September 30, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

Every year my family and I take a 3 day weekend journey to Camelback Inn (Marriott Resort) in late September just before the  hotel rates go up in October.  We like the Scottsdale BMW dealer. So we couple a little getaway with our car being serviced.  This year, like the last two years of the same getaway to Camelback Inn, was quite enjoyable.  The setting is somewhat like our own in the Foothills of Tucson. We live at Sabino Mountain which is minutes away from Canyon Ranch, which to be perfectly honest, offers even a prettier setting than the Camelback Inn which is gorgeous!  Every year we come back, re-connecting with our beautiful community and embracing the rare gem of a community we reside in. The temperature is lower in the Tucson Foothills than Paradise Valley or Scottsdale; the mountains are higher and greener and the home prices are much less than Paradise Valley.  At the end of the trip I always scratch my head and say, “Why are more people not moving to  the Tucson - Catalina Foothills area– instead of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley?” I guess in some ways I should be happy since more people moving here would lead to congestion. Maybe we should keep our good thing quiet!

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | 1 Comment »

September 21, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

Tubac Golf Resort and Spa is only 1 hour away from Tucson and backs to the beautiful Santa Rita and Tumacacori Mountain ranges. The area is surrounded by cottonwoods, mesquites, water and wildlife–what a perfect retreat! Tubac is a little greener and a little cooler than Tucson since the elevation is about 800 feet higher.  The lodging is quite nice –the Casitas are just below $250 per night and are 800 square feet with a living room and separate bedroom,  and has a fireplace and a private patio. There are some other accommodations that are smaller or larger.  We ate at the Mexican restaurant–Dos Silos–the food was excellent and the margaritas were the best I have ever had. They also have another larger restaurant that was part of the orginal Otero Ranch Stables.  The furniture shop at Tubac Golf Resort had some of the nicest offerings of the Southwest. The 4,000 square foot Spa  offers a tranquil envirnoment with an intimate patio with soft music and whirlpool. The menu for hair, face,massage, and nail treatments is extensive. And, of course, it is located in a Golf Resort that offers 27 holes of championship golf and there are tennis courts, as well. The over 100 multiple artist shops of Tubac are only 1 mile away. You can find out more about the history of Tubac by visiting the Tumacori National Monument; the landmark represents the original settlement of Arizona territory in 1691 by Father Kino; most of these settlers later moved to become the first settlers of San Francisco. Visit Tubac Golf Resort and Spa website at www.tubacgolfresort.com .

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 20, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

Wow! I just previewed an incredible new, custom, 2,161 square foot home right smack in the high Pusch Ridge! This Mediterranean home is sited on an incredible lot for this list price of  only $750,000! Although it is small with only 2 bedrooms  and  den, 2 1/2 bathrooms and 2 car garage, in the recent  past the homesite alone would be worth the list price.  It is sited on a lot with better views than many of the Pima Canyon homes which many believe offer the best views in Pima County.  Give me a call at 520-918-2410 if you would like to see this exquisite home located in one of Tucson Luxury Foothills premier gated communities.

Posted in Oro Valley Luxury, Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 18, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

The economic climate is so turbulent now! My opinion is that Barak Obama is the best choice to be our next President. We need a brilliant person with a stellar educational background who can easily assimulate all the information from Wall Street and the World Market. If through some tragedy Sarah Palin ever had to assume the Presidency, it would even be a worse situation than if John McCain becomes our leader; she is a super-lightweight in economic affairs and does not have the educational background to be a good leader during the most turbulent economic time since the Great Depression.  It is  apparent  to me that much of the vast amount of US Dollars that we are flooding into Iraq has to be re-channeled into  re- boosting the American economy. It is unlikely that the man whose claim to fame is the “Iraq Surge” will be for a massive troop cut.  John McCain’s strength is not in economics and Sarah Palin does not have the background to become President on a moment’s notice. Barak is brillliant and inspiring; he is the leader America so needs now!

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 17, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

If you have the bucks, now is the time to buy and get a great deal! Why? Pick up a New York Times (even if you are a “Conservative”) and you will find muliple scary answers. My long history  selling in good and bad times tells me that this is the best time to buy in over 10 years!  Many buyers will be scared off until at least the end of the year and, as a result, the  buyer who is brave and ready to take the plunge has much control over the negotiation with motivated Sellers.  There are a lot of motivated Sellers in the Tucson Foothills so there are many good choices.

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 11, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

I am not a tax accountant, so I advise you if you are interested in pursuing the first time home buyers’ tax credit that you consult with one to see if it will work for you. Also please verify the facts: this is my understanding of how it works.  A first time home buyer is one who has not owned a home in the past 3 years; in order to take the credit one must use the home as the primary residence; the cap is $7,500, but can only be up to 10% of the purchase price of the home; and  the home must be purchased between April 9, 2008 and June 30, 2009.  This credit is an interest-free loan; it all must be paid back; the payback is $500 per year via the federal tax return over 15 year time period. Buyers don’t have to begin repayments until 2 years after the credit is claimed. If the house is sold during this 15 year period, the remaining credit balance must be paid from the profit of the sale.  There are some income limits and it starts phasing out at a modified adjusted gross income  of $75,000 for a single person or for each married person if they file separately (not joint return) and  $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.  However, there is still some credit given for singles up to $95,000 and for joint filers up to $170,000.

 This tax credit, combined with the advantage of lower interest rates than I have seen in quite some time,  is a rare opportunity that I hope your family or friends can take advantage of.

A luxury condo  in the Tucson Foothills may be the perfect residence for the first time home buyer. In the past few years I have not recommended buying a luxury condo in the Tucson Foothills because I felt the prices were going to go down.  However, now I think it is a great time to buy a Foothills condo especially since I have witnessed tremendous deals of luxury one bedroom condos from the low $100,000s and 2 bedrooms from the mid - $100,000s to low $200,000s.  Many are very upgraded and back to the Catalina Mountains or Ventana Canyon.  Some are within walking distance to the pristine Sonoran Desert wonder of Sabino Canyon.  To view luxury Tucson Foothills condos for sale give me a call at 520-918-2410.

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 10, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

As a result of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conservatorship, interest rates dropped for conforming loans to 5.75% with 0 points. This interest rate is for home loans up to 417K.  The Tucson Foothills market is already improving and this should give it another boost!

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 9, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

A.F. Sterling has one new spec home at Ventana Reserve which is near Sabino Canyon.  This 3,541 square foot– one-story home has a picture-perfect setting backing to the  high Santa Catalina Mountains and  is priced at $989,900. It offers a pool and spa, brick paver driveway and walkway, very upgraded tile floors  in  all the main living areas, a glass block shower enclosure, executive height vanities in the bathrooms, gourmet Kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances, post tension concrete slab, alder wooden doors, central vac, a wine refrigerator in the Kitchen, a very upgraded fireplace and much more.

 The home is located on a “flag” lot which is one that is sited on a long driveway going to the back which offers more privacy that many buyers find very desirable. The incredible mountain views are worth any inconvenience the flag lot location presents.  It is located in District 16-Catalina Foothills School District. This community is not gated and all the homes in this very small community are semi-custom. Children can walk to Canyon View Elementary and Esperero Middle School from this beautiful home. Sterling is in the process of staging the house so the buyer can visualize his/her furniture in this very aggressively priced new luxury Tucson Foothills home.

There are so few opportunities to have purchase a new upscale home in the Tucson Catalina Foothills. This is another great investment opportunity.  The list price started at $1,034,900 four months ago and has moved down to $989,900.

 If you would like to view this home, give me a call at 520-918-2410.

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 8, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

Yesterday I wrote about Paloma Ridge, a new Sterling- built community, adjacent to La Paloma. Its main competitor is Villa Milano at Rancho Sin Vacas which is a few miles to the North and located close to the most upscale community of Pima Canyon. Villa Milano is located in the Amphitheater School District, unlike Paloma Ridge which is located in the Catalina Foothills District 16 School District. Of course there is open enrollment at Catalina Foothills schools.

Villa Milano is a bit more upscale with standard features such as travertine floors in the main living areas,  custom wood cabinets in the Kitchen, ceramic surrounds in the bathrooms, Andersen low- e tinted windows, post tension foundations, R-38 very well insulated ceilings, and brick pavers in walkways and driveways.  Other standard features found at Paloma Ridge like granite kitchen counters are found at Villa Milano, as well.  Both communities are gated and have a community pool, but the Villa Milano location is even more pristine and dramatic: it backs right to the bottom of the high Catalina Mountain Foothills with an amazing view of the mountains and the tall saguaro cacti. Villa Milano is more private than the community at Paloma Ridge which is close to busy Sunrise Drive.  Active listings are priced from $535,000  -  $860,000. Recent resales of almost new homes reveal $455,000 for a one-story 1,998 square foot home and $530,000 for a 2,740 square foot home.

Both communities should be compared before purchasing one or the other. Call me  at 520-918-2410 to set up an appointment to ulitize my expertise when purchasing in one of these upscale  Tucson Foothills communities or to explore other luxury Tucson Foothills homes.  Purchasing a new home will be a much better experience when having your own advocate.  Remember the builder’s agent represents the builder!

Both of these communites offer an opportunity to purchase a new or almost new home that is very luxurious and not too large as far as interior square footage or lot size. These communities are perfect for those who want to downsize or purchase a second home! In years to come both will prove to be excellent investments.

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »

September 7, 2008 by Donna Anderson.

A.F. Sterling Homes is now offering a one-story , 1,808 square foot model (base priced at $439,900) at its new home community adjacent to LaPaloma. Previously Sterling had only built two-story homes in this location.  Two-story homes have square footages of 2,277 square feet - 3,091 square feet (Base Priced from $519,900 - $569,900). Some models have a first floor master bedroom. Sterling is a well-known and reputable builder and is known for adding many luxury features as standard features such as granite counters, alder front doors, ceramic floors in the kitchen, entry and bathrooms, cabinets in laundry rooms; covered patios, executive height vanities in bathrooms and the list goes on. The community is gated; there is a large community pool with community bathrooms and gazebo; and front yard landscaping is included in the monthly HOA fee which is approximately $150. per month. 

 With so little new construction of luxury homes in the Tucson Foothills, the stellar reputation of Sterling and the fantastic epicenter of the Foothills location, this neighborhood promises to be a great investment and a wonderful place to live. As a bonus some of the homes have great mountain views. The best home sites have lot premiums that vary from $8,000 all the way up to $110,000.

 If you need more information on Paloma Ridge, please do not hesitate to call me at 520-918-2410. Remember it is always best to have an experienced agent help you select the lot,  select the upgrades and negotiate the contract. I have vast experience selling new homes and  have experience working for builders. There is no question in mind the buyers who have a seasoned real estate agent represent them end up with a better deal. The builder’s representative represents the builder; you need to have a seasoned agent represent you.

Posted in Foothills Luxury Homes | Print | No Comments »