Nopolo Blog'n

Do any of us remember him?

Embree C. “Chuck” Bedsole
Interim President
TSD Loreto Partners, S. en C. por A. de C.V

How would you grade the leader of the end of most of our dreams in Nopolo? He said there would be good communications and we would stay informed! What say you? Thank God we are behind our Homeowners Association and we have a great leader in Rob Carter. He has a great board and will do the best they can for us. Keep the faith!

 #550 Calle Garcia Cacho

Check it out if you need a place to stay or if you have

more family than you can put in your own casa!

Please go to http://www.kazrentals.com

Yesterday morning Mauricio Rivero and myself had a meeting with Hector Medina (TSD), to discuss the following:

  Delinquency status for HOA dues for May and June for all of TSD properties:

They will pay 100% of these dues next week.

  What properties will they be selling to Homex and when:

They are negotiating ALL properties, including all lots in AV, Posadas, Beach club and every other empty lot (i.e.,  E3). Hector  said they finished about 90% of the negotiations and he expects that HOMEX will make an official announcement before the end of this month. Later in the meeting he talked about first and second sales stages ( he mentioned that the beach club and E3 would be negotiated on a second stage )

  What would happen with Paseo:

This is part of the pending negotiations with Homex, they are talking about only repairing Paseo ( not improvements ), he said basically paving and building curves, but this is yet to be confirmed.

  Dirt lot where beach club is to be located:

He agreed to allow us use the dirt lot at beach club going from Paseo to beach construction road to park construction cars and get them out of Paseo, this obviously until the property is sold.

  AV benefited assessment:

He told us their attorney was in disagreement on the procedure the assessment was approved, I asked him if I could contact him and find out what is exactly what he believes it was incorrectly done, so in case we need to do the process again I could talk to the committees, he agreed, but he also mentioned that even if this issue was fixed  there is also a cash flow problem, and he said he just doesn’t know from where TSD will get the money to pay this assessment

  900’s at AV

He told us they were working on creating a new Sub regime for these lots, he understands that an assembly for the Master association needs to take place to approve this, and  he believes that they should be ready to request for a master assembly in order to discuss and approve this in around 2 months.

Dear Homeowners,

It is with great pleasure that I write to officially inform you of the recent change in administration at Loreto Bay. After much thought and consideration by the various sub and master committee delegates, Associa was chosen to begin today, June 1^st, as your new acting administrator. While there is much information to communicate regarding this change, I would like to first begin by introducing our staff and company to you.

Associa was formed in 1979 in Dallas, Texas as a company exclusively focused on the management of homeowners associations. After achieving success in the Dallas market, Associa began to grow across Texas and then eventually across the nation. What started as a small family owned business has now become the largest HOA management company in the world. Today Associa manages approximately 7000 associations comprised of over 1.1 million homes. This is all done through a network of more than 100 offices across the United States and Mexico and a staff of more than 6000 employees. The benefit of all that for you, the homeowner, is that you receive local service backed by the resources of the leader in the industry. Click here to view a brochure that speaks about the company, our history, and our services.

As you know, the management of Loreto Bay is larger than any one person and requires a team working together to take care of all the operational needs. In order to accomplish that, we have assembled a team of 3 full time administration employees supported by myself, a regional office CEO, and a back office accounting team from Los Cabos. That new team and their contact info is as follows:

Full Time Loreto Bay Employees
Jorge Macias (jmacias@associamexico.com) – General Manager
Gabriela Crespo (gcrespo@associamexico.com) – Assistant Manager
Mariluz Murillo (LBassistant@associamexico.com) – Homeowner Assistant

Regional Support
Joey Carona (joeycarona@associaonline.com) – Vice President of Business Development, Associa; President, Associa Mexico
Mauricio Rivero (mrivero@associamexico.com) – CEO, Associa Mexico Los Cabos
Fabiola Leyva (fleyva@associamexico.com) – Director of Operations, Associa Mexico Los Cabos
Libya Puente (lpuente@associamexico.com) – Accountant, Associa Mexico Los Cabos 

Now for the pertinent information. There are two items that we would like to communicate to you immediately. The first is in regards to the payment of your HOA dues and the second is regarding the security staff at Loreto Bay.

Payment of HOA Dues
With the change in administration, all the bank accounts of Loreto Bay had to change as well. Rather than creating new accounts for you in the name of Associa, at the direction of your Master Committee, we formed a new Civil Association for the benefit of the community. This entity, after the appropriate general assembly meetings are held, will become property of the owners and be appointed permanent “Administrator” for Loreto Bay.  While there is a lot that could be said about this structure, the basic summary is that it gives you, the owners, long term ownership and control of the legal rights of the community and allows you greater protection and continuity of service when it comes to those who provide service at Loreto Bay. 

For your June assessments (due today) please do not pay into the Balandra bank accounts, but rather into one of the three accounts whose wiring instructions are included. You will see that there is one US account located at First Associations Bank (a bank that provides services exclusively to HOAs), and both a USD and MXP account at Bancomer in Mexico. For those of you who previously paid by auto charge to your credit card, that will no longer continue. All of those authorizations were specifically for Balandra and are no longer effective. For making payments this month, you have three options:

1. Wire transfer to any of the three new accounts:
   Click here to view the First Associations Bank wiring instructions
   Click here to view the Bancomer USD wiring instructions
   Click here to view the Bancomer MXP wiring instructions
2. US Check mailed to the following US address:
   5401 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300; Dallas, TX 75205; Attention: Joey Carona/Alex Streng

Payment in person at the Loreto Bay office

We are actively working on both a new credit card and ACH/e-check option for you but require more time for the set-up. As soon as those systems are in place, we will send out instructions. Realizing that this is a significant change and may require time to adjust, the Master Committee has agreed to waive late fees for the month of June to ensure that everyone has sufficient time to make their payments. With that being said, your prompt payments are still appreciated and necessary for proper cash flow purposes.

Security
After many meetings with the security staff of Loreto and an offer of continued employment with Associa, the workers chose to take a severance payment and waive future employment in the community. Left with an immediate and large vacancy to fill, we contacted various security companies in BCS and decided to outsource the job to a security firm called Serviproc. Serviproc was able to provide double the amount of guards that had been patrolling Loreto Bay at a reduced cost. The new guards started last night and bring not only an advanced level of experience and training to the community, but a much more professional image. The feedback we have received from the owners currently in town has all been positive.

To the extent that this change affects the safelock system, please know that we are still providing service 24/7 key service and training additional people while at the same time trying to bring enhanced security and control to the whole process. As we have updates on this, we will let you know. In the meantime, Gaby, the Assistant Manager, is taking charge to make sure that everyone gets the keys they need.

While there are many more things we have to communicate to you, these are the pertinent things that will help us all move forward. Again, we are excited to be working with you and looking forward to a long relationship with Loreto Bay. Please don’t ever hesitate to ever contact us. We are here for you.

Best Regards,

Joey Carona CMCA, AMS, PCAM
President, Associa Mexico Realty Services S. de R.L. de C.V.
An Associa® Member Company
Transpeninsular Highway KM 28.5, Costa Azul
San Jose del Cabo, B.C.S. CP 23400, Mexico
+52 (624) 172-6593 - MX Office
+1 (214) 295-6245 - US Line
+1 (214) 432-5449 - US Fax
+1 (214) 335-8134 - US Cell
143*93331*1 - Nextel Radio
www.associamexico.com

Associa® - the Leader in Community Association Management

Today I sat in on a Master Regime meeting with the heavy weights from our community! Bob T’s last meeting as our administrator & Associa first! I thought it was a great meeting and I feel that we are in very good hands. There will be changes as to our dues to the association and a new security company! They will be contacting the homeowners to advise us all about these changes!  

                 Joey Carona      Jorge Macias     Mauricio Rivero

This is our recommendation for how to get to Loreto cheaply.  Maybe you want to put this in the Nopolo News.

Recently we have found that a relatively cheap way to get to La Paz or to Loreto or La Paz has been to fly to Cabo (SJDC) and then take the bus up to Loreto.  However, for the long ride up to Loreto, it might be more relaxing to spend the night in San Jose del Cabo before taking the bus in the morning.  We do the same thing coming home: take the bus to SJDC and stay overnight before flying back.  By flying to Cabo and taking the bus a couple should be able to get to Loreto for about $1,000 (including airfare, buses, taxis, and hotels).

The most reasonably priced and convenient (yet fully adequate) places to stay in San Jose del Cabo are not shown on Expedia or, as near as I can tell, the internet in general.  The travel sites don’t seem to carry the less expensive hotels, and some of the smaller hotels don’t have websites.  So, the following are some good options that we have discovered.

Last year we stayed at Hotel Posada Terranova on Delgolada street (between M. Doblado and Zaragoza) in the historic old town of SJDC.  The cost is about $50-55/night for a double, and they have a good, yet inexpensive restaurant for breakfast.  For dinner there are lots of interesting places within walking distance.  We spent a relaxing evening walking the town for entertainment.  They don’t seem to have internet service or a web presence, but their phone number is 624-142-0534.

More recently, friends of ours have stayed at Hotel Colli, also in the old town.  Hotel Colli is on Hidalgo Street, just one block in from the main drag (Blvd. Mijares) with all its tourist shops and restaurants.  It is also is right next door to a good bakery/restaurant (the French Riviera Bakery/Bistro) where you can get goodies for the bus ride . Their price was also about $50 (their brochure says $650 pesos for 1 or 2 persons).  Go to www.hotelcolli,com, or write to them at hotelcolli@hotmail.com, or phone 624-142-0725.

To get from the airport (SJD) to old-town SJDC recently cost us $13 apiece for an airport shuttle van.  The taxis wanted to charge us $45!.  To get to the bus station (the Aguilar bus) from your hotel you need to take a cab (it’s reasonably close by, but too far to walk with luggage).  The taxi cost us $5.

The Aguila buses depart from the SJDC bus station at 6 am, 9 am, 10:15 am, noon, and 4 pm.  They arrive in Loreto between 9 and 10 hours later.
Coming back the buses depart from the Loreto bus station (located off the traffic circle on Salvatierra) at 8 am, 11:45 am, 1:45 pm, and 11 pm.  Note: these are the departure times as of March, 2010, they may change over time.  The late bus from Loreto (11 pm) can take you directly to the airport at SJDC, so if you have a flight leaving comfortably after that, you may be able to take the “red eye” and save the cost of a hotel going home.  You can generally purchase your tickets at the bus station on the day that you leave in SJDC, just arrive half an hour early.  In Loreto we get our tickets at least a day early.  Seats are reserved, and I think they fill the buses up from front to back.  Try to get tickets on the least sunny side.

The buses have restrooms (take your own TP), but they stop frequently enough at rest stops to allow you to avoid them completely.  You need to get off the bus in La Paz so they can wash it.  Otherwise, its generally the same bus all the way.  Be sure to take some food that you like on the bus, otherwise its junk food all the way.  Good luck..

Rick and Sandy Schaefer

Loreto, BCS .- FONATUR and submitted to State Government authorities and private initiative in the municipality of Loreto on this project to relaunch tourism destination as comprehensively planned center, which includes investment of 368 million pesos this year alone in infrastructure and maintenance and recovery of Loreto Bay complex, which was acquired by the company Homex.

The presentation ceremony was led by Gov. Narciso Agundez and CEO Miguel Gomez Mont FONATUR the presence of President Yuan Yee municipal, state tourism secretary Alberto Trevino and it establishes a strategy to ensure better air connectivity as a decisive step towards the revival and consolidation of Loreto as a tourist destination.

Agúndez Governor highlighted the commitment of the Federal Government through FONATUR to drive to Loreto and cast it as one of the most important tourist destinations of the country with an ecological and high quality services, with the participation of federal agencies do not care only aspects related to tourism, but those who have something to do with the quality of life of the inhabitants of the municipality and the quality of services.

First Hotel, restaurant owners, operators and representatives from all sectors related to tourism in Loreto, the state Governor proposed the creation of an interagency committee to follow up on this project, which will soon be presented formally.

Agundez Montano mentioned that Loretanos are optimistic this new concerted effort by the three tiers of government, after years of problems that have hindered the development of tourism in this important region of the state and thereby generating more employment opportunities and social development.

He acknowledged the vision of the entrepreneur Eustaquio de Nicolas, CEO of Homex, having bought the resort and residential Loreto Bay following the bankruptcy of its previous owner and their subsequent sale through City Group.

Both the governor Narciso Agundez as general director and the mayor FONATUR Yee Yuan emphasized that it is essential to realize new flights within the country and the southern U.S. to Loreto, in order to ensure that the flow of tourists required to ensure successful re-launch of the new draft concluded by the following government orders.

If you need it, it most likely will be at the shop on the paseo the x-pharmacy shop! It makes staying at your casa livable without haveing to get a rental car or go into town! He also has movie rentals and some hardwhare things for those always increasing projects. Here are some of the things you can find there:

Doughnuts, breakfast burritos, soap, meats, beer, spices, juice, wine, ice cream, ice cream cones, water, coffee, tea, chips, mac & cheese, canned goods, syrup, cake mix, soy sause, cold cereal, bread, katsup, eggs, mustard, salad dressings, noodles, bacon, lunch meats, wd-40, tooth paste, deoderant, mouth wash, ajax, dish soap, did I say doughnuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has made a great effort to help us stay in Loreto Bay/Nopolo.

I just received a call from a friend that was heading north. He crossed over a washed out arroyo where only 4wd could handle the water level-this was about 30 miles south of GNegro. He was told the big bridge at El Rosario was washed out among others. May be up to 4 days before anything will be passable.

Submitted by: Joyce, Sukasa

MORE……..
Just to let everyone know that Rob and I were in the middle of the Chubasco that went through Baja. We were being hit with 50 to 60 mile per hour winds and heavy rain. At one point we were stuck North of Catavina because of heavy flooding but at some time in the night some trucks started to cross the river of water that was pouring across the road. So we decided to go. The water came over our head lights but not over the hood and we made it. Stayed in El Rosario that night and fueled up. The town had no electricity but generators were going at the gas station. No water. We are now in San Quintin with no way out. the bridges bet ween here and Ensenada are washed away and the rivers are raging no way across. They have closed the roads. The bridge we crossed just south of El Rosario colapsed shortly after we crossed it. So we can’t go south and we can’t go north. We have a room in San Quintin and bought food and water. Just this morning we got telephone back. Power lines were down everywhere. houses flooded it has been quite an experience.

We are not 100% sure about the bridge south of here so we are going to head south today and see if it is true. Hopefuly we can cross. If we can we will go back to Santa Rosalia and take a ferry across to the mainland and drive home through Arizona. I don’t have any idea when we will be home. We left on the 19th of January.

She also sent this one - Don’t know if you already have these - but thought you might be interested. Let us know the minute you know if the roads are open through - as we want to make it down before the next storm hits next weekend I hear is supposed to be tropical & bring lots more rain. We are still in Guerrero Negro. Federal Police have informed us that Laguna Chapala is a lake over the road, not passable. Both vados in Catavina are flowing and not passable. Three bridges are closed south of Ensenada before San Quintin. If we try to move north tomorrow, we will keep you posted on how it goes. If you don’t hear from us then you know we are somewhere in between Guerrero Negro and Ensenada!! If anyone makes it through these spots today, please advise.