Ok im posting so when i need to go back when we decide to make a ressy .I will look back at all thr villas ...Ok i got a question what is the bog thing about it being gated??? Do we need that??? This looks like a better deal then what i was looking at in ei ..Older homes buty i dont care....Thanks for more info ...
Everyone has different requirements and the gating is more of a security and safety issue. Before I go any further let me say that generally the areas are safe, but like anywhere there can be crime. I personally have no problem walking around and driving around the area. I do not feel unsafe. I don't want to make anyone think that things are bad there, however crimes can happen anywhere.
Let me explain the different types of community.
1. Not gated
This is a community where anyone can just drive onto the community. There is no check as to who can enter.
2. Gated with no guard.
The community has a gate which you enter using a key-code or sometimes a card system (but I don't know any vacation home communities that uses a card system specifically for guests). The community is closed to people who don't have the code so not everyone can get onto the community. However sometimes gates are not working (so they are more like a not gated community) or the code gets known to local delivery drivers, tradesmen etc. Codes can be passed around.
3. Gated with security guard.
The community has a gate which is manned by a security guard. The guard notes all vehicles entering the community and allows in only those that have reason to be on the community. Even if the gates are not working, the security guard is there.
Obviously #3 would be the most secure but that comes with a price. The cost of the guard and gate are included in the homeowners association fees which in turn mean that the home you rent may cost more than a similar home on a non-gated community.
It seems the trend is towards the newer communities being gated. Windsor Palms, Windsor Hills and Emerald Island are all gated and I believe all have security guards. I am not too sure of other communities.
At the end of the day it comes down to you and your choice. Do you want to pay less for a non-gated community? If so, the trade is that there is more chance of crime than at a gated and or guarded community. (Just let me say here that no community can guarantee to be crime free - but the gates and guards are a deterrent and make it harder for criminals.)
Gosh - I hope I haven't made it sound all doom and gloom, because it is not. I just wanted to inform...
-Kay
