Breadfruit and Rum Bar is on our top places to dine in downtown Phoenix and certainly our favorite Jamaican influenced restaurant in the Valley. We asked Dwayne if he’d contribute something special and boy did he. Breadfruit’s famed Appleton Scallops. Below is the complete recipe as they prep and cook it.

The Breadfruit’s Famed Appleton Rum Sea Scallops

Things you will need:

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• *to lightly coat cast iron skillet
• 4 LG Diver Scallops (U8)
• *Rinse scallops in lime & water. Pat dry
• 1 Stalk Scallion
• *Cut into quarters
• 1 Red Potato
• *Slice thinly
• 4 Large Basil Leaves
• *Torn
• 1 OZ Appleton Estate V/X Rum
• *Plus how much more you’d like to drink!
• 1 tsp. The Breadfruit’s Jerk Rub
• *Available @ The Breadfruit

The Directions:
Over a high flame warm your cast iron skillet. Add EVOO and let your pan get just hot enough to smoke.
While heating skillet, dredge scallops in rum & jerk rub. Rub your potatoes in the remaining rum/jerk rub mix.
Carefully place scallops in hot skillet. DO NOT MOVE. Add potato. Wait 2 minutes. Flip scallops. DO NOT MOVE. Add remaining vegetables. Wait 2 minutes then remove promptly from skillet.
Enjoy!!

Thanks to Dwayne and the Gang at Breadfruit and Rum Bar for giving up a great recipe for the cause. By the way, it you want to taste them first hand or try any one of their amazing creations, take a trip to:

The Breadfruit Rum Bar
104 E. Pierce
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-267-1266

Rather than interpret what Mayor Stanton said during his address, we’ve decided to provide a transcript of his talk so you can see if he is honoring campaign promises, adding value to the City and focusing on things important to you.  Below is Mayor Stanton’s State of the City Address for 2012.

Welcome to everyone in the room here today.

And welcome to those watching on the Internet — as we live stream the State of the City for the first time.

Thanks to my wonderful wife Nicole for your support, encouragement, patience and for being such a dedicated mom to our two young children, Trevor and Violet.

As Mayor — I have great teammates on the Phoenix city council — each has entered public service for all the right reasons and each deserves recognition for what they do for our city – Vice Mayor Michael Johnson, Councilwoman Thelda Williams, and Councilmen Sal DiCiccio, Bill Gates, Michael Nowakowski, Tom Simplot, Daniel Valenzuela, and Jim Waring.

As Mayor — I stand on the shoulders of great Mayors who came before me — John Driggs, Terry Goddard, Paul Johnson, Skip Rimsza, and Phil Gordon. Each of you has an outstanding legacy.

To the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce– thank you for hosting today, and for being such strong leaders for our community.

I want to give a very special welcome to someone. I believe our city needs a renewed commitment to community policing. The people of our city are safest when the Police Department has great relationships with neighborhood leaders, local businesses, schools and churches.

That’s why when I became Mayor, I knew we needed a Police Chief who shares these values. I believe we found that person. Lets give a big Phoenix welcome to our new police chief, Daniel Garcia and his wife, Irma. Chief, you’re going to love this place.

Today, in the City of Phoenix – I’m pleased to report, we have a gimmick-free balanced budget.

We have maintained our AAA bond rating — even during these difficult times while some cities have been down-graded.  We have used that Triple A bond-rating to re-finance debt and we have saved nearly 200 million dollars over 5 years.

And for the first time in five years – we will be increasing services to the people of Phoenix, including more resources for public safety, extending, library hours, expanding, the swimming season at our public pools and increasing programming at parks, youth recreation and senior centers.  And we’ll even be increasing essential grants for our arts organizations.

A lot of people deserve credit, but I want to acknowledge the dedication of our city leaders, the hard work of our city manager David Cavazos, the partnership with our city labor organizations, and the incredible professionalism of our 14,000 city employees. I owe a big thank you to each and every one of them.  They have worked hard through this economic storm of epic proportions.

So today I announce, the state of our city is strong and getting stronger.  But we still face incredible challenges!

Today marks my 100th day as Mayor and 100 days ago, I said, “Phoenix is at a crossroads”.  We could continue to go down the road in which our economy was overly dependent on sprawl. Or — we could break the boom or bust cycle and build a diverse, sustainable economy.  One that creates technology-based jobs.  Green jobs.  Bioscience and health care jobs.

We are making the right choices and we are making progress every day.

But that’s not enough.

That’s not enough because no matter what we do as an individual city there will always be a glass ceiling on our success unless our regional partners and Arizona make the right choices too. We need to make real changes to our economy and schools.  Big changes.

And the truth is Arizona is falling short. Other states and regions are making the smart investments – and some are pulling away from us.  We’re in a race against time and our margin for error is slim.

We cannot afford to sit idly by.

It is time for action. And where others have fallen short Phoenix will lead.  We’ll work with our regional partners not to do just what’s good for Phoenix but what’s good for all of us. The reality of today’s world is that Phoenix can’t rise if Scottsdale falls.  And Peoria can’t move forward if we fall behind.  We’re all in this together.  And I refuse to look back and lament the things we should have done. Instead, we will do them.

Take high-wage jobs.

You hear me talk a lot about them, and how central they are to achieving a diverse, sustainable economy. I will work relentlessly to attract these kinds of jobs to our city and region while fiercely protecting the ones we have.  Arizona companies have the 5th highest amount of defense contracts in the country led by companies like Honeywell, Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics.  Those contracts create high-wage jobs.

But because of partisan politics in Washington those great jobs are at risk.

Arizona’s economy and our nation’s security face a serious threat from the Federal Government’s failure to deal with looming, indiscriminate cuts to Pentagon programs.  But bearing the biggest brunt of these cuts will be our defense companies and the Arizonans they employ.

Together with other mayors from around the country I’ll be leading a national task force charged with moving beyond partisan gridlock.  We will propose a way forward that prevents economic harm to our communities, protects jobs and ensures our military can protect our nation.  I am honored to have the support of Senator John McCain, who is fighting in Washington to protect our Armed Forces from sequester cuts and who clearly recognizes the need for city mayors to work with Washington to protect critical defense jobs.

These contracts and the high-wage jobs they bring are central to our long-term economic development in Arizona.  We know what must be done. And now we are leading to make sure it does get done.

Knowing the importance of high-wage jobs is why our city has invested in bioscience over the last ten years.

And our leadership has paid off.  Because in Arizona, in a tough economy, bioscience jobs have grown by a third – faster than any other region in the nation. These are just the type of high-wage, research-based jobs we need.  And we’re going to continue that investment. In January, I announced the exciting collaboration of the Mayo Clinic, ASU and our city to bring the biosciences to north Phoenix in our city’s second major biomedical campus.

I can report to you today the City Council gave its unanimous support to this innovative partnership.  We are moving forward.  It is exactly the kind of bipartisan leadership our city needs.

Thank you in advance to Arizona State Land Department Commissioner Maria Baier, our former colleague because this project’s success depends on your leadership support.

And because our city will lead in fostering innovative partnerships, our state will lead our nation in the health sciences.

In July, the $135 million dollar U of A Health Science Education Building will open its doors allowing the Medical school to more than double its current class size.  And construction will soon begin on the U of A Cancer Center on the downtown bio-medical campus.

With all of those U of A-trained doctors walking around downtown, it’s probably time to attract a few more ASU-trained lawyers to the heart of the city.

Because as the home to government, the court system and private law firms, downtown is where any great Law School belongs.  That’s why I am committed to doing all I can to bring ASU’s Law School to downtown Phoenix.

It is often said that Arizona should lead the nation in solar and other renewable energies. And let me tell you – Phoenix is showing our state and nation how public-private partnerships can expand the use of solar energy.

Through Solar Phoenix One, $25 million dollars was invested to place solar panels on hundreds of Phoenix homes, allowing home owners considerable savings on their energy bills.

Solar Phoenix Two will be even bigger, and Energy Secretary Steven Chu will be here when we launch it next month. This initiative will help 1,400 more homeowners to place solar panels on their homes. We’re creating the model so that every city and every state that wants to embrace solar energy knows how to do it.  This can change our country’s energy future but it couldn’t happen without support from forward-thinking private sector partners. I want to thank Craig Robb and National Bank of Arizona for their commitment to this initiative as we work together to build a more sustainable economy.

This may be a big step – but it’s just a first step.

By the end of 2012 Phoenix will double the amount of solar cells on city buildings.  This is in addition to the Rental Car Center at Sky Harbor Airport that opened earlier this year with one of the largest solar arrays of its kind in the country.

We are leading the way. And we will continue to join the best and brightest in our community to push the envelope and build a brighter energy future.

To become a true national leader in green and sustainable industries sustainable thinking must become a fundamental part of our culture and permeate all of our thinking at the city of Phoenix.

Which is why, as promised I have appointed a Sustainability Advocate to work directly with me in the Mayor’s Office.  And why we convened a community-based Sustainability Advisory Committee.  We are integrating sustainable strategies into our everyday operations and long-term decision-making.  Sustainable thinking can provide solutions to some of our city’s most vexing challenges.  Like the numerous vacant lots all around Phoenix that mar our landscape.

Vacant lots are a minus for our city. They hurt the morale of neighborhoods and too often become targets for vandalism and graffiti.  But by working creatively with local non-profits and the business community we can turn them into a plus.

And today, I am thrilled to announce that through a partnership with the Baron Collier Company that is exactly what we are going to do with the 15-acre vacant lot located at one of the highest profile intersections in our entire city the north-east corner of Central and Indian School. The Barron Collier Company is generously offering interim use of their property to allow us to showcase sustainable innovations that range from public gardens to urban farming and other great projects.

In six months, the lot that currently stands vacant will be a blooming example of what we can achieve through new approaches and public-private partnerships.

And it will be just the beginning.  This will be a template for success that will be replicated around our city and our region.  And by taking steps like this, thinking creatively and trying new things, our city will lead our region and our region will lead our state.

And why does it even matter that our city leads? And that our region leads?

It’s  because every day we compete in a global economy, and by leading, we are best positioned to successfully compete.

Developing strong international and trade relationships are central to helping us meet that end.

Mexico is Arizona’s largest international trading partner, but over the last few years, our economic relationship has become strained.  Today, Texas is seizing economic opportunities that we’ve allowed to pass us by. That’s unacceptable to me.  If we’ve learned one thing these last few years it’s that short-term, divisive politics are bad for Arizona business.

I won’t engage in it, and neither will the city I lead.  One of my first acts as Mayor was to travel to Mexico to meet with business and government officials to send them an important message from our city:

We are ready to do business with you.

And I will go to Mexico, again, and again, Consul General Trevino, because increasing trade with Mexico is crucial to our long-term economic success.

And now — let’s talk a little more about business.

Because — supporting our existing businesses is at the heart of our economic development and every day we are taking steps to lead Phoenix businesses to success so in turn they can lead our city and region down the same path.

We are minimizing the barriers to conducting business accelerating our permitting process because we know time is money and taking advantage of modern technology by creating electronic permit applications.

We will soon open a state-of-the-art job training center to help build a world-class work force for Phoenix businesses.

And by the recent change to our city purchasing system to give a preference to local businesses on contracts  up to 50,000 dollars, we will provide a significant boost to our local economy.  And Phoenix defined local not in a parochial way.  Instead — we defined it as any business in Maricopa County. Because we know that when businesses in the city of Gilbert do well, Phoenix also does well. And when Avondale businesses succeed, Phoenix succeeds – too.

And I challenge every city, every town and every school district to adopt an ordinance for buying local and define local as our entire region.  We will sink or swim as a region – so let’s build one another up as a region.

We can see the strength of our local businesses when we look downtown.

And we have seen remarkable growth in our downtown area, with large structures and new venues.  But now, going forward, we can’t simply adopt a superblock mentality for our downtown.  We must focus our energies on attracting more people and events to our downtown to create a more modern, more lively center city. And let’s be honest.

The most exciting things happening in our downtown right now are led by committed local talent.

Like — Film Bar thanks to Kelly Aubey.

Like –the Crescent Ballroom, thanks to Charlie Levy.

Like — Linda Torres of ALAC and the creative downtown business owners

and entrepreneurs behind Roosevelt Row and Food Truck Fridays.

Today, I am calling for the formation of a new downtown organization that will bring fresh minds and new ideas into positions of leadership and bring new life and energy to our downtown.  And I urge the Downtown Phoenix Partnership and the Phoenix Community Alliance to become a part of this organization.

Let’s capture the creative minds leading the exciting things in our downtown.  We need their leadership as we move forward.
We should all understand that new life and energy downtown won’t be possible without our region’s investment in a more sustainable transportation infrastructure.

Some said mass transit could never work in a desert city.  But nearly a quarter of a million people ride metro us and light rail every day.  We have built a system that connects people to jobs and entertainment fosters cultural hubs and creates new opportunities for more sophisticated development.

We cannot be a great city without a great transportation system, and our current system needs to grow.  As your Mayor, I will support public transit whole heartedly including expansion of rail, bus, and multimodal forms of transportation – especially walkability and bikeability.

Remembering that strong schools are central to leading our city and region toward a sustainable, diverse economy, there are few areas where our leadership is needed more than in education.

Arizona has failed to make education the priority it must be – and so now Phoenix will lead.

We will work round the clock to find every way possible to support our schools.  It’s exactly why I have  appointed an Advocate for Education in the Mayor’s office.   This is a new idea, and just another example of how we are breaking the bonds of the status quo to get things done.

I said I’d fight to reinstate the Office of Education to the City of Phoenix, and that’s what’s in the proposed budget, starting July 1st.

And we will lead the fight for federal dollars for early childhood learning and math, science and arts education.

And I am proud that we have been working with Helios Education Foundation and West Ed to formalize my plan for the Arizona Mayors’ Education Roundtable.  The roundtable is going to put Mayors from around the state front and center in the fight to support our schools.  Because Mayors know – as our schools go, so goes the future of our cities.

I want to recognize the other mayors who serve with me because they understand the urgency of the moment:

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, Avondale Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers, Flagstaff Mayor Sara Presler, Gilbert Mayor John Lewis, and Mesa Mayor Scott Smith.

And none of our efforts to strengthen education can be successful if our kids can’t go to school in an environment free of intimidation, harassment or violence.  Nicole — that’s why your leadership on anti-bullying is so essential for the future of our city.

Our city must protect the safety of all residents.

This means doing the right thing for the homeless men, women, and children who live on our city streets.

Starting on July 1st we will have in the mayor’s office for the first time an Advocate for Ending Homelessness  who will use the stature and resources of our mayor’s office to fight to end chronic homelessness in our city and reduce the time on the street for those who experience temporary homelessness.  Phoenix must be a city with a heart.

Ending homelessness is just one of the many challenges we must tackle head on as we travel beyond our current crossroads and build a robust and sustainable 21st-century economy for our city.

We will craft a regional approach that lifts us all up and solidifies our diverse, sustainable economy.  We will strengthen local business, create new jobs, and attract new industry.  We will work tirelessly to have schools and universities that are among the best in our nation and around the world.

We can only succeed together.

And as your Mayor, I promise:

I will never stop reaching.

I will never accept something because that’s the way it’s always been done.

I will always search for the right solution.

I will always demand new and innovative thinking.

We must always have the courage to take on big challenges.

Always press forward.

Always strive.

Because our future is right in front of us, and it is ours to define.

Now let’s go out and get it.

Thank you.

Below is a YouTube video of the Mayor’s State of the City Speech

We hope this information has been both educational and helpful.

The Urban Team
Realty Executives
7600 N. 16th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602-234-5777

This Informational Chart Looks At Active Home Listing Data From ARMLS.

Note the reduction over time. All info is based on 3 bedroom single family homes.

Overall Real Estate Market News and Opinion April 2012

The general attitude of the market is best described as frenzied ciaos. Lots of people have decided the market really is at rock bottom and it’s time to buy a house. As we’ve mentioned in past articles, the bottom was reached in late September 2011. The media, that seems to hate reporting positive real estate news,  waited until 2012 to announce this fact and by the time many home buyers heard the message prices started rising fast.

According to a recent article by Clear Title, March 2012 median home prices we up 18.1% from the same time last year. Since the bottom wasn’t really reached until September most of that 18.1% has occurred in the last few months. Below are a few other stats from the same article and ARMLS that you may find interesting:

• Active listings are down a whooping 53% from this time last year.
• Monthly sales prices on a price per square foot basis are up 13.3% from a year ago.
• Foreclosures numbers are falling and bank owned homes comprise  less than 10% of the inventory.
• It is estimated that there are only about 3800 foreclosed homes that have not been put into the ARMLS for sale. This is the shadow inventory many talk about and this small number is good news.

There is both good and not so good news in our “new market’; Let’s start with some noble news

• Higher home values will put a lot of homeowners right-side up again. This should save a few rocky marriages and keep psychotherapist bills down.
• As more people are in a positive position they will put their homes on the market and the cycle of buying and selling homes will be more normal.
• Higher home values will mean builders will start back to what they do, build new homes. This helps balance the market and put trades people back to work. Since jobs are key to recovery this is very good news to our local economy.

The flip side of the coin… the not so good news.

• We are not fans of radically changing markets. Big upward swings generally mean a downward balancing cycle. The last thing we need is another roller coaster ride. Our hope is the current upswing is put into check by somewhat cautious appraisers and bank underwriters who approve home loans. These folks are the major check & balance tool. They failed their job back in the 2004-2007 boom and we hope lessons were learned.
• Home buyers are really hating the current market. They have to be quick as a Pronghorn Antelope or the home is likely to be gone. We’ve seen homes come on and off the market in mere hours. FYI, the Pronghorn Antelope is the fastest long distance land animal.
• Many home buyers who need some help with closing costs are finding their offers beat out by cash buyers or those using conventional financing. This is especially frustrating for first time buyers who often don’t have a lot of cash to put down.
• We are seeing 2005 like lotteries on some of the new build homes in the east valley. This was a bad idea back in 2005 and it still poor policy today.

The Downtown Phoenix Real Estate Market Update April 2012

The downtown Phoenix real estate market has extremely low inventory levels in all real estate products. The demand for housing is way above supply, even in the condo/townhouse market that has been pretty sluggish. Below are some bullet points:

• The total number of single family homes for sale in the downtown PHX region today is in the 80 range.  Since we typically sell about 42 downtown homes a month, having only 80 to choose from is not very much.
• A number of March/April single family homes sold at or above asking price. This was especially prevalent in the under 120K market where investors were struggling to find potential rental properties.
• We expect to see a high percentage of homes put into contract in April at above asking price; Its a supply verses demand thing. The tough thing here is balancing reason and emotions when buying a home in a wild market.
• Today’s condo/townhouse/loft inventory is down in the 30’s at the time of this article and includes a number of coops and places with prohibitive HOA fees like Crystal Point. Like single family homes, we generally see 40 or so condos sold per month in the downtown/uptown region. We believe condos where financing is available will rocket in price over the next few months.
• Land Lease/Coop developments like Los Olivios and Phoenix Towers are seeing a surprising number of sales. This is a clear sign that inventories are low as coops are generally cash only purchases and usually underperform in long term valuation compared to fee simple condo units.
• Portland 2, near 7th Street and Portland,  recently broke ground on some new condo units. This is the first out-of-the-ground project we’ve seen for some time. If banks will open up project financing we should see more medium density projects coming soon.
• Lastly, Cathedral Townhomes, an adaptive reuse project near 2nd Ave and Roosevelt sold out shortly after being placed on the market. Of course, these 1800 sq.ft. units were tasty places with features like crown moldings, wains-coating, clean design and well priced in the high 200K range. Best of all they didn’t do the stupid $400.00 per month HOA thing we see too often downtown; HOA’s at Cathedral are less than $150.00/month.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you have questions, need info on the current value of your home, wonder when the best time to buy or sell a house or want to see the coolest card trick on the planet, we are here for you, full-time and more than delighted to be your source of real estate information and services.

Gene Urban and Ron Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
7600 N. 16th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602-234-5777
Gene@UrbanTeamAZ.com or Ron@UrbanTEamAZ.com

]]> http://urbanconnectionrealty.com/2012/04/downtown-and-phoenix-real-estate-market-report-april-2012/feed/ 1 http://urbanconnectionrealty.com/2012/03/portland-2-condos-phase-ii-are-coming-out-of-the-ground/ http://urbanconnectionrealty.com/2012/03/portland-2-condos-phase-ii-are-coming-out-of-the-ground/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:13:34 +0000 The Urban Team http://urbanconnectionrealty.com/?p=3117 A few years back an interesting modern condo development popped up near Portland and 7th Street called Portland II. The builder, Odyssey Homes, built five 4-level condos located in two buildings with the intention of adding additional buildings. The only problem was timing. The first phase of Portland 2 came to market in 2008, about 8 months after the market began its crash. As you can imagine, things got pretty tough and the vacant land to the north of the two buildings stayed bare.

Today, early 2012, things are different. The real estate market is booming and the owners of Portland II are busy building condos again. I had a nice chat with Brent Linnenkarr, one of the partners at DesertWise Builders, today. He is excited to be one of the first builders to bring new condos to the downtown market. His timing couldn’t be better as there is little to be had in the downtown resale market.

WHO SHOULD REPRESENT YOU WHEN  BUYING FROM A BUILDER?  We have to insert an important message here. When buying a home or condo from a builder it is in a home buyer’s best interest to have their own agent. The builder has their agent who represents their rights… why wouldn’t a home buyer hire their own? Naturally, we would love to represent you or a friend interested in buying at Portland 2 and the important message is that you really should hire your own agent to negotiate/review the contract and over see the building of your unit. The best thing is that it does not effect the purchase price and does not cost you a cent to have your own person protecting your interests and rights.

A BIT ABOUT THE CONDO/LOFT HOMES AT PORTLAND 2

The condos at Portland II are four level units. The first level is the garage level offering a tandem two car garage. Tandem garages are those where the garage is one car wide but long enough to park two vehicles. The second level is where you well find the kitchen, dining and living rooms. The third level is the sleeping zone with two bedrooms, two baths and a stacked washer/dryer laundry area. When you climb the stairs to the fourth level you will find options. The builder can configure this area with an additional bedroom, office or leave it wide open for you do enjoy as you wish. Another bathroom is found on level 4 as well as the nice size patio that offers views of the city and mountains depending on your unit.

The exterior of Portland II is stucco flooded in a vibrant mix of color. The base color is a calming moss green with accents in primary colors of red, blue and yellow. It makes a pretty picture on the downtown skyline.

Portland II has a good walk-score in the mid-80’s with a wide variety of restaurants, shops and entertainment all nearby. Students and downtown workers will appreciate the close proximity to light rail, ASU. U0fA Med School, TGen and all that makes downtown a great place to live, work and play.

We do have to mention noise. Naturally, anyone living in the core of a city should expect some noise and Portland II’s closeness to the 202 freeway may not be right for everyone. Make sure you take a good, honest listen as you preview a condo at Portland 2.

Portland 2 In a nut shell:

• 2-3 Bedrooms
• 2 Baths
• 1,584 to 1,985 square feet
• 2 Car Tandem Garage
• Range/Oven, Dishwasher, Microwave, Stacked Washer Dryer included.
• Granite counter tops and wood flooring are standard. The builder is offering home buyers to choose cabinet, counter and flooring upgrades as well.
• No Pool, No Fireplaces and natural gas service is not available.
• Priced in the high $200,000- low $300,000 range. (estimated at this time.)

If you would like to see the building site and learn more about the condos at Portland II, we’d love to be your real estate go-to-guys. We don’t work for the builder so we will be your personal advocates who just happen to have about two decades of experience. Just use the contact form below or text us at 602-486-4839.

We are the Urban Team at Realty Executives. We know and love downtown Phoenix

The Country Club Park neighborhood consists of 142 homes built between 1939 and 1946. Since World War II came to a head during this building period, you’ll find Country Club Park has two distinct developments… early war and late war.

Country Club Park Historic District, Phoenix AZ… a bit of history

Country Club Park was the brainchild of the Aetna Investment Corporation owned by Mrs. & Mr. Alfred Knight and their friend Joseph Rice. The trio purchased the land from the DuPont family and subdivided it to form Country Club Park.

County Club Park was a modern neighborhood with nice sized lots, curvature streets, a 2.5 acre centralized park and good neighborhood services. In fact, advertisements from the time tell us Country Club Park was “a complete neighborhood with 2 service stations, a grocery store, a beauty shop, barber shop and close to the Emerson School and newly completed North High.” Since it was built after cars became the rage, the lack of a nearby street car line was of little concern.

The dominant building style in Country Club Park was Ranch Style with a smattering of Provincial Ranch, Art Modern and Spanish style. In the late 1930’s the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) took a strong role in new neighborhood development and their building standards favored simple, easy to replicate architectural styles.

We do have to mention one more historical piece that makes Country Club Park rather unique. WWII began just a month after the Aetna Investment Company started building homes. Building supplies started getting scarce by the early 1940’s and construction pretty much came to a halt by 1942. The Knight’s formed a new company called the Eureka Investment Company and applied to the newly formed War Production Board (WPB) to obtain materials for building more homes. They won an award and hired the famed architectural firm of Lesher & Mahoney to design the new phase of homes. Most of these homes are found on the eastern and western sides of the subdivision.

Country Club Park Today

Country Club Park is a thriving historic neighborhood. The 2.5 acre park, called Windsor by the locals, sits in the middle of this sweet neighborhood. Most residents agree the homes looking into the park are the most sought after. Many of these were the first to be built and are on larger lots. You will also find most of the non-ranch style homes around the park.

On average, the homes are in the 1500 sq.ft. range on .15 acre lots and with deep setbacks from the street. The homes built under WPB controls tend to be smaller at 1000-1200 sq.ft. and on slightly smaller lots.

Our subjective take on the neighborhood is that most of the people are proud of their quarter. It’s an easy neighborhood to ride a bike and walk a dog.  Ranch style homes lend themselves to mid-century modern redesigns and the deep lots are sweet. It has a decent walk-score in the high 60’s and some of our favorite places are within a half mile including:

• Rice Paper
• Calabria’s
• Coronado Café
• La Piccolo Cucina
• Main Ingredient
• Urban Beans
• Bard’s Books and lots more.

We’ve created a virtual tour of Country Club Park so you can see what the neighborhood looks like. Below the tour we’ve listed any homes in the subdivision that are currently for sale. Sometimes there are none and other times a ½ dozen or so. Hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting our site. Many thanks to the staff and resources at Phoenix’s Historic Preservation Office, the State Achieves and the Arizona Room at Burton Barr.

Country Club Park YouTube Virtual Neighborhood Tour

Homes Currently For Sale or Rent in Country Club Park

Showing properties 1 - 2 of 2. See more country club park.
(all data current as of 5/17/2012)

1. $1,199 : 840 E Windsor Avenue, Phoenix
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,475 sq ft

   Lot size: 10,000 sqft

   Year built: 1938

   Parking spots: 8

   Days on market: 58
   
2. $1,400 : 2602 N 8th Street, Phoenix
   
   4 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,550 sq ft

   Lot size: 10,000 sqft

   Year built: 1942

   Parking spots: 1

   Days on market: 79
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

If you need more info or want to see a home, just let us know. 602-234-5777

This article is the property of The Urban Team. All rights reserved 2012

The Urban Team at Realty Executives
7600 N. 16th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602-234-5777

It is a build your own salad place with a ton of options like 4 types of greens, 30 or so different toppings and meat choices including chicken, shrimp, tuna and salmon. I put together a spinach salad with black beans, broccoli, sprouts, snow peas and grilled salmon. I could have added a lot more like avocado, flax seeds, tofu, feta, grapes or fresh mozzarella but you have to leave something for the next trip… and there will be a next one for sure.

I am not the only one that likes this place. A look at yelp shows that people really like this place. One review say:

This is one of my favorite places to eat downtown during school. Their salads are huge and super affordable. One with chicken is only $7. They also make smoothies that are all fruit for $5. The people that work there are super friendly and are always quick to give you their recommendations. It’s in a great location and is very accessible for students. Because of that and the great food and prices, I will definitely be coming back here often during the semester.

Now that I’ve been to Bowl of Greens, I plan on taking our next real estate client there for lunch. It’s affordable, fresh and energized. I think it adds to the variety of options downtown dwellers and students have in the area.

For more info and a look at their menu, Bowl of Greens has a tasty web site that’s easy to navigate.

Feel free to include your own thoughts about Bowl of Greens by leaving a comment at the end of this post.

Bowl of Greens is located at 555 N. Central and is open from 7-7 Monday through Thursday and 7 to 4 on Fridays. They will deliver within a 1 mile radius of the place as well. You can phone in your order at 602.795.9710.

Enjoy…

Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives

Bowl of Greens is on the UrbanConnectionRealty.com 100 things to do in downtown Phoenix and a top place to have lunch in downtown Phoenix AZ.

• Lower cost units than many other downtown condo project.
• HOA fees are comparably very low.
• Dog friendly place.
• Close to the ASU downtown Campus.
• In the Roosevelt Row area so a lot is happening.
• Lots of great neighborhood restaurants and clubs.
• Down the block from the Phoenix Public Market.

Since there are only about 100 condo homes in Artisan Village there are seldom many on the market. What condos are available are listed below. We update this information every single day so the info is accurate. Also, we can set up an auto-email that will inform you whenever a place comes on the market at Artisan Village or any other place you want to keep an eye on in downtown Phoenix. Just toss us an email at Gene@UrbanTeamAZ.com if you want us to set you up with this free, no hassle service.

WHAT IS FOR SALE AT ARTISAN VILLAGE IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX AZ?

Amy commented on the quality and uniqueness of the vendor items. I liked that it was much more craft than commercial. I hope Windsor keeps that trend going in the future.

The Windsor Home and Garden tour featured 12 homes with detailed historical descriptions offered in the well-conceived tour guidebook. Most of the homes allowed both interior and exterior tours to the public, yet several were garden tours only. Compared to the Coronado and Willo tours I found the Windsor to be less relaxed… not unfriendly mind you, just more rule oriented.

The homes selected for the 2012 Windsor Home and Garden tour were well chosen. Naturally, many of the homes were ranch style as that is the dominant architecture of the area. I believe the public was impressed at how much updating had been done to many of the homes. Plus, unusual construction detail like cove ceilings & milk bottle pass-throughs is always a conversation piece.

I was especially taken by the work done in several of the homes. The use of matching brick for a recent addition at 208 E. Colter added much to the continuity of this home; The second story addition of the home at 520 E Medlock looked a bit out of place from the street yet flowed effortlessly inside the home and almost every home has been updated to create more space and enhanced livability.

OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO TOUR OF THE 2012 WINDSOR SQUARE HOME & GARDEN TOUR

There were many great gardens on the tour. I appreciated the cactus and indigenous plant scape at the Pueblo style home on Colter. The various cacti and desert plants were a perfect match to the home’s architecture. I have give the Green Thumb award to the ranch home at 9 E. Colter. OMG… how do you get a lawn to look that green.

The hallmark of the tour was the Lufty house on N. 2^nd. I am a big fan of period revivals and this Spanish Colonial was pretty darn special. The two-story home was both eye-catching and a great tour statement as evidenced by the long lines of people waiting to see what lay within the adobe walls. None were disappointed. I heard the most talk about the sweeping staircase and marvelous basement… if you can call the vast open beamed room a basement.

There is a rich history behind these walls and perhaps most amazing is that the home has stayed in the Lufty family since being built in 1939. Does anyone know of another home in Phoenix that can make that kind of statement? If you do, please let me know.

All in all the tour was a great one. I heard homeowners saying it was the best turnout ever and all seemed very pleased. They should… it was a very well executed event. Congrats to Stephanie, Noelle, Leslie, Liz, Blake, Jon, Tina, Kathy and all the volunteers who made the day special. I bet there are lots more historic home lovers out there due to your efforts.

Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
7600 N. 16th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602-234-5777

For more information about owning a historic home or exceptional representation in the sale of your existing home, contact the Urban Team using the form below.

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Today, the lack of parking at Orpheum Lofts is not the deal killer we noted in 2004. Loft owners can lease parking spaces in nearby buildings and Metro Light Rail offers a viable transportation option. Thus we have no qualms in recommending ownership at Orpheum Lofts, especially at the low prices seen in 2011 and early 2012. Below we offer a bit of history about the Phoenix Title and Trust building, the conversion to Orpheum Lofts, a virtual tour of the building and information about lofts homes for sale or lease at the very beautiful Orpheum Lofts.

From Business Tower to Residential Lofts, a history of Phoenix Title & Trust Building in Phoenix AZ

If you have been to the Orpheum Lofts and walked into the Lobby you know this is a special building. In the late 1920’s the firm of the firm of Lescher and Mahoney was contracted to design a building for Phoenix Trust and Title, the area’s premiere title and trust firm with roots going back to the 1800’s.

Side Note: Lescher and Mahoney’s influence in Arizona is the stuff of legends. More than 30 of its designs hold spots in the national register of historic buildings.  The Orpheum Theater, Moeur Building at ASU, Phoenix City Hall (1928), Hanny’s Building, Brophy Chapel, and US Post Office (1931) are just a few of buildings attributed to Lescher & Mahoney.

The Phoenix Title and Trust building, simply called the Title & Trust Building in public records, was a striking 11 story structure in the Moderne architectural style, AKA Art Deco. The mix of brick, marble, brass, etched glass and terra cotta combined with stunning design made the Title and Trust Building the place to be. Thomas Brothers Books from the 1940’s and 1950’s show this was home to top law firms, bankers, investment firms much more.

The neighborhood was equally amazing with the nearby courthouse, theaters and the legendary Tom’s Tavern… a power brokers hot spot. A former employee of Tom’s said that  more legal battles were won or lost at the Tavern than in the courtroom.

The Phoenix Trust and Title building did well for many decades and then it didn’t. By the end of the 1900’s it was a low rent office building that had seen its finest days gone by. Thankfully, someone saw through the dirt, grime and disinterest to envision an urban residential loft project to be called Orpheum Lofts.

The Orpheum Lofts, the beginning to 2012

Denver Based TASB, LLC was the firm who converted the Phoenix Title and Trust building (AKA First Interstate Building) into the Orpheum Lofts. They were well known for residential and mixed used projects in the Denver area. Thankfully, they also recognized the special qualities that made the Title and Trust building significant and incorporated preservation into the building’s retrofit. The original lobby, elevators, door frames, and elegant staircase were brought back to their moderne charm as was the building’s exterior. While maintaining the Art Deco charm, TASB, LLC integrated modern features, technology and design materials making the residential building appropriate for its second century of life.

In all, 90 loft homes were created within the 11 story u-shaped building. Approximately 90,000 sq.ft. was held to the residential homes while an additional 47,000+ sq.ft. served as amenities and street level retail space. Below are some bullet points about Orpheum Lofts.

• 90 Loft Homes including a grand penthouse unit on the top floor
• Floor Plans ranging in size from 712 to 1800 sq. ft. with one bedroom/one bath to two bedroom/2 bath models.
• Exposed Brick in many units
• Orpheum Loft interiors greatly vary by unit. The original builder encourage options and design upgrades. You’ll find a variety of kitchen styles, cabinets, flooring and design details. Certainly can’t be called a one-size fits all development.
• A Walk Score in the mid 90′s.
• Light Rail is 1 to 1.5 blocks away (Central for north bound and Washington for southbound)
• Rentals are allowed.

Orpheum Lofts Amenities Include:

• Heated swimming pool & spa
• Sauna/steam room
• Nice fitness center with a variety of equipment.
• Men’s and woman’s locker room.
• Conference room.
• Event room with pool table, couches, tables and wide screen television.
• High-speed internet connections
• 24-hour doorman / Security Services
• Retail businesses on street level.
• Pets welcome

CONCLUSIONS ABOUT ORPHEUM LOFTS

Although we were not great fans of Orpheum Lofts went they first came on the market, we are today. The HOA management company tells us they are financially healthy (always research this when buying a condo). NOTE: Make sure and put HOA fee’s into your calculation when buying a condo; Orpheum’s are over $400.00 per month.

The lack of parking, although a bit of a pain, is not the problem it was in 2004. Parking can be had at the Renaissance building across the street and we are told prices range from about $70-$100 per month.

The Orpheum Loft building is the real plus. The absolute beauty, exterior and interior, is rare in Phoenix. Very few of our epic historic buildings made it though the thoughtless destruction of the 1980’s and 90’s. Even if you are not planning on buying a place here, a look at the lobby and elevators is worth the trip.

We especially like the location. Orpheum Lofts are in the heart of the city. It is true Urban Living with lots of options within a small radius. You still have to travel a bit to get groceries, yet it is much easier now with light rail going to the downtown Phoenix Public Market and CityScape located down the street.

Our bottom like is that we like Orpheum Lofts for people looking for a true urban experience and are not too car dependent.

A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE ORPHEUM LOFTS

LOFT HOMES CURRENTLY FOR SALE AT ORPHEUM LOFTS IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX AZ

Showing properties 1 - 3 of 3. See more orpheum lofts phoenix for sale.
(all data current as of 5/17/2012)

1. $139,900 : 114 W Adams Street, Unit 601, Phoenix
   
   1 bed, 1.00 baths

   Home size: 837 sq ft

   Lot size: 736 sqft

   Year built: 2005

   Days on market: 13
   
2. $129,000 : 114 W Adams Street, Unit 701, Phoenix
   
   1 bed, 1.00 baths

   Home size: 837 sq ft

   Lot size: 793 sqft

   Year built: 2005

   Days on market: 13
   
3. $249,900 : 114 W Adams Street, Unit 601&701, Phoenix
   
   2 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,674 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,472 sqft

   Year built: 2005

   Days on market: 13
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

________________________________________________________________

The Urban Team has been professionally representing home, condo, loft and land buyers for over 20 years. Our experience give you a big advantage.

The Urban Team at Realty Executives
7600 N. 16th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ  85020
602-234-5777 (voice)
602-486-4839 (text)
Gene@UrbanTeamAZ.com

The Lofts at Fillmore are a great example of adaptive reuse. Take a 60 room hotel living out its existence as a shabby apartment building, add the vision of real estate developer William Mahoney and an idea emerges… let’s convert this building to fine loft homes. Many thought he was nuts. There was no light rail, ASU downtown was years away and the perception of downtown Phoenix was more gangs than glory.

Today, the Lofts at Fillmore fit well in the emerging urban core of downtown Phoenix. Located at 387 N. 2nd Ave (2nd Ave. & Fillmore), the art deco brick building is at home among the other historic homes and structures situated in the Roosevelt historic district. In addition to a great location, the Lofts at Fillmore are true lofts, not condos being called lofts: There is a difference. You’’ll find exposed original brick, high ceilings, few walls and exposed conduit/HVAC ducting.

The 18 two story loft homes vary from unit to unit with sizes from 914 sq.ft. to about 1600 sq.ft.. Some of the lofts have cypress hardwood floors while others feature acid etched concrete. Several of the homes have balconies for that sweet urban feel and now and again you’ll find a unit with a basement. The people who live there tell us there is almost a co-housing feel since so many of the homeowners have become friends.

The location is pretty epic. Light rail, ASU, coffee houses, restaurants, dining, entertainment are moments away. It has a walkscore of 86… that’s darn good and some of our favorite places are just blocks away including: Phoenix Public Market, Cibo, Fair Trade, Pita Jungle, Sens, Breadfruit and lots more.

Below are a few photos we’ve collected for the Loft’s at Fillmore. Below the pictures you can see if and what units are currently for sale. Since there are only 18 loft homes at Fillmore, we don’t see them come on the market too often. By the way, we update the search results several times a day to make sure what we show you is really on the market.

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See What’s Currently For Sale at The Lofts at Fillmore, Phoenix, AZ

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