Options, Opinions & Opportunities

Annabelle Barnett

June 10, 2013, was a significant day for all of the residents of Mesa Dunes Mobile Home Estates when they received the notice that the park was going to convert to resident ownership.  Within a week we learned the basics of the "offer" and that this would be a lengthy, highly-regulated, and complicated process.

Options:  One of the first things we learned was that each resident will have options ... buy your lot or continue renting.  There are many different situations ... from residents who are excited about the prospect of owning a complete package of land and unit, to residents on fixed incomes who know they just want to continue renting.  Most residents probably fall into the middle category of not knowing which option is best in their particular situations until they hear the specifics of the offer in terms of land prices, home owner fees, and a multitude of management details.

Opinions:  Because we are still missing significant specific details about this offer, all we really have at the present are questions and opinions about what might happen.  This blog is being created as a forum for gathering all known facts, answering questions as much as possible along the way, and sharing our information and opinions.

Author Affiliation: This blog does not represent legal opinion, park management, park ownership, the Homeowners' Association or any other person or entity other than the author (See About).  However, information, ideas, or opinions from all of the above are welcome.

Together we can become better informed and make better decisions.  This is an open forum.  Please leave comments and questions.  If you want to share some information or an opinion longer than what would fit in the comments section, please send it to jwycoff@me.com ... as long as it is courteous and respectful, it will be shared.

Opportunities:  I have lived in the park just over a year and I love it here.  One of the opportunities I see coming out of this project is that we get to know each other better and become more of a community.

Neighbor Profile:  Annabelle Barnett, #215

To that end, I've decided to include a Neighbor Profile with each blog post, so I would like to introduce Annabelle Barnett who has lived in the park for 7 years, since shortly after her husband of 63 years died.  Annabelle is an artist who paints in oil, acrylics and water color and is part of the Thursday artists' group that meets at the upper clubhouse from 1-3 pm each week. (Everyone is invited.)

Annabelle came to Arroyo Grande 56 years ago and remembers when where we live was just sage brush and sandy roads.  At the time AG had a population of 1200.

I was introduced to Annabelle by Sue LaCabe who said, "She's my role model."  I think Annabelle could be a role model for many reasons, only one of which is that she is a spry, engaged, sparkling 90-year old who can be seen walking with her loves-everyone Ellie-Mae, a white and tan Shih Tzu.

Annabelle has two children, 5 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.  How fun is that?!


If you know of someone in the park who would be an interesting profile, please drop me an email ... jwycoff@me.com.

Comments are welcome ... just click on comments below.  Anonymous or impolite comments will be removed.