Willow Lake Estates turning a corner
Company, residents manufacture a change for the good at Willow Lake Estates
ELGIN — A formerly contentious relationship between residents of the Willow Lake Estates manufactured home community and the company that owns the land upon which those homes stand has taken a decidedly positive turn this year.
So say Ray Russell and Ken Cardwell, president and vice president, respectively of the Willow Lake Homeowners Association, which represents the hundreds of residents of the 55-and-over community nestled along the Fox River on the city's north side.
(Marina Makropoulos/Staff Photographer)
(Marina Makropoulos/Staff Photographer)
The men attribute this change for the better to Bill Peterson taking the helm as the site's general manager in February for landowner Equity LifeStyle (ELS) properties.
"ELS has stepped up to the table," Russell said. "This year has been a major one …. Bill has taken care of about 100 issues, which is more than has been done in quite some time."
Cardwell sums thing up in the group's October newsletter, which he puts together:
"There was a time when the term 'maintaining high standards' could have induced a chuckle or sneer when applied to the upkeep of ELS property; but it should be pointed out that this year nearly $100,0000 was spent on road repair alone, with more to come next year and the year after that. Then there is the sea wall rebuilding, and junker house removal, and stocking two lakes with fish, and dead tree removal (at $1,000 per tree), and constant repair of water and sewer and — well, the list goes on and on."
That's a far cry from October 2003, when the newsletter Cardwell created discussed a picket by residents and stated that "the message of discontent with the financial rape of the senior citizens to whom this park was originally dedicated has been unmistakable."
Equity LifeStyle, formerly known as Manufactured Home Communities, is a real estate investment trust whose chairman is former Chicago Cubs owner Sam Zell. Among its holdings are more than 300 manufactured home communities across the United States. In Illinois, ELS owns Golf Vista Estates in Monee as well as Willow Lake here in Elgin.
Toward the start of the decade, before MHC/ELS bought Willow Lake, Cardwell says he was paying $525 per month for rent. By 2003, after ELS bought Willow Lake Estates, the rents had doubled. Russell and Cardwell said those soaring rates, combined with a loss of elderly residents from deaths, led to a dramatic rise in vacancies.
In 2007, The Courier-News reported that a quarter of the park's 617 home sites were unoccupied at the end of 2006, compared with 6 percent four years prior.
Second thoughts
Russell and his wife, Sandy, bought a home in Willow Lakes six years ago. But after finding out about the troubles, they thought, "What the hell did we move into?"
So Russell got involved in the community. He has just started his fourth year as association president. He and Cardwell also are involved with the Manufactured Homeowners Association of Illinois, an advocacy group that lobbies to protect and improve the rights of such homeowners.
The men noted that since 2005 or so, ELS management has made a concerted effort to improve Willow Lake Estates. Still, Willow Lake went through six managers since 2004 before finding the right fit with Peterson, they said.
Peterson, who lived in Elgin for 13 years and now resides in Cary, came to the Willow Lake job after being downsized from a position as a regional manager for a corporate housing company. His 30-plus years in hotel management gave him the people skills he says serve him well at Willow Lake.
"There were attitudinal problems when I got here, but I had walked into that before," Peterson said.
Since his arrival, Russell and Cardwell said, Peterson has been very receptive to meeting with residents to discuss their concerns to the point many people feel they have a vested stake in the success of the community. He's also been implementing measures to stabilize Willow Lake and to more aggressively market it to potential buyers.
Homes at Willow Lake now can be had for only $5,000 to $89,000 after hitting a peak of more than $150,000 before the current downturn. Current residential rents have been stable for the last several years and now start at $820 a month for new residents, Russell said.
Peterson said that of the 617 lots, 414 units are owner-occupied, fewer than 90 are vacant homes, and an equal number are vacant lots.
ELS now owns 36 of the homes, which it rents out for $1,200 a month. That money goes toward making infrastructure improvements to Willow Lake, Peterson said.
"I have always enjoyed living at Willow Lake," Russell said. "It's been my objective to help any way I can to get everyone to feel the same way. And it's been my focus to make sure everyone here feels like they are participating in its revival."
