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Pete is at it again -- anything to discredit, and disparage.
First, HRC members initially believed in Mid South's misrepresentation of itself as a "golf course management" company, and fully supported the new management despite the fact that the weeds grew, the mole cricket population exploded, and the greens went un-aerated, developed fungus, and began to die. We saw no evidence of our amenities fees being used to do more than mow.
There was no boycott of Mid South that I am aware of. (If I were, indeed "a leader," I think I would have known about it.)
In October, 2005, after having already closed the Shoreline course, Mid South closed the Harbour Pointe golf course as well, without warning, and in complete disregard for the many members who had paid the significant membership fees for the year. (Yes, Mr. Drez. Golfers do pay for the use of the course. There has never been "free golf." Ever.) Mid South provided no information about its reopening.
That December, several other golf courses bid for our memberships. Some golfers chose the Emerald, some Taberna, and others, River Bend, Minnesott, or Carolina Colours and we paid annual memberships to our chosen courses for the 2006 year. Mid South reopened Harbour Pointe in the spring of 2006 and reportedly wondered where all the golfers were. The course closed again, and we continued to travel and pay our membership fees to our adopted courses until Harbour Pointe reopened in 2009, and most of us returned to our home course, grateful to leave our commute behind.
Few of us were foolish enough to commit to an annual membership, however, until we were sure it would be honored this time. With Billy Casper Golf (a company researched and recommended by the BOD, by the way), the course has begun its slow recovery from Mid South's neglect and mismanagement. (Mr. Drez conveniently neglects to mention that the court agreed that Mid South was derelict in its duty to maintain its property. The POA won a $1.45 million judgment which, with interest and non-payment penalties, continues to grow.
Contrary to Mr.Drez' statement, the Harbour Pointe course -- well managed, now, and recovering from Mid South neglect, is profitable, attracting outside play as well as a very active membership. Mr. Drez needs to stop by and get his facts straight. And, I'm not sure where he got his $500,000 figure from, but it certainly wasn't from the Harbour Pointe course managers!
Mr.Drez' lot is designated a "non-amenity" lot, He is, therefore, diametrically opposed to any and all amenities. It's the "dog in the manger" attitude. He doesn't use amenities; therefore, Fairfield Harbour shouldn't have them. The concept of offering active lifestyle choices for potential property owners is beyond him. Investing in his community, and ensuring property values is beyond him. Why anyone would spend his days denigrating the community he lives in is beyond the rest of us!
He needs to drive around the community once in awhile. He'll see lovely homes, neatly groomed properties and people who are happy to be here, and willing to invest in their community to see it competitive with its neighboring communities, as it was when we had well-maintained amenities to attract new residents.
I am going to be very brief, but Bogey1's false statements can not be allowed to stand:
1) There was a boycott and Jack Shaw, primary investor in Midsouth, testified to its existence and impact on him in the recent bankruptcy hearing. It is in the court record.
2) What the POA won in their suit against Midsouth has since 2008 been known to be worthless to the POA and a debt that would never be collected. The Midsouth bankruptcy will wipe this debt away.
3) The Harbour Point course, rated as a recreational course at best, is in fact losing $500,000 annually with only 200 members. Again this information is sourced from Jack Shaw and part of the bankruptcy court record.
4) Since the success of the Hands across the Harbour suit, all lots are non assessed. Fairfield Harbour has never owned or offered the amenities to members. If they are so important, why oh why did Bogey1 and the other members of the Harbour Recreation Club sell them to Midsouth, and create the problem they want others to solve? Bogey1 and those other who owned HRC, you screwed up the community by selling the amenities, with out any help from other, so fix it without any help from those same people.
5) As for the drive around, I do it often. Bogey1's opinion does not match the market opinion as verified by the disparity in pricing between FFH and other New Bern area communities. One of Bogey1's preferred Board candidates recently publicly stated in Bogey1's presence, that lots that are selling for $3K in FFH are going for $35K locally, elsewhere.
Why Bogey1 continues to totally misrepresent most any subject offered is a mystery to me. I will repeat my purpose in participating in the forum. It is simply to provide facts and occasionally a well thought out opinion to those considering real estate in FFH. Just that simple. Said another way, I am just intolerant of misrepresentations and outright lies being published on any subject.
My "rebuttal" has nothing to do with claiming other developments are either worse or better than FFH.
One opinion of FFH depicts FFH as falling short of being a shanty town, where my opinion of FFH is favorable (at least thus far).
My opinion of any perceived and or actual vacancy woes withing FFH are that they are not unique to FFH, nor are the internal political woes. There are a couple of gated communities within a couple of miles from me here in NY that have the same problems. One very high end gated community nearby a few years ago had as high as a 25% foreclosure rate. Another one is a political hotbed, another one because of it's age has internal strife over what to do and what to spend on resolving water and sewer issues.
Similar vacancy and maintenance situations exist in communities in Florida. The gated community my parents live in are only now starting to benefit by a rebound in what were severely depressed values. And as was previously stated, I believe earlier in this thread or somewhere on this forum, a lot of the real estate sales and value woes in FFH and in the New Bern area are an indirect result of the depressed values in the North. Many of us were banking on selling our homes in the north at a profit and purchasing in the south for half and banking the rest for retirement. Like many have done in the 80s and 90s. Now those homes like many in the North are, or were under water. Metaphorically, thank GOD not literally.
Here in my town in NY, a few years ago the Town Board passed a resolution (one that I don't agree with) that gave the town the power to maintain private property (taking on the expense and liability). The resolution was a reaction to the growing number of obviously abandoned homes in our town and a reaction to complaints by those who lived next door to these homes.
Regardless, I stand by my opinion that the woes mention in the opinions of FFH by some, are not the opinion of all who live and who are currently shopping for a home and buying there.
I also stand by my Opinion that in the current economic conditions (which may be easing somewhat), those actual and or perceived woes mentioned in some opinions are not unique to the gated community of FFH nor are they unique to any community in general. Internal politics will always be there wherever you go and the market is what it is.
For anyone considering moving to the area, my advice wood be:
Visit many communities in the area including FFH. Do your homework, evaluate what best suits your personal preferences, form your own opinions and decide where your best value is.
He needs to drive around the community once in awhile. He'll see lovely homes, neatly groomed properties and people who are happy to be here, and willing to invest in their community to see it competitive with its neighboring communities, as it was when we had well-maintained amenities to attract new residents.
I am just having a problem rationalizing the 86% pricing differential between FFH and other local communities that at one time were very competitive at the $35K price. Just a little thing that bothers me but may not bother others.
I'm not really part of the agenda here but when I see things like "lots for 3k" I like to check it out. Who knows, maybe I'm missing a great investment.
Anyway. I did a real rough check of Zillow, filtered for lots only and sure enough, did see 3 maybe 4 lots priced at or near 3k. They were not on the water.
I did notice one lot at 2.3k and another over 200k.
I then added up the cost of about 40 lots with no regard to location in FFH (which is not all the ones for sale but probably more than half) then averaged the price.
The average price for a lot in FFH is in the neighborhood of 55k.
Again, this is just a rough estimate with a wide spread between the high and the low.
Ditchoc, let me try to get you updated on actual pricing of lots in FFH. There are three markets, waterfront, golf course, and natural (not golf course or waterfront). Waterfront is the highest price with a range starting at $50K and peaking around $100K. A lot at the head of a canal down the street from me with a dock installed sold for $50K within the past 6 months. I personally negotiated for a lot that I considered among the best available, and the deal fell apart with me at $107K and the seller at $135K, in the past 3 months. This lot is one down from an almost identical lot that sold for $319K near the peak back in 2007. Golf course lots are in the teens, depending on which golf course fronts your property. I must admit I do not follow the golf course lots in any detail. The natural lots start at about $2K and peak at $5K. If you are interested in the least expensive lots, the POA has about 150 that they acquired through foreclosure or surrender by the owner . The POA may even give you a lot if you will pay the $1000 annual dues on it.
I do not see anything to be learned by averaging the three market prices.
Just to use my location as an example, there are three houses on my right for sale, the first on my left is not for sale but the second on the left is for sale as is another about four more down. And there are similar examples on other streets. Some of the best bulkheaded waterfront property in FFH (my opinion for my needs).
Hope this helps with the FFH undeveloped lot market.
The POA may even give you a lot if you will pay the $1000 annual dues on it.
Come on, Mr. Drez. Enough with the hyperbole! FH POA 2015 annual dues was $813. You are including a contingency as a fait accompli. And, I sincerely doubt that anyone is giving anything away.
Interesting that your surrounding neighbors are putting their properties up for sale. That's not happening on my street, or on most other streets in Fairfield Harbour... Of course, we do have sales here in the community. Lives change, people age, and people move on. On the other hand, good people are buying, moving in and liking what they find. New blood is good -- isn't that what you said, earlier?
I am new here like I said earlier.So far I have met nothing but great ,friendly and helpful people.Just from an observation from a newbie sometimes old wounds are very hard to heal.It this case it seems nearly impossible unfortunately.
It is extremely difficult for me to stand by while one disgruntled resident regularly denigrates the community he continues to live in spite of what he views as such a negative environment. It is apparent that some people prefer to spend their lives criticizing and complaining rather than helping or better yet moving to a more favorable community.
#1. Just to respond to some of his statements there was NO boycott regardless of a self serving statement made with no actual basis, just a twist of a fact. When their course was closed the golfers signed contracts to play elsewhere, that is not a boycott. They had no choice.
#2. The useless lawsuit was mandated by our covenants when an owner fails to meet their contractual obligations to maintain the amenities as they agreed. That lawsuit will surface during bankruptcy discussions for negotiation purposes.
#3.There is no supporting or factual documentation that there is a $500,000 loss in operation of the golf course. Are we to assume that Mr. Drez has access to the financial records of both MidSouth and the golf management company?
#4 is a tired old dredging up of history that has very little relevance at this point and 15 years later. It offers no look to the future just a worn out look at the past which cannot be changed.
#5. Beauty or ugly of the community is in the eyes of the beholder.
Finally, I hesitate to respond to this continual monologue of Mr. Drez because it tends to encourage his sarcasm and negative comments of a community where he continues to reside.
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