Sonoran Hills Open House Saturday 2/20 & Sunday 2/21 from 12-4 pm in North Scottsdale

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7609 E SAN FERNANDO DR - Front

We will be holding an Open House this Saturday 2/20 & Sunday 2/21 from 12-4 pm in North Scottsdale’s Sonoran Hills neighborhood at 7609 E SAN FERNANDO DR, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. The home has just been listed and is completely remodeled. 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.

Grayhawk Raptor Retreat Open House Sunday 2/14 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale

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7704 E Overlook Dr

We will be holding an Open House this Sunday 2/14 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale’s guard gated neighborhood Grayhawk Raptor Retreat at 7704 E Overlook Dr. Scottsdale, AZ  85255. 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.

Desert Ridge Fitness Fun

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Fireside Comm Center photoDesert Ridge is home to many active adults and families as evidenced by the many residents out and about most days of the year.  Within the larger community of Desert Ridge are miles of well-maintained walking paths, which wind throughout the beautiful neighborhoods of Aviano, Fireside, Sanctuary, Lockwood Estates and the JW Marriott.  Every part of Desert Ridge can be reached by bicycle, thanks to the miles of bike lanes present throughout these communities.

Popular Aviano Park is a destination in its own right, but also is popular with fitness enthusiasts due to its manicured soccer fields, walking paths, sand volleyball courts, and an extra-large, shaded adventure playground.  Nearby Fireside Park also has nearby walking paths and two different shaded playgrounds.  Both Aviano and Fireside have their own private community centers.  Aviano’s center has a large pool, spa, tennis courts, and workout facility.  Fireside’s community center features a large pool with beach entry, as well as a fully-equipped fitness facility.  The new community of Sanctuary will also have its own community center when it is completed later in 2016.

The Reach 11 Recreation Area is adjacent to Desert Ridge to the west.  This 1,500-acre park has 18 miles of seven-foot wide, groomed, multi-use trails that bisect the entire park.   The Reach 11 Sports Complex has 17 lighted, international soccer fields.  Desert Ridge is also home to the beautiful Wildfire Golf Club, with its two award-winning courses:  the Palmer Signature Course and the Faldo Championship Course.

Desert Ridge is also conveniently located to many nearby hiking trails.  The Barrier Free Access Nature Trail is just south of Desert Ridge.   This multipurpose trail is used by equestrians, bicyclists, and hikers.  Just northwest of Desert Ridge is the newly opened Apache Wash Trailhead off of Sonoran Desert Drive.  This beautiful area features over 20 miles of trails perfect for beginning and intermediate level hikers.  The trails are shared by mountain bike cyclists, hikers and horseback riders, and the views from the summits are absolutely incredible.   Finally, Pinnacle Peak Park, approximately 10 miles to the east of Desert Ridge, features a 3.5-mile round-trip trail that is popular with everyone, from families to trail runners, thanks to its meticulously maintained wide trails and gorgeous vistas.

The Desert Ridge area is also home to many indoor fitness centers. Underground Fitness is a personal training studio located on Tatum Blvd, just west of the Desert Ridge shopping center.   A bit further west is the very well-equipped Mountainside Fitness, which features a full roster of group exercise classes, a state-of-the-art weight room and a large childcare facility.  Southeast of Desert Ridge is Lifetime Fitness which provides all types of fitness activities, from group fitness classes to swimming and basketball, in a luxury gym environment.  Amenzone Fitness is in nearby DC Ranch for CrossFit fans.

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What Exactly Are Closing Costs?

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buying_home_cycle photoAnyone who has ever been involved in assuming a mortgage, or even watched a few real estate shows on HGTV, is familiar with closing costs.  But what exactly are closing costs?  Here’s a quick rundown of these additional fees.

Simply put, closing costs are additional fees associated with processing the mortgage, and are not paid to the mortgage company.  Generally speaking, closing costs are assumed by the buyer of the property (VA mortgages are one exception to this rule) and are paid at the time of closing of escrow.  The bulk of closing costs is comprised of lender’s fees.  These fees include the appraisal fee, which is an independent assessment of the value of the property being purchased, as well as the credit report and any property taxes.  Lender’s fees also include mortgage and homeowner’s insurance, as well as any flood certification and pre-paid interest charges.  These fees may also include origination and discount points depending on your lender, as well as loan application and loan processing fees.

Title fees are also part of closing costs.  These fees include the title service fee, which covers the handling of title documents and funds, as well as half of the settlement and escrow fees, which cover the fees for the title search and examination.  Finally, title fees also include any title insurance.   Recording fees are another part of closing costs and include recording fees, transfer taxes and an affidavit of property value.   HOA transfer fees and HOA dues are typically also included within closing costs.

While this is a quick overview of closing costs and is by no means an exhaustive list, I hope this has shed some light on these omnipresent fees in real estate transactions.  Every transaction is different, and while I am unable to give legal, tax or accounting advice, I look forward to helping you navigate your own process with ease and clarity.

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Grayhawk Raptor Retreat Open House Sunday 2/7 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale

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7704 E Overlook Dr

We will be holding an Open House this Sunday 2/7 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale’s guard gated neighborhood Grayhawk Raptor Retreat at 7704 E Overlook Dr. Scottsdale, AZ  85255. 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.

Downsizing When a Tiny House Isn’t an Option

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C Park condoTiny houses seem to be quite the popular trend nowadays.  Thanks to TV shows, the news, and home magazine articles, we’ve been inundated with the popularity of tiny houses.  With the typical American home size being 2,400-2,600 square feet, the 100-400 square feet of tiny houses represents a 65 to 90% decrease in living space.  The reasons for the popularity of tiny houses range from financial to environmental, as well as a desire to simply downsize and simplify one’s life.

Quite simply, tiny houses aren’t for everyone, but for most people, downsizing will be necessary at some point in life, whether it’s a home post-retirement or a vacation home or even a home to create a simpler lifestyle.  However, making the move from a larger home to a home with a smaller footprint takes some planning.

One of the first steps in downsizing is to take inventory of your things, as your possessions that currently fit into your larger home simply will not fit in your smaller home.  There are dozens of resources which address this process, but deciding what to keep and what to get rid of is the most critical part of this process.  Try focusing on what items you love and what items bring you joy.  By process of elimination, the remaining items that do not, should be thrown away, sold or donated.  An exciting part of downsizing is letting go of things that you don’t absolutely need, which helps you to focus on what is important.

Another way to take inventory of your items is to gather like items together.  For example, putting all of your baking and cooking items into groups can help you identify whether you have duplicates of items as well as items that you’ve never used at all.  You may not have space in your new downsized home to house small kitchen appliances such as pasta makers or bread makers, especially considering these items may not be used sufficiently to justify taking up precious storage space.

Finally, make decisions as to where you are putting the items you are keeping in your new space.  Larger furniture items may not be appropriate for the scale of your new home, so winnowing down the larger pieces to one or two favorite pieces will make the transition much easier.  Recognize that storage will not be as plentiful for your smaller items, and this will drive your decision-making processes.   While a tiny house may not be in your future, a home which provides more freedom and financial sufficiency will be, and that’s something to celebrate.

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