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Peppertree Maggie Valley
by Marion D. Hamel
Commander from the US Navy Nurse Corps
Peppertree Resorts
Peppertree Maggie Valley was developed in 1981 as the premiere mountain resort of the Peppertree family. Peppertree Maggie Valley is a 40 unit, 2 bedrooms, 2-baths/unit resort located in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. Many of the owners first bought their units in 1982 and a great majority of the owners have more than one week, some have six weeks! The staff enjoys the company of many of its second-generation owners. The same owners and the same staff not only lends to continuity but a true family atmosphere. The beauty of the mountains, the cool summer breezes, the beautiful fall colors and the wonderful winter skiing all come together in Maggie Valley to make the resort a great get-away any time of year. Peppertree Maggie Valley is a member of both the Resort Condominiums International and Interval International exchange programs. In fact, Peppertree of Maggie Valley is a proud to announce that it has been named an RCI Silver Crown Resort.
Joe Moody has been the Property Manager of Peppertree Maggie Valley for 17 years. He has successfully navigated the resort through growth, periods of change and continuous improvements and upgrades. His level headed, logical approach and strong, yet soft spoken, leadership style has been responsible for excellent customer service, happy staff, owners and guests that feel like they are family.
Joe was born and raised in Burnsville, NC and graduated from Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC with a degree in geology. He worked in that field for 8 years before being hired into the hospitality industry. He worked for Carriage House Inns as a “mechanic”, going in to hotels and fixing various problems, for 5 years and then managed an independent hotel in Blowing Rock, NC. Joe is a Registered Resort Professional (RRP) with the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) with the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Joe is very active in ARDA and particularly the Carolina’s ARDA, where he keeps up with all that is happening in the industry.
When Joe accepted the position with Peppertree Resorts Limited, he felt it was an opportunity for him to “come home” and settle down. When asked what the difference was between working in hotels and timeshares, he said, “the time share business is like the hotel business except it is a 7 day cycle instead of a 24 hour cycle.” He said that the hospitality business is “like putting a puzzle together, all pieces need to be put in the right places to get it to function as it should.”
When Peppertree Resorts Limited was sold and became an independent resort, Joe formed his own management company, Brightwater Property Management, LLC and contracted with Peppertree Maggie Valley to continue managing the property. Since starting with Peppertree, Joe has worked diligently to decrease delinquency rates, a major problem in the Timeshare industry. He has reduced the delinquency rate to under 2%, has cleaned up questionable unit week ownership and has improved facilities at this 25 year old resort. Joe gives credit to an excellent Board of Directors, all of who have been on the Board at least 3 years, who understand the business and assist in operating the resort as a business.
When we asked Joe to share just one of many of his practical management ideas, he told us of a unique board formed three years ago call our "Owners Committee". This committee is chaired by an owner that owns multiple weeks at the resort. This owner then meets with a group of other owners, usually 6 or 8, (the rest of the committee) for a breakfast meeting 3 or 4 times each year. These meetings are for owners only...there is no board member or management employee present. Each person is given a questionnaire before the meeting with some simple questions about the resort and its operation that they fill out. These questions are designed to prompt discussion rather than to get specific answers. The notes of from this meeting are then given to the board at its next meeting as an agenda item. The chair of the Owners Committee is invited (at HOA expense) to attend all board meetings as a non-voting member and participate in the discussion the meeting notes prompt. This way the board gets an honest appraisal of what the owners think about their resort. These comments have directly influenced several decisions made by the board. This committee is also an excellent way to identify potential new board members and have those board members "up to speed" on the operation of the resort when they begin their first term as a board member.
Peppertree Maggie Valley is a member of the Maggie Valley Club so guests can use all the Club recreational facilities – tennis courts, pool, exercise room, driving range and the fabulous golf course right outside the door of the Peppertree units. While the resort has no plans to grow, it continually upgrades units for the owners and guests. The first major renovation of the interior, including kitchen and bathroom cabinets, tubs, ceramic tile, paint and carpeting is currently underway. Peppertree has a Welcome Coffee and Doughnuts every Monday morning to meet and greet as well as give out area information. On Thursdays they have a Wine and Cheese get together to exchange information between guests and staff and further get to know one another.
Joe has indeed settled down and has become an extremely active and valued member of the community. He is on the Board of Directors of the Maggie Valley Area Visitors Bureau/Chamber of Commerce; an Officer of the Haywood County Hotel & Motel Association; on the Advisory Board of Haywood County Greenways and a member of the Haywood County Recreational Advisory Council.
Peppertree Maggie Valley resort villas are located on and around the Maggie Valley Country Club Golf Course, where you will enjoy a complimentary membership during your stay. Peppertree Maggie Valley is situated in the beautiful mountains of Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Maggie Valley is located 35 miles west of Asheville, NC and 90 miles southeast of Knoxville, TN off Interstate 40.