Palm Aire vs. The Meadows - Help Us Decide

[jsup]

Have you looked at The Landings located on the west side of 41 and situated between the two bridges that go over to Siesta Key? This gated community of approximately 600 homes, condos and villas that is geared to the tennis player. 8 Har-Tru courts (no golf). Here is a link to their web site: The Landings of Sarasota -

[Sunshine Rules]

Originally Posted by upgrader

Thanks for the detailed reply. I've been reading the documents and newsletters on the Meadows website. Very professional, compared to my current condo association. The july 15th newsletter had very little info
on the 30 acres in question. I wonder exactly where they are in the overall site plan?

The "HOA" fee seems very low at typically 42 dollars a month, but seems to cover building maintenance as well as grounds upkeep. I think I'm missing something. Is there another fee to fund the building reserves, or do they hit a community with a special assessment for roads, roofs, siding repairs...?

The har-tru tennis courts are a big draw for me. Never got into golf.

Condos in The Meadows have 2 fees -- one is a master association fee, which may be the $42/month you are referring to. The 2nd is the actually monthly or quarterly condo maintenance fee, which generally runs between $250 - $425/month, depending on the condo complex. Because there are 2 fees, it often gets mixed up in MLS listings and the various real estate listing sites. You probably should get that clarified before making a decision. The condo management company should be able to give you the total fees.

[upgrader]

Thanks for the quick reply Sunshine. I'm still in the research phase. 300-400/month is what I would expect.

[upgrader]

Originally Posted by jsup

Have you looked at The Landings located on the west side of 41 and situated between the two bridges that go over to Siesta Key? This gated community of approximately 600 homes, condos and villas that is geared to the tennis player. 8 Har-Tru courts (no golf). Here is a link to their web site: The Landings of Sarasota -

Thanks for the suggestion. I know the area a bit as my mom is on Siesta Key. I'm pretty sure that a maintenance free home with a two car garage in that area would be out of my price range.

[joeyddog]

My husband and I have been in the Meadows since '09. We are very happy here. My hubby who is a big tennis player, plays at least 5 days/week. They have 3 pro's who matched him up with like-ability players. He is very happy with the players he's connected with. They have many tournaments to either participate in or watch. The grounds around the courts are shaded and very lush which helps in the Florida sun. The country club has no trouble attracting tennis members but as the golf population is aging in place, they are not as able to utilize the courses as they did when younger. The club has compensated by opening up 2 courses to the public which has boosted their revenue. Your confusion over HOA is that there is an overall annual fee that ranges from high 400's-700 dollars. If you are in a villa or condo you will also pay a quarterly HOA based on which subdivision you live in (ours works out to about $375/month, some are higher, others lower). That entitles you to a community pool, lawn care, outside maintenance like outside repairs, painting, power washing, pest control. If you live in a single family home your HOA is about $40/month, then you need your own pool, lawn service,etc. Contact me if you want any further info

[dpbarr2000]

You have to be careful with any association that has dining facilities as part of their amenities, such as The Meadows. Their master association dues cover this, and they will only keep increasing.

[upgrader]

Wow, surprising comment.

OK, I get that an equity membership to the Meadows country club might include "fat" like dining facilities. but are you really saying that the Meadows master association subsidizes the country club dining?

Please explain, thanks.....

Originally Posted by dpbarr2000

You have to be careful with any association that has dining facilities as part of their amenities, such as The Meadows. Their master association dues cover this, and they will only keep increasing.

[Sunshine Rules]

Wow, surprising comment.

OK, I get that an equity membership to the Meadows country club might include "fat" like dining facilities. but are you really saying that the Meadows master association subsidizes the country club dining?

Please explain, thanks....


Mr. Barr gave incorrect information pertaining to The Meadows.

The master association of The Meadows is called the Meadows Community Association. The MCA is responsible for, according to their documents and website, maintenance of the common areas/buildings, private roads, sidewalks, street lighting, security and reserves for capital repairs/maintenance/replacement. The MCA assesses an annual master association fee to cover these expenses. This is similar to the master association fees of Palmer Ranch.

The Meadows Country Club is supported by dues of members and golf fees, two of the three golf courses are now open to the public. The dining rooms are supported by the members of the Country Club, not the master MCA. By the way, the country club has created other membership options besides the traditional full equity ones that include tiered levels and summer memberships.

[upgrader]

Originally Posted by Sunshine Rules

The Meadows Country Club is supported by dues of members and golf fees, two of the three golf courses are now open to the public. The dining rooms are supported by the members of the Country Club, not the master MCA. By the way, the country club has created other membership options besides the traditional full equity ones that include tiered levels and summer memberships.

Thanks for shining some sunshine on my question.

Florida golf course communities can be scary places. They are sometimes called "golf curses"

GolfCurses Florida

But the Meadows seems to be well run. Then again, if some of the golf green space was converted to housing, I'd hate to imagine impact on the roads, views, values.

I hope they provide timely information on the rezoning of the 30 acres of land around the country club.

Thanks again for the information!

[Sunshine Rules]

If you go to the master association's website, they have links to their monthly newsletter. The newsletter (The Meadoword) has been carrying updates each month on the topic of the rezoning.

The Meadows Community Association of Sarasota, Florida