After many discussions with the TOP REALTORS, most of which are also residents and also other homeowners in Big Canoe, all have agreed for the most part, that the timing of this proposed 1% initiation fee to all home/lot sales would be a devastating action. In fact, after the concerned group met with the POA and expressed our concerns, this fee has yet to be justified. With the real estate market being what it is today, let me assure you that the seller will be paying this fee. Many are calling this an “Exit Fee”! You will either be lowering your selling price by 1% or offering to pay it for the buyer as an incentive. The slump market, as it stands, has the promise of coming out of the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2008 with a lot of promise. The very fact that this IDEA/PROPOSAL has even been published or brought to the table has already had damaging POTENTIAL to all of our home buyers and sellers - new or resale! We do not need another force working against our already slow sales and against our right to market homes as everyone else. We are at present, limited by control of “no signag , “no open houses” (basically restraint of trade). Please note that the Southern Living Plan of the Month Home at The Bluffs of Ridgeview can open to the public beginning on Saturday, March 8, 2008, as well as the originally scheduled date of March 7, 2008 and continue for a few weeks. Go Figure….. 

The question and challenge is can this community find other ways to improve on capital improvements or slow down and tighten our belts? LET’S LOOK AT RESTRAINING COSTS –REDUCE COSTS ACROSS THE BOARD. We need to live within our means right now! Homeowners take action - shake things up - these realtors in your community are your “action consultants”! They are your advocates - contact them today to hear about the statistics on sales activity and the future of our community! Homeowners should not afraid to post their thoughts.

YOUR POA BOARD NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU. DO NOT TOTALLY RELY ON THIS FORUM TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS OUT! I CANNOT BELIEVE THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT ALL OVER THIS SUBJECT WITH THE POWERS AT BE. We need to “shake things up”! Get involved and help to resolve these issues with alternative measures until we rebound in this real estate market. Together we can get through this. The left and right hands of this community need to come together!