The Villages at Maxwell Creek HOA Newsletter (1st Quarter 2006)

Letter From The President

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2006!

The past several months have held a great number of changes for both the HOA and the volunteers that support it. As you will read below, the Board of Directors has selected and hired a management company to handle the day-to-day operations of running the HOA.

Even though we are hiring a management company, it does not diminish the need for volunteers; there are a number of projects that we your assistance with. A few of the specific items are listed later under the Social Committee. A complete list of ongoing needs is available at http://maxwellcreek.org /community /hoa /committees /volunteer/.

Finally, there is a brief overview on HOA dues for 2006, along with a progress update on collecting past dues from delinquent homeowners: overall are in better shape than in years past.

Robert Butler
President

Management Company Selection

After several months of diligent deliberation, the HOA has selected Neighborhood Management, Inc. (NMI) to handle the day-to-day management responsibilities of running the HOA. All homeowners will be receiving an information letter in a few weeks detailing the services NMI will be providing as well as the various communication options available. In the meantime, updated telephone, postal, and email contact information is listed at the end of this newsletter.

We covered the possibility of hiring a management company in the last newsletter, and discussed the options available at the last open-forum meeting in October. Once the decision to go with a management company was made, we contacted seven companies and requested bids. One company chose not to submit a proposal, and two were dismissed out of hand because their fees were deemed too high. The remaining four companies were interviewed:

• Bee Line
• Circle C
• Principal
• Neighborhood Management

After more than a dozen meetings, and three months of discussions, in the end, NMI was elected as best meeting the long-term needs of the Association. Their combination of cost, flexibility, specialized management experience, and location (NMI is based in Allen) made their selection inevitable.

Dues Collection Update

The dues for 2006 have been set at $230, an increase of $50/year or $4.16/month. The increase is due primarily to the increased costs incurred by hiring a management company as well as the increased cost of maintenance and repairs over the last few years.

As of February 25th, 205 homeowners have paid their dues, a total of 68%. Unfortunately, we're still a few percent off where we were last year, so if you haven't paid your 2006 dues yet, you can avoid paying late fees so long as we receive your payment in full by February 28th.

One of the ongoing issues has been the collection of late dues from delinquent homeowners; we are pleased to say that a great deal of progress has been made. In fact, during the last few months of 2005 we were collecting more in past due late and legal fees than in dues themselves. Additionally, the HOA is currently in the process of foreclosing on one homeowner who has not paid their dues since 2000.

Additionally, a new document is available on the web site in response to questions we received over the past couple of months, the HOA Timeline & Historical Dues Rates, giving a brief overview of financial information, major events, and other items of interest.

Annual Meeting and Elections

Elections for the HOA Board will be held at the annual meeting on Monday, April 3rd at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7:00pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive.

The HOA will be mailing information to you during March listing the candidates and platform information, along with a proxy form if you will be unable to physically attend the meeting. If you are interested in running for the Board, you may still do so even if you are not in the mailed packet — all that's required is to stand up and announce your candidacy at the meeting.

If enough people do not attend the April 3rd meeting to achieve a quorum, then a second backup meeting will be called on Monday, April 17th. A quorum must be present at the meeting, either in person or by proxy, in order to conduct any association business. It is imperitive that we establish quorum to avoid further meeting notices and additional association expenses.

Bimonthly Open Forum Meetings

The next open forum meeting will be held on Thursday, May 18th at the Allen Public Library, starting at 7pm. Please note the new location at 300 N. Allen Drive. As with previous meetings, there is no specific agenda, the plan is to hold an informal question and answer session, and to help everyone meet their neighbors.

We expect to have some discussion around the new management company, dues collection, the annual meeting, and other upcoming activities.

Spring Garage Sale

The HOA will be sponsoring a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, March 4th from 7am - 12pm. The HOA will provide newspaper advertising and signs directing people to the neighborhood. Set up in your own yard or join your neighbors for one big sale to share "monitoring duties". Take turns with your neighbors to browse sales on other streets!

Please let us know if you plan to participate!

Spring Block Party

The Spring neighborhood block party will be held in the cul-de-sac on Woodstream Ln from 4:00 - 6:00pm on Saturday, April 29th. We're hoping to have it be just a social gathering, but if we aren't able to reach a quorum at the April 3rd meeting, then we'll have to take care of HOA business first. As of February 27th, we are still running short on volunteers!

The HOA will be providing picnic-style food and soft drinks and/or water for everyone. Residents are asked to bring a side dish to share. You will need to bring your own lawn chairs, picnic blanket, etc. Similar to last year, we're planning to have a bounce house — we need volunteers to watch over the bounce house and make sure that too many (or too old) children don't crowd inside.

Committee Updates

Architecture Committee

The Architecture Committee is responsible for inspecting residences for deed restriction violations as described in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions and the Community Beautification Standards.

The Architecture Committee is also responsible for awarding Yard of the Month awards. Finally, the committee recommends architectural standards for board adoption; establishes procedures for submission, reviews and approves/denies architectural change plans; and recommends methods for enforcing architectural standards to the Board. If this sounds interesting, please contact robert.butler@maxwellcreek.org to join the architecture committee.

Landscape Committee

It is the responsibility of the Landscape Committee to ensure that the HOA Common Areas are protected and maintained with an appealing, high-quality, and fresh appearance for our homeowners enjoyment. Members of the Landscape Committee monitor the condition of landscaped Common Areas within the boundaries of the neighborhood, including the irrigation system, trees, bushes, neighborhood entrances, and the coordination of any special clean ups. The committee oversees implementation of the Associations landscape standards and makes recommendations concerning appropriate maintenance, upkeep, and improvements to landscaped areas.

The Committee also makes recommendations regarding the Associations annual budget for landscaping services. The Landscape Committee notifies the Board of situations that require correction, and makes recommendations to the Board for equipment and services that would enhance the HOA Common Areas. Please contact stephanie.butler@maxwellcreek.org if you are interested in joining the landscape committee.

Kid's Corner

Social Committee

The Social Committee is responsible for establishing a process to identify the needs and desires of Maxwell Creek homeowners; develops programs to meet community-wide social needs, including monitoring and overseeing those social programs, and distributes information to new homeowners about the neighborhood association and provides opportunities for residents to be involved in the activities and administration of the association. Please contact Stephanie Butler if you are interested in joining the Social committee.

We have compiled a list of various events scheduled throughout the year in which we require creative ideas and assitance, please see http://maxwellcreek.org /community /hoa /committees /volunteer/ for more information. Additionally, the committee is currently compiling information for and designing a neighborhood directory including the various services and companies run by individuals in the neighborhood. If you provide a valuable service such as:

• Carpet Cleaning
• Landscaping / Lawn Care
• Housekeeping
• Poop Scooping
• Child Care / Babysitting
• Dog Walking
• Petsitting
• Pest Control
• Muralist
• Interior Design
• Home Repairs

or any other valueable services and would like to share that information with your neighbors, send your information to yesika.fletcher@maxwellcreek.org.

Letters From Homeowners

We've decided to start a new section in the newsletter, and include selected letters that the HOA has received, both good and bad. We invite everyone to write in with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have, and we'll do our best to respond as soon as possible.

We received several questions, but no letters recently. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please send them to newsletter@maxwellcreek.org.

HOA Contact Information

The Home Owners Association and its agents may be contacted in several ways:

• Through the HOA web site, at http://www.maxwellcreek.org/,
• By emailing the officers of the HOA, at officers@maxwellcreek.org,
• By emailing the HOA management company, at management@maxwellcreek.org,
• By calling the HOA at (972) 359-1548 or (972) 359-1171 fax.
• Through U.S. postal mail at:
  Villages at Maxwell Creek HOA
  P.O. Box 1567
  Allen, TX 75013

We welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please include your name and street address on all correspondence in order to expedite a response. Please allow two business days for your call or message to be returned.

Is there anything that you've wished to know more about or is there something you would like to share with other association members? If you want to suggest a topic, write an article, make a suggestion or even correct a mistake, please contact us at newsletter@maxwellcreek.org!