Retirement: Very Small Houses as Opposed to Condo or CCRC (twin, smart)
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Your condo fee is extremely reasonable, nothing like around here - starting at $250 more toward $300–$400.
Wow, that is high ... at least for me. I have a dream to someday retire somewhere in the SE, i.e., NE Tennessee/Knoxville or maybe Greenville, SC, as I think I might have a chance to find something within my budget. A very small home would be nice, but I'm just leery about the rest of the neighborhood being kept up. I've learned so much from these forums, and I especially enjoy the retirement section.
Covenants running with the land - I remember them well . Robyn
Just how would you define " run with the land " We have a little " property division " grant by the township in 1971 6 properties. ,5 houses , all on about ten acres each, we are in the country . I am trying to get everyone to sign a "Maintenance Agreement " for our common area which is only an easement, not officially a road, but it really is. The developer is long dead. Every deed shares the " run with the land" in description when listing survey boundaries. Of coarse most owners are fighting just where this " road" should be. In most cases the survey means little because of large rock outcrops . I am making some progress, bank account. Funded improvements by all owners that share the easement.
As to keep this on topic, I though some others might live in a single home set up like this ? Also in all deeds is a ban on mobile homes , that's about it. I think each owner would be free to do what he or she pleases , even another land divide if someone wanted,but, 6 Homes would require our private easement .to be paved, no one wants that, still the main thing is the ,run with the land thing ?
"Run with the land" means that deed restrictions are tied to the property, not the owner. Therefore, subsequent owners are bound by the deed restrictions that have been set in place.
"Run with the land" means that deed restrictions are tied to the property, not the owner. Therefore, subsequent owners are bound by the deed restrictions that have been set in place.
I was hoping it might have something to do with the shared easement and where It actually went. At the end of our road is a cul de sac with a 150 ft. Radius . According to the last survey when I bought 5 years ago part of the radius is on land that would require heavy blasting work, which makes little reasoning, so I " moved it to make it functional. I am at this start to my property and have spent thousands on The cul de sac so UPS/Fedx could turn around. No one else uses it but to benefit myself yet it is equally described in everyone's deed. Thanks for your answer ( there is no deed foy the easement other than what's written in everyone's deed.). We just assumed that the road was a part of the original land division as a requirement of the township.
I moved from a 2,300 sf house on 3 acres in rural north San Diego County to a 1,450 sf 1550 "rancher" in North Asheville, NC last year. I intentionaly bought a single story with minimal steps, not because I have a problem ambulating now (just turned 60), but seems realistic given the fact this may be my last house. When I moved here, I rented a condo while I looked for a house to buy. Before I moved to the condo, I had considered a condo or townhome as a viable option, but that quickly faded as I didn't like the proximity of neighbors, and it felt like the apartment I had in college. Initially, I thought I'd to the yard work at the house I purchased. Six months later (after buying all the requisite power equipment), I hired a gardener. That freed me to do the extra "fun" stuff, or none of it. I don't regret the "downsizing" at all. In fact, it's a relief. Especially when the utility bills come each month.
That's a pretty impressive move, both size-wise and geographically. Do you find that living in a much smaller house confines you at all? Are you near any amenities in town?
Wow, that is high ... at least for me. I have a dream to someday retire somewhere in the SE, i.e., NE Tennessee/Knoxville or maybe Greenville, SC, as I think I might have a chance to find something within my budget. A very small home would be nice, but I'm just leery about the rest of the neighborhood being kept up. I've learned so much from these forums, and I especially enjoy the retirement section.
BTW, congratulations on the baby news!
You will probably find much lower monthly condo fees anywhere south or west of New England. They're higher in the north because of snow removal and more wear and tear on roofs and siding and gutters in winters. I was surprised to find one nice condo in an upscale area that includes heat and hot water in its monthly fee (this is extremely rare). So it pays to find out exactly what is included in the fee, not just believe what's on the listing.
As for buying, if you buy the poorest or "lesser" house in a neighborhood for a good price, you will do well on resale. I see lots of overpriced homes that are the "best" in their neighborhoods, and the rest of the homes drag down the price. IOW, don't buy a house for granite countertops and 3 bathrooms in a neighborhood of lesser homes. Look for the wise bargain.
I was hoping it might have something to do with the shared easement and where It actually went. At the end of our road is a cul de sac with a 150 ft. Radius . According to the last survey when I bought 5 years ago part of the radius is on land that would require heavy blasting work, which makes little reasoning, so I " moved it to make it functional. I am at this start to my property and have spent thousands on The cul de sac so UPS/Fedx could turn around. No one else uses it but to benefit myself yet it is equally described in everyone's deed. Thanks for your answer ( there is no deed foy the easement other than what's written in everyone's deed.). We just assumed that the road was a part of the original land division as a requirement of the township.
Easements aren't quite the same as covenants running with the land (although many easements will "run with the land" too). At least in Florida - people whose land is subject to an easement can't do anything to interfere with the easement unless the person who holds the easement consents - in writing. This is a matter of state law which can vary from state to state - and I don't have a clue what the law is where you live. Note that none of this may have anything to do with what you did. It sounds like you're dealing with land that wasn't yours that was subject to an easement held by everyone in your community. Robyn
Wow, that is high ... at least for me. I have a dream to someday retire somewhere in the SE, i.e., NE Tennessee/Knoxville or maybe Greenville, SC, as I think I might have a chance to find something within my budget. A very small home would be nice, but I'm just leery about the rest of the neighborhood being kept up. I've learned so much from these forums, and I especially enjoy the retirement section.
BTW, congratulations on the baby news!
Before you conclude that maintenance fees are (or aren't) high - you have to see what they cover. Especially when it comes to big ticket items like property insurance. Note that the laws about what insurance a condo or HO association has to provide vary from state to state (and can vary from year to year). Robyn
If you don't want to live in an HOA, it's cool. As has been pointed out a few times already, they're not for everyone. That's what I love about this country, people are free to live where they like, and we have all sorts of communities to suit the way you'd like to live. Ain't life grand!
Having said that, I do want to point out that it's quite easy to find HOAs that aren't at all like you've implied in the quote above.
My HOA, for example, doesn't care if your grass is 3" or 4". Now, if your grass has gotten over a foot tall and is attracting rodents, someone is likely to stop by and see what's going on. Which could be a good thing for retirees, if you think about it.
BTW, if you've had a medical emergency and can't take care of your lawn yourself, our HOA has a list of people you can hire, which is helpful for retirees who may not want to deal with finding someone on their own. In some instances our HOA has hooked seniors up with a local church program where volunteers come out to lend a helping hand.
Toys on the yard are not a problem. Now, if your kid's idea of a play toy is a rusted out car on your lawn, you might have a gripe because that' something the HOA prohibits.
Cars in your own driveway are not a problem. Cars on the street are also not a problem. There are no rules that I know of regarding the color of your house; part of this is because the homes are all made of brick, stone, and siding so they don't get painted anyway. We have green houses, beige houses, blue houses, white houses--many colors. People do paint their doors and shutters, and the houses on my street have a variety of colored doors. We used to have a bright red door and painted it light blue. Nobody cared.
Agreed. Different strokes for different folks. Also - rules vary a lot. For example - the cutting height for the most common grass in Florida (Augustine) is 3 inches. So no problem having a 3 inch high lawn here. The most common problem with lawns here is lack of proper maintenance/watering which leads to weed infestations - bald areas - etc. That's a no-no.
Leaving toys in back yards usually isn't a problem (unless you live on the golf course and they're unsightly). Leaving a mess in the front yard is.
Cars in driveways aren't a problem. But you can't park cars overnight on the roads. Due to safety issues if emergency vehicles have to get someplace.
We don't have any specific rules about house colors. But - when you build - you need ARB approval. And you need ARB approval to change the original colors.
We do have rules about unleashed pets - but they're basically the same as our county ordinances (we have "leash laws" for both cats and dogs).
Overall - I don't think our rules (these are some of them) are particularly onerous. Unless you want to live in a house that looks like a dump and/or do things that bother your neighbors. Robyn
. But, I do like the idea of how little housework you have to do to keep a tiny house tidy.
But you have to pick the right furniture. We live in a tiny house (1005 square feet) and with our old furniture to clean under the sofa I had to move it, which meant I had to move the coffee table, which meant I had to move the ottoman, which meant I had to move the chair into the dining room.
Get stuff with exposed legs that allow you to vacuum or dust mop under the item.
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. Robyn
