4/28/2022 37 Comments Just the facts?An email was sent to all homeowners from a CDAC member, Diane McAlpine with the username of “Community Design Advisory Committee". This was actually sent with Diane’s personal email ([email protected]). Diane McAlpine, led the Landscape revitalization presentations and told us that we have only this one opportunity to revitalize our landscape due to both rising labor costs and Loan interest rates.
This plan was presented as a $5.26 million project with additional interest payments totaling $ 2.1 million. Here is what Diane is personally promising: 1. No personal Liability (no mention of Future assessments or dues increases when the Loan interest rate resets in 7.5 years) 2. Annual interest costs of $117 per year (we do not have a loan commitment the interest amount is unknown) 3. No Impact on Freddie/Fannie Mortgage loan eligibility (Have we heard from the Consultant the HOA board hired to provide recommendations to fix our loan eligibility issues?) 4. Quote for Contractor is 5.26 Million (no bids have been solicited – the quote came from O’Connell) 5. Quote for Commercial Loan = 5% (we have no Loan commitment and no guarantee of interest rate after 7.5 years) 6. Three Bids Competitive Blind Anonymous Bidding (There have been no bids to date and the scope of work has not been defined for the 7 areas that will be rejuvenated. What are the vendors bidding on?) 7. Sell anytime - you never owe more than your last dues payment (if this turns out to be a bad deal, this is your only way out) The Blog would like to know your thoughts.
37 Comments
George
4/28/2022 09:55:12 am
This is a bad deal all around. I personally feel these committee members and various board members have no clue what the real world is about. I wonder when was the last time they had to go to borrow money at a bank. I wonder when the last time they actually did their due diligence when contracting work on their own property.
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Frank
4/28/2022 12:47:22 pm
I couldn't write NO on the ballot fast enough !!!!
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Kim
4/28/2022 02:08:44 pm
I only wish the Board was as zealous in tackling increasing crime within our community walls, working to get Desert Princess off the Do Not Lend List and would treat the owners with respect and honesty. Unless we encourage our friends and neighbors to vote NO, this disaster of a proposal will pass. Hopefully based on the way in which this whole thing was rolled out, due to the low quorum bar, the owners will have legal recourse to hold the Board accountable for what can only be described as a long-term, expensive and ill-fated fiasco.
CB
4/28/2022 10:18:58 am
I am beyond worried. A $5 million that will be more after interest is added is a HUGE commitment for something that: 1) is not imperative 2) has not been fully vetted - vendors 3) and is being pushed through as add-on to our HOA fees vs an assessment so less votes are required to get it passed.
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Leslie
4/28/2022 10:34:23 am
In answer to the last line in your astute summary of this fiasco in waiting, the answer is "Just about EVERYTHING is an unknown or blind guesses". This project is so bad, it is downright offensive to our community.
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Dave
4/28/2022 11:20:01 am
Thank you for operating this blog and giving voice to all homeowners.
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Tj
4/28/2022 11:39:52 am
3 people concerned.
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John Godwin
4/28/2022 12:30:46 pm
There is no question if this landscape project could be linked to property value increases the value position would change . Are the newer homes that were just built selling for more per sq ft then the older villas ? Again if there were the confidence that the new landscaping project would set DP as the premier property in CC than again a different value position .
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CB
4/28/2022 02:05:31 pm
If anyone knows how to get on the email list of the Your Money Matters postings, please let me know? Asking for a group of people who want to receive those emails!
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Helen
4/28/2022 04:30:49 pm
As a villa owner I don’t see any reason to vote yes in this landscape project. There is no benefit to villa owners. When I bought my villa four years ago it needed major landscaping in the rear patio and side courtyard. HOA does not help villa owners with this as I was told. So my husband and I spent over $8000 to beautify these areas. There is no benefit for us.
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Mary Maloney
5/1/2022 10:00:28 am
The clubhouse and restaurant WERE updated, can you believe it?.....someone just chose outdated design, colors, etc......it is such a shame.
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Anonymous
5/1/2022 01:56:20 pm
More unbelievably, that reno done a scarce 6 years ago was sole-sourced at the time for a cost in excess of $475,000.00. Imagine that much of our money spent for nothing better than an end result that is a facility that closely resembles an assisted living dining room.
owner at Desert Princess
5/15/2022 01:09:31 pm
Great ideas! I too would love to see a bar which is more inviting to sit at and meet new people! Something like Cactus Jacks bar or even Pacifica Lounge bar!
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4/28/2022 06:20:10 pm
Today, I received a well written and intelligent response to the email I sent to all the DP Board Members voicing my concerns about the Landscaping Revitalization Project. In my initial email to them I suggested an alternative method of financing this project rather than taking out an expensive loan. My questions were answered to my satisfaction and new information on this project was also given. There should be an email available to the DP Membership soon itemizing the latest details of the proposal. You know something folks? If we all approach someone with basic human kindness and respect when we have concerns to share I think it will work much better for everyone concerned. Becoming angry with others before we have all the facts in our possession only inflames the narrative. Please, let's all try to bring the temperature down a bit and treat others like we would like to be treated. Thank you.
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4/28/2022 06:49:17 pm
NO NO NO! I voted immediately! This multi million project is a sham. Our visitors always comment on how beautiful the grounds are. Are there a few improvements that would enhance our property? Of course! Certainly the aging and wind damaged trees should be addressed. I am greatly concerned over the fact routine care of the grounds of our villa
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Trevor M
4/28/2022 08:01:02 pm
What exactly are we homeowners/HOA putting up for collateral for this landscape project? Why is the CDAC and Board not telling the homeowners the whole story? Everything is a secret and on the hush hush. I wish the Board of Directors would start being honest with the homeowners and tell us all the facts about the loan for the landscape project. I would like to know what the terms of the loan are, are there any extra costs, who is the lender, the interest rate, how much exactly will my HOA dues be going up and what effect is this loan going to have on my property when I go to sell?
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Leslie
4/29/2022 03:35:31 pm
Based on the number of questions you have and lack of information available to answer those questions, voting NO on this proposition is the only course of action available to reasonable, informed owners. A 15 repayment plan on a multi- million dollar is hardly a "temporary" increase. For a good many residents, 15 years is potentially the rest of their natural lives.
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Terry
4/29/2022 06:43:50 pm
The lastest attempt by the HOA to placate homeowners on the large debt proposed for landscape revitalization arrived today, Friday, April 29th. It is all garbage. How can anyone know the 7 year Treasury rate 7 1/2 years ( 90 months) from now.
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Laurel Saunders
5/14/2022 07:09:15 pm
I completely agree with every point you have brought up!
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Dave
4/30/2022 06:12:51 am
With you 100% Terry
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Tom Rosa
4/30/2022 06:38:25 am
As someone who does this type of work as a profession, I suggest a NO vote. The scope is not clearly defined with no set of actual "bid docs" My understanding is that Oconell provided a budget number the posted $5.24 MM. The proper way to proceed would be to get a "bid set" produced. Do an RFP (request for price )from 3 qualified contractors then evaluate those. ( Cost , Escalation , Phasing ETC ) At that point, we would have a clear understanding of both scope and cost. The suggestion that we just approve a $5.24MM budget without a clearly defined scope is not prudent. Trust me, without a plan we will pay in excess of the original cost or get less for our money. ( Thats the desert contractor way ) We have time to work this process correctly. I suggest that would be the way to go. JUST SAY NO. BTW ,I offered the board my help years ago when this plan was conceived, I was told no thank you. Ask yourself why they would not want someone who manages large development projects to not be included in a large project like this.
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Michelle
4/30/2022 10:24:38 am
I find it absolutely mind boggling Tom, that you are the second owner with expertise in this area to have their offer of assistance to this project declined. Patrick Reynolds, a licensed Landscape architect, who also posted a blog on this issue, had his offer to help rejected as well. WTF???? For a project that requires our community to borrow millions of dollars, pledging our HOA dues and receivables as collateral, increasing our monthly dues "temporarily" by some $34.00 for 15 YEARS, with sketchy loan details released one week AFTER the ballots hit the owners doorsteps, why is the Board going out of its way to hamper its success. In my entire career as a banker, small business owner and federal legislator, I have never witnessed anything quite as disturbing as the thinking, process and rollout utilized in this project.
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Not fooled
4/30/2022 08:39:37 am
The only conclusion one could arrive at Tom, there is something nefarious going on, certainly the legality of the way the Board and the committee have acted is questionable at best. To turn down an offer of help such as the one you made to the Board is criminal and not acting in the best interests of the community as is required by fiduciaries. (The Board).
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Mary Maloney
5/1/2022 10:02:33 am
It's funny how the board claimed it would cost our HOA too much money to do a recall vote, but swiftly spent the money to do a HOA wide vote for their project....no mention of how much this VOTE is costing us. Just saying.
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Not Taken In
5/1/2022 12:21:00 pm
The latest attempted Con by the Board, now telling us not to worry about the $7.26 million millstone the Board is trying to put around our collective neck.
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Terry
5/1/2022 07:15:35 pm
The BOD is using smoke and mirrors as it pertains to the interest rate that will prevail when the loan "reset" kicks in 90 months from now. With current inflation at 8.5%, supply lines that could take years to unravel, worldwide political unrest with Europe involved in a hot war that could last for many years, financial markets exploding, etc., what could possibly go wrong?
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Laurel Saunders
5/14/2022 07:19:48 pm
Remember, this is not Mission Hills!
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5/14/2022 09:08:27 pm
Laurel, Do you know if Mission Hills and PGA West ever took out loans to upgrade their infrastructure? If so, when and how much was the loan? Was there ever a special assessment levied on the homeowners for improvements/repairs? If so, when and how much. I’m trying to understand your point. I’m not saying I’m in favor of the loan for DP. I am saying that a community like ours approaching the 40 year mark will inevitably need major remodeling. We all need to keep this in mind. I do not wish DP to start resembling the rest of Cathedral City, do you?
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Laurel Saunders
5/15/2022 12:59:21 pm
Hi Michael,
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5/15/2022 02:07:54 pm
I would like to ask everyone on this forum some serious questions, but first I would like to thank Laurel for her calm and intelligent response above. Secondly, please understand I have serious reservations regarding the CDAC Loan Proposal. However, there are many issues facing DP that will not go away if we ignore them. Our aging infrastructure is likely at the top of my list. As a former Board/Committee member in several other HOAs I think I can tell everyone what is likely to happen in the event the Loan Proposal is not passed. The Board will likely initiate a Special Assessment to all owners. No Board Member or Homeowner wants a Special Assessment, but sometimes they are financially necessary, especially as any development grows older. A Special Assessment will likely hurt many retirees much harder than a loan. The number one burning question I have for EVERYONE is what is your solution? What are your ideas to maintain our quality of life here? DP was started in 1985, I believe. The plumbing problems alone are getting worse, thanks primarily to our poor quality water. What is YOUR solution for dealing with this? Before anyone starts with the name calling, how about using your voice for positive change? If you can't do that, please don't "contribute" to this forum. There is enough misdirected anger out there to tolerate. We don't need it here. Practice basic human kindness, please.
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Leslie
5/16/2022 09:23:42 am
Michael, you have clearly missed the entire point of this blog. Questions are posed to elicit information and discussion as it relates to our community. It is not tasked with "coming up with better ideas" than those offered by the Board and the CDAC. They would be summarily dismissed by both those entities, as evidenced by 2 owners, experts in landscaping, offering their services to this project and being totally blown off by the Board.
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Hijacked
5/15/2022 04:28:51 pm
So there you have it folks, this is what a hijacked forum looks like, Michael, as an obvious sleeper representative of the Board and the CDAC is trying to hijack the forum from the 7 questions the blog asked. Seems he likes to do that on each of the blogs as they are published.
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5/16/2022 11:02:14 am
I thought the entire point of this blog was to exchange opinions, constructive criticism and alternative ideas if we don't agree with proposed programs affecting our residents and community in general. It's called a PUBLIC FORUM. If we have alternative ideas from what the Board/CDAC has, how is that a bad thing? NOWHERE have I seen constructive solutions for the problems facing our community on this blog. Why? I'll tell you why; it's because no one wants to spend the required money for addressing these issues. It's the same mentality that prevents the funding of large scale public transportation in our state, or expanding water supply sources. They need to be done but no one wants to have their taxes raised to fund it. I've clearly struck a nerve with some of the folks on this blog. That can be a good thing if it gets people to put on their thinking caps and come up with new ideas that can challenge the proposals put forth by the Board/CDAC. There has been no shortage of name calling, negative and mean spirited comments here. Please don't tell me I can not post my opinions that are intended to be positive and all inclusive. I'm only trying to bring people together for the greater good of our community.
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Leslie
5/16/2022 01:54:13 pm
Michael, you clearly challenged those owners who were not voicing positive alternatives to what they were clearly being spoon fed, to "please not contribute to this forum". Please review your comments.
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Spot On
5/16/2022 01:36:59 pm
Leslie was spot on in her rebuke of your posts Michael.
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Terry
5/20/2022 10:53:59 am
Yes Leslie. You were spot on in your comments involving a certain moralistic individual who gets off on telling others how to act and what to say or not say. Imagine him inviting others not to use the blog. Guess he thinks his opinion is the only opinion worthly of our blog.
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Leslie
5/20/2022 04:10:07 pm
Thank you for your kind words, Terry. You obviously understand that mortgaging our future for the next 15 years for PLANTS is an insane proposal. Replacing dead and dying trees and plants incrementally every year as required has served our community exceptionally well for the past 3+ decades. With our existing landscaping, we rode the property price increases like the entire valley. What WILL adversely affect our values is Desert Princess being featured on the Fanny May and Freddie Mac's DO NOT LEND LISTS. As we are headed into a recession, with escalating cost of living and interest rates, cash buyers for our properties here will quickly evaporate. We should be expending our energy and financial
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