By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

While many national organizations and institutions are currently tackling the nation’s rising costs, one local community, Fox Run, in Novi, has been using a successful model for utlitity bills and services for more than five years.

Consistent monthly bills
The community’s monthly service package covers the same living expenses people pay in a house, including all utilities (except telephone), cable TV, property taxes, maintenance, and one meal a day in any of the community’s restaurants. The package also covers all repairs and access to a bevy of resort-style amenities.

Instead of writing several checks each month, residents write just two—one for their phone and one for their service package. And unlike monthly house  expenses that can fluctuate largely depending on energy costs, repairs, and taxes, they make the same predictable payment from one month to the next. Residents can budget for the whole year in January and avoid a surprise big bill come winter.

Cost comparison research
Tom Cain, who moved to Fox Run from Novi, says he did a lot of research  and comparing before deciding to move to the community.

“I think one of the important issues that many of us go through in deciding to come to Fox Run is to look at our current expenses—how much we spend now, and what we spend it on—and then contrast with how this would vary with the monthly package at Fox Run,” Cain says.

“So I did that prior to moving in and since I’ve been here. I found that I actually spend less here at Fox Run than I did in my own condo.”

Less stressful holidays
Like Cain, Jackie and Harry Olsen researched their expenses and monthly house bills before moving to Fox Run from Hilton Head, S.C. “I consider the monthly service package a good value at Fox Run,” says Mrs. Olsen.