Christmas time in lake communities takes on an added dimension.  In addtion to the he annual ritual of displaying holiday lights in the front yard,  waterfront lots can decorate the backyards which can be seen from quite a distance.   Some lake communities even schedule a boat parade to show off decorated boats. Some communities such as Val Vista Lakes and The Islands in Gilbert make the boat parade an annual event.

Holiday Christmas Decorations on waterfont homes

What could be more unique than to cruise through a man-made lake in Phoenix on a pontoon boat that is lit up like a Christmas tree?  Obviously, this form of entertainment can only take place on Phoenix area lake communities that allow boats.  And you need to have a good size battery on board for all those lights.

 Val Vista Lakes Waterfront Homes for Sale

The Islands Waterfront Homes

Scottsdale Waterfront Homes

Ocotillo Waterfront Homes

Avondale Waterfront Homes

Arrowhead Lakes Waterfront Homes

The bigger lakes that will be conducive to this Christmas holiday tradition can be found in Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, Avondale, Sun City, Scottsdale,and Peoria.

If you’re looking for property in Mesa or other waterfront communities in Phoenix and want to receive available properties as they come on the market, click on receive waterfront listings.  Or do your own Advanced Waterfront Search.

Related Posts:

Pinelake Estates Lake Community in Chandler

The Islands in Gilbert

Arrowhead Ranch in Glendale

Phoenix Lake Communities where you can boat

 Waterfront Homes for Sale

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.

Let’s face it, it can be nearly an impossible task to live in Arizona and not grave the relief that a private pool in your backyard can offer.  When it’s 110 degrees outside, you will be convinced it is a must-have.  Even when your Phoenix home is a second or vacation home used mainly during the winter months, pools are an attractive addition to any backyard.  But there may be reasons why you should forgo that luxury and let your community HOA manage that responsibility.

Residential lake communities that offer community pools

It is surprising to many there are not more single family communities in the Phoenix valley with community pools. They are typically  found in larger master planned communities where the cost can be spread out over hundreds of homes.  Given that Phoenix area lake communities or subdivisions are somewhat rare, when you look for those with a community pool, the list narrows down significantly. Some of the more well known single family residential lake communities with a community pool are  Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert, The Springs in Chandler,  Power Ranch, Pecos Ranch, Province in Maricopa,  Ventana Lakes in Peoria, Sun Lakes, and Desert Harbor .   It is almost a given that townhouse and condo developments will have a community pool.  Lake communities that fall into that category include   Cantabria Shores in Ocotillo, Crescent Falls in Fulton Ranch,Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Las Palomas at McCormick Ranch, Bridgeview at Hayden Lakeside,  among others.

If you plan on making this a second home to be enjoyed as an escape from mid-western snow storms or blankets of Canadian snow, then you’ll probably be here when most outdoor pools are rarely used.  In that case, a private backyard pool can be an expensive backyard landscaping fixture.  And most unheated community pools receive a break from the crowds during the off-season. If you’re looking for year round aquatic enjoyment, your best bet finding it will be in a townhouse or condo community with a heated pool. Make sure that during the inspection period you confirm if the community pool is heated and the months of the year it is open.

Forgoing the luxury of a 400 sq.ft. private backyard pool for a community pool may be a trade-off that suits a part time resident or even a full time owner occupant that does want the headache of caring for a body of water that will eventually only see occassional use.  Many 55+ communities also feature indoor heated pools and spas.

Single family homes with a community pool

Waterfront Condos/townhouses with a community pool

To receive updated listings automatically to your e-mail, click on send waterfront property with a community pool, and describe what type of house you want.

Related Post:

On-going costs of a private Phoenix pool

For additional waterfront real estate property information, click on Phoenix waterfront properties.

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

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

Ventana Lakes lake community is the only community that I know of  in the Phoenix valley that is part of two cities, Peoria and Sun City, and covered by two zip codes, 85373 and 85382.  Those residents that live west of 107 Ave. are in Sun City 85373, while the Ventana Lakes residents on the east of 107th Ave. are part of Peoria 85382.  Regardless of the city or zip code, all belong to the Ventana  Lakes Property Owners Association. Ventana Lakes , situated on 480 acres, has been recognized as the “Adult Community for the Young-at-Heart”.

Activites, Walking Paths and Amenities Produce A Close Knit Community

 A unique feature of Ventana Lakes is the unique opportunity that every resident has to enjoy the waterfront atmosphere by utilizing the pathways that border the  30 acres of lakes.  On the largest lake, a complete walk around the lake is close to 1.5 miles.  Waterfront home owners can access the walking paths right from their backyard and at the same time enjoy the serene and peaceful waterfront views from their back porch.

The community of 1,700 properties and over 200 waterfront homes enjoys 4 separate pools and 2 spas, a sauna and steam room, recreation and fitness room, handball courts, billiards, bocce ball, and more.

Ventana Lakes Waterfront Homes for Sale

Residents come together on a monthly bus trips to visit casinos, shows and anything else that looks entertaining. Or they may decide to organize breakfasts, concerts, bingo, karaoke, or dances. The Willow Creek golf course is practically next door.   A short 4 mile commute east offers access to the 101 freeway providing smooth access to the greater Phoenix area.

Satellite View of Ventana Lakes Community

If this looks like the kind of active adult lake community in the west valley that would interest you, and would like to receive automatic updates of available homes as they come up, click on Ventana Lakes Automated Property Listings. Homes range in size from 1,200 sq.ft. to 2,500 sq.ft.

Ventana Lakes Waterfront Homes for Sale

 For additional waterfront home information, visit Phoenix Waterfront Homes and Properties.

Related Posts

Sun Lakes – A east valley favorite retirement community

Province – Award Winning Community in Maricopa