thethe ViewView December 2015 Bob & Trudy Campbell Dirty Laundry Vineyard Story on page 22xx Photo by Beth Bolduc Important Contact Numbers SUN CITY SHADOW HILLS Sun City Shadow Hills Community Association COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 80-814 Sun City Boulevard, Indio, CA 92203 Hours of Operation 760-345-4349 · www.scshca.com Association Office Montecito Clubhouse . 760-772-9617 Monday – Friday · 9 AM – 12 PM, 1 – 4 PM Montecito Clubhouse Fax . 760-772-9891 First Saturday of the Month · 8 AM – 12 PM Montecito Fitness Center . 760-772-0430 Santa Rosa Clubhouse . 760-342-2850 Lifestyle Desk Santa Rosa Clubhouse Fax . 760-342-5976 Daily · 8 AM – 5 PM Ceasar Larrach, General Manager Montecito Clubhouse [email protected] . 760-345-4349 Ext. 225 Daily · 6 AM – 10 PM Richard Smetana, Assistant General Manager [email protected] . 760-345-4349 Ext. 227 Montecito Fitness Center Ozzie Lopez, Facility Maintenance Director Daily · 5 AM – 8 PM [email protected]. 760-347-6780 Ext. 202 Santa Rosa Clubhouse Evangeline Gomez, Lifestyle and Fitness Director Daily · 5 AM – 10 PM [email protected]. 760-772-0430 Ext. 231 Liz Gutierrez, Lifestyle Coordinator Shadows Restaurant [email protected] . 760-772-9617 Ext. 241 Monday – Friday · 10:30 AM – 8 PM Veronica Moya, Lifestyle Coordinator Monday Night Football Happy Hour · 4 PM – 8 PM [email protected] . 760-772-9617 Ext. 243 Saturday – Sunday · 8 AM – 8 PM Gus Ramirez, Communications Manager [email protected] . 760-342-2850 Ext. 204 Montecito Café Tony Chavez, Director of Golf Operations Daily · 8 AM – 2 PM [email protected] . 760-200-3375 Ext. 221 David Archer, Community Safety Director Santa Rosa Bistro [email protected] . 760-342-2850 Ext. 202 Daily · 6 AM – 4 PM Main Gate House . 760-345-4458 Golf Snack Bar Phase III Gate House . 760-342-4725 Daily · 6 AM – 4 PM Sales Office . 760-772-5400 Shadow Hills Golf Club. 760-200-3375 All hours are subject to change. Shadows Restaurant. 760-772-4342 Visit www.scshca.com for the latest hours. Sun City Shadow Hills Community Association Board of Directors Joan Dzuro, President [email protected] . 760-347-6496 John Council, Vice President / Secretary [email protected] . 760-360-9331 The View is published monthly by the Sun City Shadow Hills Community Association. This publication is copyrighted and may not be Stu Stryker, Treasurer reproduced or reprinted without the written permission of SCSHCA. [email protected]. 760-469-3922 Mission Statement Erica Hedlund, Member at Large To promote the community and recognize the individuals [email protected] . 760-200-1939 who contribute to the identity of the community, and to impart information relevant to the community as a whole. Vicki Berg, Director SCSHCA Communications Advisory Committee [email protected] . 760-772-0577 Shaun Casey, Chair; Beth Bolduc; Arnold Choy; Lee Powell; Sid Weiss. For warranty or customer service needs concerning Staff your home, please email: [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Ceasar Larrach, General Manager All warranty issues and questions must go through this email. Production Manager: Evangeline Gomez, Lifestyle and Fitness Director You will receive an auto-reply stating your email has been received. To inquire about articles, content, and advertising – or to submit stories for publication – please contact Gus Ramirez, Communications Mailbox Repair . Ozzie Lopez, 760-347-6780 Ext. 202 Manager, at [email protected] or 760-342-2850, ext. 204. 2 December 2015 theView 10. The golf communities with the lowest monthly HOA Fees were: SCSH $217; Sun Lakes $236; SC Palm Desert $239; Portola $278; Golf Club at La Quinta President’s $288; Indian Springs $290; Thunderbird $292; The Palms $335; Heritage Palms $350; Avondale $363; and Palm Desert Resort $390. Report 11. SCSH monthly HOA Fees are the lowest of any HOA golf community in the Valley and are about 35% below the CV HOA Fees average, according to a recent article BY JOAN DZURO in the Desert Sun. PRESIDENT 12. Four HOA golf communities with characteristics similar to SCSH were also compared: SCSH, SC Palm Desert, A study was recently completed by John Hoffner, a Sun Lakes, and Heritage Palms. Two were professionally new resident of SCSH, at his initiative, which analyzed managed – Sun Lakes and SCSH. Two were self- managed – Heritage Palms and SCPD. the management structures of HOAs in the Coachella 13. Monthly HOA Fees of these four HOA golf communities Valley and the financial performance comparisons are: SCSH $217, Sun Lakes $236, SCPD $239, and of SCSH HOA to some other HOA-owned golf Heritage Palms $350. communities of similar size and composition of 14. Reserves Funding Levels of these four HOA golf amenities. The Board has reviewed this study, has had communities are: SCSH 90%, Sun Lakes 78%, Heritage it validated by an independent CPA firm, believes Palms 65%, and SCPD 56%. it provides helpful, fact-based information about 15. A comparison of the 2014 audited financial statements and 2015 operating budgets for these four HOA golf HOA management and our community, and as such, News from the Board has authorized its publication and distribution to communities on: Monthly HOA Fees, Reserves Funding, G&A Admin Expense % of Revenues, and Surplus or all residents. Deficit % of Revenues showed the following: John Hoffner: “As a new resident, I felt it was • SCSH had the highest Operating Surplus % of important to obtain some facts about how our Revenues of these four communities. community compares to others, and how other HOAs • SCSH had the lowest G&A Admin Expense % of in the Coachella Valley are managed, so residents Revenues. could make informed and knowledgeable decisions • SCSH had the highest Reserves Funding Level. about living here. I undertook the study with no • SCSH had the lowest Monthly HOA Fees, and pre-conceived ideas or point of view, and with no the lowest Fees of any HOA golf community in the influence from any group or entity. My singular Valley. The two professionally managed communities have objective was to provide all of my SCSH friends and the lowest monthly HOA Fees, the lowest G&A neighbors with some objective, non-personal, and Admin Expense % of Revenues, and the highest big-picture information which could serve to make all Reserves Funding Levels. of us more informed and bring us closer together.” The two self-managed communities have the A summary of the Study Highlights is as follows: highest monthly HOA Fees, the highest G&A Admin 1. There are approximately 550 HOA communities in the Coachella Valley. Expense % of Revenues, and the lowest Reserves 2. Roughly 95% of them are managed by professional Funding Levels. management companies. In addition to comparing HOA communities on 3. About 5% of them are self-managed. these fact-based and objective measures, it is also 4. Approximately 85% of all professionally managed HOAs important to evaluate them on the breadth and quality are managed by just 8 firms. of the amenities and services they offer, as well as on 5. Those firms are Personalized Property Management the strength of and results delivered by their Boards (113); Associa/PCM (95); Desert (60); J&W (55); and management, to ensure that property values and Joanne Allen (47); Management Trust (38); Albert (27); community desirability have been and will continue and Avail (19). 6. Of these firms, Associa/PCM has the second largest to be sustained over time. market share and arguably the most prominent HOA In considering both types of measures, it clearly client list: SCSH, Toscana, Thunderbird, Rancho La appears that Sun City Shadow Hills compares quite Quinta, Traditions, Hideaway, Rancho Las Palmas, favorably on these important metrics to many other Tamarisk, Palm Valley, Woodhaven, and Madison Estates. HOA communities; is part of the vast majority of 7. Some of the most prominent self-managed HOAs are: Coachella Valley HOAs which are professionally Sun City Palm Desert, Heritage Palms, The Lakes, Big managed; and is partnered with one of the strongest Horn, and Marrakesh. and most successful management companies in the 8. Approximately 58 HOA communities owned one or Coachella Valley. more full size golf courses. 9. In these HOA golf communities, monthly HOA fees ranged from $217 to $1,100. Joan Log on to www.scshca.com December 2015 3 Meet a Board Member You’ve probably read short biographies about our HOA Board members during a past election campaign. And maybe you’ve heard them speak during a monthly Board business meeting. But have you really had the chance to get to know them personally? If not, please read on. she sold the answering services and submitted applications adhere to retired to Marin. Vicki finally made SCSH guidelines. She volunteered it back to southern California for our Board in order to continue around 2000 when she sold her making contributions to our house in Marin and relocated to community. One of Vicki’s many Laguna Woods Village in Orange goals as a Board member is to reach County to help care for her out to residents, listen to their godmother until she passed away. concerns, and find ways to bring Vicki came to SCSH the way many balance to the community. Chief of us did — by accident rather than among these goals is her desire to by design. Around 2005, her cousin ensure SCSH has fair rules and in Palm Desert asked her to dog sit regulations. for a month. While there, she drove Vicki’s favorite thing about living Vicki Berg around the area looking at open here is that we have a lovely, safe, and BY PHYLLIS COHEN houses and found SCSH. Although comfortable community that offers How many of us would answer an ad she originally intended to buy a many options and opportunities for in the International Herald Tribune home here as an investment to rent residents.