Why does the closing statement show two separate charges from the homeowners association instead of one? That is the question we hear most often from sellers getting ready to list in SaddleBrooke, and it is a fair one to ask. The short answer is that "SaddleBrooke" is not a single association. It is shorthand for two distinct Robson-built communities, one off Rancho Vistoso and a sister community called SaddleBrooke Ranch about ten minutes north in Oracle, and within the original SaddleBrooke there are two separate HOAs sharing amenities under an agreement that one board has already told the other it will not renew as written.
None of that shows up on a listing sheet. It surfaces later, usually at the title company, when a seller who budgeted for "the HOA fee" learns there are actually two different charges resting on two different legal foundations. Anyone listing this fall has a second wrinkle layered on top: Arizona's resale disclosure law changes on September 12, 2026, which means what an association is required to hand over about itself is about to get longer, right in the middle of the fall selling season.
The Fee You Budgeted For Isn't The Fee You'll Pay
Arizona law caps what a homeowners association can charge for preparing a resale disclosure statement at $400. That fee, authorized under A.R.S. §33-1806, covers the association's cost of pulling together bylaws, budget, reserve information and the other items a buyer is entitled to see before closing. It has a rush-fee ceiling of $100 and an update-fee ceiling of $50 if the paperwork is more than thirty days old, and that is the whole scope of what it can be used for.
The Capital Improvement Fee is a different animal entirely. Attorneys who work with Arizona associations draw a clear line between a "disclosure fee," which pays for paperwork, and a "transfer fee" or "capital contribution fee," which funds the association's reserves and is authorized under a separate statute. At SaddleBrooke Ranch, the HOA's own resale FAQ describes this fee as equal to the current year's annual dues rate, a one-time charge voted on by homeowners in 2018 that goes straight into the reserve fund for future repair and maintenance. It is not waived for someone who already owns a home in the community and is buying another one, and it is due at closing regardless. Buy and sell within the community inside twelve months, though, and the HOA will refund it once both closings are documented.
Here is what that looks like laid out together, using figures from SaddleBrooke Ranch's own resale information page:
| Charge | What it actually pays for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Resale disclosure fee | Preparing the HOA's required disclosure statement | Capped at $400 statewide |
| Master HOA semi-annual dues | Recurring operating dues plus amenity fee | $1,490 dues + $233.16 amenity fee = $1,723.16 |
| Villa HOA semi-annual assessment (Sections 21A/21B) | Additional dues layered on top of Master HOA dues for villa owners | $1,260 |
| Capital Improvement Fee | One-time reserve contribution at closing, tied to the current annual dues rate | Refundable if buyer and seller close within 12 months of each other |
Villa owners have an extra step most single-family sellers skip entirely. Because villas sit under both the Master HOA and a separate Villas management company, an HOA demand has to come from both before closing can proceed, not just one.
Two HOAs, One Name
The original SaddleBrooke community complicates things further. HOA #1 was founded in 1987 on 1,200 acres and now includes roughly 3,650 residents across more than 2,000 homes connected by 26 miles of private roads. HOA #2 developed later and carries the newer amenities: a performance theater, pickleball courts, and multiple pools and clubhouses that HOA #1 residents have historically been able to use under a reciprocal agreement between the two boards.
That arrangement is not guaranteed to continue indefinitely. A public review posted by a prospective buyer on a community review site states that HOA #2's board formally notified HOA #1 that the shared-amenity agreement will not be renewed as written. We have not seen the underlying board correspondence ourselves, and homeowners considering a purchase or sale that depends on which amenities come with a given address should confirm the current status directly with the HOA rather than assuming the reciprocal terms a longtime resident describes still apply today. It is exactly the kind of detail that a national listing site will never surface, because it lives in board minutes, not in square footage.
What Changes On September 12
In June 2026, Governor Hobbs signed HB 2397, which amends both of Arizona's resale disclosure statutes, the planned-community version under A.R.S. §33-1806 and the condominium version under A.R.S. §33-1260. The changes take effect September 12, 2026.
The disclosure packet an association must produce is getting heavier. Along with the reserve study associations already have to share, the expanded packet will include income and expense statements for both the operating account and the reserve account, plus minutes from the association's three most recent open board meetings. Buyers will be able to see not just a reserve balance, but whether contributions are actually happening and what the board has been debating behind closed doors.
Arizona has never required HOAs to fund reserves or commission reserve studies on any set schedule. What the law does instead is force disclosure, and after September 12 that disclosure includes more of the financial story than it used to. For a seller, the practical takeaway is simple: whatever your association's financial house looks like, it is about to be a little more visible to buyers than it has been.
What This Means If You List This Fall
Anyone whose escrow opens close to the September 12 cutoff should not assume the packet they receive looks like the one a neighbor got in June. Ask your title company directly which version of the disclosure content applies to your specific transaction, since the timing of the request relative to that date is what matters, not the date you sign a listing agreement.
A few practical steps make the process smoother regardless of which side of the deadline you fall on:
- Request the HOA resale packet early through the association's official resale portal rather than waiting until you are already under contract with a buyer.
- If you own a villa in Sections 21A or 21B, plan for two separate HOA demands, one from the Master HOA and one from the Villas management company, and build the extra lead time into your timeline.
- Confirm the current reciprocal-use terms between HOA #1 and HOA #2 in writing if amenity access is a selling point for your specific address.
- Ask your title company where your closing date falls relative to September 12, 2026, and what disclosure content to expect either way.
None of this replaces legal advice about your specific HOA documents, and sellers with questions about litigation history, assessment status or reserve funding should talk to the association directly or to an attorney familiar with Arizona's planned community statutes.
A Few Questions We Hear Often
Does the Capital Improvement Fee get waived if I already own a home in the community? No. SaddleBrooke Ranch's own FAQ is explicit that the fee is due at closing regardless of whether the buyer already owns property in the community.
What if I'm buying and selling within the same community? SaddleBrooke Ranch allows a refund of the Capital Improvement Fee if both the sale and the purchase close within twelve months of each other, once documentation is submitted after both transactions are complete.
Is the $400 disclosure fee cap specific to SaddleBrooke? No. That cap comes from Arizona statute and applies to planned community resale disclosure statements across the state, not to any single HOA.
Selling a home inside a structure with two associations, a fee schedule that changes by section, and a state law shifting mid-season is not a transaction to price out on a spreadsheet the night before you list. It is the kind of detail that rewards having someone in your corner who has actually read the HOA's own resale page before your buyer's lender asks about it. If you are weighing a sale in Tucson's active-adult communities this fall, we would welcome the chance to walk through your specific HOA's paperwork with you, get a current sense of what your home is worth in today's market, and help you line up a listing that accounts for exactly which disclosure rules will govern your closing. Reach out to the Tierney Lococo Team whenever you are ready to talk it through.