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Old 06-12-2016, 06:12 AM
 
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I have sat on my town board in NY (population 20,000). I currently sit on a HOA board in a Pulte community in SC. My parent reside in and sat on a board in a Pulte community in NJ. Most of theses communities were Centex and Del Web when bought by Pulte. All of these communities are just like Sun city- beautiful and active BUT BEWARE My experience is that when the developer runs the community as it does until shortly after it reaches full build out, there are money problems thereafter. The developer has an interest in keeping HOA fees low and the property looking good to sell and reap their profit. However, the average person knows little to nothing about the engineering studies required to determine HOA dues. This study gives the expected life of amenities such as pools, clubhouse roof, paint, asphalt roads, tennis court surface etc. The HOA fee should include a sum for reserves so when this sum comes due(say a new roof 20 years down the road) the funds are there. If you ever escrowed taxes with your bank you will understand. However the Corporate run BOD in all the places I mentioned- no doubt sun city too--severely under collects HOA dues for their own selfish gain. They sell the homes with low HOA and take the profits and run. After all low HOA with great amenities is a huge selling point. IN SC you only have 10 years to sue the developer . Therefore the people who live there find themselves grossly under-reserved for repairs. The home owners blame the then existing resident BOD-- (who may be well intended volunteers or self interested one issue idiots), usually have no experience and rarely read or understand an engineering study. Long after the developer is gone YOU THE HOMEOWNER will be whacked with high one time assessments each year to cover for the shortfall or find your private roads turned over to the state in an effort to save money maintaining them--oh and then your gate must disappear. Or, then your community center goes public, Oh then you hire amenity guards to be sure only residents are there--more money on the HOA. Did I mention --the older fixed income retirees are less likely to vote or support the originally intended beautiful community they bought into. Maybe it is because they are on a fixed income, or they don't care as they believe they are too old to get a return on investment. In the end it is NOT the community you thought you were buying-- BEWARE--Based 100 percent on experience!!!!
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Old 06-12-2016, 12:29 PM
 
Location: prescott az
6,954 posts, read 11,992,883 times
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Uh, where are the paragraphs??
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Old 06-12-2016, 12:55 PM
 
Location: Florida
6,593 posts, read 7,252,409 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by on the board View Post
I have sat on my town board in NY (population 20,000). I currently sit on a HOA board in a Pulte community in SC. My parent reside in and sat on a board in a Pulte community in NJ. Most of theses communities were Centex and Del Web when bought by Pulte. All of these communities are just like Sun city- beautiful and active BUT BEWARE My experience is that when the developer runs the community as it does until shortly after it reaches full build out, there are money problems thereafter. The developer has an interest in keeping HOA fees low and the property looking good to sell and reap their profit. However, the average person knows little to nothing about the engineering studies required to determine HOA dues. This study gives the expected life of amenities such as pools, clubhouse roof, paint, asphalt roads, tennis court surface etc. The HOA fee should include a sum for reserves so when this sum comes due(say a new roof 20 years down the road) the funds are there. If you ever escrowed taxes with your bank you will understand. However the Corporate run BOD in all the places I mentioned- no doubt sun city too--severely under collects HOA dues for their own selfish gain. They sell the homes with low HOA and take the profits and run. After all low HOA with great amenities is a huge selling point. IN SC you only have 10 years to sue the developer . Therefore the people who live there find themselves grossly under-reserved for repairs. The home owners blame the then existing resident BOD-- (who may be well intended volunteers or self interested one issue idiots), usually have no experience and rarely read or understand an engineering study. Long after the developer is gone YOU THE HOMEOWNER will be whacked with high one time assessments each year to cover for the shortfall or find your private roads turned over to the state in an effort to save money maintaining them--oh and then your gate must disappear. Or, then your community center goes public, Oh then you hire amenity guards to be sure only residents are there--more money on the HOA. Did I mention --the older fixed income retirees are less likely to vote or support the originally intended beautiful community they bought into. Maybe it is because they are on a fixed income, or they don't care as they believe they are too old to get a return on investment. In the end it is NOT the community you thought you were buying-- BEWARE--Based 100 percent on experience!!!!
Agree the ability of the community to run itself after the builder completes the project and in the current low interest rate environment is something you have to consider. Problem is it is probably impossible for us to do this.
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Old 06-13-2016, 08:34 AM
 
Location: Columbia SC
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One of the reasons a friend of mine living in Sun City Hilton Head enjoys living there is how long Pulte has been and will remain in charge. He would be happy for Pulte to stay in charge forever versus turn the asylum over to the inmates.

Some of my friends living in The Villages (FL) say the same thing.

I was on my association's BOD when we transitioned from the Declarant to we owners. We are 113 homes with no amenities and we had a good relationship with our Declarant so nothing hidden. Our transition was a breeze. The more complex the association is (amenities, size, etc.) the more complex the transition will be.

Last edited by johngolf; 06-13-2016 at 08:48 AM..
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Old 06-15-2016, 06:50 AM
 
Location: Minnesota
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I don't hear too much about dumpy Sun City communities. I would imagine Pulte does its best to put in place measures to see that their brand is not damaged. I believe that is one of the selling points of a Sun City or to a lesser extent Robson or Trilogy. I am strongly considering one of these communities when I retire in 5 years and feel that I have a better chance on living in a well run beautifully kept community if I choose one of these brands based on their decades of experience.
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Old 06-15-2016, 09:57 AM
 
Location: Columbia SC
14,200 posts, read 14,567,911 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VikingFan View Post
I don't hear too much about dumpy Sun City communities. I would imagine Pulte does its best to put in place measures to see that their brand is not damaged. I believe that is one of the selling points of a Sun City or to a lesser extent Robson or Trilogy. I am strongly considering one of these communities when I retire in 5 years and feel that I have a better chance on living in a well run beautifully kept community if I choose one of these brands based on their decades of experience.
The post I was responding to was one where concern was raised about when the development will transition from developer/declarant to the owners. This concern can be real. One way to eliminate it is to buy into a development that has already transitioned. What you see it what you get.

Another way is buy into a development that may never transition in that it keeps growing and the developer/declarant stays in control ala The Villages.

An additional way would be to buy into a developer/declarant controlled development from a declarant/developer who has a proven history of transitions so one can verify how they went.

Most that get "hurt" in a transition are ones that bought from a developer with little or no transition history as did I one time.
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Old 03-04-2017, 09:43 AM
 
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We purchased at Sun City SC and just came back from seing our place after closing. My heart is a little heavy with this. We are in our early 60s and found that the median age is around 75. We were there for three days. When we visited the facilities I was stunned to learn that there were $5 charges for any gym classes I wanted to take. I now pay $21 a month for my Crunch membership and I use it to go to Zumba and yoga at least five days a week. I would love to be around people that enjoy golf, dancing, walking or yoga, hosting small dinners parties once a month, which may turn into game night). We're getting ready to retire and to me, I see it as my opportunity to have fun while the bones can take it! Your input would be much appreciated
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Old 03-04-2017, 01:21 PM
 
28,803 posts, read 47,510,640 times
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Assuming this is being asked of me, I have very little. We ended up in Sun Ciy Summerlin in Las Vegas. I have breathing problems now and that ended up being a big factor. Distance to things was also. 40 miles to a shopping mall that is not an outlet mall is a bit much.

Miss the green, wish we were closer than 5 hours to an ocean (which is, apparently, colder than the Atlantic - go figure), don't miss the lack of restaurants and doctors, yad yada yada.

I notice that you purchased before knowing the median age, cost of facilities, etc.

Oops.

Edit: One of the clubs here is called Boomer Connection. Lots of activities in it.


Newsletter January 2016 Sun City Summerlin.
I include this as a template for what kinds of things a club like this can do. Just this one club keeps us busy! It's a bit rough as I removed names, etc and had to convert it from a PDF file.


I’M LOOKING FOR: 3
I’M LOOKING FOR: 3
I’M LOOKING FOR: 3
YAHOO GROUP 3
READING GROUP 4
HAPPY HOUR - CASUAL 4
BYOB CLUB 4
BYOB CLUB CONT. 5
NAKA SUSHI 5
HAPPY HOUR #2 5
ETHNIC DINING 5
THE SUPPER CLUB 6
WINE CONNOISSEURS 6
SPITE ‘N MALICE 7
HAND AND FOOT 7
BUNCO 8
MEXICAN TRAIN 8
BOWLING 8
BOOMER FRAME OF MIND 9
MEMBERSHIP 10
CALENDAR 12

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Welcome to 2016 everyone! Our new board has already met and is hard at work on making our club even better than it has been before. We have been taking care of all the administrative tasks that are involved when new officers are elected, getting to know each other better and finding out what ideas each of us has for the club. If the rest of the year goes like it has started out for the board we should have a very successful year.

I’ve had so many requests for information on our club during the month of December that I see lots of new members joining us. Please remember to pass on the word about our great club to people you meet at clubhouses, other club events, and your neighbors too.

Dues Renewal for 2016
Make sure and send your dues in this month so you don’t miss a month of our newsletter and events. The amount is still just $5 per member per year and gives you access to all the great events our club offers.

Table of Contents
NEWS

I’M LOOKING FOR:
One or more people to take over the Ethnic dining group for 2016. Many thanks to Anita Burchard who has headed this up for the past two years. It's now time for someone new to take over. This is a fun event that has been ongoing since the very beginning of the Boomer Connection. During that time many of our members have enjoyed trying out many different cuisines, and I'd hate to see it disappear.

I’M LOOKING FOR:
Looking for a used electric scooter or wheelchair. If you know of anyone selling one, would you please contact me

I’M LOOKING FOR:
2016 hosts for our Wine Connoisseur’s Socials. If you are a new member, this is a great way to meet new friends in your own home. This activity has been going since the beginning of the Boomer Connection and is one of the most popular ones.

YAHOO GROUP
Did you know a Yahoo group was formed for our club in 2013? The purpose of this group is so any member can post something/pretty much anything to the group any day of the week. Say you have tickets to a show that you can’t attend at the last minute but don’t want them to go to waste. Recently this facility was used for two member to team up and hire a good moving company. Another member passed on the name of a reliable handyman. Maybe you’re a hard core reader and would love to find someone to trade books with. Or you’re craving going to a Greek/Mexican/Seafood restaurant and would love to find a few others to go with, or you have a 2 for 1 coupon that you need a partner for. Or here’s an easy one, you’d like a companion to walk with, maybe it’s a human or maybe a dog, there are people who’d love to loan out their dog I’ll bet. There are about 30 people signed up for this group and it’s working for those people.


Table of Contents
ACTIVITIES
Click Calendar for an at-a-glance view of all dates, times and RSVP info for upcoming Boomer Connection events.

READING GROUP
bonus_the_book_of_mazarbul (2).png
On Tuesday January 5th 12:00pm we will discuss A Common Struggle by Patrick Kennedy.
Tuesday Feburary 2nd we will discuss Ta-Nehisi Coate's Between the World and Me
Tuesday March 1st we will discuss Nicholas Sparks' See Me


HAPPY HOUR - CASUAL
Join your fellow boomers for a casual happy hour Wednesday January 6th at 3:00 pm at Brio in Tivoli Village on Rampart and Alta. About 15 of us went to the last casual Happy Hour right before Christmas and got to chat and meet some new friends. No RSVP needed. Note: Wednesday is $5 Martini Night. Here’s a link to their Bar Menu if you want to take a look, see you there:

http://www.brioitalian.com/bar_menu-at-town_square.html

BYOB CLUB

The January BYOB will be on the 15th at 5:00 pm. Each person should bring a beverage of choice - alcoholic or non-alcoholic - and an appetizer to share with the group.
We have had a great response for the BYOBs, but everyone needs to respond quickly because they usually fill up on the first day following announcement in the newsletter. Your confirmation will come back to you by email with the host's address soon after your RSVP is received. We usually have a waiting list and frequently have last minute cancellations. So, email your RSVP even if we are full, so we can add you to the waiting list and let you know if we have a cancellation that you can fill.
Here’s to a fabulous 2016.

Table of Contents
BYOB CLUB CONT.
The hosts for the BYOB parties determine the number of people they feel their home can comfortably accommodate. If you feel that you can host a BYOB, please contact Sue Strom. We want to thank everyone for opening their homes so we can continue to have fun and successful BYOB’s parties!

NAKA SUSHI
The Naka Sushi "club" is meeting Monday January 25th at 5:00pm. We now have a regular monthly crowd of 20 people. Why not join us? This is a great group of Boomers.

For those who haven’t joined us there before, Naka Sushi is located at 8540 W Lake Mead (on the NE corner of Rampart & W Lake Mead) in the shopping center with Savers and Big Lots. Hurry and sign up, as space is limited in this small restaurant.

HAPPY HOUR #2
Next, for a more formal happy hour join us on Tuesday, January 26th at 3:30pm at Sago’s Baja Tavern located at 4790 S. Fort Apache Road (off the 215 at Tropicana).

ETHNIC DINING
This activity is currently dark, as we look for a new chairperson to select the restaurants and organize the RSVPs.

Table of Contents
THE SUPPER CLUB
This activity is dark this month, with a view towards the next Supper Club soireé in February or March.
If you are not familiar with the Supper Club, this is a fine dining activity. We choose a restaurant that can accommodate 25 to 40 of us, will allow us to order from the regular menu, and give us individual checks.

WINE CONNOISSEURS

Hello everyone. The busy holiday season is winding down and we are taking a deep breath as we focus on 2016. Bob and I had the pleasure of hosting a great group of 30 Boomers at our home on the 11th for the December social. We were delighted to welcome new members as well as “old” friends. The wines everyone selected and the appetizers were all consumed with a relish. Having a small group gave us the opportunity to talk to everyone……something to think about as we move forward.
Our Host Calendar for 2016 is almost full. We will start 2016 in February, with details to follow in the February newsletter. March, April, May and June also have hosts: July and August are open; September, October, November, and December have hosts. If you are interested in hosting in July or August, email me Karen Benson. If you would like to be the backup host for dates already scheduled, I would love to talk to you.
Hosting a Wine Social is fun as you set the parameters; i.e., number of people your house and patio can comfortably hold, and whether or not you want to have a theme. Your guests bring the appetizers and wine.
As Ellen Bachman I set our sights on 2016 we need to take a moment to thank Cricket Rotolo and Janice Wiedemann for steering our ship so successfully the past two years. We anticipate a great experience in taking over the helm as we move forward, and welcome each of your comments and suggestions about how we can change or improve, and what we are doing right.
May your New Year be one of good health, peace, and love.

Table of Contents

SPITE ‘N MALICE

Come join some of your fellow Boomers for a fun few hours of Spite ‘n Malice every Tuesday morning at 11am at the Summit. We have arranged for the monitor at the Summit to keep our cards (there are enough cards for 4 tables). All you have to do is ask Audrey, the monitor for the Spite ‘n Malice cards. They are in a green cloth bag in the closet at the monitor’s station. No one is really in charge, but if you have questions, please email Sharon Nolan. Sharon has graciously agreed to take over as the contact person for this event. As always, you don’t need to RSVP, just show up! It is a relaxed, social atmosphere and we always have a great time!
We gather at the Summit in the card/game room on Tuesdays at 11:00 am for a few hours of cards, fun, relaxation and socializing. It is a very social atmosphere where we not only play a spirited game of cards, but also get to know each other better. Some of the gals even get together to go to late lunch afterwards. We would love to have more Boomers join us. If you don’t know how to play, we are more than happy to teach you. You don’t need to RSVP to come, just show up, (making sure you bring your Sun City membership card to show the monitor when she comes around asking to see it)! Why not come join us and give it a try? If you have any questions, please email Marinell.

HAND AND FOOT

New: We have a full group and would invite new members to be on a sub list, or we would help set up a second group if someone wants to host it for a different evening.

The Hand & Foot card game is a lot of fun! Men and women are welcome and no experience is needed! Hand & Foot is similar to Canasta - it's usually played with 4 or 6 players in 2 teams, 6 decks of cards are used, and each player has two sets of cards. One set is your hand and one set is your foot. You must play your hand out, before you can play your foot. There are 4 rounds per game, with a escalating point amount required to open on each hand. There are few other rules and the winners are a result of the total number of points after the 4 rounds are played. Everyone loves the game!

Table of Contents
BUNCO
Red DICE.jpg
We get together the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. We have a lot of new players and this group is in its 3rd year, having a blast! There are 12 players with a substitute list (sub-list). If you are interested in joining, your name will be added to the sub-list. If the sub-list gets longer, there is a probability that another Bunco group can be formed. Bunco is fun, easy to learn, and results in meeting new and exciting people. We welcome all who are interested to contact us for more information.

MEXICAN TRAIN

We meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm. There are 8 players with a substitute list. July, August and December are dark. Anyone interested will be added to the sub-list. If the sub-list gets longer, there is a probability that a 3rd Mexican Train group can be formed. Mexican Train is a lot of fun, very easy to learn and results in making new friends. We welcome all who are interested to contact us for more information.

BOWLING

We bowl every Friday at 10:00 am at Red Rock Lanes. We have new people in the group and we have fun every week. You don’t have to come every week, nor RSVP. Just show up and have fun. No skill level is required. Some bowlers are really good while others barely get their ball down the lane, but everyone has fun. Sometimes it’s even extended for lunch afterwards to continue socializing. Come join the fun!!

Table of Contents
BOOMER EVENTS REMINDER
Many Boomer activities require an RSVP. If you RSVP and later find you are unable to attend, please call or email your host to cancel. We have active waiting lists for several of the more popular events and those people would surely appreciate your courtesy and make sure to RSVP/CANCEL with the specific person listed in the article about the event. Occasionally we’ve had a couple of people come to events without an RSVP. When you RSVP for an event make sure you look for your confirmation email from the host/hostess of the event. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please contact the person named in the newsletter again. It’s possible your email went into the SPAM folder or wasn’t received for any number of reasons. Also, please save your newsletter throughout the month in case you need to contact that person again or you want to see if any events are coming up when you’ve had a change in plans.

BOOMER FRAME OF MIND
Sun City Village People
Sage Wisdom…….
“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.” — John Ruskin.


January 5TH TUESDAY – 12:00 PM – READING GROUP

January 6TH WEDNESDAY – 3:00 PM – BRIO – HAPPY HOUR
No RSVP Needed

January 15TH FRIDAY – 5:00 PM – BYOB CLUB


January 25th Monday 5:00 pm – Naka Sushi


January 26th Tuesday – 3:30 pm – Sagos – Happy Hour


1st & 3rd Mondays – 6:00 pm – Hand and Foot
Tuesdays at 11:00 am – Spite ‘n Malice - Summit
2nd Tuesday of each month – 6:30 pm – Bunco
3rd Tuesday of each month – 6:00 pm – Mexican Train
Fridays – 10:00 am – Bowling - Red Rock Lanes
Table of Contents

Last edited by Tek_Freek; 03-04-2017 at 01:37 PM..
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Old 03-04-2017, 02:56 PM
 
18,643 posts, read 33,203,329 times
Reputation: 36958
^^^
Wow, that list looks like more than I ever did in my younger years in the city!
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Old 03-04-2017, 03:07 PM
 
28,803 posts, read 47,510,640 times
Reputation: 37905
We play bridge together and she plays Mahjongg every Friday. She also is in a Thursday cooking club, and sits in for missing Bridge players when needed.

The ones we do on a regular basis are the BYOB and Ethnic Dining. I am planning on bowling and one not mentioned, Bocci Ball. Have to find the time, though.
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