There's always been an interesting question asked about sporting events (and other things as well): Does size matter? And while the theory always has been a good big man will beat a good small man (boxing analogy), there's an even better comparison. Sun City, argued by some, is too big. That may well be, except we have figured out how to use our size to our advantage. At yesterday's board meeting, the monthly management's reports were distributed. Jan Ek's (our general manager) summary included year end totals for 2014. The preservation and improvement fund came in just under 7 million dollars. What was surprising was the 280+ homes sold in December (a traditionally slow home selling month). The really great news is this wasn't something we didn't expect. Home sales in Sun City have been running between 2000 and 2500 properties every year. With 27,000 rooftops, just under 10% turnover has been the norm. People die or move back to their families on a regular basis. It is exactly why Sun City is a cut above the rest. We have the financial wherewithal to do almost anything as we look to the future. I defy any other age restricted community to match those numbers. Any takers?
"We have the financial wherewithal to do almost anything as we look to the future." And this is one of the big reasons I have chosen the original Sun City as my landing spot in a few more years. There are many other reasons, but keeping the facilities up to date is a definite attraction. A few others are facility use cost (size does matter), low taxes, cleanliness, quiet neighborhood, and the all time favorite for me is no cold and/or snow. ;-)
Again, this is why I love the Sun City story. It's about a community built from a need for a better way to live for retirees. The DEVCO folks did a great job the first 18 years, but once they left, then what? In Meeker's journals he had the insight to state the community would do just fine. He understood he had created sense of community that would endure and that those living here would have the fortitude to do whatever it took to preserve and grow. I get almost maudlin when I write or talk on the subject of how we came to be and why we are successful. It's the story that many can't quite grasp. I've long felt we need do a better job of explaining the history, and not just the first 18 years. The internal battles in the 80's and 90's brought us to this point, a position where we can afford to fix what needs to be fixed and still keep it affordable for retirees of moderate means. The biggest challenge will be maintaining both the volunteer base and that mentality of ownership and responsibility. Newer communities will just pay someone to do it; for Sun City to continue to be unique we need to retain those values built into the community from its inception.
Hey E: And there-in is the biggest problem Sun City has. People always assume Sun City is just a bunch of oldies but goodies. I just responded to an article Bill Ness wrote and posted in 2012 on 55Places and it talked about how seniors didn't want their parents type of retirement community Really? I know we are evolving as well (maybe better than some) but the one thing we do is try and keep an eye on our past and the values that were built into Sun City. I'm a huge fan of bigger and better, but never at the cost of those things that made us what we are today...value and values.
pffffft, and nothing? It's there, no worries eh? Their site has a moderator who posts it once i's been reviewed. Have faith E, have faith.
Too funny. We went shopping for a new sofa the other day and we found one at Lazy Boy...six weeks...mo freaking way. Went next store and found one and they told us two days. Nice; except when we went to buy it, 11 days out. Bummer, but I bit the bullet and waited. Patience is such a virtue. BTW, we've been to Great American Furniture and bought several pieces there. Just when it comes to leather, they've got all these leather wannabe's. One of the salespeople along the way said it only has to be 19% leather to be called leather. Go figure.
