Paradise Valley Unified School District

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Fireside elementary schoolParadise Valley Unified School District is the seventh-largest school district in Arizona, with 31 elementary schools, eight middle schools and six high schools.  This district’s schools are located within an 98-mile area in Phoenix and North Scottsdale, from 7th Avenue east to Pima Road, from Jomax Road south to Northern Avenue.  Given the large size of the district, the tax base for the schools is larger.  The 2014 Auditor General’s report indicates that PVUSD schools outperform the state average and the district average for the percent of funds spend in the classroom.

PVUSD is also known for many programs, some of which are exclusive to this district.  For example, four different elementary schools offer gifted preschool programs:  Fireside, Desert Trails, Desert Cove and North Ranch elementary schools.  These accelerated curriculum and tuition-based programs target 4-year old students who have been identified as gifted on an IQ test.

Foreign language immersion is featured at two different schools in Paradise Valley Unified.  Sandpiper Elementary focuses on Spanish immersion, while Whispering Wind Academy centers on Mandarin immersion.  Three schools offer a K-12 IB (International Baccalaureate) program:  Quail Run Elementary, Vista Verde Middle School and North Canyon High School.  The popular CREST (Center for Research, Engineering, Science and Technology) program is offered at Paradise Valley High School.

Finally, for those fifth-twelfth grade students who are interested in focusing on the performing and visual arts, the North Valley Arts Academy is offered at Desert Cove Elementary, Shea Middle School and Shadow Mountain High.  This program combines the arts with a rigorous academic curriculum.

Even if you don’t live within the PVUSD boundaries, open enrollment gives your student an opportunity to attend any of the schools.  Applications are typically accepted in the district office until January 21st of the previous school year, with Early Bird applications due by December 1st.

Troon Pinnacle Canyon Open Houses Friday 10/30 & Saturday 10/31

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Pinnacle Canyon real estateWe will be holding Open Houses this weekend in Troon’s Pinnacle Canyon at 28023 N 108th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 on Friday 10/30 from 12-5 pm and Saturday 10/31 from 12-4 pm. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see.

Troon Pinnacle Canyon Open Houses Friday 10/23 & Saturday 10/24

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28095 N 108th Way

We will be holding Open Houses this weekend in Troon’s Pinnacle Canyon at 28095 N 108th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 on Friday 10/23 from 1-5 pm and Saturday 10/24 from 1-4 pm. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see.

Getting Ready for Showing Your Home

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granite-luxury-kitchenYour home has been prepped and is ready for listing in the MLS.  Now what?  There are some steps that will make it easy to get ready for all of those showings that will be coming your way.

First, maximize all of the light in your home by turning on all of the lights in your home and open all of the curtains and blinds on your windows.  Buyers love to see bright, well-lit homes, and these quick steps will show off your beautiful home in the best light (pun intended).

Second, highlight your curb appeal in your back and front yard.  Do a quick sweep of your front entryway, and turn on any water features you may have in your backyard, to show off your pool and/or spa.  This will help the buyer visualize how to enjoy these spaces in the future.

Third, do a clean sweep throughout your home to remove clutter from floors and countertops.  Buyers want to be able to envision themselves in the spaces in your home, so removing distractions of your personal items is the best way to facilitate this.  Keep a laundry basket handy before showings, to corral any clutter quickly and to stash in a closet.

Finally, do a quick wipe of your bathroom counters, toilets and mirrors (Windex wipes are fantastic for this), to make these areas sparkle.  Again, the goal is to have buyers imagine living in your home, so keeping these personal areas sparkling clean will go a long way toward this goal.

Your realtor can give you more tips to maximize showings, but this checklist is a good start.

Troon Pinnacle Canyon Open House Saturday 10/17

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28095 N 108th Way

We will be holding an Open House this weekend in Troon’s Pinnacle Canyon at 28095 N 108th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 on Saturday 10/17 from 1-4 pm. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see.

Cave Creek Schools

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100747999-2Cave Creek is one of the most family-friendly communities in Arizona, and a big reason for this is its amazing schools.  The schools are all part of the Cave Creek Unified School District, which the Arizona Department of Education has designated an “A” rated district.

The high school in Cave Creek is Cactus Shadows High School.  With its motto “A world class high school for the 21st century” Cactus Shadows services grades 9 through 12.  With an average class size of 32 students in a school of 1750 students, 87% of Cactus Shadows students pursue higher education post high school.  While this high school has an extensive roster of extracurricular and sports activities for its students to enjoy, academics are at the forefront of Cactus Shadows with its International Baccalaureate program, Advanced Placement and Honors classes, as well as Dual Enrollment and the Early College Program in partnership with Paradise Valley Community College.

Middle school students who live in the Cave Creek area attend Sonoran Trails Middle School.  Sonoran Trails is a World Language School, and as such, offers its students the opportunity to learn Spanish, French or Mandarin Chinese as a core class.  The school also features a Spanish Immersion program for its students.  Sonoran Trails also offers many extracurricular activities such as band, drama, cheerleading, volleyball, football, basketball, and many others.

Cave Creek has five public elementary schools within its boundaries.  First, Black Mountain Elementary School has an advanced academic Core Knowledge curriculum, and also features a drama program for all of its students.  Black Mountain follows a Whole School Cluster Grouping Model, and has very active parental involvement.  Desert Sun Academy also follows a Core Knowledge curriculum, and offers music, art or PE to its students daily.  Along with teaching Spanish to all of its students, Desert Sun Academy teaches its students through Project Based Learning.

Desert Willow Elementary School is an International School and is known for its Spanish immersion program which begins in preschool.  Desert Willow also offers Extended Kindergarten, as well as various after school programs.  Horseshoe Trails Elementary School is a Confucius Language School, sponsored by ASU, and offers its students Chinese language instruction beginning in kindergarten.  Its signature program is TRRFCC Horsemanship and Horseshoe Trails also offers gifted learning opportunities.  Lastly, Lone Mountain Elementary School is a STEM school, which highlights instruction in science, technology, engineering and math.  Lone Mountain offers all-day kindergarten as well as differentiated instruction for its students.

Cave Creek Unified School District does offer open enrollment, permitting students to apply to schools regardless of their neighborhood. Your realtor can help you to navigate these requirements in your home search.

Cave Creek Home Listings

Troon Pinnacle Canyon Open Houses Friday 10/9 & Saturday 10/10

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28095 N 108th Way

We will be holding Open Houses this weekend in Troon’s Pinnacle Canyon at 28095 N 108th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 on Friday 10/9 from 1-5 pm and Saturday 10/10 from 1-4 pm. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see.