137 replies to this topic

[bordercolliefan]

I agree with you Orangetj.

It sounds like you picked your home for all the right reasons.

[palango]

With respect to the OP's issues with falling home values, etc, I think it's important to point out that this is happening everywhere, not just Serrano.

Yes, but THE majority of MLS listings and Foreclosures in EDH is where??? Serrano, EDH.

In one street alone, I saw one foreclosure, one short sale and 6 listings. The HOA tries to feed a bunch of crap that the Serrano area tends to "maintain" its value compared to Non gated communities. That all proved to be false.
Furthermore, they (HOA) is a bunch of thieves calling themselves a mutual company.When is the last time the HOA returned some dues back to its members? never.
Competitive bidding process and saving member $$ are not a priority to the HOA. I would not be surprised if they jack up the HOA rates again due to "escalated costs".

[Orangetj]

It wouldn't surpise me if the majority of EDH listings are in Serrano, for two main reasons:

1. The Serrano development is probably the largest single development in EDH. Proportionately, it makes sense that there would be more homes for sale in this neighborhood than in any other.
2. It always seems that there is more movement of homes within newer developments than in older neighborhoods. Folsom listing tend to bear this out as well. Take a look at listings in the Parkway and Empire Ranch in comparison with those in the Central and Historic districts, for example.

[Orangetj]

With respect to the HOA being a bunch of "thieves", I honestly can't say that I know because I haven't really delved into their inner workings. I will say that a lack of a competitive bidding process might be concerning, but competitive bidding does not always result in the best service. Public works projects are a prime example of the quality of work often performed by the lowest bidder. Sometimes okay, sometimes bad, seldom excellent. It is conceivable that the HOA has established business relationships with certain vendors who they know will perform well. If the landscape maintenance I've seen in every part of the development I've visited is any indication, I'd say they have pretty good vendors providing those services.

[Guest1971]

The funny thing is that I know someone who will have her home foreclosed anyways and she is making the lives of the HOA a living hell. I mean leaving her trash bin out for three weeks straight on the street and breaking every conceivable rule that the HOA has in their stupid book. She will have garage sale signs and paint her satelite dish red and have a big American flag drapped all over the front. She probably has 20-30 parking tickets from their security.

I say good for her. Those idiots at the HOA office that have nothing better to do are taking some serious tums/rolaids.

[stacycam]

I used to live in the Parkway, and I have to agree that the HOA are not the best folks. I had some extensive experience with them, not involving violations, and they were pretty bad. When we sold our house, we vowed never to live in a Parker Development home again. My impression of them is that they are the type of people on a power trip. By being part of the HOA, they felt big and powerful.

As for your experience at Serrano, I'm sorry you feel so badly about it. We considered Serrano about five years ago, and we were lucky enough to have a great real estate agent who gave us the full story and helped us decide it was not for us.

[Orangetj]

The funny thing is that I know someone who will have her home foreclosed anyways and she is making the lives of the HOA a living hell. I mean leaving her trash bin out for three weeks straight on the street and breaking every conceivable rule that the HOA has in their stupid book. She will have garage sale signs and paint her satelite dish red and have a big American flag drapped all over the front. She probably has 20-30 parking tickets from their security.

I say good for her. Those idiots at the HOA office that have nothing better to do are taking some serious tums/rolaids.

Let me get this straight...this person's home is being foreclosed upon, which has nothing to do with the HOA and everything to do with her inability to meet her obligation to her lender but she is taking out her frustration on the HOA and her neighbors. Sounds like a super person. I doubt she'll be missed.

[Andrea V]

The funny thing is that I know someone who will have her home foreclosed anyways and she is making the lives of the HOA a living hell. I mean leaving her trash bin out for three weeks straight on the street and breaking every conceivable rule that the HOA has in their stupid book. She will have garage sale signs and paint her satelite dish red and have a big American flag drapped all over the front. She probably has 20-30 parking tickets from their security.

I say good for her. Those idiots at the HOA office that have nothing better to do are taking some serious tums/rolaids.

Sounds pretty WT I bet a lot of the serrano people are VERY glad to see your friend GO!!!

[palango]

How bad is Foreclosures in Serrano???

3 on the same street.

One bank owned property is LISTED @ 501k when it was worth $650k a year and a half ago. Talk about a nose dive.

[ChipShot]

Wow, I had no idea Serrano has so many issues. I played golf there Saturday. Very nice club. You better tuck your shirt in. Nice course with some nice, big homes. I'll take Folsom...

[Orangetj]

I wouldn't say it has a particularly large number of "issues". We've lived here now for about 5 months and absolutely love the place - impeccably kept up, quiet, nice people, walking trails, parks, dark night skies and uncrowded streets. It's no secret that home prices have fallen here, as they've fallen everywhere. Our friends with a Parkway home had it on the market for 6+ months and ended up lowering the price $50K over that same period to sell the place for about $100K less than it would have been worth a year or so ago. That's just the market.

Folsom and EDH are both nice places to live with different "pluses and minuses".

[palango]

$30,000 per year = the amount of money the association wastes on maitaing the stupid lake with the little waterfall. This is peoples $$ that they are wasting. Some people are in denial or they like the association because everything is super clean and lots of trees, but who pays for all the maintenance???

Is there a competitive bidding process??? nope. You know how it is in the hick glof clubhouse dont you?

Give that landscape contract to your golf buddy. Give the security contrcat to your poker buddy. Who cares about the association members.

People are absolutely braindamaged when they do not challenge the association. Its very well documented that Serrano El Dorado BY FAR is the strictest association in the ENTIRE US of A. They even fought and LOST a court battle against someone who wanted to put solar panels on his roof which he can do according to the various state and federal mandates.

[Orangetj]

Its very well documented that Serrano El Dorado BY FAR is the strictest association in the ENTIRE US of A.

Hmmm...ever heard of Gold River?

How much do you think it should cost to maintain the pond and waterfall at the park or to keep up the greenbelts and all of the community parks? Is $30K really a ridiculous amount? I'd certainly rather that the HOA spend what it takes to maintain that park in it's very beautiful state than cut the funds off and have a nasty cesspool, crabgrass infested parks and poorly maintained facilities. Certainly there are people who don't place a value on such things. For those folks, there are plenty of other places to live.

[mylo]

I love people that complain about homeowners. What was the price when you bought the place? When you signed up to commit to pay it? Has it gone up so drastically since then that you now feel the right to complain?

[Orangetj]

Funny, isn't it? It's not like the HOA or the dues are a secret that home buyers don't learn about until after they've signed the papers to purchase the home. It's a bit like going off to a private university and then complaining about tuition.