Phoenix Arizona Waterfront Homes

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?” Read the rest of this entry

Important considerations when buying in Arizona

As home prices have declined in Arizona, the goal of many Canadian citizens of owning a home in the U.S.  has become a reality.  Instead of shoveling snow and battling freezing temperatures, Canadian second home owners can be dealing with other issues such as which golf course should I play today, or how early do I want to get up to go hiking or jogging, and where should we go for dinner.  I’ve also noticed that many Canadian homeowners who live on a lake in Canada have a desire to duplicate that scenic landscape and have inquired about lakefront homes in Phoenix.  When a buyer from Canada decides to pursue owning property in Arizona, there are some considerations they should be aware of.

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 Gilbert – A popular east valley community

Gilbert is known for many things.  A safe community with a family friendly atmosphere.  A  great place to raise children with a high quality of life.  A growing community with  highly rated schools.  Good freeway access to Phoenix and surrounding areas.  Affordable homes including waterfront and lake communities and award winning hospitals.   All in all, Gilbert is one of the most desireable towns in the Phoenix valley.   For a sample of some of the things that make Gilbert such a popluar community, read on.

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Town of Gilbert Is Safest Community In Arizona, According to Data

According to CQ Press, an independent publisher, Gilbert is among the safest cities in the United States, 24th among cities with over 75,000. For municipalities in Arizona, Gilbert ranks as the safest community.  The analysis used crime and population data as reported to the FBI by local law enforcement agencies for 2008.

This is great news for lovers of Gilbert waterfront homes, lake communities,  water ski lake homes and wakeboard aficionados that are looking at homes or property in such subdivisions as The Islands, Val Vista Lakes, Playa del Rey Estates, Crystal Point, Santan Lakeside Estates, Stonebridge Lakes, Wind Drift and Lago Estancia.

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Waterfront homes in Gilbert are some of  the best in

Phoenix

In your quest for Phoenix lake communities that have waterfronthomes, any search would be incomplete if you didn’t consider the eight waterfront communities in Gilbert.  I’m not counting  subdivisions that have a community lake at the entrance or near the clubhouse.  These are communities in which some of the homes are on waterfront lots.  Specifically, these Gilbert waterfront lake communities are Val Vista Lakes, The Islands, Crystal Point, Santan Lakeside Estates, Playa del Rey,  Lago Estancia, Stonebridge Estates, and Wind Drift.

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Lakes and Mountains meet at Arrowhead Ranch in Glendale

Few would have thought it possible to find a lake community with such close proximity to the mountains.  Arrowhead Ranch in Glendale creates such an experience.  This may come as a surprise for an area with  humble beginnings as a citrus farm on approximately 5,000 acres that was conceived back in the late 70′s.    In 2008, Arrowhead Ranch was voted “Best Neighborhood” in the Phoenix valley by readers of azcentral.com.

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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? Read the rest of this entry

Are there basement homes in the Phoenix area?

As of this writing there are 635 listings for homes with basements in the Phoenix metro area, out of  a total of 25,941 listings for single family homes.  Less than 2.5% of the total homes available for sale have basements.  Those that have moved here from other states, which is about everyone,  always ask why the scarcity of basement homes.   You’ll certainly get a variety of answers.  Read on for the real reasons!

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Days On Market by Price Range and Pending Sales for Phoenix Real Estate

The media continues to publish at every chance the woes of the housing industry; mortgage meltdown, rising foreclosures, negative equity and short sales, builders declaring bankruptcy, rising unemployment, etc.  These are valid concerns and I see them taking their toll everyday.  But somedays, it doesn’t feel like it.  Especially when there multiple offers on short sale after just three days!  Or competing with 9 other offers for a lender owned property that has been on the market for a week.  It feels like 2005 again. But the typical buyer response is “But it’s a buyers market.” Or ” I just read that home prices are still going down!”  I believe that the Phoenix metropolitan area median price will continue to trend downward this year, but remember it is the median calculation for an extremely large market covering many sub-markets and price ranges.  Real estate is local and cannot be lumped into one all inclusive headline as the media loves to do. So let’s break it down by price range and cities.

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Big League Dreams past one year mark

The Big League Dreams Park in Gilbert  has received plenty of exposure since opening in January of 2008.  Critics cite the $40 million cost, originally estimated at $26 million, and deteriorating field conditions since opening day. Town officials defend the public/private partnership as a way to attract outside revenue and an alternative to traditional subsidized recreational activities.   Add in the sometimes bumpy relationship with Big League Dreams that operates the park and there is no doubt the first year of operation has been more eventful than anyone expected. Read the rest of this entry