I (Carol) just started my new workamping gig this week in Mission, TX. I'm the new Sales Consultant at Bentsen Palm Development. It's a bit more like a "real" job than many of you are interested in, but it's great for me right now since I'm not able to retire yet and we want to get a new RV!
We LOVE the community! You can't be outside your RV without people stopping to say hi, introduce themselves and chat. LOVE the owner/developer! We have RV rental spots, RV spots to purchase -- some with casitas and some with port homes, as well as single family homes. Because of my real estate background I'm working in the single family home area called Tanglewood.
We're rignt next door to the World Birding Center, Butterfly Center and Bentsen State Park.
Just wanted to let you know where we've landed. We'll be here until at least April and hopefully longer... Need to pay for the new RV...
If you are in the area, let us know. Would be great to get together!
bigredoes said
07:30 AM Jan 25, 2013
And as luck would have it tomorrow I believe y'all are having an OPEN HOUSE
Ckerr said
07:01 PM Jan 25, 2013
We are indeed! 1 - 4 pm I believe. I'll be around someplace, some of the time...
Ckerr said
07:30 PM Jan 25, 2013
Jack Mayer wrote:
And, keep in mind that you can rent a lot in Retama Village - the finest RV property in the Valley. Contact me if you are interested in a seasonal or monthly rental of one of our lots. :)
I hadn't put together that you guys have lots here! Can I interest you in another one??? lol
-- Edited by Ckerr on Friday 25th of January 2013 07:35:07 PM
Jack Mayer said
02:43 AM Jan 26, 2013
And, keep in mind that you can rent a lot in Retama Village - the finest RV property in the Valley. Contact me if you are interested in a seasonal or monthly rental of one of our lots. :)
R12 said
04:54 PM Jan 26, 2013
Retama is a pretty place but having been in both I find the people at Bentspalm village next door to be friendlier and the sites are as nice as Retama. Retama owners tend to look down on renters. Seasonal and monthly rentals can be had at either but Retama is more expensive.
Ckerr said
05:42 PM Jan 26, 2013
R12 wrote:
Retama is a pretty place but having been in both I find the people at Bentspalm village next door to be friendlier and the sites are as nice as Retama. Retama owners tend to look down on renters. Seasonal and monthly rentals can be had at either but Retama is more expensive.
Hi Paul,
We're staying at Bensten Palm Village and do love it.
You are right, there is a little different atmosphere between the 2. I think the thing is that in Bentsen Palm Village EVERYONE is only there temporarily so you make friends more quickly and everyone is a bit more tolerant because we all know we're only neighbors for a few months. In Retama I think they are more hesitant to invest in friendship unless you are staying "permanently." Not that it can't be done, but like any neighborhood it takes a little while to become part of the community.
I did spend lots of time talking to owners at Retama Village yesterday and they were all very friendly and made me feel welcome... Really seemed to be trying to put their best foot forward so folks would want to join the community. Of course I'm "staff..."
Rental rates at Retama Village are set by the individual owners rather than the community so ithere is some variation and maybe room to negotiate.
janni said
10:34 PM Jan 26, 2013
Congrats on your new job, Carol! Looks like a beautiful place.
cejones4210 said
04:58 PM Jan 27, 2013
Hoping when we get out on the road this next year to make it down there. I am really interested in seeing the area and would love to have a lot in a warmer climate. Hubby says no to Texas, but I'm hoping when he sees it he will reconsider. From checking out the websites, I think it is a place we would both enjoy, but for some reason he seems adverse to Texas, but open to New Mexico. Can't figure that out!
Ckerr said
05:12 PM Jan 27, 2013
cejones4210 wrote:
Hoping when we get out on the road this next year to make it down there. I am really interested in seeing the area and would love to have a lot in a warmer climate. Hubby says no to Texas, but I'm hoping when he sees it he will reconsider. From checking out the websites, I think it is a place we would both enjoy, but for some reason he seems adverse to Texas, but open to New Mexico. Can't figure that out!
I was always adverse to Texas also, then I ended up going to graduate school in Texas and staying for 20 years -- that was in Austin. LOVE it there.
Texas is incredibly diverse. Everything from beaches to desert, huge cities to miles and miles of nothing, cowboys to high end boutiques...
The nice thing about the Rio Grande Valley I'm finding is that with the thousands of Winter Texans that show up each year, there is tons of stuff to do in the area and everyone is super friendly!
The great thing about rving is that you can try an area and if you don't like it you just move somewhere else!
Good luck with all your plans!
R12 said
05:49 PM Jan 27, 2013
Ckerr wrote:
R12 wrote:
Retama is a pretty place but having been in both I find the people at Bentspalm village next door to be friendlier and the sites are as nice as Retama. Retama owners tend to look down on renters. Seasonal and monthly rentals can be had at either but Retama is more expensive.
Hi Paul,
We're staying at Bensten Palm Village and do love it.
You are right, there is a little different atmosphere between the 2. I think the thing is that in Bentsen Palm Village EVERYONE is only there temporarily so you make friends more quickly and everyone is a bit more tolerant because we all know we're only neighbors for a few months. In Retama I think they are more hesitant to invest in friendship unless you are staying "permanently." Not that it can't be done, but like any neighborhood it takes a little while to become part of the community.
I did spend lots of time talking to owners at Retama Village yesterday and they were all very friendly and made me feel welcome... Really seemed to be trying to put their best foot forward so folks would want to join the community. Of course I'm "staff..."
Rental rates at Retama Village are set by the individual owners rather than the community so ithere is some variation and maybe room to negotiate.
Carol,
I agree with all you wrote. To be clear Retama is not "unfriendly" but BPV is much more friendly. I love the dog park there but it's a bit of a hike from Retama. Good excercise for man and dog.
Jack Mayer said
07:42 PM Jan 27, 2013
Paul, I'm sorry you find Retama to be not as friendly as you would like. I find the exact opposite to be true. Retama to me is a very friendly place and the owners go out of their way - most of them - to welcome renters. Many renters become owners, and that is to be encouraged.
As far as Retama being MORE expensive than BP, that is simply not true if you compare apples to apples. I run the rental program and do a competitive analysis each year (I have not done it yet this year for the 2013 rates). If you compare a Retama site to BP supersite with coach house - which is the fair comparison - you will find Retama to be cheaper. Unless BP just dropped their rates. Of course, there ARE cheaper sites in BP, but they do not compare to a Retama site - but if that is all you need or want then it would work out better for you.
Carol, I own three sites at Retama already, and have one for sale....want to buy it? Or trade it?
I (Carol) just started my new workamping gig this week in Mission, TX. I'm the new Sales Consultant at Bentsen Palm Development. It's a bit more like a "real" job than many of you are interested in, but it's great for me right now since I'm not able to retire yet and we want to get a new RV!
We LOVE the community! You can't be outside your RV without people stopping to say hi, introduce themselves and chat. LOVE the owner/developer! We have RV rental spots, RV spots to purchase -- some with casitas and some with port homes, as well as single family homes. Because of my real estate background I'm working in the single family home area called Tanglewood.
We're rignt next door to the World Birding Center, Butterfly Center and Bentsen State Park.
Just wanted to let you know where we've landed. We'll be here until at least April and hopefully longer... Need to pay for the new RV...
If you are in the area, let us know. Would be great to get together!
We are indeed! 1 - 4 pm I believe. I'll be around someplace, some of the time...
I hadn't put together that you guys have lots here! Can I interest you in another one??? lol
-- Edited by Ckerr on Friday 25th of January 2013 07:35:07 PM
And, keep in mind that you can rent a lot in Retama Village - the finest RV property in the Valley. Contact me if you are interested in a seasonal or monthly rental of one of our lots. :)
Hi Paul,
We're staying at Bensten Palm Village and do love it.
You are right, there is a little different atmosphere between the 2. I think the thing is that in Bentsen Palm Village EVERYONE is only there temporarily so you make friends more quickly and everyone is a bit more tolerant because we all know we're only neighbors for a few months. In Retama I think they are more hesitant to invest in friendship unless you are staying "permanently." Not that it can't be done, but like any neighborhood it takes a little while to become part of the community.
I did spend lots of time talking to owners at Retama Village yesterday and they were all very friendly and made me feel welcome... Really seemed to be trying to put their best foot forward so folks would want to join the community. Of course I'm "staff..."
Rental rates at Retama Village are set by the individual owners rather than the community so ithere is some variation and maybe room to negotiate.
I was always adverse to Texas also, then I ended up going to graduate school in Texas and staying for 20 years -- that was in Austin. LOVE it there.
Texas is incredibly diverse. Everything from beaches to desert, huge cities to miles and miles of nothing, cowboys to high end boutiques...
The nice thing about the Rio Grande Valley I'm finding is that with the thousands of Winter Texans that show up each year, there is tons of stuff to do in the area and everyone is super friendly!
The great thing about rving is that you can try an area and if you don't like it you just move somewhere else!
Good luck with all your plans!
Carol,
I agree with all you wrote. To be clear Retama is not "unfriendly" but BPV is much more friendly. I love the dog park there but it's a bit of a hike from Retama. Good excercise for man and dog.
As far as Retama being MORE expensive than BP, that is simply not true if you compare apples to apples. I run the rental program and do a competitive analysis each year (I have not done it yet this year for the 2013 rates). If you compare a Retama site to BP supersite with coach house - which is the fair comparison - you will find Retama to be cheaper. Unless BP just dropped their rates. Of course, there ARE cheaper sites in BP, but they do not compare to a Retama site - but if that is all you need or want then it would work out better for you.
Carol, I own three sites at Retama already, and have one for sale....want to buy it? Or trade it?