sooo frustrating (subsidized, living, pricing)

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by RUNYYfan

55+ places are what most communities want right now because they are bringing in older people who will not have a "burden" on the community services, especially schools. Thus, these types of adult communities are a boon for the towns. They assure tax revenue with minimal services like schools and road maintenance (read plowing and paving) having to be provided.

As for the point that there are younger couples who don't want children, most towns, and the builders/HOAs are not going to take the chance that these couples may change their minds in the future. They are not going to risk the possibility of legal challenges down the road which would force an amendment to the covenant and, frankly, add a burden to the town.

If anything, your frustration speaks to a coming time when towns are finally going to have to rethink their so-called "planning and zoning" which has failed because of the politicization of the process through the machinations and collusion of developers and town officers to maximize the income of both sides. Sorry but this is reality.

yes. there was a 55+ development that went belly up in my town a few years ago (toll bros - they started to market right at the crash - $550K for a townhome in the middle of nowhere - i wonder why they didn't sell ). the developer then tried to lift the 55 restriction but the town told them to go pound sand. it's still abandoned to this day.

[sas0814]

Besides in most cases, the old people only want to be amongst themselves. I heard a story last year involving a Senior couple that was forced to take in their 5yr old grandkid because the parents were killed unexpectedly, and the community voted to kick them out before they could even sell because they didnt want the child there.

My point is, you wouldn't fit in.

[GoYanks34]

Originally Posted by sas0814

Besides in most cases, the old people only want to be amongst themselves. I heard a story last year involving a Senior couple that was forced to take in their 5yr old grandkid because the parents were killed unexpectedly, and the community voted to kick them out before they could even sell because they didnt want the child there.

My point is, you wouldn't fit in.

That story is horrible. There are obviously exceptions to every rule and they should have let them stay until they could find another place. My God, they lost their child. Give these poor people time to grieve and adjust.

I can't speak for the others but what I am talking about is an adult community for those 30 and older with NO children allowed. I don't necessarily want to live among the elderly, but I want a community somewhere that has peace and quiet with no little kids screaming and running around and no teenagers causing trouble. I'm not even talking about the reduced pricing (which would be nice but I completely understand why it's necessary for the elderly). I just like my environment very quiet.

[nybbler]

Originally Posted by GoYanks34

I can't speak for the others but what I am talking about is an adult community for those 30 and older with NO children allowed. I don't necessarily want to live among the elderly, but I want a community somewhere that has peace and quiet with no little kids screaming and running around and no teenagers causing trouble. I'm not even talking about the reduced pricing (which would be nice but I completely understand why it's necessary for the elderly). I just like my environment very quiet.

Basically can't be done; Federal law lets the seniors have their way but the rest of us can't discriminate.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by GoYanks34

That story is horrible. There are obviously exceptions to every rule and they should have let them stay until they could find another place. My God, they lost their child. Give these poor people time to grieve and adjust.

I can't speak for the others but what I am talking about is an adult community for those 30 and older with NO children allowed. I don't necessarily want to live among the elderly, but I want a community somewhere that has peace and quiet with no little kids screaming and running around and no teenagers causing trouble. I'm not even talking about the reduced pricing (which would be nice but I completely understand why it's necessary for the elderly). I just like my environment very quiet.

I live in a very quiet neighborhood, but there are children. I see them riding their bicycles through the street, playing at the playground at the park, and the bigger boys skateboard. I rarely hear any of them making a lot of noise, and none of the teens have ever "caused any trouble" in the year I've lived there. There's only one road into my community, so anyone coming in likely lives there or is just visiting, which I believe helps keep the area very quiet and safe.

Just pointing out that no children and quiet are not necessarily opposites. You could live in an over-30, no-children community and have a screaming, drunk, domestic-violence couple next door.

[GoYanks34]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I live in a very quiet neighborhood, but there are children. I see them riding their bicycles through the street, playing at the playground at the park, and the bigger boys skateboard. I rarely hear any of them making a lot of noise, and none of the teens have ever "caused any trouble" in the year I've lived there. There's only one road into my community, so anyone coming in likely lives there or is just visiting, which I believe helps keep the area very quiet and safe.

Just pointing out that no children and quiet are not necessarily opposites. You could live in an over-30, no-children community and have a screaming, drunk, domestic-violence couple next door.

I understand that there are places that are quiet and children who are well behaved but you never really know that until after you move in and even then they can always move into the complex/neighborhood after you've been there. I was thinking that such a community would have the stricter rules that the adult communities have to prevent what you are suggesting. The apartment complex I lived in was perfect - quiet, nice, great location, etc until the couple who lived next door had a baby. It screamed 24/7 and it was unbearable.

Someone pointed out the reason such places don't exist is discrimination so it can't happen anyway. I guess the only sure fire way to avoid this situation is to buy a house surrounded by a decent amount of land. Hopefully I can afford that someday.

[bradykp]

Originally Posted by GoYanks34

That story is horrible. There are obviously exceptions to every rule and they should have let them stay until they could find another place. My God, they lost their child. Give these poor people time to grieve and adjust.

I can't speak for the others but what I am talking about is an adult community for those 30 and older with NO children allowed. I don't necessarily want to live among the elderly, but I want a community somewhere that has peace and quiet with no little kids screaming and running around and no teenagers causing trouble. I'm not even talking about the reduced pricing (which would be nice but I completely understand why it's necessary for the elderly). I just like my environment very quiet.

so have everyone get a vasectomy and have tubes tied, no one is allowed to get divorced, etc., and bingo, you got your place!

my guess is you'd find maybe 3 or 4 potential buyers.

buy some land and build it if you think there's a market for it.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by GoYanks34

I understand that there are places that are quiet and children who are well behaved but you never really know that until after you move in and even then they can always move into the complex/neighborhood after you've been there. I was thinking that such a community would have the stricter rules that the adult communities have to prevent what you are suggesting. The apartment complex I lived in was perfect - quiet, nice, great location, etc until the couple who lived next door had a baby. It screamed 24/7 and it was unbearable.

Someone pointed out the reason such places don't exist is discrimination so it can't happen anyway. I guess the only sure fire way to avoid this situation is to buy a house surrounded by a decent amount of land. Hopefully I can afford that someday.

True, you never know who will move in. I did a number of drive-bys on weekends, evenings, etc., to check out the neighborhood before I bought my condo. So far, so good, although, as one of seven siblings, I'm not much of a princess when it comes to a moderate amount of noise and/or children around. I would have been able to block the sound of somebody else's screaming baby right out of my head. Different folks have different noise tolerance levels, though, and that's definitely a quality of life issue for some.

Say, my niece and her husband just bought a 5000-square-foot house on an acre of land with woods behind it for $32,000, up near Scranton, PA. It was a foreclosure. Taxes are $2300. Needs a lot of work, as you might imagine! There's a thought, except you probably wouldn't want to live near them. They have five kids.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by bradykp

so have everyone get a vasectomy and have tubes tied, no one is allowed to get divorced, etc., and bingo, you got your place!

my guess is you'd find maybe 3 or 4 potential buyers.

buy some land and build it if you think there's a market for it.

"Proof of vasectomy required", lol.

But the idea of a child-free community might work for some, who knows?

We need some market research!

[MovedfromFL]

Originally Posted by timneh5

Seniors are on fixed incomes. You are younger and have the ability to increase your salary [at some point in your life]...seniors can't.

In some ways, I envy today's seniors. They get nice healthcare and a COLA on the SS checks.

Young working families are actually seeing pay cuts and furlough days. When we lived in Georgia, my husband's teacher salary was cut by 2.4% AND he had 10 unpaid days, plus the insurance rates doubled.

Health insurance sure is a "nice to have" benefit that more employers are just not offering. Even with insurance, out of pockets will kill you on today's low salaries.

We're thinking of leaving the South because the area is going backwards. I know times are tough in NJ too, but at least their might be more opportunities for 2 college-educated folks like us (and I have an MBA).