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It's difficult to make someone a better person. However, people who live full-time in a community generally care more about the community. They are the ones who serve on the boards, who volunteer nearby, who take food to others who are sick, etc. I'm not saying that vacationing part-timers don't do some good things(?), but I doubt it. Somehow, I can't picture you carrying a casserole to an ill neighbor in your rental community!!!!
Not necessarily true.
Only one of our 9 person board is an all year resident.
They operate mostly by email during the summer.
We, as do many, live in Florida as long, if not longer, each year as we do up here.
It is another 'home' (just to include your last sentence about renters) we were renters longer than we've been owners and that is when most of our friendships and habits (including doing for others) started.
However, people who live full-time in a community generally care more about the community. They are the ones who serve on the boards, who volunteer nearby, who take food to others who are sick, etc. I'm not saying that vacationing part-timers don't do some good things(?), but I doubt it. Somehow, I can't picture you carrying a casserole to an ill neighbor in your rental community!!!!
That's a bit of baloney I think. Snowbirds aren't "vacationing part-timers", they are people who have two homes, they live in two different places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by old_cold
...
We, as do many, live in Florida as long, if not longer, each year as we do up here.
It is another 'home' (just to include your last sentence about renters) we were renters longer than we've been owners and that is when most of our friendships and habits (including doing for others) started.
But if you're exposed to 95 just think of all those huge motor homes you see spring and fall.
I'll take your word for it. But I do have to wonder when all these luxury motor homes are driving through. I drive the stretch between DC and Richmond all the time and I rarely see motor homes of any sort. I try to drive at the less congested times of day (mid morning, mid afternoon, later in the evening), although sometimes I have no choice but to go at rush hour. Anyway, the point is I drive at all different times of day and I see lots of trucks and lots of cars but rarely any motor homes. You'd think that if that many people were living this lifestyle it would be incredibly obvious--there should be huge caravans of them. Maybe they all drive through after midnight?
I'll take your word for it. But I do have to wonder when all these luxury motor homes are driving through. I drive the stretch between DC and Richmond all the time and I rarely see motor homes of any sort. I try to drive at the less congested times of day (mid morning, mid afternoon, later in the evening), although sometimes I have no choice but to go at rush hour. Anyway, the point is I drive at all different times of day and I see lots of trucks and lots of cars but rarely any motor homes. You'd think that if that many people were living this lifestyle it would be incredibly obvious--there should be huge caravans of them. Maybe they all drive through after midnight?
The wife and I headed from Minnesota to KY then to AR ( between Christmas nd New Year)
Even at that time, I was surprised all the motorhomes heading south on the freeway in Illinois and on I-24 in KY
We were traveling by car, and several times at wayside rests or fast foods another Minnesotan would point to my license plate and say----------" where abouts in Florida you heading to "
The wife and I headed from Minnesota to KY then to AR ( between Christmas nd New Year)
Even at that time, I was surprised all the motorhomes heading south on the freeway in Illinois and on I-24 in KY
We were traveling by car, and several times at wayside rests or fast foods another Minnesotan would point to my license plate and say----------" where abouts in Florida you heading to "
Ah ha! That would explain it, they're avoiding 95 and taking other roads. I was wondering about it last night, especially, when we drove home from NC. We made the final leg of the trip after rush hour, which meant we didn't get home until around 2 a.m. I was watching for the motor homes since the topic came up. Here it was a lovely evening in June, prime travel season, and there wasn't one to be seen on 95. It makes sense to me that they take other roads, though.
Ah ha! That would explain it, they're avoiding 95 and taking other roads. I was wondering about it last night, especially, when we drove home from NC. We made the final leg of the trip after rush hour, which meant we didn't get home until around 2 a.m. I was watching for the motor homes since the topic came up. Here it was a lovely evening in June, prime travel season, and there wasn't one to be seen on 95. It makes sense to me that they take other roads, though.
Last night?
Well,gee.....most snowbirds are up north by now!
I"m not surprised you didn't see any.
I know some still take the "shortest" way past the Washington/Baltimore area ( 95/495)from the northeast but I believe many more of us avoid it as much as possible.
My husband and I just returned from a 6 day visit to The Villages, FL. It's a very LARGE retirement community - 50 square miles, about 20 miles south of Ocala, an hour north of Orlando. As soon as you enter the property, you enter a very well manicured development that is kept impeccably clean. It looks like a resort. Lovely landscaping, flowers, multiple lakes/ponds. Over 30 golf courses, recreation centers/pools every few blocks. Golf cart trails are all over the place as this is the main mode of transportation. There are 2 town squares, 1 at each end with plans for a 3rd in the near future. Each town center has multiple shops, restaurants. The park-like center of each square has live music and dancing every evening at 5pm. The list of activities at each recreation center is mind boggling - there is almost every type of club imaginable. In addition to golf, there is a wide variety of sports - pickle ball, tennis, softball just to name a few.
There are currently about 50,000 homes, 80,000 residents. They are still building and anticipate when they build out in about 4 years, the population will rise to 100,000-110,000 residents. It is an over 55 active community and we saw many people in their 50s/early 60s but estimate the average age is late 60's-70's
The homes are very well maintained and range from small ranches to large executive homes on a golf course or lake. There are too many "villages" (resident neighborhoods) to name. One after another after another, for miles and miles. It is somewhat "Stepford" like and I've described it as miles and miles of sameness. My husband uses this analogy: our current neighborhood is just that, a neighborhood and when you leave it, you can travel to any one of hundreds of neighborhoods in our large town, or choose to go into Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill etc. In The Villages, that is your world. Completely self contained. Plenty of shopping on the outskirts of the property but once you go past this, you'll find many run down small towns and then nothingness for endless miles.
The Villages is beautiful but it's not for us. It is too limiting, too self contained and too small of a world for our tastes. I must say, almost every resident we encountered was more than pleasant/friendly and pretty much everyone we met loved living there. This is just our perspective, and although it's not for us now (ages 57 and almost 60), we may feel feel differently in 10-15 years.
Just hang in there and wait a while, because many of these old people
will be dying off at the same time, and many of those properties will be going up for sale.
.
Just hang in there and wait a while, because many of these old people
will be dying off at the same time, and many of those properties will be going up for sale.
.
LOL, reference to the end of the world in December or are you planning some sort of mass murder?
LOL, reference to the end of the world in December or are you planning some sort of mass murder?
Mod snip
Mass Murder ... NO ... but many of those people ( 55 and older ) are of the same age
and most of the will die with in the next 10 -15 years.
.
Last edited by Sam I Am; 06-27-2012 at 12:53 PM..
Reason: Off topic
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However, people who live full-time in a community generally care more about the community. They are the ones who serve on the boards, who volunteer nearby, who take food to others who are sick, etc. I'm not saying that vacationing part-timers don't do some good things(?), but I doubt it. Somehow, I can't picture you carrying a casserole to an ill neighbor in your rental community!!!!
