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Old 04-15-2014, 09:58 AM
 
Location: Conn.
1,063 posts, read 1,408,401 times
Reputation: 1017

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I have been looking at 55+ communities and luckily thought to ask about rules re: my cat. He pretty much sleeps all day, but likes to go out for a while at night. He will walk with me and follow me (no leash), but also likes to go off by himself, almost always coming in to spend the night with me. A few communities told me they do not allow cats to be outside without a leash. I am sure that would not work for my cat, as he is older now and used to his present routine.

Do any of you on here live in communities where there have been issues with cats, complaints, etc. My cat is neutered, would not be howling or fighting with other cats, and is afraid of people so unlikely to ever approach anyone. Where I live now and he has been all his life, if I am walking with him and stop to talk to someone, he will sit about 10 feet away and wait for me to finish talking and start walking again. He won't live forever, but I don't want to move someplace and start having problems with neighbors or the HOA because of the cat.

Thanks
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Old 05-05-2014, 06:45 AM
 
Location: Felton, DE
560 posts, read 910,313 times
Reputation: 662
Quote:
Originally Posted by retiree2011 View Post
I have been looking at 55+ communities and luckily thought to ask about rules re: my cat. He pretty much sleeps all day, but likes to go out for a while at night. He will walk with me and follow me (no leash), but also likes to go off by himself, almost always coming in to spend the night with me. A few communities told me they do not allow cats to be outside without a leash. I am sure that would not work for my cat, as he is older now and used to his present routine.

Do any of you on here live in communities where there have been issues with cats, complaints, etc. My cat is neutered, would not be howling or fighting with other cats, and is afraid of people so unlikely to ever approach anyone. Where I live now and he has been all his life, if I am walking with him and stop to talk to someone, he will sit about 10 feet away and wait for me to finish talking and start walking again. He won't live forever, but I don't want to move someplace and start having problems with neighbors or the HOA because of the cat.

Thanks
Although I suppose this does not really apply to those with cats, but here at Roesville we are permitted to fence in the rear yard for those who have dogs. Most 55+ communities do not allow fences. Walking pets within the community is allowed provided the pet is on a leash.
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Old 05-05-2014, 07:23 AM
 
Location: Former LI'er Now Rehoboth Beach, DE
13,034 posts, read 17,912,801 times
Reputation: 13968
While not 55 communities, some that we visited while looking will allow the E-fences but not regular fencing a good point for those looking with pets to consider.
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Old 05-05-2014, 11:36 AM
 
Location: Conn.
1,063 posts, read 1,408,401 times
Reputation: 1017
Question thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goin'2DE View Post
Although I suppose this does not really apply to those with cats, but here at Roesville we are permitted to fence in the rear yard for those who have dogs. Most 55+ communities do not allow fences. Walking pets within the community is allowed provided the pet is on a leash.

Unfortunately, I believe my cat would go over a fence (or under, if possible). One place I looked at suggested I put a wire enclosure in the yard for the cat, sort of like a big cage. I did see some fenced yards; wonder if a canine-type invisible fence might work. But the cat is 10 years old and used to going across the street in my present neighborhood to go into a wooded area. Without that option, I wonder if he would just be happy if I planted some bushes, etc. for him to hang out in.
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Old 05-05-2014, 11:54 AM
 
1,677 posts, read 2,525,394 times
Reputation: 3460
Quote:
Originally Posted by retiree2011 View Post
Unfortunately, I believe my cat would go over a fence (or under, if possible). One place I looked at suggested I put a wire enclosure in the yard for the cat, sort of like a big cage. I did see some fenced yards; wonder if a canine-type invisible fence might work. But the cat is 10 years old and used to going across the street in my present neighborhood to go into a wooded area. Without that option, I wonder if he would just be happy if I planted some bushes, etc. for him to hang out in.
retiree2011,

I have actually had some experience with relocating an older cat. As long as your cat is not a fulltime outdoor cat (farm cat or is not accustomed to using an indoor litter box) you would be surprised at how quickly the cat will adapt to becoming an indoor only cat.

The adjustment to becoming an indoor only cat seems to be much easier when moving to a new location. The new home becomes their new territory.

Some reasons to consider transitioning to indoor only include less risk of being hit by a car, less chance of having a run in with a rabid animal (fox, raccoon etc.) less chance of coming home with deer ticks (Lyme disease).

I love cats, but, some of your neighbors might not be thrilled to find cat poop in their garden, your cat coming into their backyard etc.

Now, a farm cat or a cat that has never used an indoor litter box could be a real problem, but, if your cat already is accustomed to being indoors and using a litter box the cat should transition quickly to becoming an indoor cat.

Mary2014
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Old 05-05-2014, 12:21 PM
 
Location: Conn.
1,063 posts, read 1,408,401 times
Reputation: 1017
Smile thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary2014 View Post
retiree2011,

I have actually had some experience with relocating an older cat. As long as your cat is not a fulltime outdoor cat (farm cat or is not accustomed to using an indoor litter box) you would be surprised at how quickly the cat will adapt to becoming an indoor only cat.

The adjustment to becoming an indoor only cat seems to be much easier when moving to a new location. The new home becomes their new territory.

Some reasons to consider transitioning to indoor only include less risk of being hit by a car, less chance of having a run in with a rabid animal (fox, raccoon etc.) less chance of coming home with deer ticks (Lyme disease).

I love cats, but, some of your neighbors might not be thrilled to find cat poop in their garden, your cat coming into their backyard etc.

Now, a farm cat or a cat that has never used an indoor litter box could be a real problem, but, if your cat already is accustomed to being indoors and using a litter box the cat should transition quickly to becoming an indoor cat.

Mary2014

I live in a condo now with just a door out to a parking lot and no yard space at all. I am kind of hoping if/when I have some outdoor space of my own, he might adjust to that; plus I will have a screened-in porch/sunroom and he loves to lay in the sun. I'm hoping with a new location and a little more space, he might become more of a homebody. He likes some outdoor time but sleeps inside at night and really most of the day, too. Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe a new place will become his new territory and problem solved. I just don't want to put him in a cage when he is outside and doubt a leash would work, either.
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Old 05-19-2014, 01:33 PM
 
Location: On the East Coast
2,361 posts, read 4,845,315 times
Reputation: 4103
We just recently spent several days in the Dover area looking at 55+ communities and I wanted to express my views. We looked at or investigated Noble's Pond, Champion's Club, Longacre Village, Roesville, Fieldstone Village and Heritage Shores. We will actually be going back in a week to do more intense research, and have meetings with the sales people, at our top 2.

First let me say up front that we purchased our home in a 55+ community in SC back in 2007 so we did benefit from the housing downturn at that time. It has appreciated quite well, but then again so have the ones we looked at in DE. So we are finding that we can't really get much more than what we already have, and in some cases it would be less. So keep that in mind for my comments. Depending on what you are looking for, expect to spend an absolute minimum of $275K if you even want a few upgrades in a medium sized house of 1400-1600 sq. ft. If you are looking at average number of upgrades, look at $325K and up in a new home. And I was a bit unpleasantly surprised as to what they consider an "upgrade". And one thing I wish everyone would tell you up front or on the website is what models there are to actually see on site, and if you can make arrangements to see others. That would have helped us tremendously.

Noble's Pond - I really like this community and it is in our top 2. Homes are nice and they are willing to work with you on changes. However, like most builders they hit you extra for a lot of little things. And coupled with their recent very large price increases of $15K to $24K, things seem to add up very fast. We ended up having to leave out a couple things that I really wanted, but weren't necessary. There are only a very few lots left in the original phase and the second phase won't be open for building until probably early next year. And pretty much all those that are currently left have a hefty lot premium on them. At this point in time they are no longer building the Carriage Homes, but are considering "cottages" which as I understand are small single family homes on slabs. There are only 3 models available to view but they will take you on a "hard hat" tour to see some under construction. Overall I do like the "feel" of the community and even though there are lots of nice trees, etc. around, it is still very close to shopping, etc. Everyone we met was wonderful and Brian, the sales person, is great to work with. All things being equal, I would choose here, but have hubby's opinions to consider. I also liked a lot of the home features, such as kitchen and closets. It appears some thought was put into things. Clubhouse and other amenities are very nice and there is a nice area out back for a picnic or even just lounging around with friends. Pool is salt water.

Champion's Club - Before visiting here this one was actually further down on our list, but has become one of our top 2. The lots are very nicely sized and the homes are very nice. They, too, are willing to work with you on changes, but as with NP all little upgrades have a fee, although they seem to have a lot more structural upgrades available than NP. They have had a tiny price increase, but only $1K on each model. They have made a bunch of changes in several of their floorplans lately to make things a bit more "user friendly" for lack of a better word, and unfortunately their models do not reflect that. They are planning to build new models, but haven't started them yet. We looked at one under construction but it was hard to imagine since it was only in framing. Hoping it is much further along next week. Their homes are Energy Star 3.0 rated and they do a lot of sealing of things during construction that I have not seen in other homes. IMHO the kitchen and closets are a bit small, even with the changes, so that is what is keeping them #2 on my list, but because of how large he can make the garage this is #1 on hubby's list. All the people we met there, as well as the sales person (Ed) were wonderful. They have a nice clubhouse and appear to have quite a few activities. Pool is chlorinated. One thing of interest is that the builder will actually take care of small amounts of outside damage to the house at no extra charge for "life". So should you have a bit of damage to siding, shingles, etc. they would be fixed. Anything large would come under your homeowner's policy, though. Although I guess this would be in effect only if the builder were still in business.

Longacre Village - This is a nice community and the homes are nice as well, but they are down to their last 3 available single family lots and they are required to be basement lots, so that pretty well threw this one out for us since we don't want a basement. They also had a couple of spec homes being built, but the location in the community wasn't something we liked. They only have 3 models to show and, of course, aren't building any more. They are "expanding" a bit, but they will only be building Villas, several units in one building, but no more single family. If multi-family configuration is what you are looking for then it is worth a look, but that's it.

Fieldstone Village - A friend drove us through there and when we saw it as well as the location we weren't even interested in looking. It is extremely small and most of what is built are the original manufactured homes. Regular houses look nice from outside, but small on very small lots. It is located right behind a shopping center, only divided by a wooden fence and I can see there might be traffic problems with lots of people cutting through there, as well as noise from the parking lot of the shopping center. We didn't return. There is no activity center, but their HOA fee includes membership to a golf course or to an outside activity center.

Roesville - People warned us and it is definitely true....it is out in the boonies. But it is a very nice area and if you want quiet and rural it is wonderful. They still have a bunch of land to develop and it should be nice. I was disappointed that they only had 1 model to look at, not the one we were interested in seeing. They claim they could make arrangements to see someone's house, but it would take a couple of days and we just didn't have that time. We checked out the model, but really of no interest to us. I do have concerns about their permanent clubhouse plans. They claim they will not build it until there are more people, but a lot of people aren't going to buy without it. And I would be concerned that when several years down the road they feel they don't have enough homes the builder could actually just walk away. I wouldn't want to bet my home value on something that as yet doesn't exist. Although it wasn't for us, it is a nice community for the right person and for anyone planning to retire 5-10 years out, it might be a great possibility. But do plan to drive 30-45 minutes for any major shopping, etc.

Heritage Shores - After much research and talking to various people we decided that this community really isn't for us. Being in Sussex Co., instead of Kent Co., the taxes are higher, as well as the home costs. The HOA is higher than everybody else and doesn't include lawn care or snow removal. Plus I understand that they have been hit with several county assessments as well. Although the houses seem really nice, we felt it was just going to be out of our means both now and down the road, so no use wasting our, or the sales person's, time. Plus neither one of us golf, so that wasn't a big deal.

Hope this was a bit of a help to anyone looking. If you have any specific questions that I might be able to help you with, please feel free to contact me.

Last edited by rothbear; 05-19-2014 at 01:44 PM..
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Old 05-20-2014, 09:38 AM
EdB
 
Location: Magnolia, DE
24 posts, read 44,332 times
Reputation: 39
I'm the resident member on our HOA Board. One important correction in your analysis about Champions Club. It's not the builder but the HOA that covers quite a few exterior maintenance items. Roof repairs and replacement, gutters and downspouts, exterior trim painting, driveway sealing and minor repairs to siding. So, even when the the builder leaves, you will still be covered. I'm not sure how many other communities cover all that in your monthly HOA fee, in addition to all the amenities we have.
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Old 05-20-2014, 10:04 AM
 
Location: On the East Coast
2,361 posts, read 4,845,315 times
Reputation: 4103
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdB View Post
I'm the resident member on our HOA Board. One important correction in your analysis about Champions Club. It's not the builder but the HOA that covers quite a few exterior maintenance items. Roof repairs and replacement, gutters and downspouts, exterior trim painting, driveway sealing and minor repairs to siding. So, even when the the builder leaves, you will still be covered. I'm not sure how many other communities cover all that in your monthly HOA fee, in addition to all the amenities we have.
I stand corrected. Ed kept saying "we" would do this or that, so I guess I assumed builder. Plus he did say something about "we wouldn't replace a whole house" when I specifically asked him what all the "maintenance" included, again that led me to believe that it was only more minor things rather than a full roof replacement. But I did forget that he mentioned the asphalt sealing of the driveways. So yes, that is added.

One other thing I thought of, apparently although the roads are actually owned by the county, the HOA takes care of the snow removal by having it done and then bills the county. That keeps the heavy equipment off the roads, plus allows the county to focus their work elsewhere, like major roads. Although apparently the county would fix any road damages or potholes, etc.
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Old 05-20-2014, 11:28 AM
 
Location: Conn.
1,063 posts, read 1,408,401 times
Reputation: 1017
Smile additional info on Longacre Village

Quote:
Originally Posted by rothbear View Post
We just recently spent several days in the Dover area looking at 55+ communities and I wanted to express my views. We looked at or investigated Noble's Pond, Champion's Club, Longacre Village, Roesville, Fieldstone Village and Heritage Shores. We will actually be going back in a week to do more intense research, and have meetings with the sales people, at our top 2.

First let me say up front that we purchased our home in a 55+ community in SC back in 2007 so we did benefit from the housing downturn at that time. It has appreciated quite well, but then again so have the ones we looked at in DE. So we are finding that we can't really get much more than what we already have, and in some cases it would be less. So keep that in mind for my comments. Depending on what you are looking for, expect to spend an absolute minimum of $275K if you even want a few upgrades in a medium sized house of 1400-1600 sq. ft. If you are looking at average number of upgrades, look at $325K and up in a new home. And I was a bit unpleasantly surprised as to what they consider an "upgrade". And one thing I wish everyone would tell you up front or on the website is what models there are to actually see on site, and if you can make arrangements to see others. That would have helped us tremendously.

Noble's Pond - I really like this community and it is in our top 2. Homes are nice and they are willing to work with you on changes. However, like most builders they hit you extra for a lot of little things. And coupled with their recent very large price increases of $15K to $24K, things seem to add up very fast. We ended up having to leave out a couple things that I really wanted, but weren't necessary. There are only a very few lots left in the original phase and the second phase won't be open for building until probably early next year. And pretty much all those that are currently left have a hefty lot premium on them. At this point in time they are no longer building the Carriage Homes, but are considering "cottages" which as I understand are small single family homes on slabs. There are only 3 models available to view but they will take you on a "hard hat" tour to see some under construction. Overall I do like the "feel" of the community and even though there are lots of nice trees, etc. around, it is still very close to shopping, etc. Everyone we met was wonderful and Brian, the sales person, is great to work with. All things being equal, I would choose here, but have hubby's opinions to consider. I also liked a lot of the home features, such as kitchen and closets. It appears some thought was put into things. Clubhouse and other amenities are very nice and there is a nice area out back for a picnic or even just lounging around with friends. Pool is salt water.

Champion's Club - Before visiting here this one was actually further down on our list, but has become one of our top 2. The lots are very nicely sized and the homes are very nice. They, too, are willing to work with you on changes, but as with NP all little upgrades have a fee, although they seem to have a lot more structural upgrades available than NP. They have had a tiny price increase, but only $1K on each model. They have made a bunch of changes in several of their floorplans lately to make things a bit more "user friendly" for lack of a better word, and unfortunately their models do not reflect that. They are planning to build new models, but haven't started them yet. We looked at one under construction but it was hard to imagine since it was only in framing. Hoping it is much further along next week. Their homes are Energy Star 3.0 rated and they do a lot of sealing of things during construction that I have not seen in other homes. IMHO the kitchen and closets are a bit small, even with the changes, so that is what is keeping them #2 on my list, but because of how large he can make the garage this is #1 on hubby's list. All the people we met there, as well as the sales person (Ed) were wonderful. They have a nice clubhouse and appear to have quite a few activities. Pool is chlorinated. One thing of interest is that the builder will actually take care of small amounts of outside damage to the house at no extra charge for "life". So should you have a bit of damage to siding, shingles, etc. they would be fixed. Anything large would come under your homeowner's policy, though. Although I guess this would be in effect only if the builder were still in business.

Longacre Village - This is a nice community and the homes are nice as well, but they are down to their last 3 available single family lots and they are required to be basement lots, so that pretty well threw this one out for us since we don't want a basement. They also had a couple of spec homes being built, but the location in the community wasn't something we liked. They only have 3 models to show and, of course, aren't building any more. They are "expanding" a bit, but they will only be building Villas, several units in one building, but no more single family. If multi-family configuration is what you are looking for then it is worth a look, but that's it.

Fieldstone Village - A friend drove us through there and when we saw it as well as the location we weren't even interested in looking. It is extremely small and most of what is built are the original manufactured homes. Regular houses look nice from outside, but small on very small lots. It is located right behind a shopping center, only divided by a wooden fence and I can see there might be traffic problems with lots of people cutting through there, as well as noise from the parking lot of the shopping center. We didn't return. There is no activity center, but their HOA fee includes membership to a golf course or to an outside activity center.

Roesville - People warned us and it is definitely true....it is out in the boonies. But it is a very nice area and if you want quiet and rural it is wonderful. They still have a bunch of land to develop and it should be nice. I was disappointed that they only had 1 model to look at, not the one we were interested in seeing. They claim they could make arrangements to see someone's house, but it would take a couple of days and we just didn't have that time. We checked out the model, but really of no interest to us. I do have concerns about their permanent clubhouse plans. They claim they will not build it until there are more people, but a lot of people aren't going to buy without it. And I would be concerned that when several years down the road they feel they don't have enough homes the builder could actually just walk away. I wouldn't want to bet my home value on something that as yet doesn't exist. Although it wasn't for us, it is a nice community for the right person and for anyone planning to retire 5-10 years out, it might be a great possibility. But do plan to drive 30-45 minutes for any major shopping, etc.

Heritage Shores - After much research and talking to various people we decided that this community really isn't for us. Being in Sussex Co., instead of Kent Co., the taxes are higher, as well as the home costs. The HOA is higher than everybody else and doesn't include lawn care or snow removal. Plus I understand that they have been hit with several county assessments as well. Although the houses seem really nice, we felt it was just going to be out of our means both now and down the road, so no use wasting our, or the sales person's, time. Plus neither one of us golf, so that wasn't a big deal.

Hope this was a bit of a help to anyone looking. If you have any specific questions that I might be able to help you with, please feel free to contact me.
When I was at Longacre Village last month, I was shown one of the villas - I wasn't interested, as I really want a separate home (live in a condo now), but it was mentioned to me that outdoor grills would not be allowed in the villas, because they are too close together. So if grilling is on someone's list of "must-haves", something to keep in mind. Rothbear put in a great, comprehensive post here on these places.
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