Hip Hip Hurray!, North Shore’s Management Team is Recognized as ‘Team of the Year’
Hurray! It’s celebration time. North Shore at Lake Hart’s Homeowners association management team just snatched the Access Management’s “Team of the Year Award” out of more than 200 competing company teams.
The award recognizes outstanding team effort in multiple areas including customer service, facilities management and maintenance, rule enforcement, problem solving and innovation. The latter was clearly on display during the pandemic when the management team, together with the Board of Directors, found creative ways for residents to have controlled and safe access to common areas like the gym and the tennis courts, and effectively communicated with residents through Zoom meetings, eBlasts and other contactless platforms.
“This is a tremendous honor,” said Community Association Manager John DeCrotie. “We strive at all times to serve the best interest of the association as a whole and to perform our duties without bias. I’ll admit it, it is nice to be recognized for doing well something that we are passionate about.”
The award was announced at the Access Management company Holiday gathering in early December. Team members John DeCrotie, Rebecca Clark, Carlos Echevarria and Irving Alvarado were there to receive it.
Last month, the team went above and beyond cleaning up the neighborhood after a tornado. Management team members also surveyed the property for damages and started working on repairs and insurance claims within hours of the storm hitting.
An HOA management company is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of an association. Volunteer HOA Board members make decisions, then tasks the management company to implement their vision. HOAs have unique needs based on size, location, and the organizational structure created by their governing documents, thus the approach to finding the right management company is never a one-size-fits-all. Finding and working with the right company represents a win for the community.
Love Grows by Sharing, the Spirit of Giving is Shining at North Shore
It’s the most festive time of the year at North Shore with holiday decorations twinkling, family and friends visiting and the giving spirit evident throughout our community.
A drive through the neighborhood shows off the creativity of our residents with light displays that feature everything from baby Jesus to Star Wars. Blow up Santas, LED angels and palm trees entwined with mini lights compliment the multicolored decorations illuminating up our community.
But the most joyful part of the season is the spirit of giving by residents who go the extra mile to ensure everyone gets a gift. Mason, a Trinity Prep 11th grader, is a wonderful example. Since he was nine, Mason has encouraged his neighbors to decorate their homes and donate to his toy drive for children in the hospital. His “Light Up Myrtle Creek and Marsh Pine” initiative has delivered 1,840 toys to children, thanks to the generosity and kindness of North Shore residents.
This year, the gifts will provide hope and healing for pediatric patients at AdventHealth for Children. It’s not too late to join in the holiday spirit by donating an unwrapped toy. Read Mason’s letter for details.
Rebecca Clark, is Our New Financial and Administrative Manager
Meet North Shore at Lake Hart’s newest employee, Rebecca Clark, who brings a strong background in communications, marketing, auditing and financial management to serve as the community’s first financial and administrative manager.
Clark, who started the job in November, works with Community Association Manager John DeCrotie and HOA Treasurer Steve Smith on administrative, financial and compliance issues.
She holds an MBA in accounting from Walden University and is completing her educational credits to take the CPA exam next summer. Clark also attended compliance school at the University of Georgia and is a licensed community association manager (LCAM).
Her background includes working as an accountant for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as the compliance officer for four years at a Georgia bank and serving for three years as an assistant comptroller for the Pine Creek Sporting Club HOA in Okeechobee.
She said she took the North Shore job because it is a good match for her skills.
“I like working with HOAs because it’s fast paced. I’m always doing something different and I’m constantly learning something new,” she said.
Clark is a native Floridian, born and raised in Orlando. She lived at the end of Kirby Smith Road for two and a half years and is familiar with the North Shore community. She currently lives in St. Cloud.
“I’ve watched the community grow and I’m now excited to be a part of it,” Clark said.
New Gate Access for Emergency Services Eliminates the Need for Blaring Sirens
By John DeCrotie
Technology is constantly changing, sometimes for the good and others for the not-so-good. One change that recently took place here at North Shore was a major technology upgrade – for the good.
Since our gates were first installed, emergency vehicles would sound their sirens which activated an old system called SOS to open the gate. Not only did this scare many homeowners living near the gates, but the emergency responders often needed a second or third siren blast to open the gate. In 2017, Orange County required that new gate systems use a new technology called Click 2 Enter, which is more reliable and does not require siren access. Since we did not need new gates at North Shore, we were not impacted by this rule as we repaired the gates as needed.
Last year, the SOS system began needing constant repairs, so the Board approved the installation of the new Click 2 Enter systems at all of our community gates. This was a great move, both financially and for the safety of our residents.
In early 2021, management negotiated an excellent contract for the upgraded system at a guaranteed price. Because we signed the agreement so early in the year (May 2021), Performance Gate Systems immediately purchased the complete system with their own funds. They programmed the gates and got them ready to install expecting to have the permits quickly approved by the county. Over the next five months (yes five months) while waiting for the permits, the manufacturer’s costs for the Click 2 Enter systems increased at least three times by thousands of dollars. By the time the new systems were installed during the last week of November, the community had saved thousands of dollars in inflationary costs by the early actions taken by the vendor and our Board.
We hope there are never reasons for emergency services to have to visit our community. But in case they are needed, you can feel better and safer knowing they can get to those in need more quickly now that we have this new, quiet and state-of-the-art gate entry system.
John DeCrotie is North Shore’s community association manager.
2021, What a Year!
By Bob Schoneman
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. As 2021 wraps up, I can’t help but think this will be the year we look back and say, “remember when…?”
Remember when the world started opening back up, when cruises and football stadiums started welcoming people back, when the tornado hit the clubhouse, when the Wave Hotel opened and added some color to our night landscape, when people started paying to go on a 10- minute flight to space? Or will we remember that the Buccaneers became the first team in history to win the Super Bowl in their own stadium with less than 25,000 in attendance due to COVID restrictions?
In 2021, we also lost these pioneers and icons in their respective fields: College Football Coach Bobby Bowden, Radio Personality Rush Limbaugh, Hollywood Actress Olympia Dukakis, Baseball Legend Hank Aaron and TV Personality Larry King.
The thing I really like about the New Year is it always feels like a fresh beginning, a time when anything is possible.
F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”
Real Estate Update:
As of 12/13/21, there were three homes for sale in North Shore, out of the 1,049 homes in our community. Two of the homes are on Lake Hart and the third is in Marsh Pines (just like November). Five homes, four condos and one single-family home sold in the month of November. The averages were: sales price $287,200, price per square foot $184 and an average of nine days on the market. There are two homes pending (under contract). In November, 68 homes sold in the 32832 zip code with an average sales price of $486,287, price per square foot $210, and average days on market – 13. This continues to be a seller’s market as inventory and interest rates remain at historical lows.
Bob Schoneman is an USAF Veteran, a real estate broker, author of SOLD! 8 Simple Steps For Successfully Selling Your Home, co-host of The RIOT Podcast and North Shore homeowner since 2005. He is married to his beautiful wife, Crystal, and is the lucky father of Samantha. Bob can be reached at 407-687-1490, www.facebook.com/bob.schoneman or www.expbob.com for any real estate questions.
Volunteer Spotlight: Compliance Committee Chairman Jeff Wells
When Jeff Wells retired and bought a home on the 18th fairway of the North Shore Golf Club, he thought he would golf every day. But he needed more of a challenge and began volunteering on the North Shore at Lake Hart Compliance Committee.
The Wells family, originally from Manchester, England, spent holidays in Davenport and fell in love with North Shore after playing at the local golf club. He retired from a 30-year career in retail, picked out a lot and built their Marsh Pointe home in 2005.
“Coming from England where it rains every day, we thought the weather was perfect to golf every day,” said the 76-year-old Wells, who logs five miles when he walks the course with his pushcart – even during the hot summer months. “It keeps me fit. Only in America do they ride in a golf cart.”
Wells attends every NSLH community meeting but decided to get more involved in the community last May when he volunteered to join the NSLH Compliance Committee. He now serves as chairman of the committee, which encourages homeowners to maintain and improve their properties.
“Since the first day that I met Jeff, he has been a pleasure to work with,” said Community Association Manager John De Crotie. “His pleasant demeanor and adherence to the community standards has allowed the Compliance Committee to adjudicate with fairness and compassion for the homeowner.”
The Compliance Committee meets on the third Thursday of each month to discuss compliance violations that range from houses that need pressure washing to landscaping issues and noise complaints.
“It’s the most important committee at North Shore because it keeps up community standards and increases property values,” Wells said. “What we decide affects someone’s pocket with fines, so we have to be consistent and fair. We evaluate each individual violation and we do it by address. We don’t even know the names of the residents.”
HOA 2020 Audit Completed, No Discrepancies Found
By Steve Smith
BDO, an independent public accounting firm, recently completed the audit of the financial statements for 2020. Once again, the accounting firm issued a “Clean Opinion” as to the fairness of the financial statements for 2020. This means that no discrepancies were found during the audit.
They state in their “Independent Auditor’s Report” that management is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles including the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal controls relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
They go on to say that in their opinion, the financial statements present fairly the financial position of North Shore at Lake Hart Homeowners Association, Inc. as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations and cash flows for 2020.
The completed Audited Financial Statements for 2020, including footnotes and Supplementary Information, along with the Independent Auditor’s Report were presented to the Board at the meeting on December 7,2021 and are now posted to the North Shore website where you can read, review, or download them.
Steve Smith is the HOA Treasurer.
Holiday Reminder, Please Park on the Right Side of the Road
As we approach the holidays, many residents will be hosting gatherings with family and friends, which means that there will be more vehicles entering our community during this time of year.
Community Patrol ensures that vehicles are parked according to parking policy. When observing an incorrectly parked vehicle during the day, the patrol member goes out of their way to knock on the closest doors and advise the vehicle’s owner of the issue, which gives them an opportunity to move the vehicle. After sunset, patrol members observe these violations and then, without knocking and according to the parking policy, will arrange to have the vehicle towed.
Please advise your guests about our community parking rules. December is an EVEN month so everyone should park on the side of the street with addresses ending in even numbers. Also, avoid blocking driveways and mailboxes, do not park on any part of the sidewalks or driveway aprons and always park with the passenger-side wheels to the curb (except in designated locations in Lake Shore/Osprey Landings).
Fireworks etiquette, be kind
Please be courteous to your neighbors if you celebrate the New Year with fireworks. We have many shift workers, veterans and pets that are sensitive to the loud explosions and flashing lights. Keep the celebrations short and notify your neighbors if you’re planning a display, so they can be prepared or join in the festivities.
Walls painted for the first time in years
Two major assets of the HOA are probably the most overlooked. The 8-foot wall that surrounds Heron Pointe separating it from the electrical easement off Moss Park Road and the 8-foot wall between Marsh Pointe and the golf course maintenance shed. These walls are owned by the HOA and should be cleaned and painted regularly.
Due to the planned reserve funds set-aside for our community’s infrastructure, management contracted to have these walls cleaned and painted the first week of December. The job is done and for the first time in over a decade, these walls are clean and look brand new.
Next time you drive along Moss Park Road or down by the golf course maintenance shed, take a quick look at one of these walls (maybe for the first time) and know that your monthly payments benefit the entire community.
Spreading Holiday Cheer
Our community fountain is also celebrating the Holidays!
Community Decorations Gallery
By Linda McCauley