Phoenix Arizona Waterfront Homes

 Gainey Ranch - outstanding combination of lakes and green fairways

This prestigous Scottsdale community takes its name from Daniel C. Gainey,  the original owner and Minnesotan.  It was James Kilday,  the founder and CEO of Markland Properties who acquired 560 acres of the original 640 acres owned by Daniel Gainey that had  the vision of creating  a luxury resort community.

Gainey Ranch is a mixed use community comprised of residential, commercial office buildings, a private  golf course, and a luxury hotel.  The residential portion of Gainey Ranch occupies approximately 264 acres, less than half of the 560 acres.   The Gainey Ranch master planned community also includes commerical office buildings,  the Hyatt Hotel and an award winning 27 hole private golf course , Gainey Ranch Golf Club. 

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Scottsdale Waterfront Residences Condominiums on Camelback

Known for setting the standard of luxurious urban living in the heart of Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences are located near the intersection of Camelback and Scottdale Roads.  The waterfront designation is due to the location next to the historic Arizona Canal.  The SRP canal was completed in 1885 and facilitated the founding of many valley communities. In 1888, Major Winfield Scott purchased 640 acres next to the canal and Scottdale Arizona was born.  The real attraction to these luxury Scottsdale condominiums is the urban living atmosphere and proximity to dining, entertainment, shopping and everything within a close commute. The Scottdale Fashion Square, the largest shopping mall in Arizona with approximately 2 million square feet of retail is just across the street.

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Bartlett Lake Offers Scottsdale Residents Nearby Watersports Recreation

If you live in the east valley and enjoy boating or water skiing, you are familiar with Saguaro or Canyon Lake.  If you live in Peoria or Surprise, Lake Pleasant is exceptionally close.  But for those that live in the northeast part of the valley, Bartlett Lake is the safe haven for water sport activists that live in Scottsdale, Carefree and  Cave Creek.  Bartlett Lake is 15 miles from north Scottsdale custom home communities such as Desert Mountain, Treviso, Mirabel, and Boulder Heights.

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Phoenix Luxury Waterfront Homes in Lake Communities

Some of the most coveted luxury home locations are those in lake communities with  a waterfront view.  Very few waterfront or lakefront homes are being built with the slowdown of new home subdivisions.  A luxury home on a waterfront lot makes a fanastic combination that provides the owner with a unique oasis setting in the desert.   The following luxury home links list waterfront homes above $500,000 in various parts of the valley.

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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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Scottsdale Lake Community

Scottsdale Ranch is home to over 250 waterfront luxury homes that surround Lake Serena. Scottsdale Ranch, a 1,100 acre residential development,  includes custom luxury homes, townhouses, condominiums, single family and patio homes. Conveniently located next to this lake community is Scottsdale Ranch Park, a 31 acre park that offers a variety of recreational activities.  Scottsdale Ranch waterfront neighborhoods include Lakeview and Bayview Estates, Las Brisas, Charter Point, The Landings, Monterey Point, Lake Serena Estates, The Watefront, and The Island. Read the rest of this entry

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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Scottsdale homes near Bartlett Lake

 A well known gathering place for watersport enthusiasts living in the north Scottsdale area is Bartlett Lake.  From communities such as Desert Mountain, Boulder Heights, Treviso, Mirabel and others, just 14 miles away is one of the valley’s favorite lakes for those who have a passion for fishing, boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding and hydrofoiling. Bartlett Lake has a surface area larger than Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake combined, over 2800 acres, and is open year round. Since Scottsdale does not have any private waterski lakes, an ideal strategy for those who would crave the waterskiing, wakeboarding and hydrofoiling is to find a north Scottsdale home that has adequate garage space or a dedicated RV garage that will accomodate a boat then make the short 14 miles drive when you want to enjoy the H20.

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