55+ Communities (Townsend, Odessa: shopping center, moving to, clubs)

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by rorys

The sales manager said the current HOA is $93 per month and going up to $104/per month once the clubhouse is completed. I would think a clubhouse is worth alot more than $10 a month, and I'd be pretty upset to be paying that high of an HOA fee to have my lawn mowed.

Somewhere in my files, I have a listing of exactly what the HOA fees pay for ... and as I'm posting this, I'm going to look and see if I have it handy.

I knew I had it. I'm omitting the numbers and just including the line items:

Landscaping contract for common areas
Snow removal common areas
Monthly electric for clubhouse
Monthly water/sewer for clubhouse
Monthly cable/internet for clubhouse
Part time custodial
HVAC contract
Light maintenance
Maintenance supplies
Annual alarm monitoring / fire testing
Home lawn cutting / edging / trimming
Cost to clear 3 snowfalls - homes
Pool guard service
Pool supplies
Pool repairs and maintenance
Recreational supplies
Annual Audit
Engineering services
Legal services
Minor unclassified expenses
Postage
Stationary supplies
Fed Income Tax on reserve interest
Monthly bill for pool and alarm lines
Telephone for pool
Contracted services
Insurance
Event budget

You'll see that most of the costs relate to the clubhouse, pool and related services.

[Gone-2-Beach]

Huge sigh of relief. Message from Rich:

"Thanks for reaching out to me again. I thought I had responded to your Wednesday email, but when I checked my "sent" messages I did not see a response (from me)."

My wife and I are smiling again.

[Honeycrisp]

Good update, glad he got back to you ;-) <--I'm smiling too - it's easy to overlook a post. Anyway, am taking that as a good sign, now you just have to convince him to go ahead w/ the clubhouse and pool <G>.

[elizamary]

I'm sure it was just an oversight charley. Maybe getting used to the job is overwhelming. I know sales are his first priorities.

When your smiling......oh when your smiling....the whole world smiles with youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Oh when your laughing......when you laughing.....the whole world laughs with youuuuu!!!

So keep on smiling....keep on smiling the sun comes shining through!!

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by Honeycrisp

Good update, glad he got back to you ;-) <--I'm smiling too - it's easy to overlook a post. Anyway, am taking that as a good sign, now you just have to convince him to go ahead w/ the clubhouse and pool <G>.

Absolutely!

[susieC]

Hey all, just wanted to sign in with something else to think about relative to the "cluhbhouse". I have a friend at Legacy at Odessa National in Townsend. Their clubhouse has been finished for at least a year and they won't open it because they are not at 50% occupancy! My friends have been there for over 3 years without a clubhouse and they haven't started the pool yet. They have meeting after meeting but to no avail. What a revoltin development, eh?
So now we are thinking about Florida. Yes, I know there are storms and it's hot in the summer and the taxes are higher but it is glorious in the winter. We've been going to Sun City Center for the past 5 years renting for up to a month at a time. Prices are unbelievable...about a $100K difference.
So we will see. These communities in DE seem so iffy....maybe it's just the times but I think everyone jumped on the bandwagon at one time and there are just too many communities.
Charley, did you know the taxes at Heritage Shores are much higher? Apparently they have a bond issue to pay for...also HOA does not include lawncare.
If Roseville wants to sell homes, they have to begin the clubhouse/pools....can't believe they don't see this.

[elizamary]

Hertiage shores is very expensive. Our friends tell of us the extra fees.

I would move to AZ before I would move to Fl. Just my preference.

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by susieC

Charley, did you know the taxes at Heritage Shores are much higher? Apparently they have a bond issue to pay for...also HOA does not include lawncare.

The main reason that Heritage Shores is a higher tax base is because they are in Sussex County where the taxes are higher than Kent County in general. Also, that golf course covers a lot of real estate and the taxes for that portion of the community is probably folded into the HOA rate as well.

I do believe that the HOA covers lawn mowing, snow removal etc. We were very careful to ask about all that in each community we visited - although we were there when it was a Lennar - Heritage Shores partnership, before Lennar pulled out.

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by Charley

The main reason that Heritage Shores is a higher tax base is because they are in Sussex County where the taxes are higher than Kent County in general. Also, that golf course covers a lot of real estate and the taxes for that portion of the community is probably folded into the HOA rate as well.

I do believe that the HOA covers lawn mowing, snow removal etc. We were very careful to ask about all that in each community we visited - although we were there when it was a Lennar - Heritage Shores partnership, before Lennar pulled out.

There is an extra fee to use the golf course. Cost these people we know $2,000 extra a year.

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by elizamary

There is an extra fee to use the golf course. Cost these people we know $2,000 extra a year.

Well let's see. If a regular golfer plays three times a week and in Delaware you can probably count on 28 good weeks, that's a "greens fee" of about $25 per round - so that's not too outrageous. Of course, if you only play occassionally, that's an awful deal, unless there is an option for a daily rate.