[pilotwife]

Hello,

We are moving to the LV area (military) and need advice on whether to buy in a gated community or not. Really, it's a question of whether we HAVE to or not. We have 2 small kids and are looking in the NW just below Floyd Lamb. The houses are going for about 250k (ones with pools) in the neighborhood we like--and it seems like a nice area. The elementary school is Bilbray. I REALLY need some advice!!!!!

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by pilotwife

Hello,

We are moving to the LV area (military) and need advice on whether to buy in a gated community or not. Really, it's a question of whether we HAVE to or not. We have 2 small kids and are looking in the NW just below Floyd Lamb. The houses are going for about 250k (ones with pools) in the neighborhood we like--and it seems like a nice area. The elementary school is Bilbray. I REALLY need some advice!!!!!

Gated means absolutely nothing in regards to safety. I live in a gated condo myself, but I can not count the times someone follows me in. The only gated communities that actually provide a safety increase are the ones with a 24 hour guard gate. However, those are for the elite, and the houses certainly cost well over $250,000.

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by pilotwife

Hello,

We are moving to the LV area (military) and need advice on whether to buy in a gated community or not. Really, it's a question of whether we HAVE to or not. We have 2 small kids and are looking in the NW just below Floyd Lamb. The houses are going for about 250k (ones with pools) in the neighborhood we like--and it seems like a nice area. The elementary school is Bilbray. I REALLY need some advice!!!!!

The area is nice, and I haven't heard anything negative about Bilbray.

Gated or not can be either a positive or negative.

Positive is that it helps (just a little) to keep cars out that don't belong. And usually, if a neighborhood is gated, soliciting is forbidden (flyers, pamphlets, etc). And sometimes it helps slow down traffic in the neighborhood. Some people view living in a gated community as a prestigious thing as well.

Negatives are that outsiders do come in the gates, they just wait and follow homeowners in. So, it's really a sense of false security living in a gated community. And sometimes, those door hanger distributors ignore the gates and come in anyway.

You'll pay for those gates, too. The homeowners (through their neighborhood association) will pay dues every month to maintain those gates. If you live in a large association that has homeowner dues, if you live in a neighborhood with gates, you'll pay extra, as opposed to those neighborhoods that don't have gates.

Sometimes, they don't work. And you're stuck outside your devopment until they are fixed if there is only one entrance. There ain't nothing in the world more annoying than coming home and finding you can't get in your neighborhood because the gate broke. Rare, but it can/does happen.

Me personally, I don't like gates whatsoever, they truly serve no purpose at all. More of an annoyance/inconvenience than anything else.

Good luck pilotwife, and welcome to Las Vegas!

[yellowsnow]

Look at the neighborhood. Will you be comfortable there? Unless there is a live guard, the gated thing means nothing. AND.....how many places exist where a person could just walk in? You don't need a motor vehicle to do bad things. Last, 'kids' can do a lot of damage. Bored or whatever. They are already in the subdivision.

How much are you paying that HOA? Is it worth it and how much will it go up?

I've found Vegas is like any other city. You need to be alert and aware. Not scared.

[ndb3]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

Gated means absolutely nothing in regards to safety. I live in a gated condo myself, but I can not count the times someone follows me in. The only gated communities that actually provide a safety increase are the ones with a 24 hour guard gate. However, those are for the elite, and the houses certainly cost well over $250,000.

I disagree somewhat. There is a difference between a gated condo vs gated single family homes. In condos there tends to be younger singles living there and tend to have more friends visiting. Hence the following through the gate. I would think there tends to be a higher population in condo communities as well. Also, how do you know the people following through the gate don't live there also?

At least in gated communities people can't just drive through your neighborhood when ever they feel like it. Yes, some may be able to follow through the gate, however it won't go unnoticed. There is also only one (two in some communities) way into or out of the community, which could help deter criminals.

If a criminal has two neighborhoods side by side, one gated and the other not; which do you think the criminal would choose?

I personally prefer gated, however in the area that the OP is looking, NW Centennial area, it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference. You should be safe either way.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by ndb3

I disagree somewhat. There is a difference between a gated condo vs gated single family homes. In condos there tends to be younger singles living there and tend to have more friends visiting. Hence the following through the gate. I would think there tends to be a higher population in condo communities as well. Also, how do you know the people following through the gate don't live there also?

Where I live, there are two gates, one for residents with a wireless remote, and one for visitors who have to use the keypad to call the resident. I have seen 1 or 2 people waiting at the gate many times, and back up quickly to go through with me. They are definitely not residents, because they do not allow codes to get in where I live. The resident has to be home to let them in.

[airics]

my rental property is gated, our main home is not... to me gates are a joke... i don't remember how many times i've forgotten the rental property code and drove right in after another car

[ndb3]

Originally Posted by MomMom

You'll pay for those gates, too. The homeowners (through their neighborhood association) will pay dues every month to maintain those gates. If you live in a large association that has homeowner dues, if you live in a neighborhood with gates, you'll pay extra, as opposed to those neighborhoods that don't have gates.

I've also seen non-gated communities with HOA dues higher than gated communities.

Also, I've lived in three gated communities and never had a problem getting out of the community. Yes, there have been occasions where the gates were stuck OPEN, never closed. The issue has also almost always been solved the same day if not the next.

I don't care what anyone says there is definitely added security to being in a gated community. Yes, crime can and does happen anywhere, even in gated communities. But to say a gate does absolutely nothing is absurd.

To some criminals a gated community may mean an extra fun challenge and others it may mean it's not worth the extra chance of getting caught.

[SoHoVe]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

gated means absolutely nothing in regards to safety. I live in a gated condo myself, but i can not count the times someone follows me in. The only gated communities that actually provide a safety increase are the ones with a 24 hour guard gate. However, those are for the elite, and the houses certainly cost well over $250,000.

i totally agree!!!!

[ndb3]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

Where I live, there are two gates, one for residents with a wireless remote, and one for visitors who have to use the keypad to call the resident. I have seen 1 or 2 people waiting at the gate many times, and back up quickly to go through with me. They are definitely not residents, because they do not allow codes to get in where I live. The resident has to be home to let them in.

In my community, I've seen residents that live in the community sit and wait to follow a car through the owners gate because they were just too lazy to drive to the other side of the community to put in the code. In fact my wife has done it before. So that doesn't mean everyone that follows through is not an owner or resident. Airics just proved that as well. The chances that someone is following through the gate to commit a crime is very low and highly unlikely.