Costs
Common House Allocation Fee
When original lots were purchased, there was a one-time Common House Allocation to fund the construction of the Common House:
- $13,000 for the first adult in the household.
- $3000 for each additional adult in the same unit (up to a maximum of three unrelated by blood, marriage, or legal adoption). There is no charge beyond two for members of the same family.
- Children under 21 and caretakers are free.
If buying a pre-owned home or lot, the Common House Allocation is considered to have been paid already. However, if it was only paid for a single adult, the Village must be paid $3000 for each additional adult (if any) as per the above rules.
Dues
The Home Owners Association levies monthly dues, currently $150 per month, for maintenance and operation of the community. This includes trash and recycling fees which would normally be on your water and sewer bill outside of our community.
Utilities
Water and sewer cost (excluding trash and recycling pickup which is included in your monthly dues) is approximately $50 per month.
We have natural gas for heating. Wood burning stoves and wood burning fireplaces are not allowed. Monthly costs during the winter may be as high as $100 per home for a couple of months. In summer the cost will probably be less than $15.
Electricity costs are perhaps $30-$50 in winter, but may go up in the summer to $80, depending on the type of cooling you use. Because of the drop in temperatures when the sun goes down, our cooling systems usually run for only a few hours per day. Most homes use only ceiling fans and whole house attic fans in our mild climate.
Broadband internet, both DSL and cablemodem, are available to each home. The cost depends on the connection speed you choose but is comparable to other cities. Gigabit service is available.
Other
Living expenses in our area are very low compared to other parts of the country. Because of our small lot sizes, property taxes are around $1000/year. Auto and homeowner’s insurance rates are also quite reasonable.