[pslOldTimer]

We thought when we retired we might like to live part time in a gated community. At the time, we had a cabin in the North Carolina mountains (since sold) and we thought we'd spend the Summer in the cool mountains and the Winter in a South Florida gated community.

So, when my elderly Mom decided she'd like to move closer to us, my wife and I decided to go ahead and buy a place in a nice gated community where Mom could live, and where we would retire some day. It was a "55+" community with villas, small single family houses and larger, more luxurious single family houses.

Part of our reasoning was maintenance -- rather than have our own pool, yeard maintenance and so forth while we were away for 6 months, we decided it made more sense to have a community pool and let the neighborhood homeowner's association cut our grass, paint our exterior and so forth.

What an education. I'm glad it was Mom that lived there while we learned about it, not us. She kind of enjoyed it -- she had previously lived in a condo and was used to weird rules and neighbors spying on each other to find fault. In fact, she was one of the perpetrators. But, even she had her complaints.

The clubhouse was beautiful, but it wasn't quite big enough. There were never enough tickets to dances and events, someone was always disappointed, and some people were determined to get more than their share. They had a community BBQ every Friday evening; you had to get there early to get a hot dog; some of the early birds would stuff their pockets with food, leaving nothing for the end of the line.

The pool was crowded and there were too many rules, many of them favoring one clicque or another. But, the worst was the people -- I have never seen such a negative, nosy and obnoxious bunch in my life.

There was no way we could live there. We sold the place after Mom passed away in 1999, and good riddance (to the house, not Mom )

After I suffered some health problems that made it difficult to live in the higher altitude, we sold the mountain cabin and our retirement now is completely different -- 5 acres in the country, which will need constant maintenance and make it difficult to leave. But we've never been more excited about anything in our lives...

[BKLYNMOM]

Could anyone please tell me the difference between a subdivision and a community? I was talking to someone about a house and she said "Oh no that is in a subdivision not a community." So being from NY I have not clue. Can someone please help.

[mich2fla]

Originally Posted by BKLYNMOM

Could anyone please tell me the difference between a subdivision and a community? I was talking to someone about a house and she said "Oh no that is in a subdivision not a community." So being from NY I have not clue. Can someone please help.

Communities are usually HOA (home owners association) that might have tennis courts, swimming pools, green area for kids to roam, club house for getting together with your neighbors, etc. There are HOA fees and rules/regulations to follow. Rules such has yard needed to be mowed regularly, cars must be in garage overnight, garage doors must be closed, no RV or trailers on driveway overnight, certain trees/plants, paint and roof colors will need to be approved by the HOA boards, etc. Most new developments across the country are communities. If you decide to join a community, be sure to read the by-laws!

Most fees are under $1,000 per year. It all depends what the community has to offer. The more stuff, then more fees!

[Turtle]

I haven't read every post on this thread, so I hope I am not repeating something that's already been said. I live in a gated community, and though I am not crazy about the whole "exclusivity" concept that they portray, they definitely have an upside. I think alot of people in our community chose to live here because they are snow birds and go back up north from the beginning of summer until about thanksgiving and they don't have to worry about anything. They're lawn is mowed and watered and everything is taken care of while they're gone. We actually have keys from several of our neighbors while they are gone, because the only worry is getting shutters up for a hurricane, so we all help eachother out with that. Plus we have a couple of pools, a work out room and clubhouse and we don't have to do any maintenance or upkeep associated with it. Believe me, I have no misconception about a gated community being safer, I realize that if someone wants in, all they have to do is either jump the gate on foot, or do like everyone else does when we come home and tailgate in after eachother while the gate is open.

[sami]

If you like extremely neat kept homes, rules to keep up property values (?), are willing to deal with home owners' associations, and like/love the idea of pool, grass cutting, whatever, then you should be happy. Of course these houses are often more expensive due to extra fees. On the other hand, if you like to do your thing (legally) and paint your house the color you want, not worry about cars in the driveway, hanging you laundry outside, and just being able to breath, then stay the #$%##% out of deed restricted communities. I have never lived in one because I hate their rules.....and I keep my place nice.

[Nareke]

I think it perhaps depends on your age, and whether you have been here a long time. I have lived now in two fort myers communitites that are non gated and have been very safe. we are about to move again and are seriously considering a gated active adult community simply because I am tired of the search for things to do, people to meet etc. my art leagues will bring me some friends but to have an instant place to meet for people from out of area it is just easier.

[Prichard]

The original poster indicated that not allowing traffic through your neighborhood is a bad thing for traffic congestion.

If that's the case, then I'm 1000% for gated communities. There is no reason that any residential neighborhood should become a thoroughfare for people driving to and from work, or just "cruising" around.

It's a fact that crime is lower in true gated communities - these are neighborhoods where there is an actual guard placed at the gate, and the entire neighborhood is surrounded by part wall, part natural buffers, like lakes, swamp, etc. No, it doesn't stop 100% of crime, but there's no comparison to "cut-through" neighborhoods.

More roads and cut-through neighborhoods are not the solution to traffic. If you simply stop building and widening roads, new transplants will get fed up with the traffic and go somewhere else. Whether you have 100 highways at 7 lanes each, or 2 highways at 3 lanes each in your town, the congestion will be the same. People will keep moving to an area in Florida until the roads get so clogged that no one wants to deal with it anymore. So, you might as well leave the roads alone, and let the hoard move elsewhere. Less cost, less tax dollars being spent, smaller government, and same amount of congestion.

[Stargazing Lisa]

Originally Posted by pslOldTimer

The pool was crowded and there were too many rules, many of them favoring one clicque or another. But, the worst was the people -- I have never seen such a negative, nosy and obnoxious bunch in my life.

Wow PSLOLDTIMER - your mother must have been living in the HOA I'm in. I can't wait to get out to a private single family house! I painted my front door and shutters white and got a letter in the mail that I had to paint them
sh__ brown....I refused...and fought to paint them at least the same color of the villa , peach. Now I have a letter in the mail to paint my gutters and leaders the same color in the house...Condo Commandos...pick on everything ---ride around in the lil golf cart peering into your yard , carport, patio......do this, do that....they just told a neighbor to "wash" his shingle roof. Are they nuts? power washing a shingle roof takes off all the pebbles....unbelievable.....DONT EVER GO INTO A HOA !
I cant wait to get away from these people.

[Prichard]

FYI, "washing" your shingled roof doesn't mean you have to presure wash it. There's a low-presure chemical process that cleans it just fine. I had this done 4 times on my old shingle roof, and it made it look great! That roof lasted longer than 15 years, which is about the life of a roof in Central Florida.

[FL_TN_Nana]

The only truly secure gated communities in Florida are the Department of Corrections Facilities!