Our HOA Manager, Don moreland reluctantly leaves CMA and COR.  Below is his letter to COR residents.

Cross Oak Ranch Residents:

With great regret, I have resigned my position with CMA and will no longer be the Cross Oak Ranch HOA Manager.  I received a significant offer from a previous employer to return to my previous career in Telecommunications.  Friday July 22nd is my last day.

I regret this decision because I have personally invested a lot of time and effort in making a difference at Cross Oak Ranch.  I feel a great sense of accomplishment in the progress that has been made in the nine months that I have had the privilege to serve this Community.

CMA’s mantra is “the communities we serve”.  This is what attracted me to CMA and what I tried to do each and every day.  I felt a “calling” to serve Cross Oak Ranch and I firmly believe that I am leaving it in a far better situation than when I started.   If the Marlin-Atlantis Board had not resigned last month, this would have been a much more difficult decision.  I am confident that the new Board will allow CMA to productively manage the Association and effectively “serve the community!”

I leave the Association in the capable hands of a 30 year Property Management professional in Michelle Harris.  I have given Ms. Harris a thorough inspection of all aspects of the Community and she has the support of CMA’s management and the Board of Directors.  One of the first things the new Board and Ms. Harris will have to consider is the organization of an ACC Committee to take on the responsibility of the considerable number of ACC requests that are submitted on a monthly basis. Ideally this will be done through a new and improved www.crosoakranchhoa.com website integrated with CMA’s back office functions.  I have provided Ms. Harris the list of residents that have volunteered for the ACC Committee for her review and discussion with the Board.  CMA will continue to provide Compliance enforcement inspections and the defined process for Assessment collection.

The residents of Cross Oak Ranch have long sought to have a role in managing their community.  The Association By Laws call for a Transition to a Homeowner controlled Board of Directors in January 2013.  That is less than 18 months away!  Many residents are still learning what it means to ‘live’ in an HOA.   Residents of Cross Oak Ranch will have a lot to learn about directing the affairs of an HOA.   It is not what many envision; making changes, doing it a different way, taking “control”.  It’s not that simple.  A 70% majority of homeowners have to agree on any changes to the By Laws or CC&Rs.  It’s difficult to even get 10% to show up for an Annual Meeting, much less 650 homeowners to agree to significant “change”.  Use the next 18 months to learn what it means to take responsibility for 926 (and counting) homes and the significant amount of Common Areas and amenities that make up Cross Oak Ranch.

I encourage all the residents that have seen a positive change in the community this year to take part in maintaining the positive momentum.  Take an active role, whether it’s just being a good homeowner, neighbor, Street Captain, Committee member or some day, a Board member. 

 Be as passionate about your community as I was, and make a difference!        

Sincerely,
Don Moreland

Your community needs you! We have established some groups that need volunteers from the residents of Cross Oaks Ranch. These groups are Crime Watch/Safety, Communications, Community Beautification, Social Action and Youth Outreach. Working in conjunction with the HOA, and Cross Oaks Ranch Elementary we are seeking individuals and families that can give some of their time to enriching the lives of our kids and improving the overall quality of life in our neighborhood. Your input is needed for Social Committee activities and community projects as well as being a good neighbor by being a street/block captain for the Crime Watch or Communcation committee member to help spread the word of what the Community Beautification volunteers have decided to plant or the award some lucky homeowner may receive for their landscaping. There are tons of possibilities but they all begin with you!! Please select the Community link near the top left of the page above then select Groups from the drop down list. Select the group or groups you are interested in and join! We will be contacting you soon with further information regarding the next meeting. Thanks and welcome to all new participants!

Is your home security at risk? According to FBI statistics, 8,600 break-ins occur in the U.S. every day (that’s one every 10 seconds!), and more than half the time, they’re happening during broad daylight, entering right through the doorway. But most break-ins are a crime of opportunity, so you have the power to take back control.

According to the Kwikset American Security Study, nearly one-third of homeowners have lived in their current residence for five years or less. And while moving into a new home can be very exciting, it’s also a vulnerable time for home security because there’s no telling how many people have copies of your house key. That is, unless you’ve physically changed or re-keyed the locks yourself…which is an affordable, smart and simple way to up your odds of foiling a break-in before it even occurs.

Four to five minutes-that could be the difference between whether or not your return home from vacation is ruined by a burglar.

According to experts, that's the maximum time most thieves will spend trying to break into a house before giving up in search of easier prey. That holds true year-round, whether you're blissfully off on a winter ski getaway or spending the summer on the beach.

No matter the age of your home, regular maintenance is essential for keeping your space comfortable and future repair costs down. It’s better to address minor repairs as they come up, before they become big problems. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of professional tools to get the job done. Here are a few favorites from

To keep your home in good shape, consider these maintenance ideas:

• Check your windows. Clean the glass and seals and inspect all windows. Fix worn weather stripping and recaulk inside and out if needed. Replace broken or chipped window boards or trim.

A recent tax credit lets homeowners looking for a more energy-efficient way to heat and cool their house get a new geothermal heating and cooling system. A onetime tax credit of 30 percent of the total investment is offered to homeowners who install residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pumps.

Homeowners looking to introduce color, texture and unique design elements to a house’s exterior may consider building an accent or garden wall. Fortunately, if the thought of a block-and-mortar wall seems a little daunting, there’s an easier solution.

Using dry-stacked concrete blocks and a surface-bonding cement, it can be easier than many homeowners realize to build a low-maintenance, affordable accent wall.