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Gated communities are a type of common interest development and are often home to high-value properties. Increasingly, people want to reside in gated residential communities.
Gated and fenced residential communities have several things in common:
- Gates and fences provide the perception of Security. The main purpose of a gate, on a low crime property, is not to deter or prevent crime but to provide the perception of security. Any benefits of crime prevention are a plus. Do gates reduce crime? The answer is yes. Gates work best on a stable property with non-criminal, mature residents. Formidable fencing and gates, by design, restrict access and therefore provide both a physical and psychological barrier for criminals. Good signage is necessary to announce that this is private property and a no trespass policy should be posted.
- Gates and fences provide the perception Safety. Since gates limit traffic to community residents only, the hazards caused by “through” traffic is eliminated. The neighborhood is therefore safer for children, pets and pedestrians. Residents in a gated community tend to form a nucleus of protection that results in greater safety for the entire neighborhood.
- Gates and fences provide the perception Privacy. In affluent neighborhoods, privacy means exclusivity and therefore increased property values. An attractive automatic entry gate system can easily add $50,000 in value to single family home within some communities, regardless of whether it has any appreciable affect on crime.
- Gates and fences provide the perception Exclusivity. Everyone wants to feel good about where they live and a gated community is like a private club where access is a privilege of membership. Generally gated communities exhibit a strong pride of ownership. Home values hold up very well.
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