55+ Communities (Dover, Smyrna: villages, vegetable, pets)

[Goin'2DE]

Originally Posted by letmeoutofhere

Goin'2DE - thank you for the invitation. We do need to check all the places out again.

...Now comes the hard part. Where do we really want to be? What was it that cinched the deal for you? The amenities? I know Roesville's clubhouse isn't built yet so that wasn't a factor....Did it make a difference to have one already built? Was it a particular club or get together that made you feel like you would participate? Or does that even matter? Is it really just a "feeling" or was there one outgoing person who you really wanted to get to know?

I think I'm just scared of making a wrong decision.
Thanks again!

Making a list of your priorities is the most important thing you can do to help you in the decision process. No need to be "scared" if you know what you want.

We chose Roesville because it matched our priorities. A clubhouse is a great ammenity, but was not a primary need for us. What sold us was the quality of the homes, concrete driveways, the walk-up attic (no pull down stairs), the quiet location, several models (5 then, now 6) to choose from, 3 different elevations, each with a dozen or more exterior color choices, the convenience to the AFB without the noise (we lived in VA Beach for 25 years and the jet noise got worse and worse over the years), standards like the tankless water heater, gas heat and cooking, ceramic tile in the master bath, rear fencing is allowed, energy star and green certified, lawn care and snow removal, and the lot sizes are larger than in most 55+ communities.

We now are absolutely certain that we made the right choice. The neighbors are wonderful. A group of us goes to the movie matinee on Tuesdays at the mall (reduced rates and $1 drinks and popcorn), game night, crafts night, old movie night, a yoga class, etc.

I wish you health and happiness.

[dbclancy]

OBNJ! OMG, used to live at pine tree village many many years ago! brother still in OB.

would you share buyers agent info in a DM to me? we are planning our first visit to DE very soon and can use all the help we can get!

trying to work my way thru this thread, SHEESH!

Originally Posted by NY2DE

Hi everyone, I got back from Delaware last night and I’ve stopped over in Old Bridge New Jersey to visit with my sister-in-law for the rest of the weekend. I’ll be leaving here for home tonight and I’ll take a couple days to decompress and collect my thoughts about my trip.

Basically speaking I enjoyed Delaware very much but was surprised to see so much home development going on there and the stiff competition between developers and builders for the homes. As expected I’m suffering from data overload. I took a camera and a camcorder on my model walk-throughs and I’ll have to piece together the videos into their proper time frames to help separate the models. I visited several communities and condos and generally speaking I was very impressed with what I saw. I will definitely need several more trips to help me make up my mind.

Midway through my visit I acquired a buyer’s agent and I must say that it makes a difference when you have someone with you who knows the playing field and understands your needs and expectations. I will be working closely with her in the coming months to help me make my home buying decisions.

Mary, the home base condo in Lewes was better than expected and we were totally thrilled with it and would highly recommend it to anyone who’s planning to visit the area whether it be to vacation and enjoy the beaches or for business or home shopping. I would be more than happy to share contact information with anyone who wants it, as I’m sure Mary2014 would too, feel free to message me.

[NY2DE]

It never ceases to amaze me how small the world seems when you run into people from neighborhoods you’re familiar with. Dbclancy welcome to the forum. The buyer's agent info you requested has been sent. Please note that as already has been said it is best that you have an agent with you before registering with a community otherwise the seller may not recognize your agent. Unfortunately I did not know this until two days and four communities later in my visit.

[dbclancy]

Originally Posted by Goin'2DE

To clarify a bit more...homeowners assume responsibility for any lawn care in the enclosed area only.

Hey jellybean 50 - let me jump in here. we are also considering DE, have a dog, and a fenced back yard is a deal breaker for us! YES i do walk the dog but if we didn't have the opportunity to go out and play catch or something, that would be a big negative, for us and the dog. As of last time I checked, Roesville, Independence, Millville by the Sea (non-55) Bay Forest and a few others do allow you to fence the yard. My vet does not recommend the invisible fence. And if I do have to cut the grass, so be it because it will probably be a LOT less than I have now!

[dbclancy]

Originally Posted by EdB

I'm a former NJ Realtor. I agree about using a local, experienced realtor; however, be aware that if you have already "registered" your name with the community (builder), a realtor may not be entitled to a commission. In NJ, the realtor has to be with you the first time you visit a community and register your name. I don't know if that's true in DE but could explain why you were blow off.

OK, so just what does "registered" mean. I have been calling/emailing requsting brochures and we are planning a trip to DE in a few weeks. Does emailing or phoning mean that I have "registered" with that community? or does "registering" mean a physical visit to the property.

[NY2DE]

Dbclancy, when you visit a community you are asked to fill out a card entering your name, address, phone number and perhaps your email address and how it was you happened to hear about them. That's what they consider a registration even tho you don't apply a signature in most cases.

[dbclancy]

Originally Posted by Charley

Nah, I'm pretty credible (but thank you). It's $12,500 per taxpayer, so up to $25,000 per couple.

There is great information like this available in the Delaware Data Book: http://dedo.delaware.gov/pdfs/databook/Databook.pdf (broken link)

YES!!!!! That's exactly what I was hoping for! And thanks for the link.

[maryCh]

Welcome to the DE forum, dbclancy! I agree with others.. what a small world! I grew up in Va Beach, and for the most part lived there until my early 30's! Depending on how long ago you lived there, we may be close to the same age! I don't mind saying, I recently turned 51... and I too still have family in that area.

As far as researching DE... you have gotten very good advise from those more knowledgeable than I in the 55+ bracket who chose the community route. And the registering with communities of choice is what I would highly recommend as well.

Since we were in our late 40's when we came to DE 4 years ago, we were too "young" for the age restricted route. But when we were looking to buy, my folks had moved to DE and I looked at those communities from their perspective. Now that we are fast approaching the 55 mark, we still would not consider trading in what we bought for the adult only lifestyle... its just not us. We like kids around, since we still have two at home, and enjoy the "freedom" of having pets of out choosing without restriction.

I would recommend, if its possible for you, to find a local agent with contacts in the 55+ communities and who is also well versed in the rest of the state. Most agents are, and I can give you a few referrals as well. Feel free to direct message for some names and numbers. One is the agent we worked with in purchasing our home, who happened to be the listing agent but worked well with us from the buyers side. Definitely a win-win situation for us and the sellers. Another agent is a personal friend, we met through this forum, who became a licensed realtor after moving to DE. And no, I have no ties whatsoever to them professionally, no commission or finders fee involved... just friendly networking in action.

A state to state move is stressful enough... keep posting and the answers will come to you. There are some great people active in the DE forum; you will come to find that out in a short hurry.

Take care, and good luck! Mary

[dbclancy]

Originally Posted by NY2DE

Dbclancy, when you visit a community you are asked to fill out a card entering your name, address, phone number and perhaps your email address and how it was you happened to hear about them. That's what they consider a registration even tho you don't apply a signature in most cases.

WHEW! that was close. was planning to make calls tomorrow to set up appts for end of june. guess i'll contact your DM referral first! THANKS!

[rdlr]

Register =
When you walk in the door of any model home or sales office, you immediately should say: "I'm working with a Realtor"
Then, you will be prompted to sign in - either a list, or a card, and state the name/location of your agent.

If by phone, the Realtor's name should be mentioned in the first sentence.