Thursday, April 14, 2011

I wonder.....Curious

This is an article I found online about the community I am buying in.

Background: This article was written a few years ago. Back then the development was started, but then abandoned after less than 10 houses were built b/c the developer went bankrupt. It sat abandoned for 2 years. It is now re-open and Wells Fargo is developing the property.

The price points and names of the sections of changed (prices dropped drastically, they now start in the 140's). The elementary school is already built and open.

I wonder how much of this the new developer is planning to keep too. We were told, as far as our Rep knew, that were going to try to keep the original plans for the development as much as possible.

Here's the article:

I have to tell you about a wonderful new community being planned in Concord, NC. I visited today and found LOTS of information about The Mills at Rocky River. This community is being developed by Grace Development , Crosswinds Development, and Ryan Homes is the primary builder. Ryan Homes currently has three different price points open in four different phases of the neighborhood. The first price point is The Manor. These homes are located on roughly .2 acre. They start in the $220,000s. The next price point if The Estates. These homes are on roughly .25 acre and start in the $260,000s. The final price point for Ryan is The Preserve. Third of an acre lots, with a couple of lots up to half acre. These homes start in the $360,000s. Ryan plans to build both ranch and two story plans. They also have many basement lots available due to the lovely rolling topography of the land.

In addition to Ryan, the development companies are talking with several custom builders to build in two of the center sections of the neighborhood. Again, these will be larger lots and the pricing looks to start in the $500-$600,000s.

There is a future section for villas to be built. This will be for the active person who isn't quite ready for a town home but is ready to give someone else the yard work! There is a space for this project but not a date just yet. As well, town homes will wrap around a retail section. This retail was being likened to Phillip's Place by the model agent this afternoon. For those of you from out of town, Phillip's Place is quite nice. Upscale shopping, Restoration Hardware, Dean & Deluca, etc.

The map of the neighborhood also shows a space for a grocery store and a proposed elementary school. Does that mean the developer is offering the land to the county? I don't know but a GREAT location for an elementary school!! After all, CC Griffin Middle School is RIGHT next door.

The two entrances are going to have four lane boulevards to the beginning of the residences. There are several multi-level water features to be built and an awesome looking clubhouse with state of the art fitness center, meeting rooms, and kitchen. Amenities to include a resort style - zero entry pool, kiddie pool, whirl pool, and splash pad, and playground. There will be both walking trails and horse trails (several equine facilities close by!) throughout the neighborhood. And the vision of the neighborhood developer; this inspired the development of the neighborhood. A working millhouse with a working water wheel at the main entrance to the community.

The neighborhood has, thus far, sold five homes. This is the ground floor!!!

!

Link: http://activerain.com/states/NC/cities/Concord/communities/The%20Mills%20At%20Rocky%20River

10 comments:

  1. Hello,

    I have been following your blog, as well as many others for some time now. I'm excited to announce that my wife and I are also building a Milan. Please check out our blog:

    http://themilanjourney.blogspot.com/

    We look forward to posting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. YAY!!! I'm now following you too!! Great choice in home!! =D Congratulations! And thanks for following! =)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, that sounds great with the potential for all of those amenities all in the development! I'm not sure there are any near us like that, just developments, with a playground being the only added community feature! Will you have to pay an association fee for all of that?

    ReplyDelete
  4. OH YEAH!! They aren't sure what the fees will be, but it is in the contract no more than $800 a year. 0.0 That pays for the pool, play grounds, ball fields, and up keep of all the "natural" areas (which I assume are the water falls to-be and all the traffic circles, and greenery and trees and such that are not people's private property).

    I can't wait for the shops!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. So here's a word of caution. Our development was originally planned to have a golf course with club house and pool. Membership in the country club was included with the sale of each home...I forget what the annual fee was. Anyway, the developer of these amenities was different then the main developer and the development of these amenities was well underway...couple holes were completed, pool was just about finished, and the foundation for the club house was complete when the economy tanked and the golf course developer filed for bankruptcy. So, the development itself continues to add houses and open additional sections, but the golf course and amenities are sitting idle. Based on how much work has already been done, I would find it hard to believe that the bank won't try to find another developer to try and finish it off...one can only hope.

    The economy caused this to happen in many other developments as well...so many that the state government actually passed a law last year that states it is illegal to charge for amenities that do no exist yet...ie you can't collect HOA fees that are supposed to include the use of a swimming pool or clubhouse or fitness center if those amenities are not yet available to use.

    Not all states have a law like that which allows these fees to be collected with nothing to show for it...make sure you ask what the HOA fees are and what is provided for those fees. Get a copy of the HOA document.

    ReplyDelete
  6. btw...the HOA fees have been greatly reduced and the mention of the golf course membership and club house and pool have been removed from the HOA document.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The club house shell is built and HUGE!! We are told that they have the goal of opening it next summer. So I'm excited about that. She said it was to include locker rooms, fitness room, and kitchen. =) As for other stuff, we'll just have to wait and see. It would be nice though.

    So far, no HOA fees. It's in the contract there will be one eventually, not to exceed $800 a year.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Noey...I believe the entire development is going to consist of 700 homes...wow that's a lot! When we talked with our rep we originally had plans to purchase in the Mills but after touring it a few times and some long pro and con discussions we decided against it.

    Here was a few things that made us decide against it.

    1. The COMMUTE!!! We moved here to get away from the 1 hour commute.

    2. We didn't want to move the kids for the second time within a year and have no one for them to play with in the area. My kids are older, so it would harder on them than it already is to move AGAIN and have no one to play with.

    3. There are like 10 homes out there so far...have you been out there at night? My husband currently works at night and I am not the happiest camper as is. It would take me years to get comfortable being in the house alone at night without always hearing something...lol

    4. $800 HOA dues. I know right now they are not charging them, but from what the rep told me they will start charging prorated fees once the pool is completed...in 2012 btw. So that would be hell on them...no friends or pool.

    5. 5+ years of continuous construction!

    Now don't get me wrong, I love the location and I fell in love with the plans for the community. I also liked the fact that the schools are right in the subdivison. The taxes are also cheaper which would have been a major plus BUT It really all came down to our kids. We would have been able to live with everything else if there were other children for my kids to socialize with in the area.

    I am sure it is going to be a great community! I just couldn't live with committing them to social solitary...they would drive us crazy. Plus they're just starting to adjust to the big move from PA.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Minaq2: The neighborhood we use to live was WAY over 700 homes. So this is nothing to us. lol And some of the other developments in the area (Moss Creek, Highland Creek, ect.) have over double this amount.

    We also lived there while construction was under way. Once the area directly around our home was done, it wasn't bad.

    They only have 4 smaller lots left now. They have 8 contracts. Many with kids. So I'm happy! lol

    I understand moving the kids and the commute. It's makes my hubby's 15 min commute to work now a 30 min commute. But he is willing and wanting to do it for this home here.

    This will be our LAST move until our kids our grown (or so is the plan). We're tired of moving them all around too.

    I'm glad we both found places we love and homes we love in places that are good for each of us! =)

    ReplyDelete
  10. OH..I forgot to add that there is neighborhood pool less than 5 minutes away that opens up to outsiders for a fee. We join it. My mom and sister live within 5 minutes of us too. So for us, it was a perfect fit! lol

    ReplyDelete