Renting in Plantation - Plantation Acres (Davie, Weston: apartments, foreclosure, rental)

[lenahl]

Starting our search for a rental in Plantation. After reading a few threads here especially comments from Ruski and Mommabear we are really interested in Plantation Acres. Could you comment on the pros and more importantly the cons of Plantation Acres. Anything to watch out for?

We have two young kids, sending them to private and would like a pool. Not looking to pay crazy HOA fees thus Hawks Landing was out. While we are renting now would like to buy in the future and prefer homes that aren't decades old.

Any other area we should consider besides Plantation Acres? I also am looking into Nob Hill and Melaleuca Isles because of low HOA fees. But what is the catch there that I might not be considering if there are low HOA fees?

Thanks in advance!

[wizrap]

These are my observations as someone who once went home shopping in Plantation Acres and also had several friends who used to live there, so take this for what it’s worth. As far as pros, the homes are on an acre, some of the newer homes are on 1/2 of an acre, I believe, so you’re not right up against your neighbor. It’s also not a cookie-cutter neighborhood so all the homes have a unique look to them. It’s in a nice location, convenient to the shopping and dining at Sawgrass Mills, as well as the turnpike, the interstates, and Sawgrass Expressway.

As far as the cons, I would say that one of the main reasons we decided not to buy there was because of the anything goes situation with the HOA. That means that you could have chickens in the house next to you, and that the house next to you could either show pride of ownership or not so much. One of my friends was very frustrated when she tried to sell her house because there were at least one home a few houses away from hers that was in foreclosure and had not been tended to. The HOA claimed they were not responsible for upkeep and the city claimed they did not have the staff to take care of the normal yardwork. We moved to Weston, and although it was cookie cutter and we had an HOA, at least during the foreclosure crisis the HOA did maintain the yards.

Another con which really doesn’t impact you are the schools. The elementary schools are good, however the middle school and high school leave something to be desired. A friend of mine who lived in Plantation Acres and was concerned about sending her son to middle school lucked out when your husband was transferred to another state. She was very concerned about the public schools. The schools will impact resale value.

I don’t think you should limit your rental opportunities to just neighborhoods that do not have an HOA or have a limited HOA, because you will not be responsible for those fees—your landlord is the one who pays them. That doesn’t mean a landlord will charge a higher rent because of the HOA dues, but it’s been my experience that you will not see much of a difference in the cost of the rents.

[ruski]

If you have your heart set on Plantation, you should also check out the Jacaranda Country Club area.

Besides Plantation, there are some very nice areas in Davie.

[lenahl]

Originally Posted by wizrap

These are my observations as someone who once went home shopping in Plantation Acres and also had several friends who used to live there, so take this for what it’s worth. As far as pros, the homes are on an acre, some of the newer homes are on 1/2 of an acre, I believe, so you’re not right up against your neighbor. It’s also not a cookie-cutter neighborhood so all the homes have a unique look to them. It’s in a nice location, convenient to the shopping and dining at Sawgrass Mills, as well as the turnpike, the interstates, and Sawgrass Expressway.

As far as the cons, I would say that one of the main reasons we decided not to buy there was because of the anything goes situation with the HOA. That means that you could have chickens in the house next to you, and that the house next to you could either show pride of ownership or not so much. One of my friends was very frustrated when she tried to sell her house because there were at least one home a few houses away from hers that was in foreclosure and had not been tended to. The HOA claimed they were not responsible for upkeep and the city claimed they did not have the staff to take care of the normal yardwork. We moved to Weston, and although it was cookie cutter and we had an HOA, at least during the foreclosure crisis the HOA did maintain the yards.

Another con which really doesn’t impact you are the schools. The elementary schools are good, however the middle school and high school leave something to be desired. A friend of mine who lived in Plantation Acres and was concerned about sending her son to middle school lucked out when your husband was transferred to another state. She was very concerned about the public schools. The schools will impact resale value.

I don’t think you should limit your rental opportunities to just neighborhoods that do not have an HOA or have a limited HOA, because you will not be responsible for those fees—your landlord is the one who pays them. That doesn’t mean a landlord will charge a higher rent because of the HOA dues, but it’s been my experience that you will not see much of a difference in the cost of the rents.

Thanks for the tips. I saw some listings for Hawk's landing and the ask for the rent is significantly higher than ones in Plantation Acres. I assumed that had to do with the HOA fee? Also we are looking to rent and then buy so might as well rent in a community where we would end up buying in.

[wizrap]

It could--Hawk's Landing is gated with some amenities & that certainly could be factored in the rent. I agree with Ruski that you should look at Jacaranda too--generally smaller lots than Plantation Acres, and nice uniform upkeep. What's your definition of "decades old?" Plantation Acres is probably in the 30 to 40 year old homes--Jacaranda maybe about 5 years younger on average. Broward County is built up.

If you want to look in Davie, look in Forest Ridge--another pretty community and although it has an HOA it's not terribly intrusive.

[lenahl]

Originally Posted by wizrap

It could--Hawk's Landing is gated with some amenities & that certainly could be factored in the rent. I agree with Ruski that you should look at Jacaranda too--generally smaller lots than Plantation Acres, and nice uniform upkeep. What's your definition of "decades old?" Plantation Acres is probably in the 30 to 40 year old homes--Jacaranda maybe about 5 years younger on average. Broward County is built up.

If you want to look in Davie, look in Forest Ridge--another pretty community and although it has an HOA it's not terribly intrusive.

THANK YOU! Will look at Davie too. Will also look at Jacaranda but there are just so many developments within that area. I saw a thread that was done in 2016 about the boundaries of Jacaranda and there were like 15 developments listed. How does one start to figure out which is the right one? I guess from helpful boards like this

I prefer homes that are built within the last twenty years. Don't have a real reason as to why and wouldn't rule out a 30 to 40 year old home especially if the homeowner has been diligent with the upkeep. Some might argue that the newer homes aren't as well constructed.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by lenahl

Thanks for the tips. I saw some listings for Hawk's landing and the ask for the rent is significantly higher than ones in Plantation Acres. I assumed that had to do with the HOA fee? Also we are looking to rent and then buy so might as well rent in a community where we would end up buying in.

Hawk's Landing has mandatory membership fees and very high HOA fees.

[wizrap]

Not all of the Jacaranda developments are single-family homes. Some are townhouses, some are villas, some apartments so you have an assortment. I am partial to the Jacaranda Lakes myself, since it’s so pretty, but there are other sections of Jacaranda that are nice too.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by lenahl

Starting our search for a rental in Plantation. After reading a few threads here especially comments from Ruski and Mommabear we are really interested in Plantation Acres. Could you comment on the pros and more importantly the cons of Plantation Acres. Anything to watch out for?

We have two young kids, sending them to private and would like a pool. Not looking to pay crazy HOA fees thus Hawks Landing was out. While we are renting now would like to buy in the future and prefer homes that aren't decades old.

Any other area we should consider besides Plantation Acres? I also am looking into Nob Hill and Melaleuca Isles because of low HOA fees. But what is the catch there that I might not be considering if there are low HOA fees?

Thanks in advance!

I don't think you have to worry about HOA fees with a rental. You will pay your rent not your rent plus the HOA fees.

I disagree that all the homes in PA are 30-40 years old. There were several building booms over the past 20 years so you will find homes of all ages. Half the houses on my block were built around 2005. The other half were built in the mid 1990s.

PA is quiet, convenient to shopping and the highways. As someone mentioned up thread the downside to PA is that the lack of HOA means you have little recourse if there is something about your neighbor's homes that you don't like. Of course, with the houses all on acre lots you aren't as close to people.

It is true that your neighbors could have chickens. My neighbor across the street had chickens for a while. I'm not sure why that would be a big deal but if it is you should know it could happen.

We lived in Weston with an HOA for about 10 years and we have been in PA for about 8 years. There are pluses and minuses to both places. I prefer PA because I don't really like being told what to do (and I can live with the fact that others can also do what they want to do). I like to have space between my home and my neighbor's. Other people like to know that everything will be uniform. I think you have to know yourself and your preferences.

[lenahl]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

I don't think you have to worry about HOA fees with a rental. You will pay your rent not your rent plus the HOA fees.

I disagree that all the homes in PA are 30-40 years old. There were several building booms over the past 20 years so you will find homes of all ages. Half the houses on my block were built around 2005. The other half were built in the mid 1990s.

PA is quiet, convenient to shopping and the highways. As someone mentioned up thread the downside to PA is that the lack of HOA means you have little recourse if there is something about your neighbor's homes that you don't like. Of course, with the houses all on acre lots you aren't as close to people.

It is true that your neighbors could have chickens. My neighbor across the street had chickens for a while. I'm not sure why that would be a big deal but if it is you should know it could happen.

We lived in Weston with an HOA for about 10 years and we have been in PA for about 8 years. There are pluses and minuses to both places. I prefer PA because I don't really like being told what to do (and I can live with the fact that others can also do what they want to do). I like to have space between my home and my neighbor's. Other people like to know that everything will be uniform. I think you have to know yourself and your preferences.

Thank you! You are a big reason why we are looking in PA in the first place. I've read your older posts on how you came about looking and finding PA and it stuck. I live in a place now where the homes are super close and there is no HOA. There are things that my neighbors do that bug me like have 20 cats but it is what it is. I don't have to live by their rules and they don't have to live by mine.