First, I want to say the this house was perfect for us. Great outdoor spaces and nice hot tub, the rooms worked for my family with 3 kids and also Grandma in tow. We primarily picked it for it's location... a short walk to the neighborhood pool and a bit of a longer walk down to the beach... but my family loves the water so this seemed like the perfect spot.
Not this year. We've been coming to Dollar Point for about 7 years. My kids have gone from toddler to teens visiting this neighborhood. This year, the neighborhood association voted to exclude renters from using "HOA services" as the listing explains. What it doesn't explain is that HOA services means that Beach, Pool and Tennis Court access are denied you as a "short term renter" (the term the snide teen put in charge of blocking access to said HOA services will use when you try to go to the beach just like you had for the previous 7 years.)
Disappointed? you know it... we booked for 2 weeks expecting access to the beach and pool... really all we cared about, and found out the hard way on day 1 that we couldn't access the beach or the pool. My youngest cried. Dollar Point has been a tradition for us for most of their lives. When I called, confused and angry to the property manager's office, I could tell they'd had this conversation many times this year. They advised that there are perfectly nice public beaches close by that you just have to load up the car, load up the kids, drive to, try for a half hour to find a parking spot, walk 10 minutes to the beach, spend 10 more minutes to find a spot and set up before you can enjoy the lak. True, Skylandia is a nice beach, but I paid to be walkable to the beach and to avoid the added hassles I just described. I sort of felt bad for the receptionist who clearly had been put on point to handle angry, upset renters like myself, but the way this listing (and other Wells and Bennet managed listings in this neighborhood) tacks on "Guests do not have access to use the HOA facilities moving forward." at the very end of the listing is not good enough and the property managers know it. Otherwise this poor girl wouldn't be the firewall for their last ditch effort to squeeze premium rates before renters like me realize it's just not worth the cost if you do not get the benefits you've come to expect.
I feel sorry for owners in this neighborhood. Sadly, our tradition ends here and we will be finding a new neighborhood next year.
