Full Survey Results

Below are the full 2007 Customer Survey Results. Comments are edited for brevity and grammar, otherwise these are unedited results.
2007 Customer Survey Full Results
1. Reasons I Chose Shalimar

The Home I Purchased 22.73%
Near Family and Friends 20.13%
Location 16.88%
Affordability 15.58%
Quality of Park 11.04%
Size of Space 7.79%
Near Job 5.84%

2. Prior Residence

Owned Single Family Home 40.32%
Apartment or Duplex 27.42%
Rented Single Family Home 11.29%
Other Manufactured Home Park 11.29%
First Home 9.68%

3. I Continue to Live Here Because:

I like it here 23.36%
Moving too expensive 16.79%
No reason to move 16.79%
Live near my job/family/friends 13.87%
I like my housing costs 13.14%
Site built homes too expensive 8.76%
I do not think I could sell my home 7.30%

4. Do you owe money on your home?
Yes 37%
No 63%

5. How did you learn about Shalimar?

Word of Mouth 38.71%
Lived in Area 35.48%
Other 16.13%
Newspaper 9.68%

6. Do you own a computer?
Yes 61.9%
No 38.1%
Do you have internet Access?
Yes 81%
No 19%
7. What rule would you eliminate?

Bar on Fences 38.71%
None 19.35%
Limitation on pets 9.68%
Plants planted by residents become property
of Park 3.23%
Attached outbuildings 3.23%
Tree trimming 3.23%
Ban on parking in unused driveways 3.23%
Water and garbage paid separately 3.23%
Bar on roller blades and skateboards 3.23%
Rule against adding more parking 3.23%
Strict screening criteria for roommates 3.23%
Change quiet time to 9:00 from 10:00pm 3.23%
Allow boats to be parked in driveway during fishing
Season 3.23%

8. What rule needs firmer enforcement?

Speeding 26.42%
Big dogs in Park 15.09%
Noise 11.32%
Yard upkeep 11.32%
Pets on Leash 9.43%
Yard upkeep 7.55%
None, all are enforced fairly and firmly 5.66%
Parking 3.77%
# of Pets 1.89%
Home Upkeep 1.89%

9. Would you support allowing large dogs in the Park?

Yes 28.57%
No 71.43%

10. Would you support a new rule allowing 4’ backyard fences?

Yes 90.00%
No 10.00%

11. Would you support better speed bumps?

Yes 60%
No 40%

12. Rank the amenities you would like to see in order of preference

Playground Equipment 1
Private Security 2
More Street Lights 3
Speed Bumps 4
Computer Room 5

13. If the Park sponsored community events, what would you attend?

Arts and Crafts Workshops 29.25%
Cooking 22.64%
Navigate SS/Medicare 14.15%
Eyesight Clinics 10.38%
Resume Workshops 8.49%
Tax preparation clinics 8.49%
Self Defense 1.89%
Fishing .94%
Home improvement/repair .94%
CPR/First Aid .94%
Computer Classes .94%
Kid Summer Camp Activities .94%

14. If money and effort were not a factor, what would you change at Shalimar? (# of responses)

Fencing for dogs 5
Playground equipment 4
Dumpster year round 2
Perimeter Fence on east property line 2
Large tree trimming 1
Subdivide park and sell lots 1
Higher security fence on perimeter 1
Laundry room 1
Quiet time enforcement 1
Street lights at each home 1
Free leaf pickup in fall 1
Fitness room 1
Better security/neighborhood watch 1
Eliminate lips on driveways 1
Improve quality of homes and yards 1
Fences allowed with approval of type 1
Speed bumps and pool table 1
Larger and cheaper RV storage 1
More social activity 1
Better storage sheds and rec room 1
Gated entry and curbs 1
Soda Pop machine and pay phone 1
Swimming pool 1
Underground irrigation for entire park 1

15. What programs would you participate in?

Eugene Carpool 9.6%
Free paint for persons to paint their home 58%
Park home repair program 32.2%
Free bark dust 58%
Group lawn service 25.8%

16. Rate management and owners (Score out of 10)

Enforces rules fairly and uniformly 7.16
Knowledgeable about the park 8.38
Helpful when I need information 8.47
Available during posted hours 8.25
Available by phone or at home 8.16

Comments on Owners and Managers
Ken always willing to help.
Ken and Dottie set a higher standard
Park looks nice
There are some gatherings of the people that are friendly
Ken has a temper; Helped remove loud wind chime, improved appearance of park by enforcing rules and doing junk collections.
Nice cover over mailboxes, Ken does a nice job keeping park looking nice and in repair
Ken and Dottie do a nice job, are professional, and do nice things for the park like holding sales and hosting game nights
Ken and Dottie are supportive and easy to talk to. Owner seems like decent guy.
I don't like the basketball noise and am considering moving to a 55 or older park
We have only been here a year but have heard from others that Ken and Dottie have cleaned this park up; appreciate game night, turkeys, and the manager friendliness.
I appreciate that you all are trying to make this a nicer park. It makes it for a compfortable living environment. Keep improving!
Good business and friends
I appreciate the care and concern that the managers gave to me when a relative passed away.
Appreciate the help from Ken with his tools and equipment.
I am not happy that a roommate got turned down without any explanation.
Dottie & Ken are great to deal with with anything I need. I absolutely appreciate honest owners who care.



17. What have the Owners or Managers done that is helpful in the last 3 years?
Dumpsters
Removed source of noise
Always willing to help
Club activities
RV and perimeter fencing improved
General upkeep is good
Turkeys in November
Getting some of the bad residents out of the Park.
Friendly, improving park entrance, trying to enforce rules concerning upkeep of homes and yards
Management is courteous and helpful
Curtailed excessive speeding

18. What have the Owners and Managers done to harm the Park in the last 3 years?
Removed speed limit signs
Lax speeding enforcement
Playing favorites and allowing large dogs
Neglecting to enforce pet rules
No continuity
Managers tell the target of a complaint who complained.
Told we cannot call the owner.
No limit on number of cats and they run loose.
I believe that Ken is a good manager but that he should set an example for others by not traveling through other peoples’ spaces. He and everyone should walk through the park on the streets and respect peoples’ property.
I got a write up about my dog when others are running around everywhere ad false statements were made to me.

19. Check any item you are concerned about:

Park Closure 53.23%
Unable to move home on closure 64.52%
Rent increases too much 75.81%
Crime 40.32%
Undesirable Neighbor 35.48%
Others:
Inability to rid park of undesirables
Teenagers who are loud
People crossing spaces without permission


20. What rent increase schedule would you prefer?

Small but regular 66.67%
Larger every few years 33.33%

21. What harms your quality of life at Shalimar?

Speeding cars 29.36%
Neighbors with pets off leash 23.85%
Neighbors who fail to maintain their yards 20.18%
Neighbors who fail to maintain their homes 18.35%
Loud parties 8.26%

Other
Cats off leash
Pit bulls
Empty old homes
Nosey neighbors
Parking on streets


22. Would it improve the park to promise it would never close?

Yes 73%
No 27%

23. Would it improve the park to have a moving cost guarantee?

Yes 88%
No 12%

24. Would you prefer a long term lease?

Yes 38%
No 62%

25. Would you prepay your rent for a 5% discount?

Yes 13%
No 87%

26. Do you think the park has improved over the last few years or declined?

Improved 85%
Declined 15%

26a. Why?
Complimentary and Positive Comments
New perimeter fence
Ken and Dottie set a high standard of keeping the park clean and troublemakers out.
I used to live here way back and I can say it is a lot better now!
Occasional patrol by Sheriff
Occasional patrol by on site managers
We did not like the prior owners.
Evicted drug dealers
Park appearance and landscaping
Feel Safer
New ownership and management
Riff raff and drug addicts being removed, and quality of homes is being upgraded, just wish they were affordable
Some old places have been removed, but no sign of new activity though.
Because I live here now!
People are keeping their homes and yards cleaner
A lot of the bad people are gone.
Management should be careful of the people they let in, the park would look a lot better.
Most of the riff raff are gone. Some of the people are snooty, but that is to be expected in a small community
Front entrance looks great, rest of park looks nicer
Troublemakers are gone. Better class of managers and residents. More residents taking better care of their spaces.
Eliminated drug houses, nice newer homes, and better upkeep.
Better Tenants
Not as much speeding and loud parties, I haven't heard of homes being broken into lately.


Critical or Negative Comments
Park not maintained, junk accumulating on peoples property, site managers like dealing with pit bulls
No continuity
More vacant spaces and any one has been allowed in bringing their garbage with them.

27. If you could trade in your home, what size of housing payment could you afford?

Results omitted

28. If you could trade in your home, would you do it to buy a new home?

Yes 35%
No 65%

29. Do you think space rents are:

Higher than other parks in the area? 19.2%
About the same as other comparable parks? 67.31%
Lower than other Parks 13.46%

30. Comments about items not covered in the 2007 Survey:

What follows are all the comments we received as near as verbatim as we could achieve. We occasionally omitted a comment if it was too identifying to protect the anonymity of the comment. We also omitted or collapsed a few similar comments.

Too many cats, why do I have to leash my dog, but the cat owners do not?
Homes in disrepair drag down the value of my home and deter people from moving into Shalimar
We want to buy our lot.
Replace siding on storage sheds
Survey is a good idea because it lets the managers and owners know what the tenants think.
Would like to help out part time
Thanks to the managers for good work.
We are told every time a question is asked that we are not to get in touch with the owner when an answer is not given.
This is a very nice MHP and is kept well. We like it here.
You are doing a good job. Keep up the good work.
Too many outside cats roaming around and large dogs. It would be nice to have someone who could be hired affordably to come in and do maintenance type repairs.
There are still kids climbing over the fence. People are driving too fast through the park. It would be nice to live in place and not worry about saying or doing anything wrong then getting kicked out of the park.
Need better security on and around storage area.
I would like to own my space.
Rent is good where it is now.
I believe Ken and Dottie are the best on site management that the park has had in the last few years. I really enjoy them and their family.
We cannot talk to the owner
We should be able to talk to the park owners.
I think an exercise room would be nice. I think having to pay water, sewer, and garbage plus $300 a month is high. Most parks include this in the rent.
Everything is great, I would just really like to put up some fending for our yard because we have a little girl who is going to be running around.
I would like 3' front yard fences or curb with yellow paint on the curb. Have ext. storage sheds.
I think the Christmas light contest is rigged
Some of our park spaces are a dump. Why do you allow your park to be an eye sore? Issue an order, clean up or move out. There is no excuse for Shalimar not to be pristine.
Stricter rules for children. Don't bother older neighbors, play so baseballs and other things don't hit cars, flowers, homes etc.
Thank you for doing this, I hope it will help you and hopefully Shalimar will become a better park.
RV yard is being monopolized by a few residents, and it is not fair. You should limit it to one use per resident.
I would spend more time here if I had a 7' privacy fence in my backyard.

Email your posts

Ok. So you cannot post on this blog unless I sign you up. Which probably makes sense since I would want to make editorial changes from time to time anyway if someone besides me wanted to post here.

Email your post to me at orrenfoster@comcast.net and I will post it, editorial discretion reserved of course.

Launching

Welcome to the Shalimar Mobile Home Park blog. I manage the park for The Foster Companies, LLC, which is a fancy way of describing my parents. I am the guy with the beard who comes around from time to time, and I also experiment with the website www.shalimarmobilehomepark.com, and now this blog to see if it would be a useful addition to building the park into a better place to live.

I am going to try and set this up so that you can add to the blog, or "Post," but since I am new at this you will have to be patient. I am also very curious about computer usage within the park, so please send me an email if you use the computer often, and would want to see some community newsletters or announcement systems on the website, this blog, or by email.