guest blog by Nila Ridings
Branson, Missouri offers many attractions and more live music entertainment theaters than Las Vegas. The surrounding lakes and golf courses are a paradise to lovers of the outdoors. Kids love all the rides at Silver Dollar City. Shoppers love The Branson Landing and all the outlet malls. Branson is also home to the only privately-owned commercial airport in the United States. So private that even a couple of Southwest Airline pilots couldn’t find it a few weeks ago when they landed at the wrong airport over at the College of the Ozarks.
Personally, I love a wilderness resort called Big Cedar located just south of Branson on Tablerock Lake. I was leaving there on Wednesday when the fire trucks were racing up the highway. I could see the dark smoke rising into the sky. Until now, I did not know it was an entire condo complex ablaze.
With all that Branson has to offer it appears they did not require sprinkler systems in this condo complex. They did not have the maximum water supply on the fire hydrants. And the end result is 12 condos burned to the ground. The source of the fire may never be known.
I sure hope the owners take their insurance money and run. With the nightmares we’ve heard about rebuilds on condos and the suffering the owners have endured it would be the ideal time to get out and stay out of an HOA or condo association.
Branson did so much right, but they allowed this beautiful area of the Midwest to be covered with HOAs and condo associations. And the building continues today. So sad.
Just another example of why buying a condo has major risks associated with it. Condo buyers beware!
(link to Branson Tri-Lakes News)
I’m sure there is going to a big insurance deductible.I wonder who will have to pay it? Oh, the agony of a HOA rebuild and higher insurance rates. Kind of reminds me of that old song by the Steve Miller Band “Take the Money and Run!”