[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by mojavegal

Thank you Ivmensch! Wouldn't probably be interested in a home on the golf course -- we don't play and I always wonder about privacy, people strolling right by your patio all day long. Don't want a big home either, 1500 to 1800 SF will do nicely. I assume (always dangerous) that the HOA fee on unattached homes does not cover any interior or exterior maintenance or landscape upkeep, that is up to the homeowner?

Yes it is. Golf balls. We live across the street from a course and I often find golf balls in our yard. The house across from us has Rolladen (sp?) shutters on the back windows because of them.

Originally Posted by mojavegal

I have read elsewhere that because Summerlin homes are older the energy bills are higher then Anthem or the newer communities, but some people have insulated their attic and that helps with the heating/cooling bills. How high do your electric and gas bills run (not to be too nosy ) How much of Summerlin really benefits from the afternoon mountain shadows?

Our bill isn't bad at all. Our attic is insulated. As for shadows we live a few blocks east of the 215 and temps can drop pretty quick once the sun drops behind the mountains. We can be in full shade and look across the valley at homes in full sun. Mornings we keep our shades closed at the rear (East) and we have solar screens. It gets hot as the dickens even from morning sun.

Originally Posted by mojavegal

Another question (so many questions!). Can you park in your driveway or must you park in your garage? I've never lived under HOA rules before and know some can be very restrictive...

People here park in the street as well. I think that if a vehicle is left in the same place in the street over an extended period of time they might check with the owner to make sure everything is okay. We have security that drives the community 24/7 and they keep a close eye out. Our street also has a Neighborhood Watch.

The HOA in Sun City Summerlin is great.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by mojavegal

Sounds like the ambassador program is the way to go, will check it out. Another question, are there walking paths, or do people just walk through the neighborhoods?

No paths specifically for walking, but there are golf course paths. One of the things we think they need (summer) is an indoor walking track. Probably more than one because so many people would use it.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by mojavegal

Thank you Ivmensch! Wouldn't probably be interested in a home on the golf course -- we don't play and I always wonder about privacy, people strolling right by your patio all day long. Don't want a big home either, 1500 to 1800 SF will do nicely. I assume (always dangerous) that the HOA fee on unattached homes does not cover any interior or exterior maintenance or landscape upkeep, that is up to the homeowner?

I have read elsewhere that because Summerlin homes are older the energy bills are higher then Anthem or the newer communities, but some people have insulated their attic and that helps with the heating/cooling bills. How high do your electric and gas bills run (not to be too nosy ) How much of Summerlin really benefits from the afternoon mountain shadows?

Another question (so many questions!). Can you park in your driveway or must you park in your garage? I've never lived under HOA rules before and know some can be very restrictive...

As Tek said the single family homes are conventional. You take care of your own. The HOA will hassle if you let the plants go to hell but they are generally reasonable about it.

The roads are owned and maintained by the City of Las Vegas. So the parking is the same as elsewhere in the city with the exception of some special rules about RV, boats, trailers. You can get a permit for 72 hours for them.

The best insulated homes are those in Sun City Aliante where Del Web made a fetish of low utility bills. They are at least twice as good as Anthem or Summerlin. Cocooned attics which get no hotter than 100 or so on a hot day. My usual inspector loves that compared to the normal 130 or 140 in LV attics. One can upgrade an SCS attic to whatever extent desired but the walls would be a very expensive retrofit so would not pay.

In smaller houses not a big issue. Maybe 150 or 200 in the peak summer if you maintain a low temperature.
but way less most of the year.

[richzx14]

The later built homes in Sun City Anthem (at least 2005 and later I believe, mine is a 2006 build) all have cocoon insulation attics which keeps temps cooler in the summer and warmer in winter. My house - at least a 15 degree differential between outside temp and inside. Another benefit is smaller sized A/C units can be used. I.E. my house 2,400 SF utilizes 4 ton A/C where a 5 ton unit for this size house is usually proposed.

[mojavegal]

Thank you all for your feedback. Lots to consider, am sure I'll be back with more questions!

[Tek_Freek]

A side note: I drove past two of the community centers today. It's cool and rainy here, but it doesn't keep people inside. Both parking lots were pretty much full. Most residents here aren't homebodies. Sun City Summerlin.

[jjameson922]

I can tell you absolute facts about Sun City and will not go into "how" I feel about it.

Moved into it 9 yrs. ago driving 4 days with two big dogs to arrive here. Thought it would be a great place to meet people being a newly widowed woman moving to a strange city. Every morning I groomed myself and the dogs, leashed them up for long walks and went out to meet my new neighbors. Passed quite a few people on the sidewalks who did not acknowledge me or reply to my hello. Told the dogs everyday to be cordial because surely that day my immediate neighbors would certainly be ringing our doorbell. No one ever came. To this day, know only 2 of them. No others have ever waved or come to the door.

Decided to begin going to the pool. Had no idea it was just a wading pool, 4 feet deep and controlled by many rules. The pool nearest my house, on a typical hot day, has an attendance of about 30 people. It is manned by a monitor. The monitor makes sure no one is drinking alcohol, sitting too near the pool or putting floats in the water as they consider those unallowable toys. Newer people I have met said they found the pool way too cliquey.

The yearly dues are now $1464. They have gone up $464 since I have been here. We have no choice about the matter. The Board makes all the decisions. I'm sure they will go up again this year. Over the course of last year, the Board decided to remove a large portion of the grass in SC. Many residents say that makes it dustier and hotter in here. The Water company rebated SC over $300,000 for the grass removal. In spite of that new found money, our dues went up again. Having the ability to read profit and loss statements, I learned the Board also at that time, went into our security funds. Have not been given an answer as to why. Some say the Board was picking up the losses for one of our restaurants operating at a loss and also for the golf coarse.

There are about 65 clubs for those that like that type of thing and like to play cards and games. After working all my life, I'm among those that do not like to be structured or organized and know to participate I must be somewhere at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning or 7p. on Saturday night.

I find my home to be very economical to maintain. Highest gas bill this season was $70 some and I do not have a little home. Houses in here have appreciated greatly. Since I do not receive any value because of my non-participation in clubs and what I call silly organized events and because SC is built on a very inclined situation that makes walking very hard if you have a bit of liability doing so, I have been looking to remove myself. For the same amount of money I can buy much more house and keep my HOA down anywhere from $16-$60 a month. Never a retirement community for me again.

[Tek_Freek]

A quick reply to the previous post that contain points made before in other threads.

If you do not take the time to research where you are going to live you really don't have the right to complain.

It's hilly so you can't walk. You didn't notice you had to go up and down hills when you were looking for a place to live?

You don't like clubs and won't join them. You dislike "silly" events (Whatever that means). Exactly what is it that you are going to do in your next location for entertainment?

People aren't friendly. Yes, they are. You're walking with two big dogs. If my wife saw you coming she would cross the street. A lot of people are afraid of big dogs for a variety of reasons. We have met wonderful people here. Friends we go to events with. Friends we go to dinner and shows with. Friends we travel with. in 2017 it was a Viking cruise. Last week it was a Mexican cruise. Later this year it's another Viking cruise. We spent Thanksgiving with friends in Laguna Niguel.

The pools are terrible. Obviously you did not look into them when you came to find a house. We did and we knew the restrictions before we ever considered buying. Perhaps you should have made a minimal effort to find out how deep they were and what restrictions were in place. Of course you didn't, and here you are. Again.

Dues have gone up. You seem surprised. Have you stopped going to stores and buying things? Everything has gone up. Just like you the community has to pay more for everything. The need to pass that increase along to us. They have improved some of the community centers lately. Would you prefer they just let things fall apart? $464 in 9 years. That's a little over $51 a year. That's worth complaining about? Skip a couple of nights out and it's covered for a year. That assumes you go out. After all you might have to go up a hill to get to a restaurant. Heaven forbid.

And I still don't understand your problem with removing grass. It's a desert. Is that another thing you missed when you were here looking to buy?

I find your points to be silly. If you did not do your due diligence before buying a house and moving here then you have no right to complain when things aren't what you expected them to be. That's on you. Not the community you moved to or the people in it.

We've had this discussion before and like it or not you are wrong.

[jjameson922]

I did not put in a great deal of time to argue with you Tek Freek. I wanted to do just what you thought I should have been doing before I moved from Ohio, for other people who really want to know how their money will be spent. If living under a HOA that dips into the reserve fund and can never make ends meet doesn't bother you, great. Have another drink. Now a little more info for these inquirers, if you don't mind. Oh and PS, my dogs are nothing to be afraid of. One weighs 16 lbs. And the condition I was in during 2010 when I purchased here, allowed me to walk in any situation. We're aging you know so you might live to eat your words.

Our streets are owned by the city and controlled by them. We can never gate our streets because of that. Our notebook of CCR's is about 3 inches thick. There are rules about how long Christmas decorations can be kept out, washing a car in the driveway and as to what color you paint your front door. We have a few green park areas set aside but if we want to use them for a club cookout etc., we must reserve and rent extra. Community building parking lots jammed probably consist of 12-15 people using the extremely expensive exercise equipment that has been purchased, another 12-15 at the inside pool which is very humid and smells highly of chlorine taking a water exercise class and another 18-20 in the spare room taking a hula class. Because of the hilly streets in here, speeding is common. The Board has no interest in speed bumps to curtail that.

[WestieJeff]

Speed bumps are an antiquated speed control technology which are mostly no longer used. They cause too much of a delay for emergency response vehicles, something I am sure Sun City residents would appreciate being able to arrive at full speed.

Nevermind they can't put them on public roads anyways.

Originally Posted by jjameson922

Because of the hilly streets in here, speeding is common. The Board has no interest in speed bumps to curtail that.