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Private, gated, fenced, coded subdivisions

By
Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart Realty West CalBRE #01458572

I've never been much of a fan of gated subdivisions. With apologies to all those who choose to lived in fenced subdivisions, I just think there's something snobby about them. I understand all the various reasons for living in them—safety, better upkeep, friendlier neighbors, yada yada yada—but Five Man Electrical Band said it best for me:

I jumped on the fence and yelled at the house, Hey! what gives you the right
To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in
If God was here, he'd tell you to your face, man you're some kinda sinner

"Signs," by Five Man Electrical Band, 1970, peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart

The #1 reason that people tell me they live in gated subdivisions is safety. Interestingly, half of the time when I visit a gated subdivision, the security guard is not present, the shack is closed, or the gates are left open during the day. Well, if I were going to rob a place, it's going to be during the day when everyone is working and no one is home.

I'm going to presume that the gated subdivision I visited recently wasn't concerned about safety. Figure 1 shows the gate. Notice the large gap at the bottom of the gate, a cool 9 inches as shown in Figure 2.

Subdivision gate  Figure 1. Subdivision gate showing bottom gap

Gate gap  Figure 2. Nine-inch gap at bottom of gate

The house was a vacant foreclosure, and notwithstanding the instructions in the MLS listing, the gate code did not work. Someone, I won't say who, simply crawled under the gate, walked over to the exit gate, broke the beam to open the gate, and we went "in through the out door" (Led Zeppelin, 1979).

On our way out, we had a discussion over which would be easier, crawling under the gate, or climbing over the fence shown in Figure 3.

Subdivision fence   Figure 3. Subdivision fence.

The fence was six feet high, three feet of iron fencing on top of a planter wall that was also three feet high. One simply stepped up on the planter wall, stepped over the fence to the other side and down to the ground. With apologies to GEICO, "So easy a cave man could do it."

Which would you do? Crawl under the gate or over the fence? LOL

Comments (7)

Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Hi Jim

In most case in Florida homes in a gated community will sell faster and at higher sale prices then compatible homes in non gated community.

Good luck and success

Lou Ludwig

Sep 12, 2008 01:31 PM
Kent Simpson
Realty One Group Mountain Desert - Tucson, AZ
Real Estate Is About People

Gates for communities have been a successful marketing angle for quite a while.  What is sells is an illusion and a feeling of exclusivity.  Security?  Keeps the amateurs out and the casual opportunity thief.  Pros will get what they want anyhow.

If people keep wanting them, then keep selling 'em. When I have trouble with the code, I just try a couple of the obvious ones that people who have trouble remembering codes use (like 1234).

If not--over, through or around!

Sep 12, 2008 01:40 PM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

I love it! What an interesting post. Personally, I think I would have jumped the fence, if not wearing heels or a dress, of course. Good job!

Sep 12, 2008 01:43 PM
Brenda Harmon
Century 21 Beal, Inc College Station, Texas - College Station, TX

Under definitely, but I have been known to do both.

Sep 12, 2008 01:48 PM
Stavrula "Sam" Crafa, RNC,GRI, CDPE, PSA
Future Home Realty - Seminole, FL
Providing the integrity and service you deserve.

I'm with you. Couldn't pay me to live in a gated community. With one exception, never met anyone that lived in a gated community that was nice.

I would have gone over the fence, heals and all.

Too funny!!!

Sep 12, 2008 01:50 PM
Aventura | Bal Harbour | Sunny Isles Beach | REALTOR® 786-229-7999
SIB REALTY, Llc // WaterWayRealty.com - Sunny Isles, FL

Gated communities have thier merits. Like mentioned before- usually properties with the added "security" of a gate and/or human attended entry have higher values. Safety, security  and upkeep are major concerns for people.

I think I'd take the high road...

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Sep 12, 2008 01:56 PM
Lynn Krogseng
Keller Williams Premier Partners - Vancouver, WA

Well, I haven't been practicing my limbo so no going under the gate - and being a professional concerned about my image - I would have climbed over the fence.  My inseam is 29 inches, so I might have had to do something tricky...not just swing a leg over...

Oct 29, 2008 05:29 PM