Aug. 26, 2007 - Change in Management Companies - What to Expect

Last week in the mail were notices from the Board of Directors stating that WSPS will be the new management company for the Townhomes at Red Hawk HOA effective September 1, 2007.  A Vantage Properties has begun receiving calls and e-mails from homeowners with questions about this change, record transfer, and payment history.

• Payment history - After the close of business on August 31, 2007, A Vantage Properties will print out statements showing current balances for each property within the community.  These statements will show all payments received as of the close of business on the 31st, any credits, and any balances due.  WSPS will also receive payment arrangement information as well as information on those accounts that are in collections with the attorney.
• Transfer of Records - A Vantage Properties has been supplying WSPS with community information for the last several weeks.  This will assist them until they receive the entire records for the community the first week of September.  They will not only be receiving all of the paper records that A Vantage Properties has, they will also receive copies of all the electronic records that A Vantage Properties has.  These records include property files, e-mails, bills, etc.  A Vantage Properties has attempted to keep all records that we've received for the last two years in electronic format to make it easier for an owner to request files per the Records Retention and Inspection Policy.  Records that A Vantage Proprties does not have include those meetings and workshops that were held by the Board of Directors which A Vantage Properties were not notified or present for.
• Paylease Payments - Effective September, 1, 2007, A Vantage Properties will instruct Paylease to no longer accept HOA payments for The Townhomes at Red Hawk.  According to the letter from WSPS, if an owner would like to set up EFT's between WSPS and their bank account, they must contact WSPS for the required paperwork.
• Payment Delivery - It appears from the letter forwarded by WSPS that all payments must be forwarded to their mailing address and not the seperate address for The Townhomes at Red Hawk.  Please ensure that all payments are mailed in time to reach WSPS as you won't be able to run to the UPS Store at 6pm on the 10th to ensure your payment is received and credited as of the 10th.

A Vantage Properties has enjoyed working with the Townhomes at Red Hawk over the last 3 years.  We will be available to the homeowners if there are any questions during this switch as we want to make it as easy for you, the homeowner, as possible. 

Please remember, that A Vantage Properties is available for any of your single family property management and leasing needs if you decide that you would like to lease your property within the Townhomes at Red Hawk.

Thank you - Wendy Frenzel, President - A Vantage Properties

Jul. 16, 2007 - July 2007 Landscaping Update

Thank you to the residents and owners that called or e-mailed saying that they noticed that the grass in areas of the community was looking like it was stressing with the heat!

Even though some stress is normal during the very hot and low moisture times of the year (dependant on shade and time of day the sun hits an area), with the input from the community, some bad valves and bad irrigation line wires were found.  DCMR has been able to repair these items and are adding additional water to those areas within the community that need it to help green it up.  Brown grass does not mean dead grass - it just depends on the root system and the root system in the community, where it has not been destroyed by animals, is still very much alive and strong.

Did you know...

• that for the 17 acres of The Townhomes at Red Hawk is served by a total of 9 irrigation clocks? 
• there are no more than 129 zones within the community?
• there are usually 5 to 6 single family homes within per acre in Castle Rock with at least 4 zones per home including drip lines for shrubs and trees?
• that each zone within the Townhomes at Red Hawk community covers a lot of area so when one zone goes down, a large area will appear stressed?
• the ET clocks showed areas of weakness within the irrigation system?  Prior to the ET clocks, additional water was added to zones to accomodate those areas that needed more water causing over watering in other areas.  The ET clock system does not allow for over watering to compensate.  The Board of Directors has authorized some sprinkler head changes to allow for better coverage in some areas where weaknesses were found in the system.  More may be found and corrected as cost effectively as possible over the coming year or two.

Again, thank you to those residents and owners that helped notify A Vantage Properties there were concerns in areas of the irrigation system!  Please keep up the good work!

May. 24, 2007 - Grill Safety

Apr. 26, 2007 - New Board of Director Member

Apr. 26, 2007 - Street Sweeping Time

May 8th & 9th have been scheduled for the annual street sweeping within The Townhomes at Red Hawk HOA.  On these days, please ensure that vehicles are off site or are parked within your garage to ensure that the sweepers can do the best job possible.

Thank you!

Apr. 26, 2007 - Community Garage Sale Time

It's Community Garage Sale time again at The Townhomes at Red Hawk HOA.  Mark May 4, 5, and 6 on your calendar for the Spring Sale.  There is no need to preregister - just open your garage door and you are ready to go.  The dates are being advertised within the Castle Rock paper and sister papers.  Signs will be put up directing individuals to your community.

Apr. 26, 2007 - April 24 Snow Removal

Mar. 1, 2007 - New Board of Director Members

At the 2007 Annual Homeowner meeting for the Townhomes at Red Hawk, the following homeowners were elected to the Board of Directors: Ralph Cole, Chris Gould, and Eugene Plummer.  These new Board Members were elected to a 2 year term and join Mary Carter and Bob Sorok on the Board of Directors.  This Board of Directors has a lot of information to go through so please be patient with them.

Thank you to all of the homeowners present at the meeting that volunteered to run for the Board of Directors.  For 3 positions there were 8 candidates! 

Also, a big thank you to the outgoing Board Members - Chuck Micale and Bill Garza.

Feb. 2, 2007 - Insurance Coverage when Mother Nature Strikes

Feb. 2, 2007 - More on Ice Damming

Jan. 30, 2007 - Garage Doors

1. Aesthetics: Plain and simple, an open garage door is an unsightly addition to the neighborhood.  While your neighbor may be proud of his collection of boxes, beer bottles, and risqué posters, not everyone else share his sentiments.  I’m certain you’ve heard the expression, “less is more.”  Seeing less of what others store in their garages is really more appealing.
2. Comfort: Is it warmer in your garage than it is outside?  If your garage door is closed, yes it is.  Leaving the garage door open exposes a large section of interior wall, an entry door, and your water heater exposed to the cold.  Close the garage door and you help insulate your home, your cars, and your water heater (that’s probably already working overtime just trying to keep your water hot).
3. Safety: Do you lock the door between your home and the garage?  If not, you’ve just eliminated a formable deterrent blocking someone from entering your home.  Close that garage door and protect yourself, your family, your pets, and your possessions.
4. Theft: Now, what if you do have something nice in your garage?  An open garage door is an open invitation for the five-finger-discount.  Why pay for what is easily and readily accessible for free at the nearest open garage?  After all, you didn’t like those antiques that your grandmother left you?  Did you?  Close the door and reduce the risk that your valuables walk off with someone else.

Jan. 25, 2007 - For Sale, Political, and Announcement Signs

Throughout the year we see homeowners, REALTORS, and residents put up signs throughout the community to support a political candidate or referendum, to list a home for sale or lease, or to announce a joyous event in their lives.  Please remember that these signs should be located in the "yard" or window for each unit and not within the common areas of the community.

Locations where signs or flier boxes should not be:
Fences
Exterior walls
Garages
Roofs
Behind Garages, and
Any landscaped area that is maintained in any form by the HOA

Locations where signs or flier box should be:
Inside the property in the windows
Inside the fence line in the property yard freestanding and not attached to the fence or the building, and
Fliers can be located on the announcement board in one of the flier boxes.

Hope this helps clarifies where signs can be placed.  Signs that are placed incorrectly can result in removal and/or fines.

Jan. 25, 2007 - Snow Removal Equipment

We've been receiving some calls and e-mails in regards to the "bobcat" that is located at the community.  DCM&R is the snow removal contractor for the community and have found with the large amount of snow that the community has been receiving over the last 5 weekends (weekend 6 of snow fall is approaching) they have found that leaving the "bobcat" at the community allows them to better serve the community in snow removal.  When snow gets too deep, they are unable to pull the trailer that the "bobcat" rides on from community to community, thus requiring some communities to miss out on the snow clearing capabilities.  Without the "bobcat", snow removal costs increase as more hand shoveling is required.

Yes, parking in the community is a premium when those in the community do not utilize their garages for parking and a "bobcat" parked within the community takes up one of those spaces.  The question though should be, is the community willing to pay more for snow removal if the "bobcat" is not at the community and accessible freeing up one parking space, or is it better for the community to have the "bobcat" at the community to help with all the snow removal?

Jan. 25, 2007 - Foreclosures and Bankruptcy Effects on the Community

Those that live in Colorado believe that the state is great.  Colorado has held the distinction of being number one in healthy people, great hiking, and so much more.  One distinction that Colorado I'm sure didn't want - to be number one in foreclosures in 2006.

Why is it important to the Townhomes at Red Hawk community to know about the foreclosure rates in Colorado?  Foreclosures and bankruptcies within your community effect your community greatly.

Each time a bank gets a home back because of a foreclosure, the bank sells the home for what they have invested into it or the best offer.  Banks are not in the business to hold onto homes and wait for the value to go up - they are in the business to loan money and charging interest to make money.  When these sales prices are low, the comparibles for sales numbers for the community are lower.  This means those looking to purchase within the community sees a home that sold for lower than others listed and will try and negotiate the price down. 

If the homeowner that is foreclosed on owes money to the HOA for assessments, the HOA has their hands tied in what they can actually collect in past dues.  Per the community's collection policy, when a homeowner is behind in an amount equal to two month's worth of dues and late charges, the account begins moving towards the attorney for them to seek further legal collection procedures.  If someone is going through a bankruptcy or a foreclosure, they are usually having a hard time of it with their finances and we all know that getting "blood from a turnip" is difficult - so is getting money from someone that hasn't any.  So these owners are having a hard time, but they are receiving the benefits of the community's resources without paying for it if they are choosing not to put their duties to the community ahead of the car, the doctor bills, the housing bills, the food bills, the electrical, the credit card, and ...  There are some owners that are in a financially poor position but they choose to keep their dues current because they see the value they are receiving and don't want to see the rest of the community pay for their services - to them I say "Thank You!"

The attorney and the HOA must conduct collection procedures by following the fair credit acts and other laws to protect those that owe money.  Some remedies are to garnish wages, file a judgement in court, put the home into receivership, and others. 

Once notice to foreclose has been sent out from the bank though, the HOA has some recourse.  HOA assessments are first lien holders and collect up to 6 months of past dues from the bank that is foreclosing going back from the date of the notice.  This doesn't include late fees, but assessments are good to have.  Those assessments that go back further than 6 months from the notice to foreclose are still owed by the homeowner that has lost their property in foreclosure but you've lost some of the remedies available to collect these dues.  Many times these dues should be written off as the HOA most likely will not see them.

With bankruptcies, the court determines what the HOA is able to collect.  Sometimes the courts state that all past due dues are wiped out - the HOA then needs to write those costs off.  Sometimes the court determines that a portion is owed to the HOA and the receiver for the court collects the funds and forwards them to the HOA.  While someone is in bankruptcy proceedings and has not been discharged yet, the HOA and collection attorney have their hands tied in regards to what can be done towards collecting these fees.  The HOA can file motions to the court asking for relief but we are finding those costs are more than what is due so the Board of Directors must decide how much money to spend in these cases or what is budgeted.

Your Board of Directors, HOA Management Company, and collection attorneys do everything within their power to collect as many of the dues as possible.  What the community needs to remember is that foreclosures and bankruptcies do happen and there isn't anything that these three can do to stop them.  What we can all do though, is help out our neighbors and remember that even with hard times, keep paying your dues so your neighbors aren't paying for your water service, your trash service, and all of the other items that dues pays for.  By everyone paying, you will help keep dues from being increased to cover required write offs.

Jan. 24, 2007 - Great HOA Resources

Today A Vantage Properties posted some great resources for Associations.

Want to know how the laws past by Colorado are affecting your community?

Want to just learn more about association living?

Thinking about running for a position on the Board of Directors and want a guide to serving?

These and a few more items are covered in the A Vantage Properties blog posted today.  Don't miss it!

Jan. 22, 2007 - Snow Removal Costs

Can we say that snow is expensive?  It's great for the high country and bringing dollars into the state of Colorado for recreation but when it comes in big doses to the Front Range of Colorado it brings high costs and declarations of "State of Emergency" to allow for federal dollars to aid in the cost of removal.

Between December 18, 2006 and January 8, 2007 the Colorado Department of Transportation has spent $7.1 million dollars on snow removal for the front range and eastern plains and that number is expected to grow as the bills finish coming in. 

Here are some comparisons:

Denver proper (not the suburbs) has spent $3.7 million for the same time period. 

The Townhomes at Red Hawk has spent $19,935 for snow removal during the snows between December 18, 2006 and January 8, 2007 over the 17 acres within the community.  To help the community if any large snows fall, the snow removal company the community is under contract with is leaving a CAT within the community as it is impossible to bring it to the community on a trailer with large snows.

Some HOA's are pulling money from reserves to pay for snow removal.  Others are looking at special assessments (a "one time" charge) to cover the snow removal expenses.  While other communities are finding that they do not have the funds in any of their accounts (operating or reserves) and that the homeowners will not authorize a special assessment to cover the snow removal expenses. 

I'm sure everyone in the Denver Metro area is hoping that the snow will slow down.  Yes, the moisture will be good for our water reserves and the plants but where can all of the snow piles go?  I know that my mom that lives downstream between the North Platte and South Platte river is going to make sure that her flood insurance will cover everything when the snow begins to melt.

Jan. 20, 2007 - Dues - What do they cover?

One question that A Vantage Properties receives, "What does the dues I pay cover?"

The monthly dues for The Townhomes at Red Hawk HOA include the following: water service, sewer service, trash service, insurance for common areas, snow removal, landscaping services, street maintenance within the community, electric for garage lights and street lights within the community, exterior maintenance, management company services, reserves for future repairs and replacements, and other miscellaneous items.

Did you know that if each homeowner needed to contract for their own trash and recycling services with a tote (trash can) the service would run anywhere from $15 to $20 per month?  So add that to the amount you would pay each month without an HOA including this as part of the dues.

If someone had a single family home the size and make up of each townhome, they would be paying an additional $25 a month (minimum) for insurance on the single family home.  So add that to the amount you would pay each month without an HOA including this as part of the dues.

Per Castle Rock's December newsletter, Town Talk, which was included with the water bills the HOA pays, the town of Castle Rock discusses the increases in their charges for service.  The charge for wastewater has increased by 14% for 2007 alone!  On their web site, the Town of Castle Rock discusses where their water rates are in regards to the entire Denver Metro Area stating that they are not the highest but in the top tier - Broomfield and Roxborough are higher than Castle Rock.  A base rate for Castle Rock single family homes in 2006 was $55 during non summer months and $100 during the summer months, making the average monthly water bill for a year $75 per month.  So add that to the amount you would pay each month without an HOA including this as part of the dues.

If you lived in a single family home and hired the "neighborhood teen" to mow the yard, the average charge is $25 per mow.  Over a course of a summer, bare bones minimum, you would be paying $500.  Divide that per month and at a minimum your average would be $42 per month paid towards lawn maintenance.  So add that to the amount you would pay each month without an HOA including this as part of the dues.

If you lived in a single family home and hired that "neighborhood teen" to now clear the drive and walkway for each snow fall, the average charge for an inch of snow would be $25 per clearing.  This one is a tough one to find an average as the season this year has not been average but per the television stations the average snow fall for the metro area is 35 inches.  With this average and a charge fo $25 per inch we would be looking at $875 total to clear snow, which divided over a year would be $73.  So add that to the amount you would pay each month without an HOA including this as part of the dues.

So far we are up to a total "cost" of $235 per month with dues as of this writing being only $150.  And we've not even talked about putting money away into savings for the roof that needs to be replaced every 15 years or so, or the exterior painting that will need to be completed every 5 to 10 years, or the replacement of trees and shrubs that didn't survive the winter, or the electrical for the garage lighting and street lights within the community, or someone to coordinate contracts and repairs, or tax preparation, or the repair and replacement of gutters, windows, and ...  If you were putting money away each month into reserves complete these items (capital improvement) you would be looking at another $144.50 per month.

Most people move into a townhome or condominium community for two reasons - the price to invest is usually lower (the price of the property) and the need to complete exterior maintenance is minimal.  I don't believe that people purchase a condo or townhome to loose their investment value because of neglect of the common areas or to get services for free.  With that in mind, currently, the owners of The Townhomes at Red Hawk are receiving a value worth $379.50 per month for only $150.  What a deal can be found in the dues at The Townhomes At Red Hawk Homeowner's Association!

As of April 1, 2007 dues for The Townhomes At Red Hawk increases to $175.  This is still a great deal!

Jan. 11, 2007 - Wastewater Rate Changes

In November of 2006, the Town Council for Castle Rock accepted a recommendation that was brought in front of them to increase the wastewater rate that is charged to its customers.  In January 2007 the monthly base wastewater service charge will increase.  The average increase for non-residential customers, which the Townhomes at Red Hawk is considered, will increase by 14%.  Castle Rock is in the top third of water rate charges along the front range with Roxborough and Broomfield still being higher.

For more information about Castle Rock's water plans visit http://www.townofcastlerock.org/Page.asp?NavID=680