The rest of the day didn’t get any better. I just came from the seminar concerning my weight. August is not going to be fun and I cannot do Zumba because aerobic exercise is not permitted on the program. The injections I’m taking are derived from the urine of pregnant women, please no more stale jokes on that, I’ve already heard all the good ones. We will see how I adapt to a regimen of cucumber, radishes, and one lemon a day. Since this is something new, I took care of all business and paid up everything until September. If anything goes wrong, I’m covered for the month.
Now back to that property in Boca. That is definitely a place I would live. The court is five miles from the beach, but honestly, how many times have I gone to the beach since I lived here, one mile away? Other than playing for money, maybe twice, and I’ve never gone there to spend a day in the sun. You get enough of that sun grocery shopping in this town.
The whole area around Boca and Palm Beach is nicer. It has never gone “third world” like east central Dade and now south Broward is getting. The roads are paved better and little things like that where the community keeps standards up without being told. It could boil down to attitude, I think since I pay my bills on time, everybody else should too, or not incur the expense. If you think electricity is expensive, live in the dark. I have, and I’ll gladly pay $50 per month (on average) for the convenience.
The infrastructure is also newer up north. This was the frontier 40 years ago and there are no 1950 developments gone to seed. Also, more of the business district is inland, avoiding the Miami-style cramped on the beach with no parking scenario. They have real shopping plazas and upscale zones where around here the only thing that could compare is Aventura Mall.
This also means higher standards in construction and maintenance. The place I’ve got now is solid, a hurricane survivor, but it was build in 1964. No way to install a dishwasher or central air. But it was definitely well-made and as comfy as any apartment. Plus a little more soundproof I’ve noticed. But the state of Florida does not like anything but expensive detached framed houses, so good places are not that easy to find. Even then, you must inspect carefully, and I’ll explain.
If you live in the boonies, you can put anything you want on your property, within reason. But if, like myself, you prefer city living, you can only locate a manufactured home or mobile home in a designated trailer court. Having said that, some of the Florida courts are the nicest you will ever seen in the world. Royal Manors is downright beautiful, if you can afford to live there. It’s way out of my [financial] league.
The older homes are not hurricane proof. The newer ones have a higher safety rating than stick-built housing. The rumor that you cannot get a bank mortgage on a mobile in Florida is only partially true. You cannot get one on a single-wide or anything before 1978. I said bank mortgage, there are always alternatives. This is America. You might not like the interest rates. It’s better to find an owner-financed sale, like what I am looking for. With a hefty down payment, you can probably find a great deal.
Also, be very careful of location, age restrictions, and home owner’s associations. There are both extremes. If you can find it and afford it, you’ll want to purchase a mobile home that includes the land. Otherwise, pad rentals can soar up higher than a mortgage and put you out of business in the future. Pad rentals at this time vary between $450 to $900 per month. Stay away from rental units if you can.
The quietest courts are by far the over 55 only with no pets allowed. Zero, no pets at all, no exceptions. Keep it that way. You want to live with a dog, get married. There are variations on the age limit. Some courts allow all ages as long as the head of household is over 55. Watch for that or you’ll wake up to noisy kids playing street hockey and getting your shed cleaned out for free. Others allow younger guests if registered at the office (though this is a very lax policy in most places if you are the right, er, sort of person).
Speaking of quiet, let’s settle in for a quiet month, or at least the quietest in decades. No romping about, no Zumba, nothing but bingo and lots of tea. Besides you need the break after the excitement of following this blog. What do I mean “excitement”? Let’s just say I’ve read other daily blogs. By comparison, my life is high adventure.
Return Home
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
