I love the spirit of this community. We’re friendly, we’re loyal, we’re thoughtful and we’re kind. Those who live here have wonderful lives filled with family, church, work, sports and a lifetime of friendships. No, this isn’t Mayberry 2019, but the warm-fuzzy feeling is hard to miss! It’s a great place to live.
With that in mind, it’s sometimes a head scratcher reading some of the more popular social media group pages that focus specifically on the Parrish community. Am I missing something? Could I be living in a parallel universe of fantasy or science fiction? The twilight zone perhaps? Could there be two or three different Parrish Florida communities? Nah. Parrish Florida is one-of-a-kind. Still when I read some of the tales, the ramblings and the rants, I must wonder why there is such a disconnect?
I get it. We all like a good rant and sometimes those rants can be extremely funny from a distance. There are people who love to “share” long stories about the bad drivers, a car rider line that doesn’t move fast enough or the lack of shopping carts at the nearby Publix. I’ve seen the tall tales of Mt. Parrish and the well-placed sarcasm that brings most of us a chuckle. On the surface, these things don’t seem to be that big of a deal.
Here’s my worry. While the rants and raves may seem harmless, even funny at times, they can also be damaging. If you are a homeowner, perhaps you share my concern. When a typical buyer is looking to relocate, they do a good bit of homework by researching communities via social media. Our outstanding growth means there are now a larger number of subdivisions to choose from. This is a good thing!
Suppose homeowners in a particular community decide to use social media to rant about their HOA bylaws or leadership. Without full context, a potential buyer to the community may decide to move-on. As a seller, you would never know why they passed on your beautiful home or why it has been on the market so long. You would never know the price drop you took was a direct result of social media community bashing. Think of it from the buyer’s perspective- Wouldn’t you be a little anxious to live in a neighborhood where everyone seems unhappy?
So, what can you do? Nit-picking isn’t going to go away. And truthfully, we should have the right to voice our concerns no matter how small they may seem to others. If you’re in this situation, try talking to your HOA president. Explain your concerns and suggest they create a private page where residents can ask questions and even voice their disdain about the rules and leadership. This helps keep the focus on the serious community concerns and more than likely it will help get them addressed in a timelier manner.
Let’s consider using social media to focus on the positive aspects of Parrish. Sure, I am bias. It’s my job to sell houses. But I also know the heart of Parrish isn’t about road rage, missing shopping carts or HOA fines. We are so lucky to live in Paradise, breathe in, breathe out, repeat! Life is good!