Blog
Saving money by using AI apps from CloudHQ.net.
Have you ever wondered how our HOA was able to ditch our expensive management company and cut our expenses in half? Well one reason is we switched to a lot of AI automation for customer service. Looking at our past data we found out most members were only looking for basic info like when the annual meeting is and where to mail payments to.
We found a solution using apps made by https://www.cloudhq.net/
The first app lets us easily respond to emails.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chatgpt-for-gmail/fcblgiphlneejkokhnaagmjombnfdnog
This email assistant basically writes an email draft so a person just has to review it before hitting send. It is a great time saver.
We also use save emails to google drive and save emails to pdf so that all our membership knows what we are working on inbetween our quarterly meetings.
https://www.save-emails-to-google-drive.com/
Our response time has been improved beause we use thier notification app Gmail to SMS Txt as well; located here:
https://www.gmail-sms-alerts.com
The cost of all these apps is a fraction of the $400/month we were paying to a financial management company. We also changed payments from 2x a year to once a year, this elminates half the work! We will use the saved money to better out community instead of paying vendors.
Southbridge Forest HOA Newsletter Spring 2024
City of Charlotte offers HOA $_____( $ per owner for easement)
The yellow area on the map shows the easement the City of Charlotte wants to have for a future greenway which would connect our park to the greenway that goes to the Steel Creek Athletic association and Rivergate shopping center. The city hs completed it’s assessment and is offering our HOA $______. City of Charlotte would also build a bridge and paved walking paths worth about ¼ to ½ million. The big yellow triangle is currently undisturbed forest where a trail might be built in about 10 years. The Yellow vertical line would extend the park sidewalk all the way back to the creek trail.
Should we invest the money into CDs to reduce future dues, make a multipurpose athletic court, or cut checks to each owner, or something else? Let us know via our contact us website page. www.voteSBF.com
We have a new Treasurer Thomas Lomas!
Thank you so much for volunteering. If anyone else would like to volunteer to help out please let us know through the website. Even if it is for a one time event. This Fall the Secretary/Board position will be open if you wish to run for the HOA board.
Broken Street lights Volunteer needed.
Should be reported to Duke energy through this website:https://salor-web.duke-energy.app/#/home/map/ncsc/DEC
On average the board reports about 20-25 lights per year. We need a volunteer to do this. All that is required is to drive through the neighbor hood every couple of months and request that the lights get fixed. Working Lights deter crime!
Cornhoe Tournament Sat May 18 @ :_pm
Start practicing now! We will have a signup genius here. Food games and prizes. The most anticipated social event of the year! Our next social event will be Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at the annual meeting. Please let us know if you want to help out the social committee via our website.
New HOA mgt company and payment address coming soon.
We will part ways with CSMHOA.com on 5/24/2024. Make sure you stop your auto payments to them. It is your responsibility to do this. The HOA is not responsible for late fees or other issues resulting from not stopping auto payments.
The next $90 HOA fee is due Sept. 1, 2024. The HOA board will send out a mailing, email, FB post and put a sign at the front entrance once details are finalized with our new bank account and payment webportal.
Garage/ Yard Sales
Owners are free to have a yard sale any weekend during the month of April. There is no need to ask the HOA for permission during this month. Be sure to get your $5 permit from the city of Charlotte.
Website UPDATE! Violations reporting, ARC request & general support forms now live.
We have 3 new forms on the website: Violations reports/complaints (which require a photo be uploaded), ARC request if you want to make modifications to your house/property and a general support form. Please use these forms for the fastest response times. www.votesbf.com.
Next SBF HOA board meeting is June 4, 2024, on Zoom
Board meetings are held quarterly March, June, Sept, Dec on the first Tuesday @ 6:45pm. Zoom link: https://bit.ly/hoa-sbf OR scan the code with a smartphone.
Personal Meeting ID 714 088 7682; the passcode is 1234; Dial in ph#:646-558-8656.
The preliminary agenda is: JUNE 4th 2024 board meeting AGENDA
Public comments are taken during the first 15 minutes. Historically the board has used our annual voting to decide how to democratically use our money and resources. Not everyone is going to agree, but we need to respect the will of the majority.
Financial Update
We currently have $70K invested in CD’s @ 5%. Our operating account is around $10-15K and our proposed annual budget is here:
SBF HOA 2025 budget
Remember our website has up to date financial reports.
www.votesbf.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/SBFres/
The above map shows the $60,000 easement the City of Charlotte is hoping to implement in our HOA park. This would provide our neighborhood with many benefits. The city would give us an approximate $60,000 check which could be used as a $400/per home rebate check or towards park improvements like a multi sport court for basketball, tennis, pickleball, volleyball and badminton. Below are some benefits:
BENEFITS OF GREENWAYS
Increase property values. The city would be investing about half a million dollars to build asphalt walkways, two bridges which would provide a safe opportunity for biking and walking from our neighborhood to the Rivergate shopping center; specifically the trail has exits at Home depot, Pet Smart and Best Buy/Chick Filla.
There is currently a greenway that goes from Smith to Rivergate and it is seldom used. I walk on it often and have never noticed any complaints about it.
Improve health and fitness, air & water quality as well as conserve plant and animal habitats.
Encourage a sense of community
Park Rangers and CMPD patrol County greenways regularly which would be nice since our park is not monitored at all.
Maintenance staff frequents them as well to pick up fallen branches, leaves and to make needed repairs.
QUICK FACTS
The Greenway Master Plan calls for over 300 miles of greenway trail. There are currently more than 64 miles of greenway completed. Little Sugar Creek Greenway,@ 16 miles is the longes. The Mallard Creek Greenway is nearly 9 miles long.
Dec 6th 7pm board meeting Agenda
Tues Dec 6 7pm is next zoom HOA board meeting. Zoom link is https://tinyurl.com/sbfhoa
passcode is 1234
If you wish to be reminded of the meeting or can't attend but would like to comment on the agenda just email hoasbf@gmail.com
Meeting will be 40 minutes then 5 min break then log back in for 20 min. total 1 hr meeting.
Agenda is below
1. Go over results of Fall Vote. You can access results on electionbuddy.com or ask me for copy of results. Results will be sent out as the winter newsletter. Anything else for newsletter?
2. What is a list of changes should be made to by laws according to vote results? Below is a list of anything that got 60%+ approval so far:
Adopt North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 47F
HOA will handle real estate closing documents to make profit
2 year waiting period before they can rent out their home?
Violating HOA rules ... can result in eviction for renters
Clotheslines and pools allowed if 6' privacy fence.
Decrease amendment percentage from 75 to 50%
Allow park easement.
Board Ethics clause
3. How will we can incentivize people to participate given poor response rate (currently 24% on 11/18/2022.)? Hire door knockers? Decrease dues? Raffle off prizes?
4. Decide on how to invest savings account funds and who will be in charge of making sure money is transfered?
5. Should HOA pay to cut down, trim or do nothing for tree behind 14715 CANE FIELD DR CHARLOTTE NC 28273?
6. Closing Documents discuss Ready Resale vs Homewise docs. These 3rd parties do the closing paperwork for the HOA. we would make about $400 per transaction. Which one do we go with or neither?
8. Discuss future of $10K neighborhood matching grant program for next year. Top 3 results so far are:
Add a trail through our 11 acres of park land 8 votes 22.86% About $4000-$6000+ depending on scale.
Add some sort of athletic court 10 votes 28% $5000 to $15000 depending on court.
Security Cameras 9 votes 25% About $300 each plus yearly cellular fees.
9. How can we get more volunteers so board president doesnt' have to do 60-70% of the work? Special assessment vote?
No one signed up for neighborhood retreat which earns us $1500 (50 hrs) enough for a $6k grant.
City requires a minimum of %50 of the grant be paid with volunteer hours ($30/hr) and the other half can be paid via inkind donations or cash or more volunteer hours)
10. Date of Spring yard sale? 2nd Sat. April with Sunday rain date.
11. Should board upgrade front landscaping with the estimated $5800 in savings with new landscape company. Should we redo pine needles at front for about $80. Should we get straw and grass seed to cover excavated dirt at park entrance from electricity excavation for about $100)
12. Add closing the loop on violations. Publish expectations from homeowners for outside maintenance? Add a line with dates to monthly financials for fines and fees separately on properties in arrears.
Lastly Should HOA foreclose on the two biggest accounts that are behind over $1000?
June 2022 Board Meeting
Agenda/minutes for above zoom meeting are below:
6/13/2022
1. $10K Park Grant Update. Board decided to reduce Right/East side of tree plantings to allow for possible future development. West side remains the same and will reduce future mowing costs.
2. 2022 annual meeting preparation. All board positions will be open. Current board will run again, but encourages new blood
3. decided to use electionbuddy.com $20 for online voting
Should we create Rules and regulations document for being on the board for consistency from one board to the next? Yes, President will research and present at next board meeting on first Tuesday of Sept @ 7pm via zoom.
1. do we want to decorate front entrance for holidays like 4th of July, Halloween, x-mas, etc. ? Yes. Treasurer will by 4th of July decorations/flags. President will buy some Christmas decorations.
2. If so, can we spend $500 to get white metal ceiling installed in the picnic shelter to act as attic space to put decorations in there for storage.similar to attic access at ones home. Yes approved.
3. can board authorize some funds for visa gift cards used to promote annual meeting and survey? can board send out survey email blast now that we have emails. yes approved
4. house of the month: should we just get Cedar to nominate a few homes every month while they are doing violations notices. Seems like it would be unbiased that way and save the board time? No. Board decided to just do contests for Halloween and Christmas.
www.voteSBF.com was choosen as new website name.
Byrd Landscapng contract ends July, should we renew or try less expensive competitors?
Board decided to stick with Byrd for now, because contract is auto renewing and states that the HOA has to give 90 day notice of termination. current contract also says HOA must pay for their legal fees in a dispute. About 10 competitive quotes were collected of which only 2 were slightly lower by about 3% . One was about 50% lower via an online lawn care brokerage app called lawnguru.com Current management company would charge 15% fee to pay via credit card or board member could pay and get reimbursed. Must notify Byrd to cancel by end of march 2023 if we want to switch next year.
May 30 2022 Updates
Over the last several months the new board, which was appointed at the end of 2021, has been working on several projects:
Early in 2022 we got several quotes to replace the picnic shelter roof. Most were in the $3000-$4000 range but we found a good roofer who put down ice and water shield, starter strip around all 4 edges, synthetic felt , premium 50 year shingles, and replaced the water damaged plywood around the edges and middle of the roof. for less than $2000. The original roof surprisingly did not have any of these required underlayers and only had 15 year 3 tab shingles. Hopefully this roof will last much longer. The work was done by HORIZON Roofing and Restoration 980-275-1085 (cell), 919-659-5885 (office). This fall we hope to install outlets lights, new ceiling and a ceiling fan, in the picnic shelter and have movies in the park with free popcorn and snacks.
This Spring the board removed the Wooden welcome sign from the front entrance because one of the 4x4 lumber pieces had rotted out and replaced it with a few azella bushes which were free from a home that was going to be demolished near uptown. The bushes were dug up and transplanted. They are encore azellas which bloom 2x a year in spring and fall.
The board has also taken over planting the front beds with flowers and putting down pine straw mulch. The landscape company was charging about $450 per flower bed planting and per mulch install. This is an older picture from 2021, The new summer flowers are zincas and bigonias.
The board has been trying to come up with ideas to update the front monument at Smith and SBF drive. Below are some ideas. If anyone has ideas please let the board know! Seems like whiter colors are a common theme with these examples below.
Speaking of the front entrance. Every spring the area behind the SBF front sign floods when it rains because the ground is lower then the storm drain. Rolland and his neighbor Pedro got about 16 yards of dirt and buildt up the ground so hopefully it drains better. A before and after photo are below. The HOA spent $100 on the dirt and with volunteer power saved around $1000 vs paying a contractor to get this done.