Sweetwater by Del Webb

My husband and I have lived in Sweetwater by Del Webb, a very active and patriotic community, for 8 years now and love it. It's like an oasis in the middle of a bustling area. Lots of wildlife, beautiful lakes and trees and walking trails. Pickleball club is very active and we play regularly. The single family homes are concrete block unlike the new construction in the area. You won't find cars parked all down the streets here!

If the Association fees weren't so high, I doubt I'd share some of these details. But since Del Webb/Sweetwater require people to pay $600-$900/month just in fees, people considering living here should know the following: The HOA provides poor communication. Perhaps if you're on the board and in the clique, it's different. But in my personal experience, the communication is very poor. The management company (First Service) won't talk with you live, only via email. Legal justification or not, this is atrocious, especially since residents are 55 and over. The landscaping work goes on multiple days a week which leads to hearing gas powered leaf blowers and other machinery for several hours at a time, 3-4 days a week. It's too much. I get the need for a lot of landscaping work. But the amount of time the landscaping Co. spends in the community is excessive (and way too loud). The gate situation is disgraceful. One or both of the gates (to enter the community) are often not functioning. And the process for calling and getting guests in has a lot of holes (from poor communication by the vendor servicing the gates) to names on guest lists being missed. This issue alone (the gates) is unacceptable given the money paid to live there. You also have instances of people running a commercial business out of their garage that is just blatantly ignored by the HOA. This is not fair or right for neighbors. On the positive side: great location (near Baymeadows and 295), it is a very nice looking community. Aesthetically, it's really nice. And best of all, there are a lot of good people living in there. There are enough friendly, nice people that if 'community' means a lot to you, you can probably do well there. Management wise, however, given the costs, I'd think long and hard before getting into a financial obligation with Del Webb in Sweetwater.

They make visiting guests wait over an hour to be let in as they slowly process who can be let in. They need a real gate guard. Unbelievably bad customer service through the speaker system.

We've lived in Sweetwater for five years and are enjoying it very much. The grounds are lovely, wooded and serene, with attractive, well-maintained landscaping. There is a variety of clubs and activities, with new ones launching all the time. There are also many amenities, such as two pools, tennis/pickle ball court and fitness center. Residents are friendly, and the vibe is relaxing and congenial. It feels like a resort, and is a great place to enjoy retirement years!