Originally Posted by Ladygolfer93
What you have relayed is so obvious, but, notice how many prefer to "virtually shrug their shoulders". Don't think the general population really understands the implications. As for me, we've "been there done that" when our golf course community and our private country club (in another state) followed very closely a model you detailed. Everything changed, everything ! Yes, the HOA fees and the special assesments for street & road upkeep, gates, etc. went away, but what we got in the end was was certainly not the life and community we expected when we bought our lots. Won't go into all that, but since building here, the speculation as to if The Villages brand would ever make a public stock offering has been a constant guessing game, but the slow movement to investments that produce a sustained income stream are absolutely on target. This is exactly how it is done, and of course part of the equation is a large part of the residents not really "tuned" into the fine points of such slow (Machiavellian ?) business moves. It is much like the virus in a way; it's necessary to keep a calm, business as usual stance as much as possible to avoid a full out panic response (Tulip-mania style ?) As with our experience in our former community, it is not necessarily the end of the community, but, it was a far far different life style when the main objective is profit to satisfy the investors. Who among us would own Walmart, or Google, or Apple if it did NOT make money for us ? The complexion of a public community is much different. Many people here left that behind: crowded restaurants, public pools and golf courses, multi story building to conserve land and maximize profit, parking decks for the same reason. The point is, the bottom line is not the safety, comfort, and quality of life for the community, balance with not loosing money, to a focal point of maximum profit with minimum outlay. That is the part remaining to be seen. Where is the point that residents will no long accept making reservations weeks ahead to play golf, or days ahead to use a pool, because a parcel of ground that once built on produced a maximum of two amenity users, now produces a four story unit, with four units per floor, and a total of 32 amenity users... and that's for a simple quad-plex. When we moved here we (probably) all considered what it means to move into a community, a "city", completely owned by one, or a group of individuals. I certainly knew what "could "happen when I gave up the rights many of enjoyed as residents of any other city in any state. But maybe many of you, like me, made that trade off. It will be interesting (if that is an appropriate word...LOL ! Sorry, not funny) to see where we end up ? Will be just become a city and have an elected government, a mayor, council, etc. ? That's a stretch, who would want to annex us, Wildwood ? No, due to our past experience, I see what has been posted, an income producing business model, with sections that contain "mainly" retired individuals age 55 and up, many "family sections", the schools are already in place, certainly many public stores and restaurants are established, medical facilities, etc. The future is going to be VERY interesting, VERY !
|