Estero, S. Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita S. area (Lee: renters, HOA)

[paulapoo]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Lee County is full of Midwesterners and not Southerners. However, since the crash things seem to be changing and there are more Northeasterners there. It almost makes me want to move back.

Hey! What's wrong with us Midwesterners?

We never, ever, ever thought we would live in a gated community. Here in STL we did the exact opposite of everyone we know. Instead of moving into a big new house in the gated-community golf course exurbs, we moved to the city and renovated a 90+ year old house. We've been very happy here.

Now that we're embarking on a new chapter in our lives, we found a great house in a gated community-- ohh noo!! Luckily we've already met most of our future neighbors and they've been very nice. And looking over the neighborhood rules, there is not really anything that would be a problem for us. The weirdest rule I've seen is that you cannot dangle a rug or a piece of clothing out of a window and shake it out. WHAAAT?! That's crazy talk! Do they have a Rug Patrol or something? I can see myself shaking out my rugs at 3:30am to avoid punishment lol.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by paulapoo

The weirdest rule I've seen is that you cannot dangle a rug or a piece of clothing out of a window and shake it out. WHAAAT?! That's crazy talk! Do they have a Rug Patrol or something? I can see myself shaking out my rugs at 3:30am to avoid punishment lol.

Are you in a condo? That makes sense to me if people are living beneath you. I mean, why would somebody living on the first floor want his balcony covered in his upstairs neighbor's dust?

[paulapoo]

Originally Posted by justNancy

Are you in a condo? That makes sense to me if people are leaving beneath you. I mean, why would somebody living on the first floor want his balcony covered in his upstairs neighbor's dust?

I agree! If we were going to be living in a multi-story building this would be a good rule. But this is a neighborhood with just 1 and 2 story detached homes. The homes are very close together though. I guess they want to avoid someone from a two-story home shaking out a rug and the particulate mess flowing into a neighbor's first-story window. Still I thought it was a funny thing for them to specify in the rules. People should already know NOT to shake their rug so that it blows into your neighbor's window! I haven't yet encountered this in our STL home. We all go into our back yard and shake the rugs, not dangle them out a side window.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by paulapoo

But this is a neighborhood with just 1 and 2 story detached homes.

Well, then you were right in the first place. Sorry. That is a strange rule.

[Jkgourmet]

Not a strange rule for some from another culture. Common practice in other counties like France, Italy, Mexico and throughout Asia.

It is also common in those cultures to sweep the front sidewalks in front of their homes. In fact, I had a lease once in Mexico that required me to do that every other day.

Different strokes, folks.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

Not a strange rule for some from another culture. Common practice in other counties like France, Italy, Mexico and throughout Asia.

It is also common in those cultures to sweep the front sidewalks in front of their homes. In fact, I had a lease once in Mexico that required me to do that every other day.

Different strokes, folks.

Yeah, but this is The United States of America.

What do you mean that it is not a strange rule for some from another culture? You mean it's common practice for people in France, Italy, etc. to shake out their rugs? So? PaulaPoo is saying that she would like to shake out her rugs and can't.

Sorry folks but rules like that are creepy. To each their own, though. If PaulaPoo is happy, then who am I to say?

[justNancy]

There is only one reason I desire to live in a community (not necessarily gated) with an HOA. We all have a different tolerance level when it comes to noise and difficult neighbors, but I had a very bad experience which forced me to move.

[Izmack]

Originally Posted by joeb3

but dam'n do they cramn houses together in those fl. communities.

Indeed they do!

[Izmack]

How much do these HOA fees run, anyway? We pay $140/month for lawn and pool care in our non-HOA, non-gated, quietly lovely street in SE CC, so that alone is $420 per quarter. I guess if you are older and don't want to be bothered with all that work, having someone in a community take care of that and all the landscaping for a fee is OK. I guess if one is older, the more "structured" HOA setting might be embraced, but the right 'hood in CC also has restrictions in place to keep the place nice.

Not sure what happens in an HOA if the neighbors are noisy? It's a sad state that we have to consider walling ourselves in and establish rules to guide basic etiquette in order to protect ourselves from the other element, whoever they may be.

It's an allegory similar to the the US school systems today. Since kids come to school without basic behavioral training, teachers are expected to provide it on parents' behalf. On top of that, teachers are expected to also make sure the children learn, or they are penalized financially by the system.....

[hiknapster]

I've never heard of a HOA regulating noise. I'm sure there is a rule somewhere for some development but I have no idea how successful they would be compared to the cops. I think you are going to take your chances no matter where you go. Life is a crap shoot. You can buy tomorrow and the neighbors can be fabulous and the next week they can move away and be replaced by lunatics. Same with HOAs. Even if you could find a HOA that successfully deals with noise - although I doubt it - the next month the noise ordinance could be voted down and loud neighbors could move in. The only way you can guarantee stuff like that is to become a land baron.