The Sunshine Broker | Desert Ridge Real Estate Blog

3 New Single Level Floorplans at Fireside at Desert Ridge

2009-08-28T06:22:51Z

Del Webb has added 3 new single level floorplans at Fireside at Desert Ridge. Previous to these floorplans, Fireside at Desert Ridge has only had two-story homes.

These new floorplans range in size from 2,001 square feet to 2,354 square feet and start in high $300’s.

Here are the new plans:

The Cottonwood at $379,990 – 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with walk-in closets in all bedrooms. Great room, dining room, kitchen with nook, 3-car tandem garage and 2,001 square feet
The Willow at $389,990 – 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with walk-in closets in all bedrooms. Great room, den, 3 car tandem garage and 2,188 square feet
The Juniper at $399,990 – 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, walk-in closets in all bedrooms. Great room, living room, dining room with nook, 3 car tandem garage and 2,364 square feet.

These are a great addition to a nice community. Let me know if you would like more information or would like me to arrange a model home tour.

Alexi T. Mavrellis Earns Prestigous Designation To Help Homeowners In Danger of Foreclosure

2009-07-03T03:56:34Z

At Guardian Realty & Investment Group, LLC we deal with many homeowners who are in financial duress and many times they are facing foreclosure. With the drastic drop in property values in the Phoenix area, many times a short sale is the best solution since we can not sell the home for what the homeowners owes on that property. The short sale is usually a better alternative than foreclosure for the homeowner. Click here for more information on short sales.

As the Designated Broker for Guardian Realty & Investment Group, LLC, I am very pleased to announce that Alexi T. Mavrellis, a Realtor our brokerage, has earned the prestigous Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process.

“This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales,” says Mavrellis. “It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure.”

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Roton, Florida said that Realtors such as Alexi with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating. These experts may also better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online. The CDPE designation is the premiere designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales.

“Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible,” Charfen said.

For more information about the CDPE designation, you can call 1-800-482-0335.

Congratulations Alexi! We are proud to have you on the team!

Desert Ridge – Luxury Rental In The Villages at Aviano

2009-06-30T02:18:20Z

I have a new luxury rental listing in The Villages a Aviano at Desert Ridge. This unit is an Amica, one of Toll Brother’s most popular floorplans in The Villages at Aviano because it is ground level and a single story.

This condo is 1,386 square feet and is 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The kitchen is upgraded with upgraded cabinetry, granite counters, stainless steel appliance and undermount sink. There is upgraded diagonal laid tile in all wet areas and quality carpet in greatroom and bedrooms.

The master bath has double sinks, separate tub and shower and walk-in closet. There are ceiling fans throughout and a nice built-in entertainment niche.

The condo has a two car tandem garage w/ plenty of storage. All appliances are included as well as a water softener. Outside there is a charming patio for the morning coffee.

The community is gated and includes a heated pool. Residents also have use of the master plan amenities of Aviano such as tennis courts, family pool, lap pool and spa. There is a fabulous clubhouse with fitness center and weekly social events. The community also has miles of walking paths and parks.

All this is located in the great North Phoenix neighborhood of Desert Ridge, close to fabulous shopping and dining.

Lease amount is $1,350 per month for a 12 month lease. Short lease amounts are negotiable. Click here to see a full online brochure and photo gallery of this fabulous unit.

Call Kim for an appointment to view!

Desert Ridge Condo Market Update – There Are Some Great Deals!

2009-06-06T05:46:19Z

The Desert Ridge Condo market is heating up as some of these properties just need to move! There are lender owned properties and approved short sales that are very palatible right now. Given the higher rent in this area, investors can easily cash flow on some of these and the upside is tremendous in 2-5 years in my opinion.

There are currently 57 active listings for condos in the Desert Ridge area. The available condos range from $159,900 for a 1 bedroom and 1 bath condo is Toscana at Desert Ridge to a $455,000 condo, also in Toscana.

Of the 57 units, 11 are short sales – a few of them approved at list price which means a quicker close is possible. 4 listings are bank owned and the rest are traditional sellers or are new constructions and listed by the builders.

In the last 60 days there have been 22 properties sold through the MLS. (I note that as the sold figures may not include builder sales if they were not listed in the MLS). There are an additional 15 units pending at this time.

All of these condo communities offer luxury living with pools, fitness centers and community areas. All are close to world class shopping and some are even in walking distance – Bella Monte and Toscana.

Call me or drop me a line if you would like a list of these hot condo properties in Desert Ridge. Stay tuned for my upcoming posts highlighting each community.

~Kim

Aviano at Desert Ridge Home Inventory is Shrinking

2009-05-29T09:26:23Z

The inventory at Aviano at Desert Ridge continues to shrink and homes are starting to close at a rapid pace. Today a search for Aviano single family homes results in 24 Active listings. Back in December I reported in a market update post that there were 47 Active listings.

The lease expensive home available is a bank owned Brezza model listed at $420,900. This Brezza is a 3 bedroom and 3 bath, 2 story home. Brezza’s have a 2 car garage. There is a den downstairs that could be coverted to a 4th bedroom.

There 27 homes under contract at this time. The lowest list price among the homes that are under contract is another Brezza. It is a short sale that finally went under contract. List price at time of contract was $389,900.

So far in May there have been 7 homes that have closed. Average price per square foot for these 7 closed listings is $145/sf. Average days on market for those 7 homes was 71 days.

In April there were 10 homes sold with an average price per square foot of $139/sf and average days on market for those 10 homes was 96 days.

In March there were 4 homes that closed. Average cost per square foot for those 4 homes was $132/sf and average days on market was 100 days.

So, we are seeing inventory shrinking, an increase in monthly homes closings, average cost per square foot increasing and days on mark decreasing – all great indicators that we are in a recovery.

If you would like more information about any of the available or sold properties, please do not hesitate to cal or drop me an email.

Happy Memorial Day – A Heartfelt Thank You

2009-05-25T19:36:08Z

Nothing moves me more than to think about the hundreds of thousands of men and women of the United States Military who have made and are currently making the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country and protect the freedom that we all treasure.

When I think about the sacrifice that is made by these individuals and their families, I just feel like there is nothing I could every do in my life that would even compare to this noble job done by all of these men and women.

Saying thank you will never be enough. The best I can do is to pray daily for the safety of these men and women and to support our troops, both when they are serving and when they return and live as civilians.

Our military and veterans are the bravest of the brave and from the bottom of my heart, I say “Thank You” and “God Bless America” and “God Bless Our Troops”.

Happy Memorial Day!

Phoenix Real Estate Market Heating Up – Multiple Offers Again???

2009-05-11T20:49:55Z

I have not been as faithful as I would like to be writing my blog posts. The reason is that I have been SUPER busy and the real estate market is really heating up. Something has triggered all the buyers who were on the fence to jump off and the investors have re-entered our market and are gobbling up the bargains.

I have been telling people for the last 12 months that I did not know exactly when the market would turn around, but I felt like whenever it started, it would be a mini-frenzy – not too unlike our 2004 – 2006 years. I am not suggesting we are going to see another real estate boom like that, but we are in multiple offer situations in many cases and I personally have qualified buyers who are having a hard time finding a home.

The “mini-frenzy” is what happens when the consumer believes they are not going to be buying at the lowest point and get the greatest deal. As the news travels that homes are getting multiple offers, all the buyers who have been on the sidelines jump in so they don’t miss “the bottom”. This will cause prices to stop tumbling and will drive them back up to where they really should be.

For example, I have seen older homes in Central Phoenix listed at prices that were lower than what they sold for in 1982! That means these homes that slid far beyond “pre-boom” pricing and have been driven down to super cheap due to the inventory and glut of bank owned homes that need a lot of work. This mini-frenzy will get those prices back to where they should be, but no where near the type of inflated prices that we saw during our boom.

What is causing his turnaround? I believe it is a number of factors.

Homes are really cheap now and buyers just finally realized that the value was there even if they did not exactly time the bottom of the market perfectly.
Interest rates are so low that buyers can’t resist. Take a 5% mortgage with a $99,000 house that should be $125,000 and you just can’t help but call that a great situation.
Homebuyer tax credit. I personally know this has motivated several people to buy before December 1, 2009. An $8,000 tax credit is significant and money in the pocket….just for buying a home in a great buyers market and great interest rates!
Investors have returned. Investors can cash flow on rental properties again and that is causing many to put their cash in housing for a nice return on their investment. Short term investment opportunities exist as well for the rehabbers of the investor world.

While I am happy that the market is rebounding, I also find it frustrating that in a blink of the eye I am running around with buyers and calling the listing agents to ask, “How many offers do you have on the home?” I have a very qualified couple now that has been out bid on 3 different property in the $200 – $220k range and they bid over list price every time. Crazy…..

What Kind Of A Home Will $250,000 Buy In Desert Ridge?

2009-04-20T06:02:44Z

I thought it would be fun to start a new series of posts about what kind of home you could by in Desert Ridge for a certain price range. This post is to show what you could buy in Desert Ridge for $250,000 and under.

As of today, there are 22 active listings in the MLS that are listed at $250,000 or less. There is a mix of condos and single family homes. The boundaries I have included for Desert Ridge are 56th street to the East, Pinnacle Peak Rd to the North, Black Mountain Pkwy to the West and the 101 to the South. I included La Verne Condos in the search as many consider it Desert Ridge – it is located off of 40th Street, just South of Fireside at Desert Ridge.

The least expensive home you can buy right now is $160,000. It is a Trend Home in Fiesta at Desert Ridge. Trend built these homes in 1998-1999 and they are single family homes with rather small backyards. However, they are true single family homes with 2 car garages and this home is 1,269 square feet. With an FHA loan, a person can put 3.5% down ($5,600) and have a payment around $842.00 (assuming average interest rate of 5.1% today and not including taxes and insurance). This home home sold for $326,531 three years ago. This list price is a short sale though, so the bank would still have to approve the short pay. However, based on recent sold comps, $160,000 should get approved.

Don’t want to mess with a short sale? Then the least expensive home is $198,900. It is a lender owned property and it has been on the market over a month so it is due for a price reduction – great property to make an offer on. The home is 1449 square feet and not overly upgraded, but could be a great home. With all the short sales in the area, the bank will be motivated to sell. The home is a FNMA owned home and therefore qualifies for Homepath Mortgage Financing for 3% down payment.

Lowest price per square foot home that is active is $119.00 per square foot. That is again a Trend Home that is 1,505 square feet listed at $180,00. Again, this is a short sale.

Probably the best deal out of all of the homes is an Arrezo Model in The Villages at Aviano at $219,000. This is a short sale, but the price is approved by the bank already. This model is 1,388 square feet and has granite slab counters, upgraded tile, upgraded cabinetry and many other fine appointments that are found in these Toll Brother condos. The community has gorgeous community pools, clubhouse & fitness center, tennis courts and many walking and bike paths. Toll Brothers is still building there and they do not have anything under $300,000 and that is with no upgrades.

In total, of the 22 listings, 5 listings are actual sellers – not bank owned or a short sale. 10 properties are short sales and the remaining 7 are lender owned.

If you would like more information on any of these, drop me a line or give me a call at 480.201.4185 and I can email you the list.

Another Major Price Reduction For Sonoran Villas in Cave Creek!

2009-04-06T01:00:26Z

Well, I can honestly say that we have now officially BLOWN THE COMPETITION out of the water with the most recent price reduction. Can you say $425,000 for a brand new luxury condo in the heart of Cave Creek, Arizona??? It is actually hard to even type as I never dreamed we would be able to offer these at this price!

However, our lender wants the project to move forward and getting these last two spec homes sold is a big step towards being able to have Phase II ready for next Winter!

In the last 3 weeks the real estate market has definitely experienced some momentum. Historically second quarter has always had the greatest activity in the Phoenix market, but I believe the lower interest rates and tax incentives for buyers has definitely pushed some buyers towards feeling like the time is now. Homes are even more affordable than prior to pre-boom pricing and it won’t stay there long.

With our recent price reduction there are only about 7 homes today on the market in the area that are greater than 2,000 square feet that are priced less than Sonoran Villas. They are all more than 10 years old and vary in condition. As far as new construction, nobody can touch Sonoran Villas. The next thing even close is Rancho Verde at $595,000.

We have already had numerous calls since the price reduction so I would encourage you to run and not walk to view these last two specs at this incredible price! Call Kim at 480-201-4185 if you would like to set up an appointment to view.

New Pool Is Complete at Sonoran Villas In Cave Creek

2009-04-01T19:23:32Z

Sonoran Villas, a luxury condo community in Cave Creek, AZ just got better with the completion of their new community pool.

The pool is heated and features a large pool deck for you to soak up the Arizona sun. The views of Black Mountain from the pool deck are spectacular.

With the recent price reduction of our last two units to $464,000 – this is a bargain for your slice of Arizona luxury!

Compared to many other luxury condo communities our Homeowner’s Association dues are very low. Even with the recent addition of the pool, the monthly dues remain at $195 per month and includes free wi-fi Internet service, use of the pool, common area maintenance including private backyard landscaping and the blanket insurance policy that insures the exterior of all the buildings.

Stop by and visit Sonoran Villas and see how nice Arizona living can be!