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Many, if not all of these “gated” communities have a home owners association and require monthly fees to pay for the common area maintenance that is needed. HOAs can be a positive thing, however they can also be a very negative at times.
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These examples are only a few of many rules, again some positive and some not so.
They're terrific for people who keep a nice home and don't want to live across from a neighbor who mows their lawn once a month or leaves a camper or a boat parked in their driveway for 50 weeks of the year.
You'll never get your city government to do anything about the camper, but you can get that kind of thing shut down by the HOA.
I'm not sure if self contained is the right terminology or not, but thanks for the information. Planned communities sounds right though. I'm to check those all out.
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Originally Posted by Bowie
They're terrific for people who keep a nice home and don't want to live across from a neighbor who mows their lawn once a month or leaves a camper or a boat parked in their driveway for 50 weeks of the year.
You'll never get your city government to do anything about the camper, but you can get that kind of thing shut down by the HOA.
We keep our house nice even with my duck boat outside but I realize I may not be able to keep it at one of these places. I just want a good neighborhood with good schools and friends for our kids. In a warm climate.
Many, if not all of these “gated” communities have a home owners association and require monthly fees to pay for the common area maintenance that is needed. HOAs can be a positive thing, however they can also be a very negative at times. With so many unoccupied homes that have been foreclosed on, HOA fee money is or has run out to cover the normal costs for the area; thus the homeowners that are left living there are having to increase their fee payments to cover expenses.
HOA rules are not always pleasant to live under should you want to have “special unique likes” about how your home looks outside. Example you want a flagpole in the front yard, but you are restricted. You might want a special type of tree planted but it’s not approved. These examples are only a few of many rules, again some positive and some not so.
These sound like the kind of thing freedom-lovin' conservatives like to complain about. Would liberals be happier in gated communities?
Orlando has an abundance of these communities as well. I live in one with just a recreation center (pool, tennis, basketball, club house, etc). I think they are great places to live. Some are literally self sufficient (parks, recreation, schools, shopping, doctors/dentist offices, restaurants, community events, etc). They are always nice and very well maintained. The yards and homes have to be kept nice or else the HOA will threaten you (I know of a community near by where the residents aren't responsible for mowing their front lawns, the HOA hires a company to mow every front lawn in the community once every week or 2 depending on the season). But overall I think they're worth it.
Many HOA are similar to each other and have the same rules and fee charges for living in their gated community. However there are those that “are” different from other HOAs and they can be better or worse depending on a person’s needs and expectations. It’s very wise to consider HOA contracts before making a purchase of a home and moving in. It is not to be taken lightly should you find out that later that it’s not your type of gated community.
I’ve seen HOA monthly fees run from $50 a month to as high as $150 each month, and when there are fewer dues paying residents because of the housing slump others have to make up the difference to keep the common areas maintained and services working well. I'd rather add that HOA fee to my mortgage payment for an early payoff.
I like the idea of reasonable rules, and reasonable fees but those things don’t always last forever when others want and vote for changes in the bylaws.
The best of the benefits for gated communities that I’ve seen is the common pool and clubhouse for activities, that’s something I’d enjoy and use.
These sound like the kind of thing freedom-lovin' conservatives like to complain about. Would liberals be happier in gated communities?
Nah, liberals are more live and let live-it's the neo-cons who like to scream about unkempt yards.
Gated communities are everywhere in the area I live, and I know many who live in them. No pickups in the driveway or street- ever, no vehicles of any kind left in the drive over night, houses have to be painted in approved colors, no leaving of the garage door open, landscaping has to be approved, HOA fees can run thousands of dollars a year, kids are isolated.
I suppose the "safety" and continuity appeal to many, but many find all the regulations stifling. That being said, considering how my neighbor has crapped up the entire neighborhood and the local officials are apparently powerless to stop them, I sometimes wish I lived in one of those communities.
Last edited by vaughanwilliams; 11-28-2010 at 05:21 PM..
I spent almost a decade in a gated 55+, glad to be out of there. It's too insulated from reality.
Thats what I'm hoping for an escape from reality,my kids 11 and 9 both boys have severe hearing loss and wear hearing aids at my cost $5,000 a pair. They have seen us almost go bankrupt three times paying for them. I want to move to a state where even though I might make decent money, that my wife and I can at least get some help even a loan would help. Medical Insurance doesn't cover the cost of hearing aids.
Also my 9 year old was jumped and beaten last year by three teenagers in the age range of 15 to 18, for his baseball glove. Of course his hearing aids were smashed to pieces so another 5 grand.
I wish my escape from reality would come sooner than later.
I've seen ghettos gated in here. Middle class neighborhoods in edgy cities that are gated, and upscale gated communities here.
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Would liberals be happier in gated communities? 
