What Victoria Place Homeowners Association Means to Me?

Update - 27 May 2014

In the four years since I wrote this original post, there have been a lot of changes. People are  volunteering!!!  Lots more activity is occurring on our neighborhood Facebook page. Recently, there was a Picadilly block party.  Organized yard sales have occurred.  Neighbors checking on their neighbors and showing concern.  More attention has been paid to sprucing up individual landscapes.  Residents getting to know one another.  Neighbors providing support to a family after a fire disaster.

WAY  TO  GO !!!

David Jeffreys, blog editor

PS: In answer to the two original comments in 2010, Victoria Place HOA is now well managed by Network Real Estate and the McKoys!  Also, Rebecca is now President and serving her third year on the board!  Thanks, Rebecca, who has also added a full time job to her repertoire answering your 911 calls. 

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August, 2010

Victoria Place has had a homeowners association (HOA) since the neighborhood was started by the original builders.  Certain covenants were built into the original documents in order to protect the residents and maintain the community.  Some HOAs have a lot more communal property as well as additional amenities such as clubhouses, pools, tennis courts, etc.  And of course for such amenities they may have very high annual dues to cover their costs.  Victoria Place does not have a lot of communal property -- the main one being the streetfront buffer along 41st Street. We try to maintain these areas so that they are beautiful and inviting, so we have a landscaper maintain them for us.  Our architectural committee reviews all changes to the outside of properties, so that they continue to look nice and fit in with our character.

What we have NOT had is a lot of participation by our homeowners.  We have tried to organize a community-wide picnic, block parties, and yard sales.  Very few homeowners have volunteered to help.

So what does Victoria Place Homeowners Association mean to you?  Do you think it is successfully carrying out its mission?  Are you proud to live in Victoria Place?  What else should VP HOA be doing?    Could I help by being on a committee, becoming a board member, or just organize a pot luck dinner?  If this HOA is going to thrive, it needs your volunteer participation as well as your annual dues.

PLEASE START A DIALOGUE HERE by clicking on the comments below and giving us your opinion.  

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In Our Backyard . . . . Harris Teeter Express Lane

Does grocery shopping get you down?  So busy at work, that you don't have time to buy groceries?

For several years now due to my poor ambulation, it has become necessary to have help shopping.  I used to lean on the carts for support as I shopped.  Then Harris Teeter began to offer online grocery shopping at the Long Leaf (Carolina Beach Road at Shipyard -- thus our backyard) store.

The store specials run from Wednesday through Tuesday, and the new specials are published on Tuesday evenings.  Being a Senior VIC member, I get 5% off purchases every Thursday.  So my routine goes like this:

• Wednesday - Download all specials and eVIC coupons that I received from Tuesday night's email.  Print out those of interest to me.
• Go to Harris Teeter Express Lane software and enter password.
• Load "My Favorites" list, which are those items you want to review and frequently buy. Going down the list check  off the items and quantity you wish to purchase.
• I review the specials list to add items which were not on my favorites list.
• When I am satisfied with my list, I go to checkout and select time to pick up order. So I choose Thursday usually between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, but trying to avoid the kids getting out of Hoggard around 3:15.
• Thursday at the appointed time, I drive down to Harris Teeter and pull into the Express Lane and push the call button, informing them of my arrival.  In about 10 minutes they bring out the groceries and load them into  your vehicle. You pay through your driver's side window with either a check, debit card, or credit card.
• Drive home with your groceries.  They also have a program in which they will deliver your groceries to your home, but it is more expensive.