A Few Qs on Weston (Palm Beach, The Meadows: rent, insurance, houses)

[compelled to reply]

The zip stuff is really outdated though. In my zip a LOT changed just in sheer population from 2000.

[casualobserver]

Would anyone familiar with Weston care to provide a rough indication of how the various communities within Weston rank in terms of respective average cost?

How do plain folk and even realtors get past the gate keepers to see properties? I had to have my girlfriend sweet talk one guard to let us through and I did not want to have to keep doing that, so I stayed on the main roads and couldn't see that much otherwise.

Are there any areas in Plantation that would compete with Weston on the new, clean and panache scale?

To help settle an often asked question, I left the town center on the Bonaventure Road side and was on the Broward ramp coming off I-95 in 30 minutes........too bad that was 5pm on a Saturday.

[acegolfer]

How to get through the guards?

1. As you said, have a pretty girlfriend sweet talk.

2. Realtors make appointments and show their business cards.

3. Ride a bike. They don't care.

As for community comparisons, PM me. I have an opinion that I don't want to share with the public.

[fauve]

Look for open houses in the Sunday Sentinel home section - the guards let you in once you tell them you're there to see one...

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by acegolfer

3. Ride a bike. They don't care.

What if I was a burglar on a bike?

I agree with the suggestion on looking for the sunday homes. They let me into Windmill Reserve and Weston Hills on that (granted I was driving my friends Benz) . We just wanted to go in one time and see what the big deal is about. VERY nicely done as far as McMansion communities go, some of those custom homes are really nice.

[fauve]

Originally Posted by casualobserver

Would anyone familiar with Weston care to provide a rough indication of how the various communities within Weston rank in terms of respective average cost?

Arvida, the Weston developers, created a social science out of pricing communities. In each community - the Ridges, Savannah, the Lakes, the Falls, etc., etc., etc... - there are low to high priced ranges, each one designed to make you want to afford just a little bit more than when you walked into the sales office, and sheer panic when you walked out of the design center after the upgrades! There are a few solely higher priced communities - the Windmills - the most expensive, most of the Country Club and the Landings, etc... and a few on the lower end - San Messina, etc. that are mostly townhouses/villas. It's all beautiful though, so I'd suggest you try to concentrate on value received from a particular house, and not so much on the "prestige" of a particular community (easier to say than do though!)

[casualobserver]

AceG, I sent you a PM as suggested. Thanks for your help.

Fauve, I appreciate your point, but there is so much inventory in Weston, I'd like to see what is in the sweetspot of my price range first. Rather than advertise that here, I thought I would just sort of "deduce it" from the price rankings.

I'm not thrilled with the prospect of the rush hour time to downtown, but then again I'm in more of a 7am and 6:30pm drive time career anyway. I certainly wouldn't mind grabbing a great deal on a waterfront lot up in Coral Ridge, but I just don't know if would be happy with a dated 2000 square foot ranch either.

I have a lot of pondering to do.

[fauve]

I think Coral Ridge would hold its value better. Residents will be older generally and the beach is right there. I hate commuting myself, and I love the beach, so if it were me it'd be an easy decision.

[jhlcomp]

Casual - you might take a look at Weston Hills. Homes have really come down and it tends to be one of the more upscale communities.

[fauve]

Weston Hills is my favorite too.