Mandalay Shores Resort, Oxnard, California

Does anyone have first-hand information on this resort? I've checked its reviews on TUG, and the most recent written one is March 2004. Even though the written reviews are highly positive, it has an overall rating of only 6.1. I find this to be strange, because from what I've learned, it is small, and almost directly on the beach. I'm curious.

I have been there, and I didn't care for the resort or the area. It is only about a block from the beach, and the immediate neighborhood is fine, but Oxnard is not a very appealing city. I know there is a TUGGER who considers this resort and the nearby Channel Island Shores "hidden gems", but I think that both the resorts and the location leave a lot to be desired. Oxnard is not a resort town in any sense of the word. The units themselves are very plain. This is just not a place to get excited about.

Steve

I may be biased because we own here, but we really like it and are going out there in September. If you like the beach it is practically right on it. The units are older but nice. They would not compare to Hilton, Marriott, etc. There are only seven units altogether and they are in a residential area. It's true there is not a lot to do in the town of Oxnard, except go to beach, but it is not far from Santa Barbara where there is lots to do. That is the main reason we bought here because we loved the Santa Barbara area and wanted something close.

I have never been to the resort but I am in Oxnard on a daily basis, I take my son up there for a full-time tennis program.
Oxnard is by no means a tourist town and if you mention Oxnard while in So Cal, you will definitely get "grimaces" rather than "smiles" BUT the areas known as Mandalay Shores/Channel Island is not all that bad. The beach area is the nicest part of the town and to travel far into Oxnard is all not that necessary, you can drive up to Ventura, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, Ojai and Solvang/Santa Ynez in no time.

If you need any other info, please feel free to e-mail me.

Roncy said:

Does anyone have first-hand information on this resort? I've checked its reviews on TUG, and the most recent written one is March 2004. Even though the written reviews are highly positive, it has an overall rating of only 6.1. I find this to be strange, because from what I've learned, it is small, and almost directly on the beach. I'm curious.

Click to expand...

I'm the "hidden gem" person that Steve is referring to.

I'll repeat my spiel that numeric ratings are garbage. The ratings are relevant only if the criteria that lead to high scores are the crieria that are most important to you.

The TUG criteria are slanted toward luxury, full amenity resorts. A resort can be very nicely furnished and maintained, in a good locations, with lots of activities. But if it's not a full service resort, it won't score high. And that's the situation with Mandalay Shores.

And that's why reviews are important. Read the reviews and make up your own mind. Using numerical rankings is like letting someone else do your thinking for you.

If you want to be on the beach, the beach at MS is long, very close to the resort, and much less crowded than most other So Cal beaches.

As others mention, Oxnard is not a place to visit because it's such a wonderful tourist locale. The main reasons to go to MS are to enjoy the beach, to enjoy the coastal regions north of Los Angeles, and to visit the Channel Islands. Oxnard itself, well, .... there are some good produce stands in the area and that's pretty much it. And Ventura isn't a lot more attractive.

My thanks to everyone for their valuable input. I have an opportunity to own there, and, not being a "resort" type, but a nature buff of sorts, I think the Mandalay Shores might be right up my alley, so to speak.

TUG is the greatest.

Roncy said:

My thanks to everyone for their valuable input. I have an opportunity to own there, and, not being a "resort" type, but a nature buff of sorts, I think the Mandalay Shores might be right up my alley, so to speak.

TUG is the greatest.

Click to expand...

What are the annual fees? I would have accepted a week for free from the HOA (well, closing costs only, but with mandatory title search), but the annual expenses were too great to justify it.

They're hefty - something like $775, and I'm not even sure at this point if that includes taxes. But, I'm considering the plusses. Like you, I have a very good deal on the price (obviously, yours was the best), and on the closing costs, which are split. Take into account that it is a small resort - seven units - and almost directly on the beach - and what you would pay to rent a week in the summer. What do you think?

Lorraine

Roncy said:

They're hefty - something like $775, and I'm not even sure at this point if that includes taxes. But, I'm considering the plusses. Like you, I have a very good deal on the price (obviously, yours was the best), and on the closing costs, which are split. Take into account that it is a small resort - seven units - and almost directly on the beach - and what you would pay to rent a week in the summer. What do you think?

Lorraine

Click to expand...

If you can always get a summer week, it might be worthwhile, but you're competing against all other owners.

If also figure that $100 in annual fees is the same as $1000 to $1500 in purchase price (and look at total price, including closing costs). So you're paying about $300 more than what you would pay at a comparable resort elsewhere on the Calif coast. So I figure you would have to be getting MS for about $4000 less than what you could get a similar resort for.

As much as I like MS, I can't justify owning on that basis.

****

BTW - I expect that the HOA still has foreclosed weeks that they're willing to give away.

***

Another nice feature of MS is that it firmly owner controlled, and from what I could tell is financially conservative. (Which is part of the reason why fees are high - the Board has been pretty rigorous about ensuring that reserves are properly quantified and funded.)

Steve, my total price, including closing costs, is below $500.

Roncy said:

Steve, my total price, including closing costs, is below $500.

Click to expand...

IMHO - that's about the max it would be worth. When I thought things through, and assuming I could get a summer week every year, I fgifured that is someone gave one to me for free (with nominal closing cost), that was about the breakeven point.

Are you taking into consideration, summer week notwithstanding, (1) this is a one-bedroom plus loft (6 people), and that (2) depending on whom you get to do the job, you could perhaps re-sell it at a higher price than you paid? - in your scenario, that would be just about anything. I haven't done a lot of research into renting, but it looks like you have to start looking very early in the year, when the rental amounts are prohibitive, and there are cleaning fees and contracts to sign and whatever. Otherwise, you wait until the last moment and hope someone somewhere can't make their week.