Entries from June 2007 ↓

Now that summer is in full swing and ninety degree weather would be welcomed with open arms (compared to what we’ve been getting) I thought it would be a good idea to talk about some ways to deal with the heat. Most of this is probably common knowledge to those of us living here but for visitors and potential Tucsonans it might be useful information.

Use sunshades in your car and crack your windows. With temperatures reaching more than one hundred degrees regularly the interior or your car can easily reach upwards of one hundred sixty degrees! Put up some sunshades to keep the heat down a little bit and leave a window slightly cracked to allow your air to breathe a bit. Unfortunately some people fail to understand just how dangerous that kind of heat can be and go and do something dumb like leave their animals in the car while shopping at the supermarket. Worse yet are the stories we hear every year about children being left in a hot, parked cars. Jay over at his PhoenixRealEstateGuy blog just wrote about 3-month old Amberlee Elizabeth Brown whose father left her in a car for nearly two hours; her core temp was 109 degrees when paramedics arrived and unfortunately she passed away Friday morning. Sad stuff.

Exercise early or late. The city is alive with with running, power-walking, child-strolling Tucsonans in the summertime between 5-7am; after that it starts it starts to heat up pretty quick and exercising outside isn’t exactly pleasant. The exercising brigade starts up again in the evening hours as the sun is starting to go down because of the cooling weather. As someone who carries a gym membership (I’m guilty of rarely using it) I can tell you that gyms tend to fill up pretty quickly before work, at lunchtime, and just after work.

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Lately it seems like news stories about For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes vs. homes sold by real estate agents have been popping up more and more often. In many of the stories the conclusion is that FSBO homes are a better deal, financially, for the homeowner. Now I’m not saying a homeowner can’t or shouldn’t sell their own home, but I think it’s unwise to minimize the value that a good real estate agent provides. So I went ahead and made a list of the top 100 reasons you should use a real estate agent for everyone who is thinking of selling their home themselves. Enjoy!

1. The best research tool for home buying - “ According to the National Association of REALTORS, real estate agents are listed number one (85%) for Information Sources used in Home Searches.
2. Saves you time - An agent knows clients lead a busy life with work, family and kids. A real estate agent takes the time necessary to ensure a smooth transaction with the least amount of intrusion into your life as possible.
3. Less stress - Buying a home can be a stressful experience. Agents take the worry out of the home buying or selling experience. They do the work for clients so that means less stress in the long run.
4. Peace of mind for the future - Agents know that buying a home is a big investment that clients will make for their future. Agents work with clients with this in mind, but also want to give their clients peace of mind that they will be enjoying their home for many years to come!
5. Security for yourself and your family - By helping you find that perfect home for you and your family, agents care about clients and their well-being. An agent is going to take that extra step to ensure clients and their families are happy and secure with their new home purchase. Continue reading →
   
   
   

   Technorati Tags: For Sale By Owner, FSBO, top 100 reasons you should use a real estate agent

Marana residents rejoice! For those of you tired of driving to the Foothills Mall to catch a flick good news is on the horizon.

Linda Vista Cinemas Tower Theatres, a 12-16 screen digital image projection theater (first in Southern Arizona) is slated to open this fall. It will have stadium seating and 40-foot wide screens, and will be located on Arizona Pavilions Drive off of the Cortaro Road exit, just west of Kohl’s.

I snapped these photos the other day, two from the front of the theater and one from the backside. I actually got a screw stuck in my tire from the construction site while I was driving around. Grrrr.

Click to Enlarge
Features will include THX surround sound, a gourmet coffee bar and a video arcade. It was originally planned to have 18 screens but budgetary constraints forced developers to scale the project back a bit. I spoke with Andy Seleznov from Larson Baker LLC (the developing company) and he informed me the theater should be completed and open for business by October Winter 2007.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Technorati Tags: Marana, Foothills Mall, Linda Vista Cinemas, Tower Theatres, Arizona Pavilions, Cortaro Road, Tower Theatres

One of Tucson’s best kept secrets has been recognized by “Cottage Living” magazine as of the nation’s top ten charming communities.

Located just steps away from downtown, Armory Park del Sol is a close-knit community of eco-friendly homes designed with beautiful architectural styles that reflect Tucson’s rich history. It is located at the northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and 16th Street and, when finished, will consist of 99 custom homes built by John Wesley Miller, whose company is nationally renowned for it’s dedication to environmental conservation.

This community has been all over the news over the past few months because of its dedication to preserving the environment and has been featured in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Arizona Republic, and Arizona Daily Star.
Here are just a few of the standard features for new homes in this community: (from armoryparkdelsol.com)

• 13 SEER or better high efficiency heat pumps.
• Programmable thermostats.
• Dual pane high efficiency windows.
• Energy efficient appliances including electric range and dishwasher.
• All of our homes are built with a masonry wall super structure which is concrete filled for thermal mass storage and sound-proofing benefits.
• The walls are wrapped in insulation and finished with a 3-coat stucco system to create a protective shield from the exterior environment.
• Step free entryways
• Extra wide hallways
• Three foot wide door openings
• Hard Surface Flooring, Concrete, Wood or Tile
• Bathroom grab bars
• Roll-in and walk-in showers
• Dual Shower Heads with slide bar
• 6 foot wide sidewalks
• Extra wide patio access gates

For much more detailed information, an abundance of gorgeous photographs, and a great history lesson about the area, please visit the Armory Park del Sol website.

Âif you would like more community information or availability information please feel free to contact me.

(All photos courtesy of armoryparkdelsol.com)

Technorati Tags: charming communities, eco-friendly homes, environmental conservation, Wall Street Journal, Arizona Republic, Arizona Daily Star

Located next to The Pines Golf Course in Marana, Palisades at the Pines is the latest golf community offering from homebuilder Standard Pacific Homes. Five different floorplans ranging in size from 2,114 sqft to 3,012 sqft are being offered with three elevation choices for each.

The master plan for this group of homes will actually consist of three communities: Palisades at the Pines, Overlook at the Pines, and The Greens at the Pines. At 129 lots Palisades at the Pines will be the first community offered with the other two following in the future. The grand opening was held on June 2, 2007, and there is no doubt these homes will sell quickly; now is the time to buy!

This community has a great location just off of the I-10 Cortaro road exit. As you travel west on Cortaro Road you can take a right on Arizona Pavilions Drive and Palisades at the Pines will be located on your left.

In the surrounding area you have numerous shopping and dining options including Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Chili’s, Panda Express, Fry’s, Subway, and also a Blockbuster. Growth in this area has exploded the past few years, I remember just as recently as 1998 most of the establishments I just mentioned didn’t even exist yet! Pavilions Theatres, a new 12-screen digital image projection theater (first in Southern Arizona!) is slated to open October 2007, and an In-N-Out Burger will also be coming soon.

If you would like a fax of the different floorplans/lots/information, or are interested in other Tucson Real Estate, please feel free to contact me.

EDIT: 5/15/2008

I just spoke with the sales rep and they are opening a new phase (Overlook at the Pines) with homes starting at $240k (1700 sqft), not including incentives! Truly a bargain for a Tucson golf-course home! And it’s gated. When they release their third phase (The Greens at the Pines) I will be sure to let you know!

If you would like a fax of the different floorplans/lots/information please feel free to contact me.

Technorati Tags: Marana, Palisades at the Pines, I-10, Arizona Pavilions, Pavilions Theatres