Two High Desert homes can sit a few streets apart, share the same Sandia view and come from the same builder era, and one owner's quarterly HOA bill can still run close to double the other's. The difference comes from a gate, and in the homes that have one, from a callbox, a set of pergolas, private concrete and streetlight poles that wear out like anything else.
Most listings show one number for High Desert dues. The High Desert Residential Owners Association bills owners in two layers. For a buyer, the bigger question is what the second layer is already scheduled to pay for.
The bill has two layers
According to the association's Assessments & Payments page, every owner pays a base assessment of $315 per quarter. Owners in the gated villages also pay a Gated Village Assessment, which appears on the same quarterly invoice.
The page calls these amounts "current" and gives no effective date. The association sets assessments every year from its budget, so check them against the disclosure certificate before relying on them.
| Village | Village add-on per quarter | Base plus add-on per quarter | Annualized total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not gated | none | $315 | $1,260 |
| Canyons | $104 | $419 | $1,676 |
| Enclave | $132 | $447 | $1,788 |
| Wilderness Compound | $135 | $450 | $1,800 |
| Trillium | $139 | $454 | $1,816 |
| Chaco Compound | $171 | $486 | $1,944 |
| Desert Mountain | $201 | $516 | $2,064 |
| Wilderness Cañon | $201 | $516 | $2,064 |
| The Legends | $303 | $618 | $2,472 |
The annualized column is the posted quarterly figure multiplied by four. The association also warns that invoices can include other fees and charges, plus any Special or Specific Assessments allowed under the Declaration, so the amount due "may vary from period to period."
Payment timing is spelled out too. Assessments are due on the first day of each quarter and are late after the 25th. Interest of 12% a year runs from the original due date, and a $100 late fee applies if the balance is still unpaid at the next quarterly billing.
What the add-on actually maintains
The village add-on pays for the equipment that makes a gated village gated, and High Desert's board minutes show that equipment coming due on a schedule.
At its July 21, 2026 meeting, the board reviewed village painting proposals "based on recommendations from the reserve study." The list was specific to each village:
- Canyons: streetlight poles
- Chaco Compound: vehicle and pedestrian gates and callbox
- Chamisa Trail: pergola
- Legends: pergola and pedestrian gates
- Pinon Point: pergola
- Trillium: vehicle gates, operators, callbox and streetlight poles
- Wilderness Canon: gates
- Wilderness Compound: gates and callbox
The same packet showed how small fixes add up. It included additional Canyons concrete repairs of $4,450 plus tax, to be paid from reserves, and a request to classify a $3,901.41 Wilderness Canon gate repair as a reserve expense.
The Chaco Compound gate shows how a repair can turn into an ongoing cost. Its phone line kept failing. After talking with Iron Clad Concepts, management recommended converting the gate to a cellular modem, at an estimated $1,995 up front plus a DoorKing subscription of $150 a month. The board approved it unanimously. At that rate, the subscription comes to $1,800 a year for a single gate.
The gates, callboxes and pergolas on that list are shared equipment that owners in each village own together, and a village with a higher add-on is paying to keep more of it running.
The walls everyone pays for
The perimeter stucco walls are the community-wide version of the same pattern. The February 2026 Apache Plume newsletter explains that PlanD Collaborative evaluated the walls in early 2024 and that repairs are going in priority order, worst walls first.
In October 2025 the board approved Firebird Structures' Phase 1 proposal for $237,787 and PlanD Collaborative's construction oversight for $22,305.28. The February newsletter put the fiscal-year wall budget at $300,000.
Phase 2 followed. Before voting, the board walked the Phase 1 work, and the July 21, 2026 minutes record its assessment:
"The Board agreed that Firebird Structures' work was within the scope of the project, thorough, and responsive to issues identified during a previous review."
The board then voted unanimously to accept Firebird's Phase 2 proposal for $360,345.24, using a renewal provision in the original contract.
The association has the money for this work. As of December 31, 2025, the February newsletter reported about $2.7 million in cash and no debt. Wall work, village gate work and entrance refreshes for 13 villages are all funded from the same pool. The Spain and Academy entrances were finished in late November 2025, and the 13 village entrances were scheduled for spring 2026.
Who will run the association next year
High Desert is also deciding who will manage the association. HOAMCO, the current manager, was acquired by Community Management Holdings, as reported in November 2025, and the newsletter said owners' payment process would not change. The board then extended the HOAMCO/CMH contract for one year.
The June 2026 minutes said the request-for-proposal process for the management contract was scheduled to begin July 1, 2026. At its August 18, 2026 meeting, the board ratified a contract with Great Boards to run that process. No new manager has been announced. The manager prepares the resale paperwork a buyer receives, so a buyer under contract this winter could get documents from HOAMCO now and send next year's dues to a different company.
The board's October 20 meeting was scheduled to take place by Zoom. When its minutes appear on the association's 2026 Board Minutes page, they are the first place to look for budget or management news. The association's Financial Reports page sends owners to HOAMCO for detailed financial documents.
Where a buyer sees all of this in writing
New Mexico law requires the association to put much of this on paper during a sale. Under NMSA §47-16-12, the seller must give the buyer the declaration, bylaws, applicable covenants, association rules and a disclosure certificate from the association before closing.
The statute's definition in §47-16-2(M) lists what the certificate must show. These are the items that connect most directly to the gate and wall costs above:
- The common assessment, plus any unpaid common or special assessments currently due from the seller
- Other fees owed by owners
- Capital expenditures the board has approved for the current fiscal year and the next two
- Capital reserves, including any portion set aside for specific projects
- The current operating budget and the most recent balance sheet and income and expense statement, if any
- Unsatisfied judgments and pending suits, with the status of known material ones
Taken together, the third and fourth items are where a buyer in The Legends or Trillium would see which gate and callbox projects the board has approved and how much of the reserves is set aside for specific projects. The sixth item applies to High Desert right now. The February 2026 newsletter reported that a mediation on January 21, 2026 reached a settlement in principle, and that HDROA had been named as a defendant in a separate lawsuit related to New Construction Committee interpretations and responsibilities.
The deadlines are short. Once it receives a written request, the association has 10 business days to furnish the certificate. It may charge up to $300 to prepare it, collected at closing and only if the sale closes. Under §47-16-11, the seller must deliver the certificate at least seven days before closing, and the buyer may cancel the contract within seven days after receiving it. §47-16-13 says that cancellation carries no penalty and that payments must be refunded within 15 days.
The certificate's assessment and fee statements are valid for 60 days. After that, the seller can request an update, which the association must provide within three business days for a fee of no more than $50. A buyer's liability for unpaid assessments is capped at the prorated amount stated in the certificate.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm the details of your own contract, including any cancellation rights, with a real estate attorney or the appropriate professional.
FAQ
Can a High Desert home be rented short term? According to the association's homeowner guide, rentals must be at least six months unless the board approves an exception, and short-term rentals are prohibited.
How long does it take to get exterior changes approved after closing? Modification requests must be submitted by the first Friday of the month and are reviewed on the third Thursday. The Modification Committee has up to 45 days to decide, and fast-track requests usually move faster.
Are the landscaping rules changing? A revised Allowed/Prohibited Plant List from the Landscape Committee was still listed as informational at the August 18, 2026 meeting, to be considered for approval at a later meeting.
When you're comparing High Desert villages, Laura can help you request the HOA documents early and set each village's gate and wall line items next to your budget, so you can bring questions to your attorney while there's still time to ask them. This House Fitz is glad to walk through one specific home's HOA documents with you. Schedule Your Free Consultation.
