Trilogy at Monarch Dunes - Nipomo, California

Herminio F.

Un lugar para vivir muy tranquilo

Amie R.

If you are in the nipomo area it is worth coming by this beautiful community! I walk the golf course here frequently on weekend afternoons and it is just beautiful and well maintained with lovely native plants. I also frequent the cafe and the seating areas outside of the restaurant in the clubhouse because they have gorgeous decorations and blazing gas fireplaces in the cooler months.

Lily C.

It’s a really nice community for older active folks. My parents are wanting to move there. You have to qualify and put your name in for a lottery draw for the different plots when they become available. It’s a downside on one hand because you never know if you’re name will be drawn and you don’t know how many names are in the lottery. The upside is no bidding war driving the price up unless you buy a pre-owned house when someone moves out. It’s a community that has a high HOA but there are pickleball courts, 2 pools, art room with a kiln, events, wine bar with storage lockers to rent, a community center and more… My fingers are crossed my parents get their names drawn soon!

Karen K.

Rode my horse on the designated equestrian trails with a friend. We had fun. My horse's joints like the soft sand trails with plenty of places to trot. Most golfers, walkers, and bicycle riders enjoy seeing horses.

Alex P.

Medium sized retirement community located in Nipomo,CA. It’s tucked away between lots of open farmland and lots of local wineries. Only a short 15 minute drive south to Santa Maria for your big box stores or a 20 minute drive north to San Luis Obispo, a nice college town. The Community has a pool, lots of tennis and pickle ball courts, several bocce courts, and lots of trails for walking and hiking. Neighbors are very friendly where everyone waves and says hello. In other words, this is paradise.

Patricia H.

I've lived here three years. My comment is in response to the first two negative reviews. I was appalled by the lack of professionalism they were shown and suggest they report those sales people to the project manager if not, write Shea directly. Also, the HOA fees are not $500. Sorry you were misled, this is a terrific place to live.

Jackson P.

New manager Eric is horrible. Place looks visibly worse since his arrival and the turnover rate of the staff has nearly doubled. He’s lost four employees in less than a month. I miss Henry, that guy was way way better.

T J.

Trilogy at Monarch Dunes is definitely not for everyone!

However, if you decide it is for you then by all appearances it might possibly be a great experience for a lifetime, i.e., once the project is complete and Shea Homes' current leadership has vacated the scene.

Amazingly, most reviews here are fairly accurate. Particularly as relates to age, i.e., retirement versus working class; race -- Black and African Americans especially beware; sales staff -- moderate your trust and faith; Shea Mortgage -- compare elsewhere; Shea Homes boilerplate contracts -- consider having an attorney review everything before you sign, and then keep the legal service on file for future use. If you came with a realtor, fine, now still obtain legal advice, as the Realtor's loyalty is with the entity that pays them, i.e., Shea Homes.

Get everything in writing. Nothing is trivial.

Remember Ronald Reagan's famous words, "Trust, but verify!"

When things start to go sideways with sales (and things will start to go sideways with sales, before, during and after construction), upon exhausting a reasonable amount of time and effort at the local level without satisfactory resolution, forget about seeking help via Shea Homes as "Customer Service" equals "Lip Service" at the corporate level -- all about the bottom line. See legal service above.

All that said, generally speaking, as a community Trilogy at Monarch Dunes is a great place to live and becoming better and better as it expands towards completion.

Trilogy model homes are beautiful, and when built according to Shea Homes' exacting standards you will be pleased beyond your wildest dream.

Shea Homes is of course aware of its prestige and deservedly proud.

Howsoever, the problem at Trilogy at Monarch Dunes -- the root cause of nearly everything that goes wrong concerning Shea Homes -- is the sheer arrogance displayed by local senior leadership attributable to product quality, and worse, the impertinent business and operating culture created top-down.

At one point our salesperson actually had the unmitigated gall to say nonchalantly and quite unabashedly, "...it's okay, you don't have to buy from us, we don't mind one way or the other!" At another early point concerning clarification of a critical sales issue, and without first checking with supervision, "...management doesn't want to talk to you!" True and accurate quotes.

We believe, as was mentioned in an earlier review, the challenge is due in part to the young sales staff, uninhibited by likewise petty, immature and incompetent senior leadership.

In addition to an obvious lack of "Customer Relationship" and "Diversity" management knowledge and skill (particularly regarding age and race); the organization exhibits a "first time home buyer mentality” and attempts to use these sorts of tactics when dealing with usually more experienced home buyers.

Furthermore, don't be lulled by well-meaning "Resident Ambassadors". Although marketed as a 55-Plus community, you should not anticipate being recognized or respected accordingly. Of course, then, you should also feel comfortable reciprocating correspondingly.

In our case, recognizing the signs we mostly ignored our sales representative, eventually coming to realize that the person was also ignorant about most things concerning the community and simple-basic Shea Homes' building and construction standards.

For Black and African Americans: Armed with this knowledge and as conscientious consumers having decided to move to Monarch Dunes (likely over 55 and retired), you have likewise contemplated the demographics of the local community and San Luis Obispo County. Consequently, having confronted racial prejudice over your lifetime, i.e., stereotyping and discrimination, in particular, just prepare for status quo within Trilogy and the surrounding community.

Although, frankly, once you have made the leap you will find there are many more absolutely great and wonderful people living at Monarch Dunes.

All about attitude -- yours and your neighbor.

"Forewarned is Forearmed"

Good Luck!