Secure Gated Community Or The Burbs / Open Spaces

[mogo51]

. Do you think the guy that makes a few pesos working the gate, would not tell his bad guy cousin when you are out and for how long usually you stay out of the house?

 

I think there are good and bad people everywhere but I am wondering if you have examples of which gated communities this happened in?  I ask because it sounds like fear mongering or 'stirring it' unless you can provide actual examples.

 

My personal experience is that making friends with the guards, buying them some donuts on special occasions, and giving them a smile and a wave when you see them all adds up to them keeping a good eye on my place.

Yes, I had my brand new Schwinn mountain bike stolen from a gated apartment complex when I first arrived here. It was secured with a small cable. My neighbors saw the guy steal it and knocked on my door to tell me. The security guard said he didn't see anything. He was replaced shortly afterwards by management.

My home now has iron grills on all the windows. I have a concrete and iron wall all the way around. Big strong chain with large padlock on gate. Deadbolt locks on all doors. I have sensors on outdoor lights that turn on as soon as it gets dark.  

So, yes, better safe than sorry. Poverty leads a lot of otherwise honest people to steal if tempted.

Can you tell me where you live, so I make sure I do not move there when the time comes, I would keep looking at

my shirt to make sure there is not a long number under my chin.

[mogo51]

I love donuts, so when I get there, I am going to do guard work at gated communities!

[RBM]

The main reason why we chose to live in a small subdivision was the assurance of clean title and some small form of security. Many people have problems with title when buying in more remote areas.

Plus the more distant one is from a center it generally follows the infrastructure is less, example, Internet, water and power. We have no issues here. Further security is always a major concern, I know expats living in remote areas that have zero problem, they have great relations with neighbors and say their house is always watched during times there absent. If this relationship turns sour the repercussions could be grave indeed.

I prefer to be close to center where one has access to banks and restos but not right in the center. Guess it's horses for courses.

[Gratefuled]

My home now is around 10km from the center of the city. I have close neighbors and I know them all. We look after each other. WE all have our homes well secured just in case and to be extra safe. So far, zero instances. 

[Gratefuled]

If you have a decent enough budget, you should check out the Subic Freeport. All of the housing areas are in the hills above the bay (30M elevation+) and are similar to a gated community (guards at the entrances). There are a couple of beaches a few miles away and it is very nice (stable electric, water, no trikes, jeeps, roosters, dogs, etc.). You can go out into Olongapo to mingle with the locals and retreat to your residence when you have had enough. Plenty of gas stations, grocery stores, a mall and restaurants. Hop on the SCTEX and you are at Clark in less than hour.

 

Sounds tempting. I just might check it out sometime. I doubt wife woould want to move. She wants to be close to her parents. At least for now. I suggested once Baguio city, since it is up in the mountains. She didn't exactly say no but the equivalent of "HELLNO"

[Thomas]

I'm a gated Community type but they are not secure as you think. Do you think the guy that makes a few pesos working the gate, would not tell his bad guy cousin when you are out and for how long usually you stay out of the house?

I haven't heared of any such, but they are NOT safe in LIFE point of view:

/An American was stabbed to death by 2 Filipinos at the guarded gate. Unclear if the guard didn't try hard to stop it, or if 2 friends to the killers stoped the guard.

/A German was shot to death outside his OWN house by the guard, who believed the German was a burgler!!!

And for those people not living in a gated community why have you chosen not to live in one, is it money, or because of where you live, there is not one around otherwise you would move to a gated community.

For me it's either of these reasond, it's because I don't want to live among people  :mocking:   to get quite,  so I have to settle rural far enough from neighbours.

 

 

There are OTHER risks to think of as LANDSLIDES and earthquake centers.  Some SIDES of islands can't be hit by direct tsunamis, depending of where earthquake centers can be and what direction a tsunami would move. I know these have RISK:

East side of the Philippines.

Both (?) sides of the water BETWEEN Cebu and Negros islands. It was tsunami warning there rather recently, but no hard hit that time.  

I had my brand new Schwinn mountain bike stolen from a gated apartment complex when I first arrived here. It was secured with a small cable. My neighbors saw the guy steal it and knocked on my door to tell me. The security guard said he didn't see anything. He was replaced shortly afterwards by management. My home now has iron grills on all the windows. I have a concrete and iron wall all the way around. Big strong chain with large padlock on gate. Deadbolt locks on all doors. I have sensors on outdoor lights that turn on as soon as it gets dark. So, yes, better safe than sorry. Poverty leads a lot of otherwise honest people to steal if tempted.

In my RURAL place I plan to reduce the risk by having a 2 storey house with the "cellar" (with garage) ABOVE ground, so the main part of the living space are at SECOND floor, so stairs has to be used when entering, but NOT when being at home. No possibility to get in at the bottom floor except through 2 strong doors. There will be a strong door to the SECOND floor too.  I'm not fond of iron bars covering the windows, because of the EXTRA risk with problem to get out if fire starts, but I suppouse I better have such at least at some windows.  Of TYPHON risk I plan to have strong shutters, which can be closed to cover the windows. and these can make it harder for thieves to get in too - when they are closed   :)   I suppouse we will be to lazy to close them when we just leave a short while.   I think of a construction where they can be put "HALF OPEN" too, making they can functions as sunshade for the windows too making less heat get in.

[i am bob]

I live in a wonderful little community known as Central Park...  When I first came to look at the property, I was told it was in a gated community...  Yeah, there is a little gate house at the intersection coming in on the main road but there are no gates and no guard!  The back entrances just run out to the same highway...  My apartment is attached to the landlord's house...  And across the road are several Nipa Huts!   Is there theft here?  Yeah, there is!  But rarely does something ever get stolen where the culprit is not found out!  Most of the people here are very honest!

 

A friend of mine took me to see a new gated community for those with mucho dineros on the other side of Davao...  There are only a half dozen houses built so far but the pool is nice...  The local community from outside the gate come up, give the guard a couple pesos and then they use the pool for the rest of the day...  Anyway, the day I was there, somebody broke into one of the houses and stole all the furniture...  Now how do you get something like that past the guard at the gate? :mocking:  :dance:  :rolleyes:

[Gratefuled]

Now how do you get something like that past the guard at the gate?  :mocking:   :dance:   :rolleyes:

 

I would think the guard was/is the same one who was on duty when my Schwinn was stolen. 

 

Money talks

[bows00]

You can go out into Olongapo to mingle with the locals and retreat to your residence when you have had enough

Hey Jon1,

I like what you are recommending in Subic, and it's on top of my list of places to settle at retirement. So if I get a motorcycle, how long will it take to get to Olongapo? 30 minutes?

[jon1]

bows00,

 

Olongapo is 15 minutes from my house and Barrio Barretto/Baloy Beach 25 minutes.