[JP]

Originally Posted by gustavo

Ok, I'm in but I want to be the administrator. I think $250k year is fair but I would only be available to adminsiter Monday and Wednesday and I need 6 weeks off in the summer and 12 holidays. Did I forget to mention I want full health care. Thanks for the great idea.

You have to be realistic. It worked great for our association but it was all set up legally which really wouldn't be that much of a problem if someone decided to do it.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Cathy H

Imagine if it started all over again from the beginning and the land owner decided to drill a pattern of borings to determine if the geology was safe from sinkholes and if some were found he filled them before developing the area. That's what builders of bridges and large buildings do.

I recently inquired and each site would cost at least $10,000 to test. That would add at least $10,000 to the cost of each home or if before one made the purchase they could have the 10,000 test done. As another poster suggested...just because it is safe TODAY, it could change over time.

[elizabeth52]

Originally Posted by rubicon

Elizabeth 52. what does secondary sinkhole insurance goes away in the near future mean?".

Secondly if one had both sinkhole coverage from insurance company and self-insured with village residents what would pay first?

Setting up a self-insured fund requires quite a bit of state regulations, etc It also includes errors and omission insurance liability insurance accounting requirements and audits, etc

All homeowner's policies are required by law to have catastrophic ground collapse. What I am referring to as secondary (my words, not the insurance co.) is the additional sinkhole insurance that you may currently have. Some have mention that there is a high deductible associated with it. I was told by Allstate that they believe sinkhole insurance will soon become a thing of the past.

So, I'm saying this would be a great solution if sinkhole insurance were no longer offered.

[Bonanza]

[QUOTE=twinklesweep;868817]The developer is a businessman, not a charitable organization. He is in business to make money, period, and he does so by selling a quality product that up to this point has consistently been in high demand. I would think that most Villagers bought here in recognition of the quality of the product being offered, with sinkholes NOT being a part of the equation (and they are certainly NOT limited to TV).QUOTE]

While my comment is not the gist of most of yours, I must respond to you saying that we are living in a "quality" home.

You are correct -- Mr. Morse is a true businessman -- a very, very shrewd businessman. He has his hands in everything -- far more than just our houses, and not even just limited to the geographical area of TV. He put in all the right eye-candy here to attract buyers, and it has worked.

The majority of residents are living here because of the quality of the lifestyle available here, not the quality of the construction. The contractors and subcontractors are under tight controls, and unfortunately, we do not always get a top notch job because they are forced to squeeze the almighty dollar so tightly. We are not here because of the quality of the construction which is, unfortunately, just average.

On the plus side, we knew most of this before we signed on the dotted line and with it all, are happy to be here. I will also note that there are far more sinkholes in the Ocala area than we have here. Thankfully, what has happened here has been minimal, although I feel so sorry for those who have had to deal with that problem.

[graciegirl]

[quote=Bonanza;869416]

Originally Posted by twinklesweep

The developer is a businessman, not a charitable organization. He is in business to make money, period, and he does so by selling a quality product that up to this point has consistently been in high demand. I would think that most Villagers bought here in recognition of the quality of the product being offered, with sinkholes NOT being a part of the equation (and they are certainly NOT limited to TV).QUOTE]

While my comment is not the gist of most of yours, I must respond to you saying that we are living in a "quality" home.

You are correct -- Mr. Morse is a true businessman -- a very, very shrewd businessman. He has his hands in everything -- far more than just our houses, and not even just limited to the geographical area of TV. He put in all the right eye-candy here to attract buyers, and it has worked.

The majority of residents are living here because of the quality of the lifestyle available here, not the quality of the construction. The contractors and subcontractors are under tight controls, and unfortunately, we do not always get a top notch job because they are forced to squeeze the almighty dollar so tightly. We are not here because of the quality of the construction which is, unfortunately, just average.

On the plus side, we knew most of this before we signed on the dotted line and with it all, are happy to be here. I will also note that there are far more sinkholes in the Ocala area than we have here. Thankfully, what has happened here has been minimal, although I feel so sorry for those who have had to deal with that problem.

On what do you base this statement? When they were building our home here which we visited daily, the builder required a subrep contractor to rip out quite a lot of tile in the kitchen and redo it. He also required another contractor to remove stone and cap plates on the front of the house. At the end of the process a team of "caulkers" sealed ever line along baseboard etc. with caulking. I never saw that before. We are not strangers to having homes built. Our last two in Cincinnati were custom built by a very reputable builder and the process here was superior. Warranty is amazing. Their teams of contractors and subreps have been with them for a long time and the building of a home here is so much fun to watch. It is like a well choreographed ballet with materials for the next days work being delivered the night before. It isn't done by the same group of people but groups experienced in different facets of building. One day we counted 30 different workers on the roof, in the interior etc.

[Bonanza]

[quote=graciegirl;869***]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

On what do you base this statement? When they were building our home here which we visited daily, the builder required a subrep contractor to rip out quite a lot of tile in the kitchen and redo it. He also required another contractor to remove stone and cap plates on the front of the house. At the end of the process a team of "caulkers" sealed ever line along baseboard etc. with caulking. I never saw that before. We are not strangers to having homes built. Our last two in Cincinnati were custom built by a very reputable builder and the process here was superior. Warranty is amazing. Their teams of contractors and subreps have been with them for a long time and the building of a home here is so much fun to watch. It is like a well choreographed ballet with materials for the next days work being delivered the night before. It isn't done by the same group of people but groups experienced in different facets of building. One day we counted 30 different workers on the roof, in the interior etc.

Gracie -- I guess we are each basing the standard of construction here on previous experiences and products, and a little bit of basic knowledge we've acquired as our homes were built.

We, too, have been involved in building four new houses, one of which was custom. The one year warranty we receive is pretty standard and is usually given by any reputable builder. However, I have spoken to some homeowners who feel that there are differences in opinions as to what the warranty should cover but doesn't. A couple of examples are flooring (specifically tile) and the grading of lots (i.e., poor drainage -- big time!).

The roof overhang is less than a standard depth for Florida, relating to protection from the sun. Premier homes have an extra couple of inches, but still not enough. The lack of gutters completely around the house because of heavy seasonal rains is non-existent. Metal studs only, are used throughout; no wood whatsoever. Minimum width wallboard/sheetrock is standard. Blown-in insulation in the attic and not batting is standard and no attic steps are provided. A good-for-nothing 1" deep vanity drawer in the master bathroom??? A single oven is installed as standard, in a double oven cabinet with large spaces above and below the oven; looks terrible.

I see corners cut and many standard things that are cheaply done. Designer switches are installed throughout, but the outlets are the old style type, not the matching designer outlets. We are in a newer home and perhaps some of the older ones were better built; I don't know??? Truthfully, I have never seen baseboard molding that was not caulked. All the subcontractors should be different and experienced in the specific trade they know.

We have accepted some of these things because we have to. And if you want to live here that how it is. But I would never agree that the quality of our homes is exceptional or anything close to that.

[LndLocked]

[quote=Bonanza;870035]

Originally Posted by graciegirl;869***

Gracie -- I guess we are each basing the standard of construction here on previous experiences and products, and a little bit of basic knowledge we've acquired as our homes were built.

We, too, have been involved in building four new houses, one of which was custom. The one year warranty we receive is pretty standard and is usually given by any reputable builder. However, I have spoken to some homeowners who feel that there are differences in opinions as to what the warranty should cover but doesn't. A couple of examples are flooring (specifically tile) and the grading of lots (i.e., poor drainage -- big time!).

The roof overhang is less than a standard depth for Florida, relating to protection from the sun. Premier homes have an extra couple of inches, but still not enough. The lack of gutters completely around the house because of heavy seasonal rains is non-existent. Metal studs only, are used throughout; no wood whatsoever. Minimum width wallboard/sheetrock is standard. Blown-in insulation in the attic and not batting is standard and no attic steps are provided. A good-for-nothing 1" deep vanity drawer in the master bathroom??? A single oven is installed as standard, in a double oven cabinet with large spaces above and below the oven; looks terrible.

I see corners cut and many standard things that are cheaply done. Designer switches are installed throughout, but the outlets are the old style type, not the matching designer outlets. We are in a newer home and perhaps some of the older ones were better built; I don't know??? Truthfully, I have never seen baseboard molding that was not caulked. All the subcontractors should be different and experienced in the specific trade they know.

We have accepted some of these things because we have to. And if you want to live here that how it is. But I would never agree that the quality of our homes is exceptional or anything close to that.

In general I agree with the above .... houses in TV are built at about the same level of quality as the overwhelming % of developments / developers in Florida (within comparable price ranges) ... no better and no worse.

But as for the wood - vs - metal studs. Any and all load bearing, framed walls use wood studs only.

[looneycat]

Originally Posted by CSwofford147@comcast.net

At this point the solution to this sinkhole problem is all that matters. With all the people and all the talent of the people in the Villages it is hard to imagine that a solution can not be found. 500 dollars times 50,000 homes is 25 million dollars. It would seem that somewhere in that equation things could be worked out. Solving the problem is what is important. No one in the Villages should be subject to the kind of financial exposure that this problem can present. People should work together to help each other out which is the Villages Sprit

ridiculous

[shcisamax]

I brought this up over a year ago and thought $100 annually would work to which I received endless reasons why this wouldn't work...lots of blah blah blah. I guess now that there seems to be more incidence of sinkholes, people are beginning to see the value of self insuring. I'm in.

[Patty55]

I would like to volunteer to hold the cash.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Patty55

I would like to volunteer to hold the cash.

May I have the second key to your safety deposit box???

[Bonanza]

[quote=LndLocked;870058]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

In general I agree with the above .... houses in TV are built at about the same level of quality as the overwhelming % of developments / developers in Florida (within comparable price ranges) ... no better and no worse.

But as for the wood - vs - metal studs. Any and all load bearing, framed walls use wood studs only.

We paid an upcharge for all wood studs throughout.
No steel studs whatsoever.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by CSwofford147@comcast.net

At this point the solution to this sinkhole problem is all that matters. With all the people and all the talent of the people in the Villages it is hard to imagine that a solution can not be found. 500 dollars times 50,000 homes is 25 million dollars. It would seem that somewhere in that equation things could be worked out. Solving the problem is what is important. No one in the Villages should be subject to the kind of financial exposure that this problem can present. People should work together to help each other out which is the Villages Sprit

I'm not quite sure what you mean
when you say with all the people, etc., "a solution cannot be found."

Do you mean that we should be self-insured
by everyone chipping in $500?
That doesn't sound possible, to me.

I don't really know how The Village people
could work together to help one another in this case.

Wishful thinking, perhaps?

[Bonanza]

***

[mickey100]

[quote=Bonanza;870035]

Originally Posted by graciegirl;869***

...

We, too, have been involved in building four new houses, one of which was custom. The one year warranty we receive is pretty standard and is usually given by any reputable builder. However, I have spoken to some homeowners who feel that there are differences in opinions as to what the warranty should cover but doesn't. A couple of examples are flooring (specifically tile) and the grading of lots (i.e., poor drainage -- big time!).

The roof overhang is less than a standard depth for Florida, relating to protection from the sun. Premier homes have an extra couple of inches, but still not enough. The lack of gutters completely around the house because of heavy seasonal rains is non-existent. Metal studs only, are used throughout; no wood whatsoever. Minimum width wallboard/sheetrock is standard. Blown-in insulation in the attic and not batting is standard and no attic steps are provided. A good-for-nothing 1" deep vanity drawer in the master bathroom??? A single oven is installed as standard, in a double oven cabinet with large spaces above and below the oven; looks terrible.

I see corners cut and many standard things that are cheaply done. Designer switches are installed throughout, but the outlets are the old style type, not the matching designer outlets. We are in a newer home and perhaps some of the older ones were better built; I don't know??? Truthfully, I have never seen baseboard molding that was not caulked. All the subcontractors should be different and experienced in the specific trade they know.

We have accepted some of these things because we have to. And if you want to live here that how it is. But I would never agree that the quality of our homes is exceptional or anything close to that.

I have to agree with you on this one. As much as we love living in The Villages, the quality of the homes is average at best. Caulk is used to hide mistakes. We were looking at some new premier homes the other day, and the use of caulk in places like the kitchen was obvious. The cabinetry in the kitchen was not the quality I would expect in a premier home, nor was the tile. And don't get me going on the concrete work. The concrete has so much slump when they pour it, no wonder there is cracking. And I really can't believe they don't put gutters on the homes. Everyone I know has had to pay extra to have a company come in and do that. I'd advise anyone buying a home to look things over very carefully and make sure you get your requests for repairs into home warranty within the specified period.