HOAs in Saddlebrooke (Phoenix: apartment, foreclosures, homeowners association)

[nescooter]

I was looking at Zillow for houses in Saddlebrooke- a couple of years ago I remember the HOAs being around $200/month — have they really gone up to $270?

[stiffnecked]

Why would you ever move some where that had an HOA? You give up control of your property to someone else. Might as well live in an apartment.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

Why would you ever move some where that had an HOA? You give up control of your property to someone else. Might as well live in an apartment.

That's one side of the coin, the other side is you get benefits that you may want from the HOA. We own 3 houses in Arizona and all have HOA's, yes it can be aggravating at times to deal with the HOA but they also deliver amenities that many desire.

We looked at some houses in Saddlebrook a few weeks ago....I don't remember exactly but it seemed like around $300/month....just looked at some homes listed in Saddlebrook and they showed an HOA of $170/mo, I hope someone with more knowledge will update with the latest.

[Bummer]

Merely addressing the HOA's total cost can be very misleading.

Comparing the benefits covered such as Recreational Offerings, Water, Trash Pick-Up and Landscape Maintenance to point out just a few varies greatly from HOA to HOA.

Good Luck.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Merely addressing the HOA's total cost can be very misleading.

Comparing the benefits covered such as Recreational Offerings, Water, Trash Pick-Up and Landscape Maintenance to point out just a few varies greatly from HOA to HOA.

Good Luck.

True, the HOA (of the 3 houses with HOA we own) that is the most expensive is actually the best deal given the amenities provided versus the others.

[wildflowers27]

Here's the little bit I know. There are two Homeowners Associations in Saddlebrooke -- Saddlebrooke One and Saddlebrooke Two. Maybe one HOA is higher than the other because it's newer?

Robson is the developer of Saddlebrooke and Quail Creek. I saw on the Quail Creek site that they're currently voting on whether to add a Community Improvement Fee when a house is sold. If the fee doesn't go through, they will need to raise HOA dues. The money will be pooled for ten years before it's used (if I'm understanding correctly). At some point they should add another gym/fitness center to accommodate all the new residents as it grows.

This has info on the proposed fee and amending the Quail Creek CC&R's. It may or may not be relevant to your question on why the dues are now higher in Saddlebrooke. Since they're both Robson, I would think they're run similarly.

Community Improvement Fee (CIF)

[IC_deLight]

Originally Posted by wildflowers27

Here's the little bit I know. There are two Homeowners Associations in Saddlebrooke -- Saddlebrooke One and Saddlebrooke Two. Maybe one HOA is higher than the other because it's newer?

Robson is the developer of Saddlebrooke and Quail Creek. I saw on the Quail Creek site that they're currently voting on whether to add a Community Improvement Fee when a house is sold. If the fee doesn't go through, they will need to raise HOA dues. The money will be pooled for ten years before it's used (if I'm understanding correctly). At some point they should add another gym/fitness center to accommodate all the new residents as it grows.

This has info on the proposed fee and amending the Quail Creek CC&R's. It may or may not be relevant to your question on why the dues are now higher in Saddlebrooke. Since they're both Robson, I would think they're run similarly.

Community Improvement Fee (CIF)

This is just another racket. It's a "transfer fee". Why should any transfer fee be paid?
If there is truly a money issue then the assessments need to be increased over all - not randomly hitting a house here or there.

The covenant at issue provides "The Community Improvement Fee shall be deposited in the Association’s reserve fund and/or capital improvement fund, if any, and shall be used by the Association only for those purposes designated in the Association’s policies as adopted and amended by the Board from time to time for each of such funds, respectively." Good luck enforcing that as a homeowner - or trying to recover it as a homeowner when it has been embezzled or otherwise spent.

Also the one in particular imposes an additional cost on mortgagees as a result of foreclosures so it will probably get legislatively challenged - not that banks, etc. should be immune but rather because the whole concept is problematic.

Also no doubt the folks promoting this scheme did not disclose to the homeowners that the FHFA (conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) adopted rules prohibiting GSEs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from purchasing loans secured by properties that had transfer fees on them. The rule is not being enforced very well right now. But when it is being enforced just watch how that transfer fee supposedly implemented to preserve property value (NOT) will make your property virtually unmarketable. If the GSEs won't buy the loan then banks, etc. won't make those loans (nor should they). Just see what the value of the house is when 90% of the market for financing the purchase is gone. There was simply no reason to do this and you can see that the way they tried implementing it was to provide that the fee would be paid by the transferee (i.e., the buyer) and not the transferor (seller/voter).

[suaz]

I’m outside of a Phoenix in a community like this. My HOAs went from $270 to $350. They increased every year. I’m done. Soon they will be $500 a month. It’s a nightmare and will never buy in a community like this again.

[mddd]

HOA 2 which includes much of main Saddlebrooke and the Preserve area are well under 200 a month.

Some of the lowest of similar communities. Fees have not gone up much over the years and seems to have good handle on reserves.
Lots of amenities, roads, patrol etc included and the rules are very reasonable.

It is not run by developer anymore. The developer. does run Saddlebrooke Ranch which is the flat area out northwest of the main Saddlebrooke. Different communities. Developer added food and beverage minimum at Ranch. None of that affects main HOA2 at Saddlebrooke, just Ranch.

HOA 2 covers newer and still building out part of main Saddlebrooke and the Preserve area
There is HOA1 older part of main Saddlebrooke. All of main Saddlebrooke HOA1 and 2 share multiple clubhouses, pool complexes, access to multiple golf courses, libraries, multiple gyms and pools. With no additional cost except something like food or golf membership fees.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by suaz

I’m outside of a Phoenix in a community like this. My HOAs went from $270 to $350. They increased every year. I’m done. Soon they will be $500 a month. It’s a nightmare and will never buy in a community like this again.

What was the time frame to go from $270/mo to $359/mo? Inflation may be why it increased. Don't get me wrong, I would be suspicious as well but this may be a normal progression.