Great Oak Farm Monroe CT (Southbury: HOA fees, condos, townhouse)

Chickendoc · 04-28-2009, 01:46 PM

ok...have seen almost every home in Ct and so far love the community of Great OaK Farm in Monroe for the trail system that connects to Wolfe park. I have never lived in a planned community and have some reservations. I have a small (6m) child and two dogs with a husband that works way too much so the idea of a smaller yard and neighbors to help is appealing.
The thread that I found referring to GOF were not that glowing but would like to hear the consensus is out there for this community....

andthentherewere3 · 04-28-2009, 02:03 PM

I have friends who live there, and love it! Their child is older now though, and they are wishing they had a bigger yard. But for a younger family who likes having their neighbors close by, it's very appealing. And your neighbors really ARE close by, the homes are on small lots which appeals to some, but not all. Every time I go there the little streets are full of children out on their bikes and toys. One thing to be aware of though, the builder wasn't the best there ever was. He did cut a few corners, and my friends had complaints after they moved in. For instance, at the time they bought the house it was only three years old, and they had to replace the roof because the roof hadn't been ventilated at all. Apparently it caused some kind of moisture damage. So just be sure to get any home you are considering to be thoroughly inspected, but of course you would need to do that with any home. Otherwise, they have really enjoyed the home, although there are restrictions as to what you can do with it. Many home improvements need approval first. And I am not sure what if any kind of fencing is allowed there, you might want to check into that if you had wanted to fence in your dog.

As for Monroe itself, it's a great town to live in. There is so much for families to do. Parks, swimming, recreational opportunities, sports, hiking, camping, etc. We have been very happy with the school system, too. Good luck!

Lintu · 03-26-2014, 10:30 AM

This is one place I've had a casual eye on as we plan to move. I'm curious if there's any feedback on dues/fees, sense of community, HOA drama, watchouts, benefits, or anything else!

Stylo · 03-26-2014, 10:35 AM

It's in a really nice location. Though myself, and most people I know that have lived in any condo/townhouse complex have had to deal with at least a little HOA drama. It's one reason I would not do a condo again. It certainly varies by complex, as I had an extreme case (the HOA board has something like 30 lawsuits against them right now, to show you what kind of people they are).

If you're OK with HOA's in general, it seems like a nice complex.

Lintu · 03-26-2014, 10:36 AM

Ah, so it's considered a detached condo complex? (I'm not sure whether the terminology necessarily bothers me or not).

andthentherewere3 · 03-26-2014, 11:13 AM

Yes, the homes are detached, just on small lots. It's one of the few "cluster home" type developments in Monroe. Most of Monroe has 1-3 acre zoning, but the homes in Great Oak Farm are on lots about 1/4-1/3 acre. There are the typical limits on what you can do as far as renovations, fencing etc. I've heard complaints about the HOA fees, but nothing out of the ordinary. You know going into a HOA that there will be monthly fees. I know several families that live there. Most love it, because they want to be in close proximity to their neighbors. People move there because they want a close-knit neighborhood with everyone nearby. You see a lot of children riding their bikes (weather permitting) playing outdoors, etc. There is an annual fishing derby at the Great Oak pond, I believe an egg hunt, tag sale, and various other planned activities throughout the year. Expect to get a lot of trick-or-treaters on Halloween because of the dense development. You are walking distance to Wolfe Park and Great Hollow Lake. A lot of the homes were built on the cheap side by the builder and had to have some repairs made, but the homes are old enough by now that any issues have been recognized and taken care of.

Stylo · 03-26-2014, 11:18 AM

Yeah, I would say if you can afford a SFH - I would go that route. Unless you really are opposed to exterior maintenance.

Lintu · 03-26-2014, 03:46 PM

I viewed this as more of a SFH development with a HOA - is it fundamentally different from this? I mean, given that they are detached homes and all.

I love that type of neighborhood - it's similar to what I grew up with. Lots of kids, riding bikes around the neighborhood, staying out until parents started turning on porch lights as a signal to come in.

Lalalally · 03-26-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lintu

I viewed this as more of a SFH development with a HOA - is it fundamentally different from this? I mean, given that they are detached homes and all.

I would agree with this. Though I'm not familiar w/ Great Oak, it does sound similar to a development in Southbury -- Traditions at Historic Southbury, which are technically condos (legal description), but for all intents and purposes they are free standing homes on small lots. Not sure where you need to commute to, but Traditions might be worth checking out too.

Stratford, Ct. Resident · 03-26-2014, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalalally

I would agree with this. Though I'm not familiar w/ Great Oak, it does sound similar to a development in Southbury -- Traditions at Historic Southbury, which are technically condos (legal description), but for all intents and purposes they are free standing homes on small lots. Not sure where you need to commute to, but Traditions might be worth checking out too.

Same developer i believe. I think Summitt and WCI are the same.

Anyway, i don't think Great Oak could have had poorer build quality than the Whitney Farms subdivision.