55+ Communities (Wilmington, Dover, Lewes: transporting, campgrounds, vs)

[Gone-2-Beach]

Ed also took us to an Austin with fewer options than yours so we could see that too. He's really good to deal with, isn't he?

You're right, "HeyJude". He is easy going, absolutely no pressure or "sales pitch" and answered every single question we asked him ... and we asked him some doozies. There is nothing that we needed to know about Champions Club, the Augusta model or any financial / cost-related aspect that he was unable to answer for us.

SusieC - by the way - you're right about the heat vents. I forgot to mention that in my prior post when comparing the two. Heat rises, and to the have them up high at Roesville really isn't the best option.

[kc50down]

Hello all.
I am scheduled to visit CC on the 24th of April and will be touring the Austin and Charleston models. I can't wait to actually see the homes and not just the floor plans. Can't Wait I may be going thru yours.
I am planning on visiting just CC this trip and was considering taking a side trip to Rehobeth Beach. Does anyone know how long it is from CC to the beach.
Gosh I wish I was retiring tomorrow instead of 3 whole years from now. My husband thinks I am crazy for all this preplanning but I think knowing what you want and looking at it from all angles helps to eliminate unwelcome surprises. This board has been of so much help in all of this and I want to thank everyone who takes the time to respond to all questions.

[Goin'2DE]

Originally Posted by Charley

You're right, "HeyJude". He is easy going, absolutely no pressure or "sales pitch" and answered every single question we asked him ... and we asked him some doozies. There is nothing that we needed to know about Champions Club, the Augusta model or any financial / cost-related aspect that he was unable to answer for us.

SusieC - by the way - you're right about the heat vents. I forgot to mention that in my prior post when comparing the two. Heat rises, and to the have them up high at Roesville really isn't the best option.

No doubt that Champion's Club is nice. I especially like being so close to the golf course...I play 2-3 times a week. We fell in love with the spec home...Callaway Grande...that we were shown. The finished basement is gorgeous and I'm sure we could find a use for it The only "deal breaker" we found was that fencing the backyard is not allowed by the HOA. We, like many retirees, have 2 small dogs. I'm not particularly fond of the idea of walking dogs on a leash during rainy, windy, snowy, mornings and evenings. Not to mention hot summer days. Besides, we do like the privacy a fenced-in backyard would provide. It's great to be "neighborly", but as Robert Frost said, "Good fences make good neighbors".

Noise from the AFB may be a problem for us as well. We just sold our home because the increasing noise from fighter aircraft at a nearby naval air station became almost intolerable. We lived there for almost 25 years and the noise continued to get worse every few years with the newer jets. The peace and quiet at Roesville seems so inviting. I'd rather listen to a farmer plowing his field than to have window-rattling military aircraft overhead.

Ah well...I guess we all have our preferences.

[little eggplant]

Originally Posted by Goin'2DE

The peace and quiet at Roesville seems so inviting. I'd rather listen to a farmer plowing his field than to have window-rattling military aircraft overhead.

No, no, you are absolutely right, Goin'2DE. Roseville's country location is a big plus to the both of us. Although currently we live a stone's throw from Brunswick NAS, the noise was just something we got used to and didn't mind. We are leaning towards CC, however, and will be re-visiting both at the end of the month. There are many factors to weigh, and as you mentioned, to each his own. For us, convenience to shopping, etc at CC is balanced by the lovely treed vistas at R. Of course, in the back of our minds is the thought that one day all the trees around R may be converted into shopping centers, etc. S*I*G*H......it's a hard choice.

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by Goin'2DE

The only "deal breaker" we found was that fencing the backyard is not allowed by the HOA.

Noise from the AFB may be a problem for us as well.

You're right about the fences. You'll find that many communities don't allow them. One of the issues is convenience for the mowing contractors so that they can do entire blocks without the encumbrance of fences.

The AFB is another story. I've stayed at the home of a friend who lives opposite Champions Club. I happened to be there on a day when they were doing take-off and landing drills at the AFB. Noise was not an issue - and from a personal perspective only, I love watching those big planes float through the sky. They are majestic and they are a reminder that we have hundreds of thousands of men and women serving our country.

[Goin'2DE]

Originally Posted by Charley

You're right about the fences. You'll find that many communities don't allow them. One of the issues is convenience for the mowing contractors so that they can do entire blocks without the encumbrance of fences.

The AFB is another story. I've stayed at the home of a friend who lives opposite Champions Club. I happened to be there on a day when they were doing take-off and landing drills at the AFB. Noise was not an issue - and from a personal perspective only, I love watching those big planes float through the sky. They are majestic and they are a reminder that we have hundreds of thousands of men and women serving our country.

I hear what you are saying about our troops. Hubby is a 20+yr retired naval officer and our daughter is an active duty naval officer and vet of Iraq. Absolutely no one appreciates our troops more than a Navy wife and a Navy mom. Goes without saying, don't ya think? Anyways, it's time for us to get some peace and quiet and still be able to take advantage of Dover AFB shopping and medical care. Yes, Roesville is new and rural, but CC is too close to the "big time" for us. I wish you all the best.

[cant wait to retire]

Goin'2DE: I'm a Navy wife too (submarines) and the Mom of a female Coast Guard officer. Our move to DE will be my 24th move since 1975. We lived in one house for 16 yrs but in the early Navy years we moved several times a year for a while. We've never really fully utilized our retiree benefits (except for TriCare; how wonderful it is!) but we will need to fully use all of them in retirement. We're thrilled that the Commissary will be our "neighborhood grocery store!" It seems to be a very big store with lots of different and unusual brands. We're going to have to explore how to best utilize the base hospital/TriCare stuff, etc. Is anyone on our forum retired military and currently using the services at Dover AFB? If so, I would love to get some tips from you. After almost four weeks on the market we have an offer on our home (but the financing is rather weak so we're not doing the "happy dance" just yet). If it works out the timing will be perfect for us. We will settle on our existing home at the end of May and rent back from our buyer till the end of June. We settle in CC on May 12 so we'll have time to get our fridge in, get the ceiling fans and shades/blinds installed, and most importantly get my closet system installed (I selected lots of standard fixtures in our new home selections process so I could splurge on a professionally installed closet system. I have suffered with terrible closet situations for years and now I will have a huge master closet plus linen closets in each bathroom plus medicine cabinets! I'm going to be in organized storage heaven!!

To everyone on this forum, best wishes for a very blessed Easter tomorrow!

[Jeff Borne]

Hi Charley, I just wanted to let you know that I wrote my contract today with K.Hovnanian Homes at The Village of Longacre. They opened today and there were 2 other couples in line that were going to write contracts as well. The salesperson said they have not even begun to advertise and they are using the developers home as a temporary model. I met many of the homeowners and they are excited that K.Hovnanian is coming to Longacre. By the way Charley, did you ask CC if they were 2006 IRC or 2009 IECC Compliant? My home will be. These are the questions that you should be asking. Good luck to you all and Happy Easter.

[Jeff Borne]

Charley, I have read your comments on this board and I would not be surprised if you work for Champions Club or was related to Big Ed. Charley, ur biased and ur knowledge is limited.

I bought a K.Hovnanian Home not a J.S Hovnanian, but your reasoning for choosing Champions Club over Roesville is ridiculous.

Here are your own words:

I found what I considered to be a few "construction flaws" in the existing homes at Roesville - not the models. Now, they may not have been big deals and may have had simple explanations and easy fixes. I am not casting aspersions on the construction quality of Roesville. I'm sure they are fine builders. My problem is the reluctance to answer. I asked questions about them but never got an answer. This was unusual up until this point. Asking again, I finally got "an answer".

"I appreciate your continued interest in our community and in our homes. We strive to provide quality and customer satisfaction to all of our homebuyers as demonstrated by the number of repeat homebuyers that visit and purchase in our communities. I hope that we will have an opportunity to demonstrate this to you once your plans to move are finalized and should you decide to become a J.S. Hovnanian & Sons homeowner. Until than we wish you all the best."

In contrast, every single question I asked Ed at Champions Club received a direct, fact-filled answer - and not a kiss-off letter. Literally to this day, Ed still takes every question I have and provides an answer. (And I say literally because we were with him again this morning for a few more questions - and he had answers for us as usual.)

Mod cut for rudeness. I also looked at Champions Club but nothing offers 3 bedrooms on 1-level. Rule of thumb, don't ever, ever, get a two bedroom home. Always get three. Trust me.[/color]

[cant wait to retire]

To Jeff Borne - As a Realtor with 25 years' experience I think I can professionally comment on your comment of "don't ever, ever get a two bedroom home. Always get three." In adult communities where the majority of the homes have two bedrooms, future buyers will also be looking for two bedroom homes. I'm leaving a very large home, I have a very large family and we are CHOOSING to move to a two bedroom home (my 2nd bedroom will be an office with a sleeper sofa so we're really going to have just a one bedroom home). My "Bed and Breakfast" with all meals provided, laundry service available, as well as 24/7 child care for visiting grandchildren is closing permanently! We plan to do lots of visiting at our kids' homes for change!! Making a retirement choice is very personal one and often based on affordability, or at least it was for us. We're buying the best that we can afford and that will suit our lifestyle. Congratulations on writing your contract for your new home. Now your fun begins! Or does it? Sorting, packing, and getting rid of so much stuff (where did it all come from?) is not fun.....visualizing myself sitting around the pool at CC this summer with all my wonderful new friends/neighbors keeps me moving forward with a smile on my face. Tell us some more details about the home you selected in The Village of Longacre. When will it be finished? Have you already sold your existing home or is that still ahead for you?