Happy holidays! We wish you could all see the winter
wonderland here at Harbor Ridge. We received approximately
14 inches of snow on Monday and Tuesday, and it is still
hanging on the trees five days later. Perfect snow and such
beauty for cross country skiing around Acadia National
Park. Even though there are only a few units occupied now,
the staff is hustling, bustling, and shoveling.
It was a pleasure seeing so many owners at the annual
meeting on December 1. Thank you for actively participating
in your ownership. Jerry Williams of Livermore Falls was
reelected to another five-year term on the Executive Board
of Directors. The Executive Board appointed Dianne Lytle of
Southwest Harbor to a one-year term to fill the vacant
position resulting from James Murphy’s resignation. Jerry
and Dianne are both
excited about serving the owner’s association in this
capacity.
Owner getaways are available from now until the beginning of
April with the exception of school vacation weeks. Owners
may call 7—10 days in advance to make their reservations.
It is $95 for one night and $125 for two, and these rates
include tax.
Winter brings many local families to use the resort
facilities to ward off the wintertime blues. Just a
reminder that immediate family members may use the amenities
free of charge. Owners must pay $5.00 for each friend that
comes along for the fun.
In closing, a
former manager of mine asked one time, “How do you spell
love?” I replied, “L-O-V-E.” He responded, “Yes, but
T-I-M-E is what it is all about.” In the spirit of the
holiday season, make your vacation reservations now and wrap
up your destination or your Interval International Resort
Directory in a decorated box. What a great gift! Let your
family know this holiday season that you love them by
reserving time for that upcoming, memorable family
vacation.
Posted: February 1, 2008
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According to the calendar spring has
arrived! However, we sit here writing this during the
greatest snowfall of the year on April 5. The weather was
very mild until the first storm of the season arrived on
January 16. From that date the snow amount was low, but the
wind was unbelievable. We hired additional part-time
workers to allow the maintenance department to work outside
during this weather. We repaired the exterior damage on
Building Three. The clap boards were replaced along with the
doors and windows as needed. The first four townhouses in
the building are completed. This fall when the occupancy
slows down, the last four will be tackled.
Associated Builders, the original contractor
hired to build Harbor Ridge in 1991, completed all repair
work on the eight Townhouses in Building V. Clark Young,
the developer of Harbor Ridge, contacted Associated Builders
upon learning about the ongoing problems with the building.
They reached an agreement whereby the cost to repair
Building V would be paid by the contractor even though the
statutes of limitation in the State of Maine had expired.
The yearly project of painting the interior
of one of the five townhouse buildings was completed.
Building One was painted and borders and decorating touches
were added. All five buildings are now completed.
Hopefully we will be able to work on interior furnishings
needing to be replaced next year.
The occupancy rate at Harbor Ridge has
changed over the last several years. We used to be able to
plan ongoing projects from November until April, but not any
longer. Interval International now fills deposits made by
our owners from April until the end of November, almost as
soon as they are deposited. If you are unable to utilize
your unit and you have not found a guest to occupy it,
please let us know, as we may have a maintenance project to
complete during that time.
We would like to remind our local owners, who
utilize the facilities regularly, the resort use is for
immediate family members. Owners are welcome to bring
friends provided they pay a $5.00 per person guest fee and
accompany their friends. Children under the age of 14 must
be accompanied by an adult. The clubhouse is open from 8:00
am to 8:45 pm daily.
We would like to remind owners to please call
us if you have questions regarding your ownership or
exchanging with Interval International. We want all of you
to get the greatest benefits out of your timeshare here at
Harbor Ridge.
It is important to keep Harbor Ridge up to
date on address and contact information changes. We do
calls to remind you about depositing your weeks and paying
maintenance fees. We also like to call owners if we need to
change a unit due to maintenance and repairs.
Have a great spring and summer!
Posted April 28, 2007
Happy New Year!! Harbor Ridge has been
bustling with activity during the past two months both
inside and out.
We have completed the painting of five units
in Building 1, in hopes of the entire building being
completed by February school vacation week. In addition to
the painting, the maintenance staff has been busy repairing
Building 3. It came to our attention that there was some
significant water and structural damage on the ocean side of
the building. The building is being reinforced, damage is
being repaired, and clap boards, windows, and doors will be
replaced as needed.
The office staff has been busy collecting the
maintenance fees, preparing newsletters, making
reservations, and verifying deposits with Interval
International. It is always so exciting to verify a deposit
and then see that a vacation confirmation is being printed
for the owner. Curiosity kills me and I have to then find
out where our owners are traveling. Vacation ownership is
such a great investment in family relationships.
Just a reminder to our owners that the Winter
Clubhouse Hours are now in effect. The Clubhouse is open
Monday thru Thursday from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Friday thru
Sunday from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. Drop in for the day and
take a dip in the pool. We’d love to see you!
Posted: January 28,
2007
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New Rental Policies
Prove Helpful
As mentioned in the
April newsletter, the resort revised the rental policies
at the resort for any future rentals. The new rental
agreements state that the resort has the authority to
negotiate the rental price up to 75% of the standard rack
rate and the staff can accept four to seven-night
rentals.
There has been a
modest increase in the rentals this summer over last
year. Again, many of our rental inquiries for this past
year were short notice and for four nights. Rental
inquirers seek instant gratification and want to book the
rental immediately.
As always, owners may
rent out their units on their own and keep all the
proceeds. Please contact the resort with the arriving
guest’s name.
To be included in the
rental program, owners must sign and return a rental
agreement to the resort. Rentals are on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Contact the resort staff at
harborridge@verizon.net or at 207-244-7000 to obtain a
rental agreement.
STANDARD RACK RATES
| Week Number |
Weekly Rental |
Nightly Rental |
| 1 - 6 |
$500 |
$95 |
| 7 |
$625 |
$100 |
| 8 - 14 |
$500 |
$95 |
| 15 - 16 |
$625 |
$100 |
| 17 - 20 |
$750 |
$125 |
| 21 - 24 |
$1000 |
$150 |
| 25 - 34 |
$1600 |
$250 |
| 35 - 40 |
$1000 |
$150 |
| 41 - 43 |
$750 |
$125 |
| 44 - 50 |
$500 |
$95 |
| 51 - 52 |
$1000 |
$150 |
Posted:
November 15, 2006
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Resale Transactions—Discharges Must be Done
In the last year, the resort saw the
largest number of resales transacted since its sellout.
However, as the number of resales at Harbor Ridge grows,
owners need to keep in mind that a stumbling block to a
successful transaction is a problem with the title.
The first step that the Harbor Ridge
Condominium Association takes when helping owners complete
the transfer of ownership is a title search at the Hancock
County Registry of Deeds. During this title search, the
resort staff periodically finds either an undischarged
mortgage or a name on the recorded deed that no longer is
associated with the Harbor Ridge ownership.
In the first instance, owners that have
financed their weeks and paid off the Note are sent
documents by the Developer to clear the mortgage from the
title. These documents not only consist of the original
Note and Mortgage, but also the Discharge of Mortgage that
must be recorded with the Registry of Deeds.
These documents should be recorded promptly.
If not and the discharge paperwork is lost, then it can
delay the resale and add extra cost to the transaction. The
cost to redraft and forward new paperwork documenting that
the Note has been paid in full is $50.00. This extra cost
will be passed on to the owner in addition to the transfer
fee typically charged on resales.
In the case of a name not associated with the
ownership but still having an interest in the property,
title cannot be transferred without this person's consent.
Owners will need to either consult a lawyer or the party of
interest to get him or her to sign the resale deed.
Please keep in mind that the Condominium
Association will help any owner facilitate the transfer of
ownership and assist owners in any way possible during the
resale process. However, the Condominium Association does
not provide legal advice nor will it broker a deal with an
ex-spouse or significant other. Owners in the process of
reselling who have questions about their title should
contact Harbor Ridge or the Registry of Deeds in Ellsworth.
Updated: April 29, 2007
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Resale Listing Policy Changes
In November 2002, the
Condominium Association started a resale listing service for
owners who wanted to sell their weeks. As time has passed,
the resale list has grown to a large number of owners—some
serious and some who casually want to sell. Inquiring
prospects are overwhelmed by the list and many have
requested asking prices.
Thus, to continue to be
included on the resale list, management has decided that a
Resale Listing Agreement must be completed and returned. In
early May, the staff mailed forms to those owners
currently on the list to receive updated contact information
and to determine listing prices. Please contact the resort if you need one mailed to you. The Condominium
Association will not be able to negotiate the sale for you,
but the staff will provide the information to interested
parties.
Once you have
negotiated the sale, the Condominium Association can perform
a title search, prepare the necessary documents (e.g.
Warranty Deed, Transfer Tax Form, Resale Certificate,
Co-Owner Agreement, and Public Offering Statement) and
record the deed at the Hancock County Registry of Deeds for
a cost of $200.00. To get the process started, complete a
bill of sale that can be found on our Resale Page of our
website at http://www.harborridge.com/request_resale.htm.
We look forward to serving you.
Posted: June 14, 2006
Back to the Top
Reaffirm Your Decision About Owning
Recently, the resort
staff has been bombarded with phone calls from owners
regarding resales. There are various reasons that prompt
owners to call the resort about “getting out from under”
their timeshare. Lifestyles change; children grow up;
people divorce; owners encounter financial hardships; or
they just get tired of their timeshare and want to sell.
More often than not,
owners who want to sell their weeks have never even used
them. They pay their fees and their weeks go by unused.
Some owners merely do not understand how to use it! In
simplest guaranteed terms, owners can stay at Harbor Ridge
for a specific week each year. Owners bring their flower
boxes, grills, quilting projects, and make their unit their
home away from home for a week. These same owners regret
having to leave and return to their daily routines.
Owners can enjoy
flexibility in both time and place. They can join or
reactivate their memberships with Interval International and
trade time for weeks at resorts all around the world.
Whether owners want to trade summer vacation weeks to
winter, visit resorts in other lands, go cruising through
the Caribbean, or simply extending stays at their own
resort, owning here at Harbor Ridge offers the luxury of
staying in world-class accommodations with all the comforts
and privacy of home. The travel options are many and there
is always a vacation destination meant to match everyone’s
personal vacation style. Don’t hesitate to call for
vacation planning help.
Can’t find the time to
take a vacation? Don’t let your week go unutilized! One of
the most appreciated gifts you can give is that of a week at
a luxurious resort. This is actually one of the biggest joys
of timeshare ownership. It's a great feeling to say to a
loved one, "I've booked a week in a nice resort for you--go
enjoy it!"
Do you own your own
business? Looking for a tax write off? Show your customers
how important they are with a vacation giveaway drawing.
Better yet, give your star employee a week’s vacation on
you.
So, utilize your
ownership at Harbor Ridge and take that much needed
vacation! Once you're on vacation, you'll appreciate being
a timeshare owner even more! You'll enjoy first-class
vacations with all the comforts of home, BUT without all the
obligations or worries!! Your only requirement is to spend
quality time with your family and friends, enjoying the
food, activities, and sights. As a timeshare owner, you'll
quickly discover what a REAL vacation is… each year,
for the rest of you
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