I seldom assume people/readers know the history of what I and talking/writing about. It's one of the reasons I tend to take time to develop a point or introduce a new thread. In this case, the history only goes back 5 years. It was the year before I went on the RCSC board and a couple of the board members were aggressive enough to convince other board members to allocate money for marketing the community ($60,000 if memory serves me). 5 years later, we are still allocating monies (in the neighborhood of 100k per year) to marketing the community, with this years goal to roll the Visitor Center into the plan (it used to be a freestanding organization reliant on begging for dollars). Some questioned the value, but I suspect we are seeing the impact of those investments from 5 years ago. Sun City homes are flying off the market. Obviously making a CBS Sunday Morning was huge, but was it all the other promotion we did that got us there? I would argue yes, without a doubt. In part, I think it helped factor in the decision for KHov to come here as well. No proof, but I have found that most things happen for a reason. It wasn't long after we started marketing the community that Talk of Sun City (TOSC) hit the scene. They started slow, and still aren't what many of us hoped it would become. In reality, it's numbers may not be off the charts, but as a resource, we know the site is getting moving forward nicely. One only has to look at how many of the posters are coming for at least a look at this community that for years never made the radar screen. We were the oldest and seemingly would never be competitive with the newer glitzier versions of age restricted living. Those of us who bought here new better, but getting that message/story out was a challenge. I can count 5 posters who have put Sun City on their list to at least look at: Mullet, Cynthia, Rusco, J_V and Bruce have all taken an interest and have added a lot to our discussions. We know others have bought here, in part because of what they have read. Online research has become a way of life for boomers, and sources like this one and 55Places have clearly played a role in our resurgence. Kudos to those having the wisdom to not just fall into the rut of million dollar advertising budgets that companies like Pulte and the Villages have to market their latest and greatest projects. We know newer, bigger and glitzier are easy sells from a purely emotional standpoint, but for folks who use their head and think about long term living as we age, there is no better choice/option than Sun City. Got to run to the member exchange, but more on this later.
This site will grow in time. I think I have seen other sites take off mostly due to the fist fights they can draw. We are not like that. We are polite, we are informative and we are welcoming. So lacking any hot button topics, it will grow slowly. I still mention it to every one I happen to bump into that can use a computer.
There's no question this site and others like it will be a value added commodity for those weighing retirement options Fiona. Sun City relied on word of mouth for too many years. It was great for those us having relatives and friends who put us in touch with how awesome Sun City was, but for the vast majority, it was hit or miss (mostly miss because too many people thought of it as a place old people went to die) Over the years I've tried to get various Sun City organizations to incorporate message boards/forums into the mix of their static websites, but the fear of taking that step has always held them back. And after today's Member/Exchange, I suspect we are still light years away from that ever happening. Boomers want interactive discussions, not a the top down crap of I'll decide and you'll listen to what's good for you. Fodder for another thread; this one is about the future and just how bright it can and will be for Sun City. Way more to come, the only thing standing in our way is how close-minded people in positions are and can be
