Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1524209
Solera HOA dues, like many of the other 370,000 HOAs in the United States, can become a hot and emotional topic. As your Treasurer, I want to take this opportunity to confirm all Solera residents understand we have some "other benefits" in our HOA dues that we might not give enough credit for. Many residents I have talked with are not fully aware of the significance and residential cost savings of the "other benefits" discussed below. In June 2022, a contract between Solera HOA and Spectrum was initiated. This five-year contract offers substantial discounts on both an upgraded, premium TV cable package and a very fast internet connection to all 1,290 Solera homes. Solera HOA pays Spectrum $58.22 per month per household for these services which is about 20% of our $291 monthly HOA dues. Spectrum receives a total $901,337 per year from Solera. This is not only basic TV service but is the Spectrum "Select Package." This includes two cable boxes, 155+ channels including HBO, Disney +, the MAX streaming package, etc. plus, a premium very fast internet connection with speeds up to 500Mbps. Let us compare this Solera "other benefit" with our other local 55+ communities. Community HOA Dues* "Other Benefit" Altis $305 0 Sun Lakes 365 Cable/internet Four Seasons 283 0 Solera 291 Cable/internet *Effective 5/16/24 I contacted Spectrum and asked what the normal, not a three-month special, monthly price would be if we requested these services as individuals. This is what they said. Cable $95 Internet 57 Equipment rental 12 Total Cost/month $164 We negotiated nearly a 65 percent Spectrum discount through our HOA and each of us is saving over $105 per month, $1,268 per year! At my house, that amounts to two to three months of property taxes. Factoring in this "other benefit" when comparing to our neighbors' results, some shocking results: Area Dues Cable/Internet Total Difference/Solera Altis $305 $164 $469 +61% Sun Lakes 365 0 365 +25% Four Seasons 283 164 447 +53% Solera 291 0 291 n/a All of us want to get the biggest bang for our buck when paying HOA dues. But if you review the facts above compared to the competition, when considering all the facts, I hope you agree with me that we have a fair deal at Solera. I love it when I see my monthly Spectrum bill at $0.00. | LIFE IN SOLERA | AUGUST 2024 | 3 FROM THE BOARD By Steve Bly, Director JUST THE FACTS