It is a cliché, but Linda and I really did come over the hill and quote Brigham Young: “This is the right place.” We had been researching and visiting active adult communities for about a year before our arrival in 1996. SaddleBrooke was far smaller then, so the view was far more rural than today. It was so remote that Lago Del Oro Parkway was not paved. Tangerine was just 2 lanes wide with a humongous number of rises and dips making travel dangerous when it rained. There was no shopping center but there were two trailers: one for the bank and one for the post office and salon.
The first homes were built in 1987. These were generally small, and many had carports not garages. The original homeowners were true pioneers. They bought on a Robson promise: RCI would build the amenities- a golf course, a clubhouse, tennis courts etc. None existed. This was Robson’s first “build from scratch” community. So, buyers had to take him at his word. Robson of course delivered.
We toured the models and the many available home sites. There were 2 HOAs though we admittedly did not understand fully the differences. We bought in HOA2. Everything was seamless as far as residents were concerned. All the amenities were in HOA1, and we had full access to them on the same basis as HOA1 residents. The Reciprocal Use Agreement was in place. The annual homeowner fees were the same too.
As time went on, some of the issues of having 2 HOAs became clear. Basically, there was an argument between Robson and HOA1 about golf. Robson ended the dispute by creating the second HOA and allowing HOA1 to transition to self-control. It is important to remember though that, with the RUA in place, SaddleBrooke functioned as one community. It continued to do so without issues until the new agreement was put in place this year. Hopefully, this record of accord will continue.
United SaddleBrooke is a new organization which hopes to ensure that SaddleBrooke remains united in function. It hopes to encourage cooperation between the HOAs in operations in the near term. Eventually, after much study, evaluation, and public discussion among residents, we hope to facilitate ONE SaddleBrooke.