Real Estate & Mortgage Insights

Pros & Cons of Gated Communities

Gated communities are popular nowadays to people from all walks of life.

One reason is because there is no "through traffic." The gate puts a stop to cars zipping through using your local streets as a short cut. The neighborhood is safer for kids walking or riding their bikes to the neighbor's house, the playground, or to catch the schoolbus.

Gated communities can be safer from crime, too. Exactly how safe depends on whether there is a guard at the gate or not. Unguarded gates are relatively easy to get past for the enterprising criminal. We've all seen the movies where the police detective has to get into an apartment building and pushes all the buzzers until he gets buzzed in? Well, it's even easier than that. All you have to do is wait for a resident to drive in and follow them through.

For the impatient individual, a gated community may be a poor choice. Whenever a serviceman makes a repair call or the pizza comes within the allotted thirty minutes, you will have to check in with the guard or buzz them in.

On the strong side, gated communities normally exhibit a strong pride of ownership. Home values hold up very well.

Just don't buy a house right next to the gate. Purchase a home as close to the center of the neighborhood as possible.

� December 2002 by RealEstate ABC

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