Just 5 miles west of the I-10 Interstate is a 6 acre lake set back in the Ahwatukee Foothills and surrounded by three waterfront communities; Toscano Lakeside, San Simeon Condos, and Miralago at the Foothills. These communities are within walking distance of Desert Foothills Park and the Foothills Golf Club, and just over a mile  east of Club West Golf Club.  Less than a mile to the south is Pecos Road which offers great accessibility to the 202 and I-10.  They are found within the highly rated Kyrene Elementary School District and Tempe Union High School District boundaries.

Miralago at the Foothills

Of the 104 single family homes found at Miralago at the Foothills, 30 are waterfront homes.  They were built between 1990 – 1995, and this gated lakeside community  includes a heated community pool and spa which overlook  the lake.  There is also a community center with a a fitness room. Lot sizes typically range in size from 3,000 to 6,000 sq.ft.

Satellite View of Lakeside Communities

Miralago Homes for Sale

Toscana Lakeside Condos

Toscana Lakeside Condos are found on the south side of the lake and include 63 units. Toscana is a newer development, built between 2003 – 2005, by Valhalla Homes. This gated community includes a small community pool.

Toscana Lakeside Condos for Sale

San Simeon Condominiums

San Simeon Condos number at 352 units, located on the west side of the lake, built between 1997 – 1999. The community center includes a social area, a fitness room and a nicely landscaped community pool and spa area.

San Simeon Condos

These lakefront communities represent a unique combination of waterfront and foothill views, something that will be hard  to duplicate in many parts of the valley.  If you’re looking for waterfront communities and want to receive available properties as they come on the market, click on receive waterfront listings.

To see more pictures, click on More Community Pictures

Related Posts:

 Lakewood Waterfront Homes in Phoenix

Ahwatukee Lakefront Homes

Pontoon Boats and Valley Lake Property

There are a variety of reasons why a waterfront property may not allow owners to have an electric pontoon boat or any kind of water craft.  One may be that even though the listing agent has designated the property as waterfront, a distant view of H2O on the golf course may qualify as waterfront in their mind but it just isn’t so.  There may also be a community sidewalk, walkway or common area that separates the property from the water, such as in Sun Lakes, Fulton Ranch, and Wellington Estates in Chandler.

Lake Communities that DO allow boating:

Tempe - The Lakes in Tempe, built in the mid-1970′s is said to be Arizona’s first man made lake community and features a community clubhouse and pool.   Tempe Town Lakes offers more contemporary  housing options.  While home owners do not have private waterfront access, there are public  and private boating options.  Tempe Town Lake is one of the major visitor attractions for the valley.  Condomiums such as Bridgeview, Edgewater, and Northshore provide fantastic views of Tempe Town Lake.

Ahwatukee /Phoenix  - Lakewood is located in the Ahwatukee foothills part of Phoenix.  One of the benefits of the location of this lake community is the Kyrene school district and the access to the I-10 freeway.

San Tan Valley & Buckeye The remaining waterski lakes are located in San Tan Valley and Buckeye.  Buchli Lake is the valley’s original lake community in the east valley.  There are two communities in the west valley; Lakeside Ski Village and Spring Mountain Ski Ranch.   Don’t hesitate to call me regarding homes or lots that may be for sale that are not listed on the MLS.

Charter schools provide an alternative to traditional public schools

One of the many, but very important items on the checklist of things to do for a family relocating to the Phoenix area is researching schools.  Which school is the best school in the area we want to live? Which district is the best? Do they have extra-curricular activities? And the questions go on and on.  These families will also have to add another question that they may not have considered previously, “What about charter schools?”

Quick Facts about Arizona Charter Schools

Charter schools are public, state funded schools that came into existence as a result of legislation that was passed in 1994, making Arizona the 10th state to pass a charter school law at that time.  It is also known as one of the ”strongest” charter laws in the nation allowing a high degree of autonomy from traditional public school regulations.   The term of a school’s charter is 15 years with reviews every 5 years by the sponsoring board.    Charter schools are funded by the state based on student attendance and cannot charge tuition.

The reason why families coming to Arizona may have not heard much about charter schools prior to coming arriving in Arizona is that of the 4,000 charters issued in the U.S., over 500 are in Arizona. Approximately 25% of the state’s public schools are charter schools, and 10% of public school students are enrolled in charter schools, the highest percentage of any state in the nation.

Many parents and students feel more comfortable with a smaller school setting and charter schools have received positive press. Websites that provide more information include the Arizona Charter Schools Association, and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.  Some charter schools are some of the state’s top performing schools.

To see a list of charter schools in Arizona, click on the state charter school list.  Once you click on the school name and go to the school page, you’ll find the school report card immediately below the school name at the top. You can also search for charter schools by name, city, zip code, sponsor name or county.

All four of our sons have attended charter schools at some point during their education. I asked my wife if she thought it gave them a better educational experience.  Her reply was, “that depends on what you’re looking for”.  Charter schools tend to be smaller in student population and therefore cannot offer some of the programs of larger schools such as sports, band,  and do not provide transportation.  At the same time,  charter schools tend to focus more on a curriculum philosophy or specialty. Like any choice, there are pros and cons to any decision.   My advice would be to talk to parents of students who attend a specific charter school.

Related Posts:

Schools near lake communities

For more information, click on Schools in Arizona.

Arizona is open for business with business property tax cuts and targeted incentives aimed at job creation.  That’s the purpose and strategy behind HB 2001 that was signed into law last month.  That’s what the sponsors want you to remember.   What they didn’t tell you is what will happen to residential property taxes.  Buried deep in the 214 page bill is a change to the tax treatment of residential property.  And in this bill what they didn’t tell you will cost you.  How so? Read on.

Are you a Class 3 or Class 4 Property Owner?

Class 3 properties include owner occupied primary residences and vacation/second homes.  The  picture above is my Property Notice of Valuation I received in February and shows the legal classification of my home.   If your property falls in the class 3 category, you are currently a recipient of a rebate from the State General Fund.  The State Aid Credit reduced my property tax bill by $273.74.  You can see  the value of this aid or credit in the detail of your tax bill.  To see how to see the detail of your tax bill including any credit for State Aid Credit, click on researching your tax bill.   Rental properties fall into the class 4 category which do not currently receive the State Aid Credit.

Under the new “Jobs Bill”, vacation and second homes will lose the rebate /credit resulting in increased property taxes.  Besides automatically disqualifying second/vacation homes from the credit, owner occupant homeowners will lose their credit or rebate unless they go through the process of signing and returning  an affidavit beginning in 2012 and then subsequent even-numbered years that they live in the home or if it is being leased to a relative.   The affidavit must be mailed along with the annual Notice of Full Cash Value which must be returned to the County Assessor within 60 days or the residential property will be reclassified as Class Four and owners will see their taxes increase by as much as $600 for the year.  Not being aware of this change and forgetting to return the signed affidavit beginning in 2012,  which is bound to happen to many homeowners,  will mistakenly and automatically increase property taxes for owner occupants who should receive the credit.  **Make sure that next February you read in detail any propert tax valuation notices you recieve and return the affidavit promptly so you don’t lose out on the tax credit you’ve been automatically receiving so far!**

Related Posts:

Making sense of Maricopa county taxes

The Lakewood waterfront community is at the entrance to the Ahwatukee Foothills of Phoenix.  Ahwatukee has been considered by some as the world’s largest cul-de-sac.  You can enter via Ray, Chandler Blvd., or Pecos and those are also the streets by which you will exit. This highly desireable area and community is only 2 miles  from the I-10 and loop 202 freeway.  Another advantage is Kyrene de los Lagos Elementary is located within this 1 square mile development.

A closer look at Lakewood

The waterfront home builders include Continental, Richmond American, Mailing Allison, Pulte and Camelot Homes in such subdivisions as Harbor Island, Hamilton Homes at Lakewood, Richmond Shores, and Estates at Montego Bay. Homes throughout Lakewood range in size from 1,400 sq.ft. to over 4,400 sq.ft.

Lakewood Waterfront Homes for Sale

Lakewood Homes for Sale

Aerial Map of Lakewood

The 22 acre Vista Canyon Park is less than 1/2 mile away which provides basketball and volleyball courts and baseball fields. Chandler Blvd. has a variety of retail and shopping options on either side of the I-10 freeway.  Popular Ahwatukee restaurants include Arrivederci Trattoria, Hillside Spot, The Melting Pot, Nello’s and Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant.

What you may like about Lakewood: Kyrene School District has highly rated schools.  Lakewood’s proximity to the freeway and amenities is excellent and the Ahwatukee Foothills area is very scenic and desireable.

What you may not like about Lakewood: The homes were  built mainly between 1986 and 1996, so the architecture of the home is older than in newer areas.

If you would like more information or updates, click on Lakewood homes for sale.

Related Post:

Waterfront Condo Communities in Ahwatukee

Available Homes for Sale in Lakewood

More information on  Ahwatukee Real Estate

Granite counter tops in Phoenix homes are always considered an upgrade and a distinguishing characteristic in any kitchen. The Arizona Regional MLS has recently made “granite countertops” a searchable field for those buyers where granite kitchen counter tops are a “must have”.  While buyers and sellers alike will attest to the natural beauty of granite, the facts behind this natural igneous upgrade are sometimes unknown. 

Igneous crystalline formation of Quartz, Feldspar and Mica   

I was lucky enough to find a Tracy Makowski, the Branch Manager  at Interceramic Marble Collection in Tempe who showed me around their warehouse showroom and allowed me to take the pictures featured in this post.

Granite slabs typically come in two thicknesses, 2 cm. and 3 cm., which translates into  3/4 and  1  1/4 inches  for those that are metrically challenged. A basic 62″ x 109″  two centimeter thick slab can weigh between 600 – 800 lbs. Granite is an igneous rock  formed from magma. The word granite comes from the Latin, granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of this  crystalline rock. Granite is formed from magma as it cools far beneath the earth’s surface very slowly allowing the crystals to form.   Granite is comprised of quartz, feldspar, mica, and to some degree hornblende.  Granite kitchen counter tops are a standard among many Phoenix luxury waterfront community homes.

As I walked around the showroom it was interesting to see the country of origin of the granite slabs which included Brazil, India, Italy, Finland, Norway, Madagascar, Africa, and Argentina.

All installed granite slabs that I’ve seen have a polished finish.  And most of the slabs in the warehouse also had a polished finish. The other type of finish is a “leathered”, satin or antiqued style.  The leathered finish has a rougher texture and more of a matte finish.

Below is a YouTube view explaining the process starting with extraction from the quarry to installation in the kitchen.

If you would like to receive listings that have granite kitchen counter tops in the Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and any Phoenix area city, click on receive e-mails of homes with granite counter tops. 

Information for homeowners who need to sell but are underwater with their mortgage can go to Gilbert and Chandler Short Sale information.

Maricopa County Tax Bills Arrived – Some Happy, Some Not

The motivation for this article comes from all the recent news about taxes, and some buyers who say interesting things like “The property values have gone down, so the taxes better be lower!”   With that I thought it was the right time to dig in and get to the bottom of this sensitive topic.   I’m glad I did because there are some interesting facts of which I was unaware.  Read on and find out what is myth, what is reality,  and discover some unknown facts.

The Basics of Maricopa Property Valuation- Limited Cash Value and Full Cash Value, and primary and secondary taxes

There are two assessed values used in determining your tax bill.  The primary assessment is called the “Limited Value”, and the “Full Cash Value” is the secondary assessment .  Most of the time they are the same value; however the limited value can never be higher than the full cash value.  Besides the possibility of being different numbers, each one is used in the computation of different taxes. 

The Limited Property Value (LPV)  assessment used to calculate primary taxes  is determined by a statutory formula mandated by the Arizona State Legislature.   The Maricopa County Assessor’s website further explains,  “The LPV is used to compute primary taxes for the maintenance and operation of school districts, cities, community college districts and counties. The LPV cannot exceed the property’s Full Cash Value.”   In most cases, the primary tax based on the limited value assessment is the larger portion of property taxes.

The Full Cash Value(FCV) is intended to be a reflection of the market value of the property including land and improvements.  Quoting again from the Assessor’s website, “The FCV is used to compute secondary taxes, which may consist of bonds, budget overrides, and special districts such as fire, flood control, and other limited purpose districts.”  When you appeal the valuation, you are challenging the Full Cash Value portion of the assessment.  For more information on this process, click on appealing the property tax valuation. 

The devil is in the details of your tax bill

To really understand what is happening with your tax bill you need to drill down and identify each component.  The general categories under which taxes are listed are Primary(Limited) Tax Amounts, Secondary (Full Cash) Tax Amounts, and Special District Details.   The line item details of these categories are very revealing and explain why taxes decrease or increase.  For example, those living in the Nadaburg Elementary School District were significantly impacted and most likely surprised by the increase from 2009 to 2010.  Below is the actual tax detail for a resident in Wittman whose overall taxes increased from $1,318 in 2009 to $2,055 in 2010 due to a 346%  increase in the Nadaburg Elementary School district assessment, or $961. See line item detail below.

This is why it is important to understand and analyze the specific line items of your tax bill.

Analyzing the details of you Maricopa County Tax bill

To see the detail of your taxes start out at the Maricopa County Assessor’s website.  Look for the “Advanced Search Options” link which will take you to a page where you can enter your address. You’ll be able to search based on address, subdivision, or your last name and street.

Once you’re on the assessor’s page for your property, you can access the Maricopa County Treasurer’s website (where the tax line item detail resides) via a link on the assessor’s page.  Look for the link “View Tax Information”.

This will take you to the Maricopa County Treasurer’s website (don’t give up we’re almost there!)  This will tell you your most current tax bill as well as the history for your property.  The last link you’ll need to click is the “Tax Bill” link in the upper left hand corner of the page. The tax bill page will break down your property taxes by line item detail and you can also see which special tax district assessments you pay for at the bottom of the page. Make sure and scroll down to see the individual taxes.   It’s also nice because it shows the previoius year vs. the current year tax liability.   While my overall property tax bill went down, there were some that did increase.   You’ll also notice that the majority of your taxes go towards education.

Remember the assessor sets the valuation of the property and the treasurer’s office assigns the taxes for the property based on the assessed values, but these activites take place at different times of the year.   You receive your notice of valuation typically in February of valuation of your property for the next calendar year. 

The next important event is in September when property owners are advised of their tax liability for that year.   You may say “Wow, we find out almost 3/4 of the way through the year of our taxes for that year?”  Correct, but you also pay your taxes in arrears so the first half taxes are due October 1st, and the second half are due March 1st of the next year.

Lastly,  there is a common but mistaken belief that property taxes should rise and fall in sync with property value.  That’s very appealing right now when home values have fallen.  Charles Hoskins, the Maricopa County treasurer answered the question in a recent article in The Arizona Republic, “We often hear from citizens wanting to know why their tax bills have gone up, even though the assessed value of their property has gone down. And the answer is increased government spending,”    Operating budgets are established which drives  the total  tax levy required via direct taxation and then the tax rates are set to support the budgets.

I believe the best way to summarize the process is property values and assessments do NOT determine the total taxes  that will be collected.  They only determine the DISTRIBUTION of the total tax levy among homeowners.

Fortunately, Arizona has the 39th  lowest property taxes in the nation.  Just ask anyone who has relocated from back east.  My sister lived in New Jersy and her property taxes were more than my total house payment!  One town in Massachusetts has seen their property taxes increase 64% since 2000.   Right now many homeowners are seeing their taxes turned back to what they were paying during 2000 or 2001.   But every property’s tax will be different so check out the Treasurer’s website and see how yours compare.

Related Post:

The AZ Jobs Bill and its affect on residential property taxes

The next time you turn on the faucet or take a shower, take time to realize that you live in a desert where the average rainfall in the Phoenix valley is less than 9 inches/year but  the average person uses 150 gallons of water PER day.  So how do we satisfy our “thirst” for water that exceeds our natural supply  in the valley?

**

Water sources that we depend upon

City and towns in Phoenix depend upon a combination of water sources or supplies.  Each city depends on these sources in varying degrees.

• SRP water that comes from the Salt and Verde River watersheds.
• Colorado River water that is delivered via the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal.
• Ground water that is pumped from aquifers below the surface.
• Reclaimed water that is treated and used for non-potable uses.

SRP water from the Salt and Verde watersheds

SRP delivers water from the Salt and Verde rivers to cities that have water rights that are “appurtenant” or connected to the land.  The cities that have water rights to water from the Salt and Verde watersheds that is delivered via the SRP are Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix,  Scottsdale, Tempe and Tolleson.  Each city receives water based on the land included in the SRP service area for which they have water rights.  The service area does not necessarily align with city boundaries.  Gilbert for example, has 12,585 acres of land with no SRP water rights.   The total SRP service area consists of 248,000 acres and draws from the Salt and Verde river watersheds that cover 13,000 square miles, or approximately 11% of the state of Arizona (114,000 sq.miles).

SRP water is stored in 6 reserviors;  4 on the Salt River and 2 on the Verde River.  Roosevelt Lake, the largest lake in Arizona,  represents 70%  of SRP’s storage capacity is located on the Salt river along with Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake.   Horseshoe and Bartlett reserviors are located on the Verde river.  It is possible to check the water levels of the SRP reserviors.    Here’s more information on the dams and reservoirs managed by SRP.                                               

Over 100 years ago in 1903, the articles of incorporation were filed in Maricopa county by the Salt River Valley Water Users Association, (SRVWUA).  In 1904, the federal government and SRVWUA signed an agreement to build Roosevelt Dam, with the members of SRVWUA pledging more than 200,000 acres of their land as collateral for the federal construction loan.   Construction of the dam was completed in 1911 at a cost of $3.8 million.

As you drive through the east valley, you’ll notice the SRP canals which are used to transport water to industrial, municipal and agricultural irrigation customers throughout the SRP service area.  The 131 miles of SRP canal have become a favorite with those that enjoy walking and jogging.

SRP currently delivers more than 1 million acre feet of water to the water service area.  SRP water is treated in city water treatment plants before being delivered to customers.

Colorado River Water via the Central Arizona Project (CAP)

In 1922, the signing of the Colorado River Compact divided 7 seven states into the Upper Basin (Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado) and Lower Basin (Arizona,  Nevada and California) with the intent to divide the Colorado river equally between the Upper Basin and Lower Basin states.  Within 5 months of the signing,  all states ratified the agreement except Arizona!  It was not until 1944 that Arizona ratified the compact, 22 years later mainly because of allocation issues with California.   Arizona continued to dispute allocations until the Supreme Court finalized the allocations in the 1964 decision, Arizona vs. California.   Arizona’s current allocation is 2.8 million acre feet / year.  The Colorado river drains 244,000 square miles across the seven states that comprise the Upper and Lower Basin states.  Because of the dependency of these seven states and Mexico on the Colorado river,  historian Norris Hundley, Jr. stated that the Colorado river has been the most litigated, regulated, politicized, and argued-about river in the world.

In light of this history,  it is amazing that Senator John McCain,  GOP presidential candidate suggested in Aug. 2008, that the 1922 Colorado River Compact be renegotiated due to the population growth in the Lower Basin states. Ouch! That’s one way to lose votes in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.  Or was it to gain votes in Nevada, Arizona and California! Later, while in Colorado he said he would “never ever” try to take more of Colorado’s water.  He found out the meaning of the expression, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting,”.

Getting Colorado River water to Phoenix

The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a 336 mile system of aquaducts, tunnels, pumping stations, and pipelines  that carry water from the  Colorado River in  Lake Havasu to central and southern Arizona. The project cost $4.4 billion and was conceived in the 1960′s with the purpose of helping Arizona use its allotment of water from the Colorado river.  It is designed to bring 1.5 million acre feet of Colorado River water to Pima, Pinal, and Maricopa counties and is owned and operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

Once it arrives, the water quality level is not of sufficient quality  for human consumption.  The final step is to pass through a water treatment plant which many confuse for a water reclamation plant used to treat sewage.    The Town of Gilbert and the City of Chandler recently opened a $102 million  high tech water treatment plant for water received from the Colorado River.  The plant uses “ballasted flocculation” to treat Central Arizona Project water.  At the current capacity, the plant can produce up to 24 million gallons of water per day.  Each city has the right to half the capacity.

Ground Water

For many years ground water has been pumped from the ground faster than it has been replaced,  creating a condition called “overdraft”.  As groundwater levels fall, it is more expensive to pump and the water quality diminishes. This is an on-going issue for the valley because many areas rely on groundwater as their primary water supply.

To address this issue, the Arizona Groundwater Management Code was passed  in 1980.  Part of the code was the establishment of 5 Active Management Area’s (AMA’s) where the overdraft was the most severe.  For the Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson AMA’s the primary goal is safe yield by the year 2025.  Safe yield is defined as the long term balance of ground water withdrawn and natural and artificial recharge of the aquifer.

Reclaimed Water

Reclaimed water is a valuable resource and has a variety of uses, with the most important trait being it reduces the dependence on other sources of wate; namely ground water and surface water.  Reclaimed water is primarily used for industrial purposes, irrigation of golf courses, parks, highway medians, common areas in communities, and providing  decorative lakes which act as above ground storage facilities, and ground water recharge.  Gilbert along with other cities in the Phoenix area are committed to using 100% of their reclaimed water.

Ground water recharge using reclaimed water

Most people would not even know that the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is home to 7 recharge ponds.  Reclaimed water is piped to the recharge ponds where it enters the underground aquifer and in the process goes through the natural filtering process, and helps replace groundwater that has been withdrawn.   The Central Arizona Project also manages recharge projects with the goal of assisting in groundwater recharge.  Chandler’s Veterans Oasis Park is similar to the Riparian Preserve in that it serves as a recreational andenvironmental education facility and a recharge facility that uses reclaimed water to recharge the aquifer and create a wetland environment.

Believe it or not, I’ve only touched the surface of water management in Arizona.  The more you learn about it the more you realize there is so much more to learn.   The water we enjoy in Arizona now is the result of preparation and work that began over 100 years ago with tireless work by many.  That diligence continues  today by stewards of Arizona’s most precious resource so that it is as easy as turning on the tap. Our responsibility is to use it wisely, enjoy it and conserve it so that we can continue to enjoy this oasis in the desert.

Lakefront property nestled in the Ahwatukee Foothills of Phoenix

Bordered by south mountain park to the north, Ahwatukee was annexed by the city of Phoenix between 1978 and 1987.  However, this unique community prides itself on it’s own identity even though it may have a Phoenix address.  The 35 sq. mile Ahwatukee Foothills community has even had it’s own newspaper, the Ahwatukee News for over 30 years.  Once you drive through, you’ll realize that it is unique and different from any other Phoenix suburb.

Access to the Ahwatukee area is from the east and extends approximately 9 miles to the west and then you turn around head back the way you came, leading some to call it the world’s largest cul-de-sac. The upkeep and cleanliness of Ahwatukee neighborhoods is impecable.  You’ll even be impressed by the well groomed medians as you travel east and west along Chandler Blvd.

Waterfront communities in Ahwatukee

The largest Ahwatukee lake community is Lakewood, followed by Miragalo and Canyon Springs at the Foothills. Lakewood has over 170 waterfront homes. The Santuary, a custom home subdivision has some waterfront homes.  Retirement community homes built in the mid-1970′s  can be found in Ahwatukee, but you’ll also notice the exclusive custom home gated subdivisions with homes that sell for over $3 million.  The rolling foothills of south mountain provide scenary and settings that cannot be matched.  The convenient I-10 freeway access and short distances to the I-60 and 202 freeways make the Ahwatukee area an ideal location to minimize commuting time. 

 Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway

 If there is a hot topic constantly on the minds of the Ahwatukee residents it is the future construction of the loop 202 South Mountain Freeway. It would run east and west along the Pecos Rd. alignment along the southern border of Ahwatukee and become a 10 lane freeway in the original plan.  The most recent update is considering a Parkway instead of a freeway which would reduce the number of homes that would be displaced and reduce the overall cost. For anyone considering Ahwatukee, this should be at the top of the list of due diligence items.  With environmental concerns, budgetary pressures, and many Ahwatukee residents settling for nothing less than a no-build position, this will be the issue to watch.

For more information regarding Ahwatukee homes and waterfront property, please feel free to call or e-mail me.

Satellite view of Ahwatukee

Related Post:

Lakewood Waterfront community in Ahwatukee

Ahwatukee Lake Community Homes for Sale