressed with the facilities, but not impressed by the HOA fees. We are on a fixed income and, with the economy as it is now, we must be wary of future cost increases. As we move and settle into our new home, we are not willing to pay $300 every month for the luxury of swimming pools, etc. Until the clubhouse is finally completed at Roesville, it makes more sense for us to do other important things with our money...like travelling. Truth is, I don't think we'll ever use the clubhouse often enough to warrant a $300+ expenditure every month. It will be terrific when it's completed, but not an absolute requirement for us at this point. For now, we'll just be paying for lawn care/snow removal and the HOA rate for that is comparable to hiring someone from the outside to do the same work.
G2DE

[kc50down]

NJtoDe and Goin'2DE,
It is interesting that you each mentioned a community that I will be visiting within the month. Could you tell me what the HOA fees are at Spring Meadow and Roesville. The houses are a little more than I wanted to spend but I am trying not to be too conservative and I don't want to settle. I am disapppointed that the Palmer model wasn't available as a model the last time I checked. I am going to call ahead and see if there is one in the process of being completed.
I value the clubhouse as a place to meet neighbors and make friends. Anything else would be a bonus.

[Goin'2DE]

Originally Posted by kc50down

NJtoDe and Goin'2DE,
It is interesting that you each mentioned a community that I will be visiting within the month. Could you tell me what the HOA fees are at Spring Meadow and Roesville. The houses are a little more than I wanted to spend but I am trying not to be too conservative and I don't want to settle. I am disapppointed that the Palmer model wasn't available as a model the last time I checked. I am going to call ahead and see if there is one in the process of being completed.
I value the clubhouse as a place to meet neighbors and make friends. Anything else would be a bonus.

At Roesville the "sales office" is a modified version of the Palmer model. The sales staff will happily show you the modifications and true layout of the completed home.
Currently there is a temporary "clubhouse" near the site of where the "Lodge" will be built. It's not spacious and exciting like at CC and Independence, but it does serve as a nice social gathering place. The HOA fees are $83/mo. at this time (lawn care/snow removal). Construction of the permanent Lodge is expected to begin within a year and fees will rise to approximately $110 at completion. (If the Lodge were completed today, the fees would be very high and the costs for supporting it would fall on the current homeowners (approximately 20+). The Lodge will be subsidized by the developer until 50% of the community has been completed after which ownership will be completely transferred to the HOA. The HOA will then determine monthly fees and services to be provided at the clubhouse. In other words, homeowners will not be paying for a clubhouse that does not exist, and will not be burdened with excessive HOA fees during construction.
By the way...when you compare ammenities, square footage, structural options, price, and lot size...for us, Roesville seemed the better bargain.
I wish you all the best in your search for a new home. May you find your dream home!
G2D

[NJtoDE]

Hello G2D,

Thank you for your insight. However, I was not talking about Roesville, or J.S. Hovanian, I am interested in K.Hovnanian at Longacre Village.

I have alot of experience in this industry and if you think $110 month will cover indoor/outdoor pool and a huge clubhouse you must be out of your mind. It is all a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Do you have any idea what even street light costs are?

Your comment about when 50% is complete it will be turned over to the HOA scares me the MOST. Are you kidding me. Lets say 200 people @ 110/month = 22K/yr. That does not even cover electric for clubhouse in a year! Now that mentioned the 50% thing, I will not even consider Roesville. It is typically 90%-95% when the builder/developer turns the HOA over to the homeowners.

Just an FYI there is no way that Roesville homeowners can support the clubhouse/pool without at least 300 homeowners at 200+ HOA fees. I am sorry for anyone that bought at Roesville - you will not get any clubhouse or pool for a long time and when you do, expect your fees to be about 200+ a month probably more.

GointoDe - the most important thing before building a pool/clubhouse is building up the reserves to support your amendities. How can a huge clubhouse and indooor/outdoor pool be supported when there is no reserve? Do you really thing J.S is going to fork out money that he doesn't have? Smarten up!

I will lay my reputation on the line that Roesville will not have a clubhouse within 5 yrs maybe 8. If it is within 5 yrs they will have debt and the fees will be 200+. My prediction is that J.S will be out of Roesville within 3 yrs. J.S cannot keep paying off the intrest on land that they own when they are not selling - NV homes learned this lesson back in the 80's, that is why they went bankrupt. Same thing is going to happen here. The lettering is on the wall.

I promise you this.

[Gone-2-Beach]

NJtoDE,

While you may have many years of industry experience, and you may be absolutely right about Roesville's HOA fees being totally out of the market (and I do believe that they are - as they are being quoted substantially lower than all the other 55+ communities that are not land lease), I take issue with your approach in the forum.

Phrases like "you must be out of your mind" and "smarten up" have absolutely no place here. This particular thread has been open for over three years and has been a place where members have been able to exchange information and ideas, and even disagree with each other, with kindness and civility. In my opinion, your comments to Goin'2DE were offensive and out of line.

If you do in fact have the experience you say you have, then your knowledge would be quite valuable to those of us looking to puchase in these communities. However, if you cannot share that knowledge in a more user-friendly manner, your credibility on these issues will suffer. I, for one, appreciate all sources of information, but those who push it as the only correct answer, or themselves as the sole authorities on everything turn me off.

I hope you'll take some time to present your knowledge in a way that will be helpful to those who use this forum as a source of good information. You've made a pretty strong prediction that JSH will bail from Roesville within three years. Can you back up that prediction with any factual information that would be helpful to prospective buyers?

Thanks in advance.