??s about buying an RV lot in Fla

[rosegramma]

KathyP,
I am late getting into this conversation, but, as a 55 yr resident of FL's west coast, and owner of 3 RV lots in 2 different RV parks (1 in Crystal River, 1 in Pipestem, WV), I may be able to offer some insight. Although each park has it's share of negatives, we love both places, and especially the close knit friends we have there.

First, every park and situation is different. The ones we own do allow owners to rent their lots when not using them, but don't require it, so no one is on our lots without our permission. I would advise a resale in an established park, one the developer has sold out. That is the only way to see what the park will be like when the developer pulls out. Typically, the maintenance fees are kept artificially low by developers as a selling point, then when owners take over, the rates go much higher. Some parks go downhill while others maintain their beauty after the developer leaves. I would also advise renting for at least a couple weeks (during high season) in a park before buying and talk to everyone to get a well rounded feel for the park.

As to owning a lot outside of a park, FL has very strict codes, and I don't know of any counties that allow utilities to be put on a lot without a 'built-to-code' house or mobile home, plus the payment of 'impact fees', which can be $6-15K for new builds. Many areas have restrictions against RVs being occupied or even parked on your property. Your best bet would be to find a minimum 1/2 acre lot with a small home or mobile on it that has no RV restrictions and add hookups for your RV. Be aware that the summer season, when you would not want to be there, is when heavy duty lawn care is needed & expensive, so choose a lot with minimal lawn care requirements. Also be aware HO insurance rates are high in FL, so have that info before purchase. You could possibly arrange for a tennant to live in the residence, do lawn care, and help cover your costs in exchange for cheap rent. Such a place could probably be found for under $75K at todays low prices, maybe much less.

There are pros & cons to either in-park or out-of-park ownership. We still have a stick house on acerage in a semi-rural area with RV hookups, so we see both sides. You could email me off-list if you have other questions. lam_34669@yahoo.com

Lois

As for wildlife rehab activities, they abound in FL. In Crystal River, they have volunteer manatee watchers. It is also the only place in the US where you can legally swim with these remarkable & docile creatures.

[DriVer]

In the rosegramma post she shared with us that a house on a half acre lot with an RV pad and full hook ups is the way to go and I agree 100%. We tried and tried to find something like that in FL but it worked out for us so much better in SC.

[rosegramma]

Driver,
My post may have been misunderstood. I was not necessarily promoting an independent (as compared to an in-park) lot. I was merely pointing out some issues to be aware of if one chose to go that way. Having both, in-park & independent properties, they each have their positives & negatives. Like everything else, depends on what floats your boat.

Glad you found a great spot in SC. Sounds nice, but come January, I like it a little warmer. JMO.

Lois

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosegramma Glad you found a great spot in SC. Sounds nice, but come January, I like it a little warmer. JMO.

Lois, Having spent the majority our our lives in Connecticut and points laterally east and west from that latitude, I am extremely pleased to have discarded our snow blower and shovels.

A little chill in the air is a respite from the summer heat. We all have seen where FL froze solid all the way down to Frostproof and that was not pleasant I expect especially being acclimated to FL weather.

The Myrtle Beach area is very nice here. In the summer it is quite reminiscent of touristy areas like Orlando but we have a feature holiday here called Labor Day at which point most of the tourists go home.

[IC2]

Ahhhhh the joys of RV park ownership. You have heard some of the positives as well as some of the negatives above and is well presented. Most of my ownership in a Florida RV park (near Nokomis, FL)turned out to be negative after a very few years:

- Managers. The originals were great. Then it went downhill from there to absolute stupidity
- Home owner's association and by-laws. They went from totally acceptable to onerous to many except the 'full timers'
- Age restrictions. I was in my mid 40's when I purchased the property. A few years later, I was restricted as I was under 55. This, regardless of what ever the state attorney general said is constitutionally illegal.
- My children, in their teens at the time, had to be in my company at all times after the '55 rule'
- Cost. The condo fee went from reasonable and acceptable to outrageous with little or nothing to show for those increases, including operating costs. Greed, maybe?
- Types of RV's went from those on wheels to permanently anchored park models complete with permanent porches and entry ways and storage shed. Originally, all RV's had to be moved at least once a year for tax purposes with the wheels left on the unit.
- Wintering snow birds became full timers in many cases.
- Location - well if you like to listen to Jake brakes 24/7, great, but I-75 got too busy.

Most of the above were major changes from the original intent of the Park and well outside of the original HO bylaws which were changed for the convenience of the OF's that ended up owning the lots.

I owned one of the original lots so had a very big piece of property in a cul-de-sac so was under constant pressure to sell. Someone finally offered me enough, and it became their problem.

Now, this, I'm sure is not how all destination/'owned'RV parks have ended up being operated, and other folks have had great experiences elsewhere, but I'm trying to illustrate what can happen if the RV park board of directors loses sight of what the original intent was stated. And you might not even have a problem with the changes.

Good luck, anyone that goes this way and I hope your experiences are better what I had

[Nonno]

Quote:

a house with an RV pad and full hook ups

If an RV community is what interests you , check this out Citrus Highlands. There are still about 10 never been lived in homes for sale and last I knew one or two resales. My understanding is that the developer is finally moving off his listed prices. Developer has a realty company handling sales but if you're interested and want a "buyer's" agent, PM me and I'll give you the name of the agent we used.

Yes, I own one but it's not for sale. No, I'm not associated with the developer. I'm only offering this info as another option for the OP's topic. I hope this isn't received as a commercial sales pitch. That isn't my intent.