St. Augustine By Marne Loagan, CCAM

St. Augustine Owners Association is focused on providing an outstanding quality of life for their residents. As you drive up to the community, the entrance is elegant and welcoming. Surrounded by mountain views, the community boasts wide, clean streets and open common areas with plenty of space between homes. You immediately sense pride of ownership.

There are 152 beautifully landscaped single-family homes that range in size from 2,260 to 3,650 square feet. Prices range from $550,000 to $1.2 million. All of the two to four-bedroom homes are single story construction. Assessments of $305.00 per month include maintenance of all the common areas, cable TV with HBO and Showtime, and full use of the park and greenbelt facilities, including the tennis courts. St. Augustine is fully built out and was completed in 2004.

The lush and aesthetically pleasing landscape is a feast for the eyes and senses. There are four large ponds with connecting streams and waterfalls within a seven-acre greenbelt, with beautiful walkways and bridges and enough bench seating and picnic tables for all to enjoy. The community also has two tennis courts and a park with extensive playground equipment for resident children and visiting grandchildren.

St. Augustine is located off Da Vall Drive and Dean Martin Drive in Rancho Mirage. They are close to The River and other premier shopping and dining establishments and only five miles from the Palm Springs Airport.

The five-member board is proud of their efforts to preserve and enhance property values and have worked diligently to prepare the community for the future. In an effort to save water, they have undertaken turf conversion projects and updated all of the water recirculation systems for the ponds. The board receives assistance from volunteers who serve on three standing committees, the Architectural, Landscape, and the Social/Welcome committees. They also have a vibrant Neighborhood Watch program.

The St. Augustine Owners Association is managed by David Schuknecht, AMS, from Personalized Property Management. They contract with CAI-CV members Leon’s Landscaping to keep the property looking beautiful and utilize the services of Patton Door & Gate for their gates, and Epsten Grinnell & Howell for legal issues.

President of the Board of Directors and active CAI-CV member, Sabina Dorn, says, “I take great pride in being a part of this community and serving on the board, and I am grateful to CAI for helping to keep our board educated about best practices and legislative issues.”

Marne Logan, CCAM, is a community association manager for The Management Trust Desert Division. She can be reached at 760-340-1703, or by email to marne.logan@managementtrust.com.