Do Planned Communities Accept Children and What Challenges Are There Regarding Children Living in a Planned Community?

This post was contributed by guest blogger, CollegeFootballFan:

You can only stay for three weeks, little one!

The short answer to the above question is that some planned communities have strict restrictions against children being residents while others permit children to reside in the community and some communities encourage families with children.  Parents need to examine the community requirements addressing children and age restrictions for being a resident in the community.  For example, one planned community requires that there can be no permanent residents less than nineteen years old and one of the family residents must be at least fifty-five years old. Furthermore, in the latter community visiting children can not stay longer than three weeks.  A different community requires that one of family residents must be fifty-five years of age and that guests (adults and children) can not visit longer than sixty days during the year.  Thus, if there were ever a time in which a resident must assume parental responsibilities over a minor child, the minor child would not be able to live in the planned community.  Fortunately, some planned communities are very accommodating in permitting families with minor children to be residents.

Parents with children want good schools for children.  A family may be lucky to find an elementary school established within the planned community.  If a school is not within the community boundary then school buses should be available to transport the children to a nearby school.  If, after exploration of the community, the parent feels the public school does not meet their standards, they need to determine which private schools are available for their children.

Even though some communities allow children to live in the planned community, further examination is in order regarding the number of children and their ages. Children are social animals and enjoy the social interaction with other children of similar interests.    Parents with children in high school may be more challenged to find planned properties that make for an enjoyable and comfortable life for their teenagers and hence, for the parents.

Consequently, families with children must look with extra scrutiny at the life style in which they will be placing their children.  A mere examination of planned community written literature will not suffice.  On-site visitations, discussions with other community families, visits to the area schools, and internet explorations of the community should help pave the way for a successful life by all family members in a wonderful planned community.

Want To Sell Or Rent Your Home In a Private Community And Place a Sign On Your Property? Not So Fast Homeowner! You May Not Be Permitted To Do So.

This post was contributed by guest blogger, CollegeFootballFan:

Wha???

So you would like to sell or rent your home or you have a political candidate that should be elected? You think the garden variety sign of “For Sale” or “ For Rent” purchased at the local hardware store will look good in your yard? Not so fast says the local governing homeowners board of directors. Some planned communities do not permit signs or advertising posters of any kind in a yard or in a window. Sometimes, homeowners wishing to sell or rent their home would like to place a container in their front yard with a brochure containing valuable information on home dimensions, assets and prices. The latter brochure in your lawn also is not permitted in some planned communities. This exclusion also applies to any political signs you wish to erect on your property. However, not all communities have restrictions on signs or advertising. Many planned communities permit property owners to erect reasonable signs relating to the sale and rental of property. There are pros and cons relating to property owners being able to erect signs on their lawns. If the aspect of placing signs on your property is important, one should examine planned community restrictions relating to such signage before purchasing any property.

Be Your Own Judge About the Quality of a Private Community

This post was contributed by guest blogger, CollegeFootballFan:

Is this the same pool that was in the brochure?

If you are contemplating purchasing property in a gated community, take some time to walk around some of the community and take note of how building interiors and exteriors and grounds are maintained.  Leave the real estate or community representative behind and walk through the area of the amenities.  Look for things that the normal visitor may not notice.  For example, look at the siding on buildings.  Is there mold on the siding or unsightly dirt and grime on the siding – it may look like the siding has not have been cleaned for years.  Is the framing and structure of the buildings neat and clean or are they coated with bugs and dirt?  At the swimming pool, are the tiles or other surfaces clean and unbroken or do they look dirty and have cracks in them.  In community property, are there broken windows and/or signs of deterioration around the windows?  Do the windows look like the last time they were cleaned was during the Truman administration?  In the properties, are the carpets/tiles and equipment/furniture clean and well maintained?  Do the community directional or information signs have that faded or deteriorated look?  As you walk or drive along the roads, do the roads have pot holes and is there trash along the road?  Talk to some of the residents and inquire discreetly as to the update and maintenance that takes place in the planned community.

All of the above observations can be noticed not only by prospective property owners but also by current property owners in order to help evaluate the planned community. Unsatisfactory answers to the above questions indicate symptoms of a planned community that may be having financial, management or personnel problems.

Renting Out Your Home in a Planned/Private Community

This post is contributed by guest blogger, CollegeFootballFan:

Do your homework before purchasing a home in a planned community!  An item of importance before buying property is determining if the home can be rented.  You need to closely examine the rules of the community that are stated in the convenants/restrictions, declarations, or whatever the rules are named.  Whether purchasing a home to live in or purchasing for an investment to rent, you must first determine if the community has restrictions on renting homes.  Some planned communities have strict restrictions on what people can do with their homes.

Some communities will not permit a condominium to be rented if too many condos are already rented.  There are a percentage of the condos that can be rented and beyond that percentage the condo board will not permit additional condo units to be rented.  Some communities do not allow any homes, condos, or villas to be leased.   So, if you find yourself wanting to lease your property because of purchasing another home and cannot sell your current home, you may be out of luck if you try to obtain income by renting your current home.  Other communities however, do not have such restrictions placed on property owners and permit residents discretion in renting their homes.    Homeowners purchasing a second home as a rental investment would be wise to ascertain if the governing body of the community permits such transactions.

In conclusion, prior to purchasing a home in a planned community, examine the rental requirements of the local community governing body.  A little prior examination of the declarations can prevent buyer’s remorse later.

Getting Served in a Gated Community

No, this post isn’t about eating out, eating in, or have anything else to do with dining.  Apparently living in a gated community has been a hurdle to process servers, who need to personally notify people of impending legal action against them.  Guards stop servers at the gates and process servers sometimes have to resort to publishing notices in newspapers in hopes of notifying people of the situation they’re in.  Why is this becoming more of an issue?  Because of the high foreclosure rates and other financial difficulties people are finding themselves in as a result of the economic downturn.  Gated communities are having to come up with their policies on how to handle this growing issue.  Florida recently passed legislation allowing process serves access to gated communities.

Thinking about moving elsewhere to avoid being served?  Don’t go to Australia or New Zealand.  Process servers can use Facebook to serve documents.

The 10 Best Places to Retire – and It’s Not Just About Taxes and Cost of Living!

CBS Marketwatch recently published an article about the 10 best places to retire, which I thought was worth mentioning here because it had a well-rounded approach to developing the list.  It didn’t focus solely on the cost of living and other financial factors, but included other things such as recreational activities available, and access to medical care and educational institutions.  These are all things that we at Across the Fence think are important to consider, which is why we include these in the profile pages for each of the communities on the site.  So which cities made the top 10?  Here they are (not ranked):

1. Austin, TX
2. Clearwater, FL
3. Fort Collins, CO
4. Marquette, MI
5. Pittsburgh, PA
6. Portland, OR
7. Santa Fe, NM
8. Walnut Creek, CA
9. Washington, DC
10. Winston-Salem, NC

The 10 best places to retire Pictures – CBS News.

The Priciest Small Towns in America – Probably What You Already Know

One of the search categories on our homepage is Rural/Small Town because there are a number of people who want the bucolic lifestyle and slower pace embodied in America’s small towns.  Many people (including me) probably automatically think that homes are less expensive in areas like these.  Bloomberg Business Week had a recent article highlighting the most expensive small towns in America.  As you can imagine, most were in New York and California.  Here’s the top 10:

1. Sagaponack, NY
2. Jupiter Island, FL
3. Los Altos Hills, CA
4. Water Mill, NY
5. Belvedere, CA
6. Kings Point, NY
7. Hidden Hills, CA
8. Woodside, CA
9. Montecito, CA
10. Sands Point, NY

Click here for the full list:  The Most Expensive Small Towns in America

Can't they pave the roads in Quogue?