Forest Villas in July

The afternoon rains and sweltering heat came early this year.  We can usually expect this wilting combination to start in September, but the daily thunderstorms and relentless heat started in June.  Right now we have a slight reprieve.  No rain the last few days, and today we have cooler temps, and it's overcast.   But the weatherman predicts more thundershowers for next week, and there's a tropical storm 'Dorian' that appears to heading toward us like a line drive.  It would be nice to have another season without a hurricane, so let's keep everything crossed that 'Dorian' turns out to be a curve ball.

Royal Poinciana tree in bloom

With all that rain, the ponds have been very high.  You can see from the photo that the level is down about 3 feet from it's highest level.

Guess which villas had their roofs installed in 2007?

The new fountain on the East Pond was down for about a week, but after working on it most of a day, Dave, from Bonita Sprinkler, got the fountain working again.  The River Otters often make it to our ponds these days, and the 30"+ long, Grass-Eating Carp, that were easy to spot feeding in the ponds when the level was lower,  have all but disappeared from sight into the new dark depths.

There's a Osprey that's perched in a tree on the West Pond that views the pond as his personal cafeteria. Residents describe sightings of the big bird swooping over the surface of the pond and helping himself to our $15 carp.

Osprey fishing

Lee County dictates how many Grass-Eating Carp Forest Villas can have in each pond to control grass at the bottom of our ponds.  And although the two ponds received some new fish a few years back, it might be time for a few more.  The carp are sterile & don't reproduce.  So if the birds get them, or they die off, replacement fish have to be purchased.

Not much activity here this summer. No July 4th celebration to report on.  I have discontinued the TGIF get-together at present, because the hot sticky weather keeps most residents indoors.

With the summer comes the blooming of our invasive, and highly flammable Melaleuca trees (Paper Bark trees).  Who knew this plant provides natural anti-fungal and antibiotic tea tree oil? They make quite the mess when all the flowers drop.

Melaleuca Trees

Detail of Melaleuca Blooms

Another pest making an appearance again this year is the Whitefly. Currently the Whitefly is using the White Bird of Paradise trees as its' host here in Forest Villas.  This week the trees had to be washed down and sprayed with an insecticide. Otherwise the black sooty mold and white residue the flies leave behind gradually diminishes the health of the trees.  This will be an ongoing problem for years to come.

Bird of Paradise leaf with Whitefly residue

This pest migrated from Central American.  It has quite a foothold in Naples. When Whitefly hits those tall private ficus hedges, they can lose all their leaves almost overnight. 125 different plants and tree are captive hosts to the Whitefly currently, including Live Oak trees, & Coconut Palms, so beware if you have affected plants.

Another pest that made its appearance this week in our lawns was the Chinch Bug.  Now that much of the Dollar Weed is under control, this bug comes along and just sucks the moisture from every blade of grass leaving behind a carpet of straw.  The bug control spray trucks were here today, spraying all the lawns in an effort to control these beasts.

Damage from Chinch Bugs

Forest Villas has more lawn than most communities in Fort Myers, &, like other communities, we spend a good amount on mowing, fertilizing, watering, treating & replacing the Floritam (St. Augustine) grass, yet almost no one, except the lawn crews, ever walks on our lawns or uses their yards.  SW Florida's sandy soil has almost no nutritive value for growing lawns.  If we ever stopped fertilizing, all the lawns would turn yellow.  

Yellowing lawns right before we fertilized in June

Expanding existing plant beds and installing low maintenance native plants at the base of all the palm & leaf trees, could easily reduce the size of our lawns by 20+%, but of course it would be up to the individual owners to do this.

The U of F Extension Service has a website: http://floridayards.org/ that provides information about Florida Friendly Yards & plants that do well here in Florida.

The Mahogany tree in my back yard, is finally large enough to cast a large circle of shade in the late afternoon.  It's really a perfect location to sit and relax.  The spot is a virtual wind tunnel between my villa and the one next door, so there are few bugs that bite, and sitting under the tree offers me a prime spot to view the east pond & any native wildlife around the pond.  

Wildlife at Forest Villas

There is only one item that keeps this experience from being blissful.  The compressor in the East Pond Pump House.  Please click on the video below so you can experience this compressor first hand.

 

Now in contrast, please click on the video below of the the compressor at the West Pond Pump House.

Quite a difference in the two compressors??  It doesn't take too long sitting under the tree before, instead of being relaxed, you're wishing you had a weapon to put the compressor out of it's misery.  I'm hoping there is a 'compressor fairy godmother' who can do something about this "noise pollution".

Sorry this blog is so long, but it's been 7 months since my last entry and I had lots of territory to cover.  Let me end with informing you that Forest Villas has finally topped $175k for the sale of  one of the villas.  It has taken forever to crawl back to this price level, and based on other sales in adjacent neighborhoods, we are still about 20% below market price for villas our size with private lots.   New homes are back under construction in new communities down here.

Currently there is only one FV villa listed for sale on the MLS, and the villa with the old roof still sits vacant, decomposing.  I've not heard anything official about the status of this villa. In checking LeePa.org, it appears that there was some type transaction recorded for the villa on July 23rd.  There is a financial institution listed as the owner, but I'm not sure what that means to the HOA.  

This blog is not in anyway affiliated with Forest Villas HOA

Happy Happy Happy New Year!

Pretty peaceful around here during the holidays.  Still catching up after my month long trip up north, but had time to view 'Life of Pi' at SilverSpot, located in Mercato shopping plaza in North Naples.  

Life of Pi

If you haven't been to this theater, it's worth the drive.  It has a number of viewing rooms, a small restaurant at the entrance, & this venue allows you to purchase wine or beer at the bar to take into the viewing rooms. 

SilverSpot Bar

SilverSpot allows you to purchase your tickets in advance so there is no waiting in a ticket line.  Additionally, the seating is reserved, with large, leather chairs equipped with wide armrests. There are a number of  restaurants in the plaza so it's a great destination for eating and shopping too.

Seating in Viewing Theater

Mercato Shopping Plaza, North Naples

The movie was visually spell binding and will no doubt win lots of awards.

I see that Dorman Landscape, our new landscaping contractor, got a head start on cleaning up Forest Villas palm trees a bit.  Our palms trees, which were trimmed last January, were looking a bit shaggy. 

Since Forest Villas can only afford to get the palms trimmed once per year, it was recommended the palms get their trim closer to the hurricane season, maybe in May or June.

In making the shift in the new schedule, our previous landscaper declined to address the palms.  Dave's crew came in, before their contract starts in January, to at least trim up to the 15' limit their insurance allows.  They're not perfect, but it's better.  

Dave Dorman's crew installed the new landscaping around the clubhouse pool area.  I'm hopeful that this year I'll be finally able to remove the 1/2 green circle from my mailbox, and turn over the trimming of my courtyard to Dave's crew without fear that my plants will be chopped to pieces.  Dave will also coordinate our fertilizing and weed control.

It's the last day of the year!

Let's raise a glass, say 'Cheers' & toast to the New Year!

Here's hoping that 2013 will be

 Happy & Healthy for Us All!

In the event you no longer stay up until Midnight, here are some fireworks to celebrate the New Year!

And a final wish for you.

This blog is not affiliated with Forest Villas HOA

New Year's Eve Party Invitation

For those Forest Villas residents who might currently be out of town, invitations to this year's New Year's Eve Party arrived in our doors today.

I just arrived home this week after a lengthy visit up north for business.  It's evidently been rainy here as the ponds are high once again, & all the bushes are green & full.  The fountain in the east pond has been pulled over to the shore, so I guess the fountain is once again not working.  Our environment in Florida is very hard on electrical equipment.

There was to be a Forest Villas board meeting this past week, but I understand it was canceled or postponed.  Two more villas have gone up for sale during the month I was away.  Here's hoping the winter season brings the sellers lots of offers for their villas.

The ReVive Pharmacy, that I recently designed, across from The Forest Country Club on 41, had it's Grand Opening this weekend.  It's off to a good start!

Nicole Deforte, Pharmacist

Many patients that were customers of Nicole Deforte, the pharmacist formerly at the local CVS, have now transferred to her new store.  Nicole's mother & father surprised her by  traveling from Trinidad this week to be present & supportive of their daughter's new venture.

I understand that Rod MacDonald was seriously injured in a fall recently, & is in the hospital.  Please keep Rod & his wife, Beverly, in your thoughts and prayers.

This blog in not affiliated with Forest Villas HOA

New Look + A Preview

As soon as the landscapers finished trimming bushes 2 weeks ago, I grabbed my camera and headed out to get some current photos of FV.  Some of the results of my picture taking have now ended up as a 'new look' for my blog.  

I did have another reason for taking the pictures.....a Forest Villas HOA website.

The board decided that it might be time to consider a website for residents & prospective owners.  The website would be a location to post information for Forest Villas.  It would allow the HOA to post information about insurance, minutes from past board meetings, financial status of the HOA, present & past newsletters, forms that could be downloaded by residents for Variances & the like, & finally information about villas that are available for sale & rent. 

The board asked me to work on an outline & some content.  We've now taken it to the next level and developed a "test website" for Forest Villas.  It can be previewed at ForestVillasHOA.com  

The website is NOT complete & has not been checked for accuracy because it is still a work in progress.  I'm no expert in website creation, so if there's a resident with website skills who wants to help, or can bring the website to a better level of quality,.... I'm looking for volunteers.

The reason for mentioning this project, in spite of its unfinished status, is because the board is looking for some input and feedback regarding the site from residents at the next board meeting in November.

Try the site, test some of the links, and if you have suggestions or information that could be added & would improve the content, let the board know at the next meeting, or send them an email.

P.S. We're still missing email address for about 25% of the FV residents and all of the renters.

Original Sales Brochure for Forest Villas

Earlier this year, one of Forest Villas' first buyers allowed me to scan the original Forest Villas sales brochure. It was created by David Swor, the developer for both The Forest & Forest Villas, back in 1987 when building began.  Maybe some of the latest villa owners would be interested in taking a look back.

Brochure Cover

Don't know if this is easy to see in the picture above, but the front illustration shows a side-loading garage that was noted on the original site plans for Forest Villas.  Not all the villa lots had enough room for this option, but it was evidently under consideration during planning.  See blow up below.

Page 1 of Brochure

Page 2 of Brochure

Page 3 of Brochure

Page 4 of Brochure

The aerial site plan also illustrates the side-loading garages that were under consideration at the time.  See blow up below.

For a while there, our villas were back at 1987 prices. See chart below.

Price List for Brochure

I don't think we'll begin to see a significant rise in our home values until the last old roof gets replaced.  Otherwise the real estate comps from these foreclosures will continue to drag our values down.

At the height of the boom in 2006, one of the villas, with the original roof, sold for $355k.  

This blog is in no way affiliated with Forest Villas HOA.

Clubhouse Pool Project - Part II

When we left off in Part I the pavers were being installed.

The installers worked for the better part of a week, when they ran out of pavers, & more had to be ordered to finish the project.  One of the neighbors mentioned he thought he saw a pick-up truck enter the complex at night and steal pavers from the piles stocked in the parking lot.

The paver style is called Stonehurst, the color is Sand Dune and the installation pattern was referred to as 'Random'.

PAVER INSTALLATION A FEW DAYS INTO THE PROJECT

NEW COPING AND POOL LADDER

A new ladder was installed in the deep end of the pool.  Our old ladder didn't have the cross bracing this one has, so perhaps that was the reason for replacing it.  The top tread of the ladder is higher than the pool water level, and that seems a bit odd.

SABAL PALMS AT POOL ENTRANCE WITH FOXTAIL FERNS
AND SPLIT LEAF PHILODENDRON BASE PLANTS INSTALLED

After the crews finished the pavers, the landscape crew came back and finished installing all the under plantings & Vita-Mulch.  Foxtail ferns were selected as base plants.  Space was left so plants with flowers or contrasting colors could be added at a later date.

The new furniture had been placed inside the clubhouse during construction.  So everything had to be washed and wiped down before it could go back into position.

NEW CHAISES PUT BACK IN PLACE WITH NEW PAVERS AND LANDSCAPING

NEW CHAISES IN FRONT OF NEW LANDSCAPING

The electrician came back and finished installing the landscape uplighting on 8 of the palms.  The night time appearance is quite dramatic.  Residents have suggested continuing the tree uplighting at the pool entrance & the parking lot.  It's doable with funding.

POOL & PALMS WITH NIGHT TIME LIGHTS TURNED ON

NIGHT TIME IN FRONT OF CLUBHOUSE

Our old white outdoor furniture stayed cool to the touch & reflected the sun. The new brown furniture attracts & holds the heat from the sun. During the sweltering summer months the furniture can really get hot. Residents complained they burned their skin trying to move or sit in a chaise.  

Shade umbrellas, selected to coordinate with the new furnishings, were purchased, on sale, at Costco. They provide instant shade for residents. The introduction of the umbrellas offers residents two more areas for seating, if they don't want to be in the full sun.

NEW UMBRELLAS  PROVIDE SOME NEEDED SHADE ON THE DECK

The umbrellas are very simple to open & close by turning a handle at the base of each pole.  The umbrellas are vented at the top to minimize any problems with wind gusts, and heavily weighted bases were purchased to anchor the umbrellas. It was a very small expenditure, & they instantly changed the ambiance of the pool area.

VIEW FROM PARKING LOT BACK GATE.
BLUE TARP POOL COVER IN DISTANCE

NEWLY ASSEMBLED FENCE AND GATE AT BACK PARKING LOT ENTRANCE

This may be a view that you have never seen before ,....... the back entrance to the pool from the parking lot.  There's some new sod installed in the area, & the landscapers have been asked to provide some TLC to make the entrance a bit more presentable.  

As I mentioned in Part I, our fence fell apart when it was removed to get the heavy equipment in the area.    Dorman Landscaping reassembled the fence, free of charge, and installed the posts in concrete to put us back together.

The total project took almost the whole month of August to complete. However, the pool was closed for more than a week after the project completion, while residents waited for Pegasus to secure an approval from the Lee County Health Department.  

Here are some pictures of items that still require some attention.

FADED POOL RULES SIGNS

The pic is the current posted pool rules.  These signs are slated to be replaced.

Not sure of the purpose of this shelf.

WOOD SHELF UNDER PERGOLA

BLUE TARP POOL COVER REEL

There's no great place to park this 'big blue whale' pool cover reel.  But the pool cover is only used about 3-4 months each year, so perhaps a tarp, in a correlating color, would make it less conspicuous?

TAN TARP SOLD ON-LINE

A standard 12' x 24' Tan tarp can be purchased for $40 on-line.  A custom size tarp of 5' x 22' is $220, so maybe we simply purchase a standard tarp and fold it in half?? Covers do not last long in Florida weather.  My 2 year old grill cover is in shreds.

EXISTING FOUNTAIN

The Pool Committee has mentioned possibly eliminating the drinking fountain rather than replacing it.  It's possible, like the hose next to it, the fountain might be required by Florida codes.  FV allows our contractors to use the clubhouse facilities when they work on our properties.  Having water for residents & workmen to get a drink on sweltering days seems, at least to me, like an amenity we should keep available.

VIEW OF THE NEWLY INSTALLED PAVERS & BACK WALL

The back wall surrounding the pool is ready for some paint.

VIEW FROM INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE OF THE COMPLETED PROJECT

Here's another benefit of those new palms placed in the concrete cut outs.............shade for the clubhouse.  Since this wall faces straight west, the clubhouse was always an oven during afternoon meetings.  Now in the late afternoon, the palms provide a break from the sun, and keep the room cooler than before.  Pretty nice view too!

To see the full effect of all the work, here are some 'Before & After' pics of the area.  

     This Blog is in no way associated with FVHOA