Tucson Luxury Homes

Please Come to my Open House at Sabino Mountain this Sunday

Donna Anderson — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:08:51 +0000

I will be holding open this Sunday (May 4) from 1-4 PM my listing in Sabino Mountain at 4134 N Boulder Canyon Place (range priced from 825K-875K). To see more details about this gorgeous home located in the Foothills premier gated community of Sabino Mountain go to my website at www.DonnaAnderson.com to the bottom of the first page–you will see photos, features and a floorplan. Hope to see you there; call me at 603-8622 to get the gate code.

Come Check Out Affordable Luxury in the Tucson Foothills

Donna Anderson — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:20:59 +0000

Luxury Hotel rates drop on April 15th in Tucson. Try these hotels to get you started in your love affair with the beauty of the Sonoran Desert: Westin LaPaloma, Hilton El Conquistor, Ventana Canyon Resort, and the Star Pass Marriott. And if you can spend the big bucks go to Canyon Ranch where rates will continue to drop through the Summer months.

Open Enrollment Space in Catalina Foothills - District 16

Donna Anderson — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:56:48 +0000

Many have wondered why there is space for many open enrollees in Catalina Foothills - District 16 since this school district is the most coveted in Pima County. The reason there is so much space is that in 2005 many of the apartments in that school district converted to condominiums. Most developers made the foolhearty move to not renew leases because they thought their newly converted condos would sell quickly. Of course they were wrong and there is a major glut of condos on the market for the past few years. The people who have bought these condos are mostly singles, young couples, and empty nesters; therefore, most were without children that are school-age. District 16 also could not take open-enrollees from Tucson’s largest school district until this year, because TUSD would not let the children out because it incorrectly believed (and wanted to keep the tax revenue, no doubt) that the discrimination suit provisions it had to follow included not letting kids open enroll. Of course, TUSD knew that if open enrollment was allowed many would chose to go to Catalina Foothills schools since the test scores are higher and many of the schools are located closer to the children’s neighborhoods.

The question is if you do not open enroll your child to Catalina Foothills - District 16 this year, will you be able to do so in the future? The answer is yes, if there is space available. To the best of my knowledge there still is space at some schools such as Ventana Vista Elementary. In years to come, there may be less space since there has been a mass exit out of TUSD of children from neighborhoods that are close to the District 16 schools. Once your child is in District 16 schools, it is most likely that he/she will be able to continue there until high school graduation.

To find out more about open enrollment, call Catalina Foothills Administrative offices at 577-5304 or drop by their offices on weekdays at 2101 E River Rd which is near the intersection of River and Campbell.

Foothills Market is Soft in Price Range $500K - $ 1 million

Donna Anderson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:46:30 +0000

It is apparent that the price range between $500,000 and $ 1 million is very soft in 2008. In fact, the number of sales has declined about 20% over the same period last year. There are many reasons for this: Jumbo loans (those over 417K) are at least 1% higher than conforming loans (those under 417K); in the present tight mortgage market the minimun jumbo loan downpayment has gone up to 15%; the self-employed who were used to low or no documentation loans in the past, now must give full documentation to get financing even when putting 20% or more down. And perhaps the most important factors are: those who can afford homes in this price range are tightening their belts since recession is either here or on the horizon, and there are those buyers that are still waiting for the perceived bottom of the market– they think it has not hit yet and are playing a wait- and- see game.

However, homes priced lower than $500,000 are faring better. FHA financing is becoming very popular with loan limits at $316,250 for Pima County; therefore, one can buy a home for approximately $326,000 and only put 3% down and credit scores do not have to be as high as those required for conventional financing. Also up to approximately $460,000 home sales price, one does not have to pay the higher interest rate of a jumbo loan and one does not have to put down 15%–the minimum requirement is 10% for conforming conventional loans.

This is a stressful time for Sellers, yet opportunity knocks for those motivated buyers out there.

Foothills Opportunities for Active Retired Adults

Donna Anderson — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:20:15 +0000

The active adult communities (usually planned for those age 55+) are outside the Tucson boundaries, however, there are some great alternatives within the Foothills area. Right now you can buy a very nice patio home in La Paloma in the $300,000s. La Paloma is located next to the premier Westin LaPaloma Resort and the coveted LaPaloma Golf Course. The scenery is spectacular and backs to the high Santa Catalina Mountains. The community is a 24 hour gated and guarded community and is right next door to the best restaurants and shopping in Tucson. There are community pools and spas and for an additional fee you can belong to the LaPaloma Resort. If you are willing to spend in the $500,000s and up you might want to check out Ventana Canyon Golf Villas. These detached single family homes are nestled in the luxurious Ventana Canyon Resort and Golf Course and also back to the Sonoran Desert and the high Santa Catalina Mountains and the location is minutes from Tucson’s # 1 attraction of Sabino Canyon and also minutes from the most sought after Foothills shopping, spas and restaurants. This community also has a 24 hour guarded and gated community.

Both LaPaloma and Ventana Canyon are great places to actively enjoy your retirement years! Both these communites tend to be better investments than the 55+ active adult communities since there are no age requirements for those who purchase there; there are always fewer for sale and the location is closer to the best amenities in Tucson.

Jumbo Loan Interest Rates Decline

Donna Anderson — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:26:26 +0000

Long Mortgage announced today that it has a jumbo interest rate (for non-conforming loans at 417K and above) at 6 3/4% with 1/2 point loan origination fee. This loan also has a one- time free float down opportunity. Keep in mind, interest rates vary daily, but this is the best rate I have seen in a while.

Sun 3/30 1-4 Open House at 4134 N Boulder Canyon Place in Sabino Mt

Donna Anderson — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:52:42 +0000

I will be holding open my beautiful listing in Sabino Mountain on this Sunday. If you are interested in previewing this home on Sunday, please call me at 603-8622 so I can give you the gate code. This superb home is range-priced from $850K-$900K and is built by Outpost; it is over 3,300 square feet and is casually elegant and is in better than new condition. The outside offers resort- style living with pebbletec pool (with in-ground cleaning system), sparkling spa, kiva fireplace and custom barbeque. The views are of the Sonoran Desert, the city (with sparkling lights at night) and the Rincon Mountains. The list of upgrades is very long: to see the floorplan and photos go to my website at www.DonnaAnderson.com and look at the bottom of the 1st pg of my website.

Open Enrollment into Catalina Foothills District 16 Schools

Donna Anderson — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:12:42 +0000

Just a reminder– now Catalina Foothills - District 16 is accepting children open -enrolled from TUSD and you can open enroll your children at any time during the school year. Keep in mind, some schools could be full –with Manzanita Elementary being the most likely to be full. I know there is still room at Ventana Vista Elementary. This is a good time to check these District 16 schools out while school is still in session. It is great news for families residing in neighborhoods where the District 16 schools are actually closer to them than the TUSD schools they are districted to attend. Also many parents work near the District 16 schools and can just drop them off on the way to school. District 16 schools have a great after-school elementary program that is not expensive and is open early in the AM and at night until 6:30PM. This break-through change of policy allowing children out of TUSD will make homes districted for TUSD that are close to District 16 schools easier to sell.

Usually the Best Foothills Home Investment for Snowbirds

Donna Anderson — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:32:39 +0000

From my view, knowing what I know now about the Tucson Foothills after having lived and sold real estate here for the past 4+ years, I think if I were a snowbird and purchasing now, these are the features I would want: A gated community, a one-story home, and a less than 10 year old home. Since snowbirds live here for only part of the year, it is important to have the added security of owning in a gated community. Although it will not keep all intruders out, it acts as a deterrant. One-story homes are always easier to sell; as people age most of them prefer a one-story home, therefore, single-story homes usually appreciate more and are easier to sell than two-story homes. Lastly, I would recommend purchasing a home that is less than 10 years old because most likely there will be less maintenance in a newer home. When you are not living closeby you do not want to constantly depend on others to fix your problems and, after all, one of the reasons you have purchased a second home is so your life will be more hassle-free.

Premier Foothills Sabino Mountain Beauty Open Tomorrow 1-4

Donna Anderson — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:48:02 +0000

I will be holding open my new listing at 4134 N Boulder Canyon Place (range priced from 850K-900K) from 1-4 tomorrow–Sunday March 9th. This 2003 Outpost built home has a fantastic floorplan for families and entertaining. It offers resort- style living with sparkling pebbletec pool, spa, custom barbeque and outdoor kiva fireplace. It is over 3,300 square feet with 3 car side entry garage. If you wish to visit the open house, call me at 603-8622 for the gate code. To see the brochure with floorplan and photos go to my website at www.DonnaAnderson.com.