Casa De Amigos Mobile Park

I’ve lived here at Casa for a number of years now and for the most part, this park is okay. The old management was ridiculous in how they dealt with everything, especially airing all their dirty laundry in their monthly letters for which we used to call «nasty grams» because some of what was written wasn’t necessary nor anyone’s business but the manager’s. The new manager seems more on top of things and there’s more of a sense of wanting to bring the people here together for community functions which is a very good thing.
The main problem I want to see changed is how Sunnyvale Towing seems to continue to have full reign here. All my neighbors have and are getting completely fed up with them to the point of boiling over. We believe some kind of deal with them started with the last management and has been allowed to just continue on. If you ever read the comments for that company here on Unilocal,you will understand especially the comment when one guy actually towed a car with four children inside, one of which was an infant! I am sorry but you do not want people like that driving through the neighborhood where you live looking for a fresh opportunity to tow someone every single day. There is one tow company guy who drives by here who just gives everyone we know the creeps. He even has a vulture as his mascot in his truck which is also very telling. The fact that he’s allowed to just trawl the neighborhood including the other two parks (we are friends with people in all three parks) means something funny is and has been going on for many years now. Permission to tow just anyone at anytime absolutely needs to be reassessed.
Yes, there will always be some bad apples taking advantage of parking and of course need to be towed on occasion but this guy acts like he’s the king of the park and really, it’s his word against yours. The towing company has obviously been given free reign to tow whoever, whenever they please even when people are simply loading and unloading their car for only a minute. I’ve watched this guy many times throughout the years and even when neighbors just ran inside to their house after forgetting something really quick only to come back out to find he’s already hooking their car up to tow it away. I’ve even timed people while he was nearby to see how fast he tries to tow and several neighbors have been gone, I’m not kidding for only under one to two minutes tops. Geez, give people a chance! He even tried to tow the Terminix guy one time! Granted, the Terminix guy was new and needed to go to the front desk to get a day pass but the fact that the towing guy was just going ahead to hook his truck up and leave him there while he was trying to do a job was insane. He wasn’t blocking anyone or anything and all he needed to do was be told the rule for a pass.
We think the deal with this company here is over the top strict and needs to end. We know of a few old neighbors who’ve even moved out because of this especially when the previous manager was in charge. We’re not sure if the new management even realizes what’s been going on all this time. There definitely needs to be a healthy balance for both renters/​home owners and our rights, especially the right to live in peace and not in fear along with management being able to keep people from taking advantage of the park. Of course we understand management’s plight and the need to maintain order with so many tenants and their guests but no one should have to live in fear of this joke towing company and it’s employees taking advantage when no one has even been called per car. The company must just see big dollar signs here with $ 385+ to charge for each car. They seem to have got it made in the shade right here at this park, making themselves quite comfortable… what a complete racket.
Other than that issue, this place has been fine, the neighbors have all been wonderful. The rent does go up every single year without fail though and people who own dogs aren’t allowed to walk them here which is a bit sad. I suppose it’s not allowed due to people in the past not cleaning up after their pets. I’ll also agree with a previous comment here about security having a staring problem. I realize they need to keep an eye on things but not be staring intently at you the whole time making you feel uncomfortable while you’re just trying to have a leisurely swim.
Last but not least, there needs to be more parking spaces available as this is one of the largest manufactured home parks in the country with over 900 homes and counting and with the increase in residents comes the increase in cars. On a good note, the park is really clean, (the gardeners/​maintenance crew do a beautiful job), it’s close to everything you need and has a train right across the street for your convenience. I do have plenty of positive things to say about living here after all these years but the towing situation absolutely needs to be fixed. Again, balance is key.

The park management let’s certain things slide by with certain people. There’s nothing for kids to do, you can’t walk your dog. And I left a check with them in good faith they cashed it and won’t refund me. There are much nicer places to live than Casa. In 3 years the only upgrade to the park was the cable.

I have been in the mkt for about a few years when we bought in and frequently talk to the neighbors and check details with a few people I know who live here and we all echo the same sentiments. First off a huge turn off is that they have seriously outdated technology compared to many living communities. Their washrooms promised were two, they demolished one to use space to cram in more houses depriving residents of immenities sold. Washrooms were avil when we moved in were 24 hrs. Being in technology means working lots of long hours, They need to key card in/​out. They promised for two years the back outdated useless clubhouse was going to made into a workout room but still nothing been done. no deadlines are met. Also we were sold on the saunas in the clubhouses and now they are locked (key card ??) you cannot rent the large open space club houses and that was a huge selling façade when we bought in. They will tow your guests if they are visiting for more than a week. There are no designated pet areas or Kid playgrounds. They have shuffle board areas for seniors but age discriminate by not having children friendly areas. they need to finish the gym, open saunas, put in cameras, key electronic card door openers ²⁴⁄₇ and reopen a carwash that recycles water… managment needs to get out of the stone age and realize they are in the middle of the tech capitopl of the planet/​/​/​alot of take not alot of give.

I have lived at casa for 4+ years now and love it here. Things have improved greatly in the last 3 years. Brain got Comcast into the park and being all new it works great. Lots of new homes here and everyone keeps there property up and clean (except for a couple of slobs). We have a great social club and live is good. Only 2 problems The water pipes are breaking all the time, as I am writing this now no water, 2^nd is the parking sucks, mamagment needs to start towing residents that habitual park in guest parking, theres no parking for guests. But I like living here!!!

Over all we really like living here.
Pros:
–Clean
–updated (still in progress… will be great when its all done)
–nice office staff
–Brian, the manager is ON IT! Whatever you need he gets it done! So great!
–good sized lots
–great neighbors
–quite
Cons:
–Cant walk your dogs (so lame!). I get that some people dont pick up after their dogs, but at least put in a small off leash area and give us pet owners a chance. There are so many unused grass areas.
–No kid play area. As I mentioned before they have so many grass areas that would be perfect for something like this. There are so many kids in the park and would put it to good use.
–Bad school districts. The park is cut out of the «Sunnyvale» school districts map so our kids are put in some of the lowest rated schools in the area. You pretty much have to do private school.
–Cant rent the club house. Not even for a baby shower or something small (they have a two guest limit)
–Cant have more then two guest on the property common areas. That includes the pool, billiard room etc. It would be so fun to have some friends over and play a round of pool but they are such sticklers on anyone who is in there it is ridiculous. The guard watches you the whole time!
My husband, daughter and I have lived her for almost 3 years. We moved from Seattle after my husband was offered a job. We were SHOCKED to see home prices for this area. This was a more affordable option for us. We are very happy we decided to purchase a manufacture home and in this park. Over all we really like it. It is a great location from freeways and major roads. You have fresh and easy really close for last min grocery runs and not far from most things. You also have the VTA right in front of the park. The park is constantly being updated and seems to have more space then the other parks. I have herd quite a few story’s about how unbelievably strict the other parks are (don’t leave your pool towels out to dry in the sun, you will get fined) …Casa is pretty laid back if you lay low and dont do anything crazy. We have awesome neighbors and have meet a lot of really great people in the park. I would move here again in a heart beat. I hope this helps.
FYI: One thing to keep in mind when moving here… You must have GREAT credit. Since they really cant do much if you dont pay your rent they only let people with really good credit move in. You have to meet with the park managers before you can purchase a home.
We live in a 2005 mobile home. With rent sewer trash water electric and gas it runs about 1100 a month.
We run our AC quite frequently in the summer and heat in the winter. You do have friends in the park that do not have as well insulated house and their rent can raise up to 1500 a month.

We cant wait to move in here! :)

This is not so pet friendly place. Yes, they allow dogs n cats but yet you cannot walk your dog in this housing plaza… Which I personally think is dumb. Neighborhood is ‘B+’, quiet n clean but could use improvement…

Casa is a great place to live. The management Brian, Deanna, and Doris do a great job. The neighborhood is well maintained and quiet. You couldn’t ask for better neighbors… people actually say hello and wave. It is nice to see that more families with children are moving in. If you are interested in affordable living in the Silicon Valley check it out. We are glad we did!

Place is wonderful and quiet to live in. Grew up here and parents have been here 17 years. Great community. Great bingo. Great management. Wouldn’t mind living here one day and starting a family.

FROM THE REVIEWER… CASA AMIGO NO LONGER HAS A BINGO NITE. THIS IS JUST A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT WHAT ONCE WAS…
For bingo fans in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, Casa de Amigos is our pick for a senior night out with your amigos. Get there early for a good parking place and prime seat inside the clubhouse. Then have a leisurely dinner and catch-​up with your friends. The clubhouse holds 150 comfortably. People come from all over.
Basic cost for all evening, including a purchased dinner, is about $ 12-​$ 15 for the casual or newbie player. The basic packet, called a 9-​On, is $ 5 for nine «called» games (where a human being calls the numbers aloud). For $ 2 more dollars you’ll get a couple more special «called» games that will pay out a minimum of $ 200.
Then, there are the pull tabs (they look like a lottery scratcher) also known as cherrybells, that go for a quarter, half dollar or dollar and they come in packets or single. These games can pay out up to $ 235.
The catering truck is there between 5 – 7 PM for reasonably priced street fare (3 tacos for $ 5 or $ 7.50 for a full dinner). The Casa kitchen still sells homemade dessert, chips, cookies, ice cream, popcorn and drinks. If you bring your own sodas and food, your entire night can cost as little as $ 5.
The more you play the more you win ;) m

Brian and Deanna get 5 STARS, they’re helping make CDA a great place to live. The entrance looks new and inviting, the Community center upgrades and free Wi-​Fi are awesome and not having to worry about water and electric is a huge PLUS. Thanks to the owners for investing back into our community, I’m proud to have lived here 17 years. We do need faster internet (Comcast) and a place for kids to play or shoot hoops, but hopefully that will be coming too. BINGO… Love it.

A few years ago I would have given CDA no stars but the new management is wonderful. They are accessible and have tried to address all the old issues the previous management refused to. It’s not perfect but it is so much BETTER. I enjoy living here now. Thanks for the good work.

Okay, So let me just start by saying that I do not live in this park. I am a regular Bingo player and have had nothing but wonderful interactions with this particular group. I like that this park is kid friendly, clean and they really engage their residents in all sorts of activities. Not like the other parks in the area. Living in an environment such as this brings all sorts of politics and yes you can feel that but… these people have been warm and welcoming and I really appeciate that!

I’ve been a resident for about 3−½ years. My wife and I love it here. Our neighbors are real nice. The park is quiet and well maintained.
The park, being older does has some utility problems that come up occasionally that may require the water or power to be turned off for a few hours but nothing too inconvenient. In most cases management lets us know ahead of time but sometimes problems pop up and you just learn to work around them.
The parking is situation for most of the home driveways is tandem (meaning one car parks in front of the other). It may take some getting used to if your partner parks behind you often. The guest parking is adequate but when the holidays roll around it fills up quick. I’d suggest commuting then.
If you have a dog it can be a little inconvenient. They are not allowed to be walked in the park. You have to get in your car and take them somewhere else for that. As a result, our dog doesn’t get out as much as he should. Oh well.
As I said, it’s a nice park and we plan to stay here for a while.

I have been a resident at Casa de Amigos for about 2 years now, and I must say that that park overall is well maintained, safe and convenient, but the management and infrastructure are extremely disappointing.
The original park was for seniors and built around 1969, and the hidden infrastructure was probably last upgraded in the 1980’s. Recently there have been several weeks of power problems due to an old transformer which have resulted in serial blackouts and prolonged brown-​outs. The park had to bring in a ‘peaker plant’ to power about half the residents until the issue was resolved. During this two week period, not one letter was sent by the management explaining the situation or when it anticipated being resolved. This is typical of the overall park management, and the individual park manager. Typically when an issue concerns her specifically, she will not hesitate to send out rude letters of a most petty nature detailing her woes, gripes and how she will wreck retribution on the perpetrators. If you, however, make an inquiry as to a situation, the response will be silence. I understand that on the phone she is not much better in her interpersonal interactions (this from comments from my neighbors who’ve dealt with her).
I myself called the park’s owners, who live elsewhere in CA and spoke with someone who constantly interrupted me, offered excuses to my legitimate concerns and basically did not apologize or even acknowledge that there was a problem.
The park grounds and streets are well lit and maintained. It is very convenient to the Vienna light rail station (VTA) which is outside the main gate. There are supermarkets within 2 miles, but none in the immediate block. It is convenient to Yahoo, Lockheed Martin and Cisco. Most of the homes in the park are year 2000 or newer, and the clubhouses and pools are well maintained. However, the grass lawns are constantly over-​watered, which does nothing for our current drought situation.
Electronic infrastructure is poor, with a tiny cable company offering a limited selection of packages, which is why most residents have a satellite dish. There is no fiberoptic cable laid, so there is no digital cable or high-​speed internet. You can get DSL service through AT&T, but since the park is not local to a switching office, speeds are slow and not really suitable for online gaming. The aging infrastructure also means that the electrical system is prone to overloads and outages, at least in the last two years that I have resided there.
It is family friendly, and the lot rents are reasonable. If you can’t afford a condo for your family, here is a safe place to live. I have never seen a police cruiser visit this area since I moved here, and the residents keep their homes clean and well manicured.
I am updating this rating as of Mar-​2013. I must say that the new manager, Brian, and his crew have really stepped up and taken the park into a much more professional direction. Last summer there were no power or water issues. Communication of events is swift, and if there is major construction ongoing, a letter is sent out well in advance. They have even set up a website for the park. The DSL issue is still one for those who need high speed internet. However, hope is on the horizon, as I understand that a contract with fiber-​optic provider is being negotiated so that finally this little island of slowness in the heart of Silicon Valley can be brought up to date.
I just goes to show that professionalism does make a difference. Most of the older homes in the park belong to senior residents, when one moves out or on, a new unit is quickly placed on the lot, so I would say over 75% of the homes are from the year 2000 or newer. It’s lovely quiet park and very convenient. There is now a Pete’s Coffee and a Fresh n’Easy just down the block in the new Apartment complex. also a bank, a taco shop and a bridal shop. Considering that the new stadium is going to be completed in ’14, this would be your only hope of finding nice affordable housing in the area for a long time.