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I don't think anyone moving to a gated community is looking for more security. What it does is keep the traffic down. Nosy looky-loos can't come driving through. It also keeps the solicitors away. When I go away for any length of time, I don't come home to business cards stuck in my door or flyers on my lawn. When my doorbell rings, I know it's a neighbor, and there's never a pile of dog **** on the side of the road from an inconsiderate someone who thought our neighborhood would be a nice change to walk his dog. We have no guard, just gates and a transponder to get us in.
Gated does not guarantee security. Example, a relative of ours live in a gated community (Dan Marino, the former football player, is a close neighbor). It's like getting into Fort Knox. His house backs onto a school. People squeeze under the fence and climb it too. Not much security if you ask me. However, the home will retain its value because it is in a gated community.
Well, ARMED gated security not just adds to your home value, it also helps as the armed security cars drive around the neighborhoods on patrol and they can hear women screaming or see kids vandalizing or whatever.
It also helps a lot with burglaries, as the burglars usually need cars to load up on the goods they steal. It will cause them a lot more trouble to get in and out of the neighborhood if they wnat to burglarize a home.
I say make the investment. It is FL and the state is going through some major problems right now and I'd say it is worth it to pay the extra $$ for the added security (even if it minimal).
Get an alarm. This is not optional, it is a must!!
I am researching Gated Communities and found that the actual gates only give the illusion of security. Safety is the number one reason why people choose to move into that kind of environment and it really not as safe as they seem.I interviewed the security guard and he said that crime occurs within the complex by the residence themselves. Many of the houses are rentals and many of the houses have several tenants, it's difficult to keep track of everyone and we have no idea of everybody's rap sheets. We just had a murder in the Gated Community in my town and it was the first murder in 12 years.... It's sad but true that gated communities are not as safe they appear. I also have issues with the fact that they claim to be community orientated when they really do not promote any kind of inter-community within the walls.... My gosh, people think that because they pay high Homeowners fees that they should let the association deal with the problems in the neighborhood, like for instance, the security guard will tell the children to stop playing basketball or keep the noise down. This kind of disconnection from others is causing negative social implications. What happened to the good ole days when you could talk to your neighbor's about problems and learn to live with each other despite differences? now, it's just someone elses job and maybe a hefty fine will help solve things? I also disagree with the fact that many people who live in gated communities are running in fear from society. Why not help solve the problem of the crime in the community. How about volunteering to be a mentor to a young teen in trouble, or maybe get involved with your local police department to help find ways to combat the crime rate in your city. I recommend joining a church and finding ways to help people in need.... Give back to the community and see things change for the good.... Do not hide cowardly behind wall and gates.... Get out and make a difference.....
I guess there are gated communities and then there are gated communities. We have no illusions of safety. As a matter of fact, we have meetings reinforcing this very same thing. What the gates do is keep the riff-raff out. No one rings my doorbell to sell me candles or to save my soul. No Sunday afternoon nosy looky-loos driving through. The rules keep the neighbors from bringing home the school bus or parking an RV on their lawn. If someone meant to get in to do harm then, of course, there's no stopping them.
Give back to the community and see things change for the good.... Do not hide cowardly behind wall and gates.... Get out and make a difference.....
Moderator cut: off topic
No one is hiding behind the gates of their subdivision. They're hiding from Moderator cut: personal do-goodie people who want to shove their values down other people's throats.
I live in a non gated community in FLA. I like that we don not have a HOA and we can keep a boat and paint our house any color we want and do whatever we want.
We are moving to a gated community in SC for my son. Not for the safety of no outsiders coming in but so that there is not a lot of traffic and he can go out and play. There is also a community center with a park and a pool so that is nice. There is also sidewalks.
If I had my choice I would choose a non gated small neighborhood with sidewalks and only traffic from thoes who live there.
I lived in one, did not mind using the card to get and in out, was nice in many ways, but things still happened and people who lived next door, in section 8 housing, high on drugs and etc, would climb the fence and harass people. I know of one famliy that actually would not sleep in the room facing the housing complex, they said they heard gun shots and curse words and lights shining in their window.
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