HIGH SIERRA NEWSLETTER - FALL 2009

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Please send payments or any correspondence directly to High Sierra at
the following address:

High Sierra Condominiums
P.O Box 7188
Ruidoso, NM 88355-7188
USA

Phone: (575) 257-6913
Fax: (575) 257-7319

E-Mail  Address:
info@highsierracondos.com

Policy changes are made periodically by the High Sierra Board. Such important policy changes are announced in
this newsletter, and they’re also posted on High Sierra’s website.
Go to: www.highsierracondos.com

WINTER  HOURS
High Sierra has moved to winter hours.   During the winter months office hours
are 9 AM to 9 PM daily.

 Pool hours are from 9 AM until half hour before closing every day.

The President's Corner

As can be seen from the summary of things accomplished so far this year on page 4, one can tell 2009 has been a busy year at High Sierra. And that’s just a summary; a detailed listing of things done runs much longer!

Your Board of Directors, working closely with
the High Sierra Management team, has developed a proposed budget for 2010 that will allow continuing progress while requiring no increase in owner’s maintenance and reserve fees. This is no small accomplishment in view of ever-rising costs for both materials and labor. The proposed 2010 budget is on Page 3 of this newsletter. We’ve just learned that High Sierra has been awarded “Hospitality” level recognition from RCI for 2010. This is a tribute to hard work done by our Manager and staff. We’ll complete more upgrade projects in the coming year to maintain High Sierra as the top-ranked timeshare-resort it should be. There have been a lot of improvements done so far this year, and there are many more to come.

The High Sierra staff is looking forward to creating a pleasant vacation experience for our owners. Look for many more signs of positive change when you visit your property.

Raymond L. Peabody, HSCOA President

Mark your Calendars!

The Annual Budget Meeting will be held on October 24, 2009, at 10 AM at the High Sierra clubhouse.

WE NEED AN E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR EVERY
HIGH SIERRA OWNER !!!

Please send yours to: info@highsierracondos.com

(And please remember to notify High Sierra of any changes to your mailing address, phone numbers, or e-mail address.)

While in the High Sierra clubhouse, check out the new large-screen flatpanel TV there...purchased with funds rebated back to High Sierra from wise use of our corporate credit card !

WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS IS NOW AVAILABLE IN ALL HIGH SIERRA UNITS!!!

Owners who are technologically-oriented can appreciate that since 2005 we’ve progressed High Sierra from dial-up access only (limited to two computers for office use only) to highspeed access, and then to wireless access in the clubhouse for guests by 2008. In 2009, using the latest in “smart” but cost-effective technology, we’ve now made wireless Internet access available in the units! There’s a nominal single charge for access in each unit; that single charge covers a one night stay, or up to a full week. Users will be issued a required access code (“password”) at the front desk after paying for this service. NO-COST ACCESS WILL STILL REMAIN AVAILABLE IN THE CLUBHOUSE for those guests who don’t desire the convenience of in-unit wireless access. Additionally, there’s a computer available in the clubhouse for common use at no-cost.
 

Statements for 2010 Maintenance fees

Statements for 2010 Maintenance and Reserve fees will be mailed in mid-November.  Please be aware that providing statements is a courtesy to owners. Per High Sierra’s Bylaws, fees are due January 1st annually, whether or not an owner receives a statement. The commitment for annual fees contained in the sales contract is just as legally binding as any mortgage payment.

FROM YOUR MANAGERS

We’ve now implemented an electronic reservation system in the High Sierra office; the former manual “booking” system using binders with paper sheets in them for each week...which was too prone to human error...is gone. We’re now working toward developing an on-line “live” booking system for our owners and other guests, that will allow reservations to be made from home or office computers.

Your Management team works diligently on a daily basis to make mprovements and maintain High Sierra units while using funds and material resources wisely. We hope you see and appreciate our efforts. We want to thank owners who take the time to fill out comment sheets and turn them into the office at the end of their stay. Your input helps as we strive to improve your vacation experience. We encourage owners to visit High Sierra’s website at www.highsierracondos.com where we’ll increasingly be posting important information so you can get news quickly. As just one example, there’s a link posted now on the Owners Page for an RCI “weeks calendar” through 2013. Owners can also initiate some actions on-line, and there will soon be more on-line actions available.            

                            Rob Huff (Member, Board of Directors) 
                               & Margana Huff, General Managers
 

Stay FREE if you buy!
Rent a week or a weekend at High Sierra, and if you purchase a unit within 60 days of that rental, half the rental cost (minus tax, of course) will be applied toward the purchase price. (Does not apply to holiday weeks or weekends.)

RENTAL RESERVATION CANCELLATION POLICY
(Reminder)

In 2008, the Board of Directors directed a change in policy regarding refund of rental funds in case of cancellation.  For RCI-designated weeks 01 through 50, if a reservation is cancelled 14 or more days in advance of arrival, $40 of the pre-paid first night’s deposit will be retained as a cancellation fee. The
$40 cancellation fee applies equally to 1, 2, or 3-bedroom units. Reservations for weeks 1 through 50 cancelled less than 14 calendar days in advance will forfeit all of the first night’s rental fee. For RCI-designated weeks 51, 52, or 53, reservations cancelled 30 days or less from the projected date of arrival will receive no refund of any pre-paid amount. The retained portion of any rental deposit it intended to offset High Sierra costs for actual credit card charge & refund fees, employee time, potential lost opportunity costs, and other administrative costs associated with making and then cancelling a reservation. Some visitors to Ruidoso make multiple reservations prior to their visit to the area, and then they cancel all but one when they arrive. High Sierra’s rental refund policy will now parallel widely-accepted procedures for the hospitality industry.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR OWNERS
and THEIR GUESTS

For your security, keys for “after-hours” arrivals are now left in a metal mailbox with a changeable combination lock on it.  Any owner or guest arriving after the office is closed MUST know the current combination to obtain keys. 

IF YOU ANTICIPATE ARRIVING AFTER 8 PM ON ANY NIGHT, PLEASE CALL THE HIGH SIERRA OFFICE BEFORE 8 PM TO OBTAIN THE COMBINATION FOR THE LOCK. 

Again, this procedure is to protect YOUR High Sierra resources and provide better security for our owners and guests.  If all fees are not paid current, keys cannot be left out.      
                              

IN-HOUSE EXCHANGE (OR “SWAP”) POLICIES
If you know in advance that you won’t be able to use your regular unit-week(s) for any reason, we can do an “in-house” exchange with you for another unit-week at High Sierra. (We can NOT, however, exchange your week for one at another property...one must go through RCI or a similar timeshare exchange company for that.) There’s a $75 cost to do an in-house “swap,” but that’s less than one-third the cost of doing the same exchange through RCI. Here are the policies & procedures you need to know:

1. All annual maintenance & reserve fees must be paid current.

2. To the extent possible, we’ll try to “swap” your unit for an equal unit (same number of bedrooms & the same RCI “season”...red, white, or blue). However, that may not always be possible so please be flexible as we try to accommodate.

3. Any in-house exchange MUST be initiated a MINIMUM of 15 calendar days PRIOR TO the start of your week.

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