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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

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Whether your destination is a massive NFL parking lot or the comparatively subdued surroundings of college football, smart tailgating can substantially enhance the experience, no matter whether which team wins. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of your pre-game party this fall.

Do the Prep Work: Like any other party, lots of planning goes into a successful tailgate. The first step is to create a master checklist with all the items you think you will need – food, beverages, equipment, utensils, paper goods, clean-up materials, etc. Check them off as you gather them and include on the bottom of the list additional tasks you will need to perform, such as washing your vehicle or picking up team merchandise. The more you plan ahead, the easier things will go on game day.

Food and Drink: No matter what you plan to serve, there is still plenty of prep work to be done before you head out to the stadium, such as marinating meat, cutting vegetables, creating skewers or forming burger patties. Likewise, if you plan serving cocktails to your crowd, consider mixing up a sizable quantity beforehand so that all you have to do at the site is stir and pour.

Don’t Forget the Necessities: Avid tailgaters might forgive you given all the other hubbub for overlooking the essentials, but you don’t want to be that host. Make sure to bring enough comfortable chairs for everyone, plenty of water and soft drinks, and always take a long an extra cooler just for storing ice, particularly if you are headed to a game in the warmer, early part in the season.

Go Disposable: Tailgating is a lot more fun for the host when you make sure to bring plenty of plastic spoons, forks and knives, along with a large selection of paper products like napkins and paper towels. You should also pack a supply of aluminum foil bordering on the ridiculous. Simply put, foil is a tailgater’s secret weapon, one that can be sued to keep food warm, scrape a dirty grill and store leftovers for the ride home. Also do not forget the plastic tablecloths and cups.

Be a Good Neighbor: It’s a no-brainer, to be sure, but bears repeating nonetheless – watch your manners out there. For instance, if it is your first time at a particular venue, make sure you are not taking a regular tailgater’s spot by asking, “Is this taken?” Bring heavy-duty trash bags for your garbage and make sure you dispose of it properly. Grilling? Dispose of your charcoal safely and never leave hot coals on the asphalt.Head for the Exits: While the vast majority of your planning and prep goes into getting the party started, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the end of the game. Be sure to plan how most effectively to break down your tailgate, stash your items, clean up after yourself and proceed out of the parking area.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post With Fall Football Upon Us, Here’s How to Make the Most of Tailgating appeared first on Other CMS.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post How to Be a Good Neighbor in a Manufactured Home Community appeared first on Other CMS.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

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Limitations: Even communities that welcome pets might have specific limitations regarding types, breeds, size and number of animals. Again, to ensure you are accessing the latest information regarding these regulations, a phone call is warranted.

Licensed and Tagged: Some communities might not require you to make sure your pet is fully licensed, tagged and vaccinated but as the owner you should want to do this anyway. It’s a small step you can take to help bolster the community’s sense of security plus it will be extremely useful if you pet should wander off and get lost.

Keep Them on Leash: Suffice it to say, if you live in a pet-friendly community, it is always good practice to keep your dog or cat restrained and safe. Most manufactured homes lack standard fences between lots and this can become problematic if your pet develops a habit of going AWOL. Leash training is a must for pets, since it keeps them calm and relaxed around other people while also preventing them from escaping or losing their way home.

Spay or Neuter: As any animal control officer can tell you, each spring brings a new wave of stray puppies and kittens with no home and few prospects. Spaying and neutering your pets at the appropriate age is both responsible citizenship and a way to assure the successful co-existence of your pets and human friends. Remember to check community policies regarding spaying and neutering.

Don’t Leave Them Unattended: You may love your pets but others might find them a nuisance, particularly if they are prone to barking at neighbors or tearing up flower beds. And then there’s the fact that many people are allergic to cat dander. You get the idea —  giving your pets free roam of the community is one sure way to antagonize your neighbors. The answer is to know where your pet is at all times. Also be aware that some communities require a pet deposit as insurance against accidental damages brought about by your four-legged friend.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post It’s Not Necessarily A Dog’s (or Cat’s) Life in a Manufactured Home Community appeared first on Other CMS.

As members of a community, we can help ensure our neighbors are safe and know they are cared for – especially our senior neighbors. Seniors are at higher risk for contracting coronavirus and having complications from the disease and therefore must be particularly careful when it comes to engaging with the outside world.

While it’s important to follow CDC guidelines with regards to proximity to others who live outside your household, there are plenty of ways to show your neighbors that you care while maintaining a safe distance. Here are just a few:

1. Check in with your neighbor regularly by phone or text.

Seniors and others who live alone can have an especially hard time with the isolation the Covid-19 pandemic has caused. Send them a quick text or make a quick call to check in on them and let them know someone cares.

2. Give your neighbor permission to share your contact information with their distant family members.

Offer to let your neighbor share your telephone number with their distant family members, so that you can be a point of contact should an emergency arise. With so many families unable to travel and see their loved ones, it can be reassuring to know there is someone close by who is looking out for the safety and wellbeing of the ones we love.

3. Offer to pick up grocery staples.

Many seniors fear going out in public, as it increases their risk of exposure. When you know you’ll be venturing out, offer to pick up a few grocery items for them. You can leave it on their doorstep for “contactless delivery.”

4. Ask them what they need.

Your neighbor may be unaccustomed to asking for help. Don’t wait for them to ask; instead, ask them what they need. Whether it’s an errand at the post office or returning books to the library, something small may not take much time out of your day but mean a lot to your neighbor in need.

5. Help them navigate the internet.

Virtual doctor visits, online shopping, and ordering prescription refills online are a convenience many of us take for granted. For seniors who are unaccustomed to purchasing items online, the thought of providing personal information over the internet can be scary. Offer to walk them through such tasks via FaceTime, Zoom, or over the phone.

Many in our country are suffering silently as the pandemic keeps us homebound and isolated. Make sure your neighbor knows that he or she has not been forgotten with these simple ways to show you care.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post Ways to Help Your Neighbors During These Challenging Times appeared first on Other CMS.

Built in the late 1950s and dedicated by President Kennedy in 1961, Dolly explains, the parks were originally built for construction workers stationed in Santa Nella for projects. In the 1980s, though, the parks expanded to accommodate increasing demands for space – and now, more than 300 people collectively reside in the two parks.  

The Santa Nella RV park offers about 50 spaces for a variety of travelers treading the path to Monterrey on I-5. While some simply pass through, others stay for weeks, months, or even years. In fact, one resident lives in the park permanently.  

“The spots are pretty much always full!” Dolly says. “Some people are just stationed here for work. Others have parents buried in the Santa Nella Veteran’s Cemetery and want to be close to them.” Others, she says, are “snowbirds,” retirees who travel between North and South as the seasons change.  

Dolly explains that over time, she has really gotten to know some of the more long-term park residents. “There are a lot of nice and interesting people who come in, and you really start to become their family,” she says. In fact, for Dolly, some residents have quite literally become her family. “A lady came through and I recognized her last name. We got to talking, and we eventually figured out that my husband’s great grandfather and her great grandfather were brothers!” Another time, one of her distant cousins came through the park and they met for the very first time. “You never know who you’re going to meet here,” she laughs. 

Dolly takes great pride in making the park not only a comfortable place for travelers to rest but also a model of sustainability. “We have two entire rows of spots that are powered by solar panels,” she explains.  

But while the RV park is a temporary post for many, the adjacent mobile home park is a permanent home to even more, housing some residents for as many as 20 or even 30 years. Harmony owns 50 of the nearly 300 total spots in the park. Of the 50 Harmony-owned spots, some are owner-occupied while others are rented. Harmony itself has refurbished and sold many of the homes. 

“Our mobile homes are like houses,” Dolly says, “not trailers. The newer ones have sheetrock on the walls to make them sturdy. They are very nice!”  

Dolly knows this from experience as she lives in the park herself. When she was hired as Community Manager in 2013, Harmony provided her with a triple-wide mobile home with an office space attached. Living and working in the same space makes her job a 24/7 one, but Dolly says she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her work keeps her busy, from managing the property – including weed-pulling, maintaining flower beds, and mowing – to fielding maintenance requests, but she says that because the residents take such good care of their homes, few maintenance-related problems arise. “It makes my job much easier!” she says.  

In order to maintain these standards, though, vetting and welcoming new park residents is a complex process. When she interviews prospective tenants, she likes to meet the entire family. Harmony also runs a required credit check and asks all interested residents to complete a standard application. The result is a cohesive, kind, and supportive community. “There are really great people who live here,” she says. “Everyone gets along. There’s no drama. And when it’s nice outside, people hang out together in their yards and chat. It’s great to see.” 

Even when she isn’t working, Dolly says the residents still take care of her. Recently, a resident treated her to tickets to a local fair at Los Banos, an adjacent town. “It’s such a good place,” she says. “The people here are very nice and I’m so happy to be here with them.”  

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post Harmony Speaks: A Conversation with Dolly Zack, Community Manager appeared first on Other CMS.