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.

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.

My daughter recently started the sixth grade at St Gregory’s Middle School. My husband and I wanted her to get the benefit of small classes and what we perceived to be the possibility of a stellar education. Some Tucson Foothills families send their children to St. Gregory’s Middle and High School instead of Catalina Foothills District 16 schools. Last night was Curriculum Night and I must say I was very impressed with the teachers. They seemed to really care about stimulating each child, while providing them organization and direction for the 21st century. Giving back to society is a most important value that St. Gregory’s strives to instill in each child.  Phil Woodall is the new Middle School Head; he previously was the ever popular Orange Grove Middle School Head (Catalina Foothills- District 16 public school). Phil has been quite accessible and leads the way for the new middle schoolers and their parents. He is so friendly and engaging and always upbeat! My daughter has joined Volleyball which meets every day except Wednesday from 3:30PM – 5:00PM.  She has never participated in team sports and seems to thrive playing with her new friends.  The class schedule is like college: they alternate days with  1   1/2 hr classes. In the sixth grade she takes Geography, Earth Science, Spanish, Art, English, Math and Gym.  Plus there are classes teaching computer learning and library skills. Once she finishes all middle school Spanish Classes she will be ready to go into the equivalent to Sophomore year Spanish in her Freshman year.  All her homework and homework grades, quizzes and tests are found on-line.  We love this feature!  The cafeteria food is reported to be outstanding by my daugher and her friends.

She is definitely off to a good start!

My Long Foothills office is going to move from the present office location on the corner of Sunrise and Swan to 4051 E Sunrise Drive; this new building  is across from the intersection of Hacienda del Sol and Sunrise Drive.

The Foothills News, August issue, mentions Northwest Medical Center will be establishing LaPaloma Urgent Care and Physician Offices  in the adjacent building.

 This new location of my Long Foothills office will bring more business. I am impressed with Long’s choice of our new office! Call me at 520-918-2410 if you would like to view my new office!

Many of you know that the Long Foothills office sells more Luxury Tucson Homes than any other real estate office in Southern Arizona.  The news that came out of today’s sales meeting  is that August 2008 has an 11% increase in sales over the same period in  August 2007.  This translates that the Tucson luxury home sales market is improving. This is great news for those sellers on the fence about selling now. Give me a call at 520- 615-2598 if you would like me to give you a professional market analysis.

My family vacationed in Coronado and Carlsbad, California last week.  The San Diego area seemed less congested than I expected it to be and with perfect weather, this 5 1/2 hour drive from Tucson was well worth the trip. Coronado home prices are still quite high and I can see why. What a great place to live with bic paths, pristine beaches, restaurants and shopping you can walk or bic to.  We opted to stay at the Marriott and all was fine although we did find the service was not exceptional and I thought the landscaping and exterior rather stark and bland.  We also travelled 45 miles north to Carlsbad and found the Hilton Garden Inn the perfect spot for us–it was right across the street from the locals’ favorite beach. We enjoyed the shopping at night and there is a very good Discount Mall minutes away from our hotel.  Carlsbad is the home to Legoland; we did not visit it since our daughter is almost 12 and seemed too old to enjoy most of it.  We did visit the San Diego Zoo and loved seeing the Mother and Baby Panda Bears, the Polar Bears and the Koala Bears.  We did not take the Zoo tram or the bus and much of the walking was uphill, but it really was not too bad. Another day trip took us to LaJolla; this ideal town reminded me of Cannes, France. We loved our lunch on the top deck of Georges on the Cove overlooking the gorgeous LaJolla Beach.  We are lucky that Tucson has great places to visit less than a one day car trip away.

Many would-be-Tucson prime Foothills area buyers who usually buy in the 85718 or 85750 zip codes should take a look at Oro Valley.  The backdrop may offer incedible views of the Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalina Mountains at a much more affordable price. Depending on where you live in Oro Valley, it could take only 20 minutes to visit the prime shopping and restaurant areas of the Tucson Foothills.  This is an especially good alternative for retirees that do not have to worry about a commute to work.  Northwest Hospital is a new state-of-the art facility and is right there on Tangerine Rd.  Why not enjoy the beauty of the Foothills at a more affordable price?

Jumbo mortgage rates have been very high; some times up to 2% higher than conforming rates ( loans less than 417K).  Now you can get mortgage rates as good as conforming rates– with a catch.  The catch is you have to have a relationship with the lender.  You have to have a good chunk of money in one of their savings, IRAs, etc. This  required account amount usually is about 15% of the amount of the mortgage.  I am not a lender, but if you are interested in finding more about this special offering, I can refer you to a Long Mortgage consultant who can go into all the intricate details. 

Yesterday I brought my daughter to the dentist and decided to sit out front of the dentist’s office at the shopping center next to Sierra Fitness and Garvi’s which is close to the corner of Sunrise and Kolb.  It was about 90 degrees on a bright day with about 40 % humidity since it is monsoon season.  I looked straight ahead and could see the beautiful high Santa Catalina Mountains and thought WOW, this place is heaven, even in Summer.  I live about 5 minutes away in Sabino Mountain and what area could be better? Utilities and taxes are more affordable here than most places;  there are great restaurants that offer summer specials and are almost never crowded; the streets are not congested; the air is crisp and clean; the stars show brightly at night….wow….Tucson in the Catalina Foothills area almost seems like a best kept secret. It seems like there should be more people striving to buy second homes here or retire here or just get jobs here and move here all year long, like my family and I did 4  1/2 years ago.  Since then I have not gone back to MD once and I do not miss it at all. I am amazed. What a great decision we made to become Southwesterners and pick the Catalina Foothills as our place to reside!

More buyers are now scooping up Foothills properties at much lower prices than were seen the past two years.  Inventory is shrinking, but there are still some great choices.  Short sales are few and far between in luxury properties, so forget about looking for one of those. It is important that you have a seasoned realtor who is a good negotiator and who knows the market.  Give me a call if you want to explore some excellent purchasing choices.  My phone number is 520-918-2410; or email me at Donna@DonnaAnderson.com .