To join Indian Acres Club of Thornburg (IACT) it helps to already know somebody that owns a funstead (lots are referred to as funsteads at Indian Acres). Knowing somebody means you can get guess passes and therefore look at funsteads that are for sale relatively easy. Here's a little recipe for those of you that do not know anybody at the acres but wonder what the process is for buying a funstead...
1. Find out what is for sale
There are several places way to find lots for sale. We're going to recommend a few ways to get you started.
Call the IACT admin office (540-582-6314) and request the referral list membership application (or download/print it off the IACT official website, www.indianacres.org). Recently, IACT also started posting the referral list here: http://www.indianacres.org/membership.htm (however, you may still want to give the admin office a call if the list looks a bit dated). There are hundreds of lots for sale in the referral list so this is generally considered the best source for listings. However, we have provided some other recommendations below to help you out.
Check out http://www.wadeslistings.com/, find the "lots for sale" link and click on the individual listings in the menu on the left.
Check http://www.craigslist.com. Many lots have been sold through Craig's list. We recommend looking for the Fredericksburg section (in Virginia) and searching for "Indian Acres". For convenience, you can also just click here: http://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=%22indian%20acres%22
Search for "Indian Acres" on eBay (http://www.ebay.com). We have seen many auctions in the past for lots at IACT on eBay (as always, we recommend you see the lot in person before bidding).
Check out http://reauction.com/. Several lots have been sold through this company. You may notice their yellow signs on some lots in the acres.
Check out http://www.vaauctionco.com/. This company is working with IACT and the county to auction off lots where back taxes were owed.
Check out the lots for sale listed on this website: http://www.funstead.org/forsale
2. Find the funstead you want
Make a list of the lots you are interested in compiled from the various sources recommend above. Come visit the acres (for directions, click here; for map of the acres, click here). When you arrive at IACT, security will send you to the admin building to get a 4 hour guest pass. You might also want to ask about getting maps and advice on how to find particular lots while you are in the admin building. Once you have your guest pass, you are on your own to explore the acres. The acres can be a little overwhelming from it's size and how the lots are organized (which do not correspond with road names and are not in any particular order). Having individual maps of the glens can save you a lot of time (these can be downloaded from indianacres.org or purchased from the admin building when available). We recommend you bring a camera and notes to refer back to later for deciding which lots you would like to pursue learning more about.
Once you have settle on a funstead you want to purchase, check with the admin office to see if any back dues are owed. If everything checks out OK, call the owner or plan to attend the auction (depending on how the lot is being sold).
3. Apply to be an IACT member
Before purchasing a lot, your application must be accepted by IACT. We recommend that you complete and turn this in as soon as possible to get the process moving forward. You can apply anytime, but a valid/completed application will only be good for 90 days from time of approval. Depending on the time of year and how often the board is meeting, this step can take a while. Ask the admin office how long they think it will take to get an answer and check back often as memberships can be approved early depending on how often BOD members are visiting IACT.
4. Buy the funstead
Once you have been accepted, in some cases we recommend you contact a legal service specialist familiar with transferring deeds for Indian Acres (the admin office should be able to point you in the right direction for this). In other case (i.e. auction sell) special terms may be agreed to beforehand on how the deed transfer will take place. If you use a specialist, he/she will arrange a meeting with you and the seller (or arrange to complete the transaction through mail with notaries). This will cost about $50 for the county clerk filing and about $50 for the service fee (well worth the cost unless you want to figure out the deed transfer process for Spotsylvania County and make a trip to the courthouse). The specialist will send you the deed in the mail (and ensure the IACT admin office receives a copy). Once you have received this, contact the admin office. They will send you the rules & regulations, some more paperwork, and most importantly your request for passes. You will receive an owner pass for each person on the deed, a family pass for each family member living with a funstead owner, and a limited number of temporary guest passes (temporary guest passes are only given once dues are paid in full for the year).
5. Get your funsteader passes
Once you have received you passes, you have finally got yourself into the acres. The next step is to get a golf cart!
Other recommendations
We also encourage you to register on this website (funstead.org) and let us know of your interest to buy a lot. When you register with funstead.org you have the opportunity to ask current members questions and you will have access to more content that you may find valuable. You will also have the option to sign up for the newsletter and/or notifications when content and comments are added to the site.
Here's some IACT contact info to help you on your way...
- Admin office phone: 540-582-6314
- Admin office fax: 540-582-3246
- President’s office phone: 540-582-6314
- President’s office email: iactinc@indianacres.org
- Secretary's email: iactsecretary@indianacres.org
- Recreation center phones: 540-582-3260, 540-582-6314
- Club house phone: 540-582-3624
- Site control office phone: 540-582-6314
- Site control office email: iactsitecontrol@indianacres.org
- Police/security phones: 540-582-5532, 540-582-6314
- Police/security CB channel: 9
- Trading post phone: 540-582-9001
- Po River Water & Sewer phone: 540-582-2184
- Maintenance phone: 540-582-5002
- Mailing address: P O Box 120, Thornburg, VA 22565
- Street address: 6437 Morris Rd, Spotsylvania, VA 22553
- Click here for directions
- Click here for map
We also have contact information for individuals familiar with the IACT processes that can help you with legal paperwork for the deed transfer (very reasonable rates). Just let us know!
Also, feel free to use the contact page here or register for an account to ask questions in the forum.
