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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

My best guess is the Foothills market–which is primarily in zip codes 85750 and 85718— has hit the bottom as far as prices are concerned.  Like the stock market, it is next to impossible to pick the exact time when it hits bottom and then will gradually move up, but my best guess is it has arrived and perhaps is beyond having hit the bottom and it is on its way up.  The inventory of good homes is depleting, so you snowbirds that are still here should not wait any longer, because when you come back next year, I expect you will not not have as many choices, and the ones you have will be more expensive. You may ask how do I know this? The answer is simple, I am always showing and previewing homes listed for sale in the Foothills which is the area in which I specialize and I do a “Daily Report” from the Tucson Multiple Listing Service to see what homes are newly listed, have been reduced, have gone under contract and have sold in the North and the Northeast of Pima County. When they sell I can see what the list price was and the final sales price and then I can also remember what the house looked like.  It is really not rocket science. So this post will remain and I will look back in six months and see if my prediction was correct.

I just listed a gorgeous almost 3,400 square foot home in Sabino Mountain —4134 N Boulder Canyon Place— that is located very close to Canyon Ranch and Sabino Canyon. This home is in impeccable condition (built in 2003) and has a one-story great room split floorplan that is great for family living and entertaining! Resort -style living at its best can be found here–with sparkling pebbletec pool and spa, kiva fireplace and custom barbeque, plus covered flagstone porch overlooking the pristine Sonoran Desert and the Santa Rita Mountains. Witness the sparkling city lights while sitting cozy in front of the kiva fireplace or enjoying your private spa.  It is range priced from $850,000  – $900,000 which is an aggressive price–it was appraised in January 2008 for $925,000.This home will be held open today from 1-4 (March 2) and you can also view the brochure, floorplan and photos on my website: www.DonnaAnderson.com or www.TucsonHomesite.com by going to the bottom of page 1 and viewing the featured property.

What the best real estate agents have is tenacity, as do all the candidates who are still in the race–Clinton, Obama, and McCain. When we list a property in a very strong buyers’  market we keep going and keep looking for new ways to improve the desirability and marketing of the property. When we are working with buyers who are worried about the values going down and want to take the best advantage of getting a deal, we continuously show them the numbers, the comparables of what has sold in the last six months; we preview and do not waste the buyers’ time looking at homes that do not fit their needs. We look at the mortage interest rates on a daily basis and when we think they are very advantageous, we tell the buyers to try to seize the day.  We become closer partners with our clients since our relationship will probably be longer and  conversations more multiple. The importance of having a good real estate agent during the present market period can not be stressed enough. Go with the agent who has  solid references and experience selling in a market similar to the one Tucson has now. Then you can not go wrong; she will lead you down the path perhaps less chosen, but much more worthwhile.

Dove Mountain is a gorgeous planned community located in the high Sonoran Desert with breathtaking Totolita Mountain views. The Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain will be selling 20  homesites from $725,000 – $1,800,000.  and  300 custom homes sited on from a quarter acre to  3/4 of an acre  with base prices from $1,585,000  to  $2,740,000  with finished square feet from 2,479 to 5,410 square feet.  Only a few homes can chose sites without a lot premium; lot premiums range from $25,000 – $350,000. Right now there appears to be 4 homesites with no lot premiums.  Phase 1 will have 91 homes and 16 sites.  All  homes will have spas and terraces; some options offered include swimming pools and casitas.

Dove Mountain is located in the prettiest part of Marana off of Tangarine Rd going towards Oro Valley and the Pusch Ridge; it is surrounded by thousands of acres of some of the most gorgeous Sonoran Desert. It has over 3,000 homes already built there since 1998, including  popular, gated Heritage Highlands which is an Active Adult Community with resale homes starting in the low $200,000s.  Prior to last year, one living in Dove Mountain  had to travel about 7 miles to get to such amenities as gas stations, doctor’s offices, shopping, etc. Now there is a new shopping center with many amenities right in the community. Tiger Woods played golf here last year and will play next week at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. 

 The Ritz Carlton Hotel will be completed in 2009 and will  have 226 rooms and suites and approximately 24 casitas. This resort will have 3 restaurants, a 17,000 square foot spa and fitness center,  and a swimming pool complex with tennis courts.

 There could not be a better time to buy at Heritage Highlands which has its own golf course, club house, recreation-fitness and tennis center with restaurant. Many of the homes dropped over 100K during the past year due to the poor home market, so you can find a  fairly new home  there with  a 2 car garage from the $200,000s.  When the Ritz Carlton complex is finished, these values should go up rapidly.  Heritage Highlands has many active adults who are in their 50s, unlike other active adult communities that seem to attract a more sedate and older crowd.