Grayhawk Open Houses Saturday 10/1/16 & Sunday 10/2/16 from 1-4 pm both days in North Scottsdale

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We will be holding Open Houses this weekend on Saturday 10/1/16 and Sunday 10/2/16 from 1-4 pm both days in North Scottsdale’s Grayhawk neighborhood at 20728 N 74th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. This gorgeous home has been completely updated. 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.

Wine and Painting 

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mellow-mushroom sign Looking for something new and fun to do, instead of the usual dinner and a movie?  How about drinking wine (or your beverage of choice) while painting a beautiful canvas?  If you’re missing that crafty gene, no worries as part of the activity is learning how to paint, step by step, from an instructor who will lead you through each step.  There are a few different venues here in the Valley of Sun at which you can try out this fun new activity . . .

  1. Pinot’s Palette has one current location in Paradise Valley, but has three more upcoming locations.  Check out their calendar and click on the canvas you’d like to paint, and then click on the day you’d like to paint it, and you can reserve your spot to create your very own masterpiece.  This location also offers date nights (where you can paint one canvas half of a painting while your significant other paints the other half) as well as open studio times where you can create a canvas of your choosing, under the guidance of an instructor.  This studio is BYOB and food, and children are permitted so long as they are over the age of 5.
  2. The Brush Bar features a mixture of Open Studio nights as well as nights featuring certain paintings you’d like to create. This studio offers Mimosa mornings on Sundays, $30 Thursdays and Family Days.
  3. Paint Party and Wine hosts private events at locations in Gilbert and Ahwahtukee.   For private events, you can choose the canvas size and time it takes to paint, and the price is set based on the number of participants.
  4. Carrie Curran Art Studios offers several types of painting events, from family events, couples events as well as after school and home school art classes for the kiddos.  There is even a Paint Your Pet class where you email in a photo of your pet, a sketch is created on canvas, and then you learn how to fill it in with paint in a group setting.
  5. The Painter’s Lounge in downtown Phoenix on Roosevelt Row in the Arts District.  Guided by instructors, you will create the masterpiece of the day (chosen from their calendar online), and you are permitted to BYOB as well as any snacks or food you’d like to enjoy while painting.  This location is next door to locally-owned Pita Jungle.

Learn about Scottsdale Homes and Neighborhoods

Grayhawk Open House Sunday 9/25/16 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale

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Home Front Photo - 0002-74th (2)

We will be holding an Open House this weekend on Sunday 9/25/16 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale’s Grayhawk neighborhood at 20728 N 74th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. This gorgeous home has been completely updated. 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.

First Time Homebuyer Programs

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Congratulations!  You’ve decided you’re tired of renting and you’d like to look into purchasing your first home.  If you’re an Arizona resident, Arizona has some great programs to assist you with this process, specifically with the down payment portion of your home purchase.  The Arizona Department of Housing offers two different programs to assist you with your down payment, dependent on your own personal and financial circumstances.

scottsdale home photoFirst, the HOME PLUS Home Loan Program features a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a down payment assistance grant that can be used toward the down payment and / or closing costs.  This grant and mortgage are applicable to the purchase of a primary residence here in Arizona, and your income cannot exceed $92,984.  The purchase price of the home is limited to $371,936 with this program.  Finally, you’d be required to complete a homebuyer education course before closing.  This course can be completed through an approved Internet-based program.

Second, the Pathway to Purchase down payment assistance program offers a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with a down payment assistance second mortgage equal to 10% of the purchase price. The second mortgage is a five–year forgivable lien against the subject property at a 0% interest rate and no required monthly payments.  This program applies to homes purchased in targeted areas in 17 specified cities.  The income and purchase price limit are the same as the HOME PLUS home loan program.  This program also applies only to existing, previously occupied properties only, so new construction and spec homes are not permitted to be purchased under the parameters of this program.  Finally, this program applies to Fannie Mae HFA Preferred mortgages only.  As with the HOME PLUS program, the homebuyer must complete a homebuyer education course before closing.

We hope these resources offer a good starting point for you to explore the home buying process.  We’d be happy to walk you through any specific questions you may have, and would be happy to show you homes that meet the qualification parameters.

Contact Us

Cheryl and Chris were knowledgeable and delightful to work with

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Written about Cheryl & Chris Park on  Zillow 08/07/16

Rating: 5 stars – Highly likely to recommend

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“Cheryl and Chris were knowledgeable and delightful to work with. They were hard working, responsive, and tenacious in helping us to find just the right home. I would strongly recommend them to friends and relatives.”

 

Very Patient

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Written about Cheryl & Chris Park on  Zillow 07/10/16

Rating: 5 stars – Highly likely to recommend

“Cheryl and Chris are very nice and easy to get along with. Cheryl was very patient with me. I was new to the state and also did not know what kind of property I wanted. She showed me lots of areas, condos and single family homes. When she was not available, Chris stepped right in and helped out.”

 

Chris’ wealth of knowledge, excellent communication skills and warm & friendly personality make him our #1 recommendation as your professional Realtor

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Written about Cheryl & Chris Park on  Zillow 07/06/16

Rating: 5 stars – Highly likely to recommend

“As Canadians buying a winter home in Scottsdale was a daunting process, yet Chris walked us through each step from negotiating the purchase of our new home, through the mortgage acquisition process with professionalism and genuine care. Chris was instrumental to our understanding of the American  housing market. We relied heavily upon his advice and opinion, and came to trust him as a friend. Chris always followed through with his promises and we found was always willing to go out of his way to make us feel a priority in his busy day. We asked hundreds of questions and he was very happy to answer them every single time without hesitation. Chris’ wealth of knowledge, excellent communication skills and warm & friendly personality make him our #1 recommendation as your professional Realtor.”

Chris and Cheryl, provided us with an incredibly professional experience, and I’ll continue to recommend them highly to anyone in need of real estate representation

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Written about Cheryl & Chris Park on  Zillow 07/03/16

Rating: 5 stars – Highly likely to recommend

“I’m extremely grateful for the excellent representation Chris provided throughout our process of finding, and buying a home. Chris kept us informed each and every step of the way, and has been consistently available to us answering our questions, and addressing our concerns. His expertise in real  estate and mortgage matters turned out to be instrumental in keeping our loan on track when it looked like the lender had run out of options for us. Keep in mind that he’s my realtor, not my lender, but still his knowledge alerted the lender to an option they had not yet considered. Chris, along with his wife Cheryl, provided us with an incredibly professional experience, and I’ll continue to recommend them highly to anyone in need of real estate representation. Thank you Chris and Cheryl, we love our new home!”

Grayhawk Open Houses Saturday 9/17/16 & Sunday 9/18/16 from 1-4 pm both days in North Scottsdale

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Home Front Photo - 0002-74th (2)

We will be holding Open Houses this weekend on Saturday 9/17/16 and Sunday 9/18/16 from 1-4 pm both days in North Scottsdale’s Grayhawk neighborhood at 20728 N 74th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. This gorgeous home has been completely updated. 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.

Dog Friendly Hiking Trails

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pinnacle-peak-cactus photoIf your best friend is of the canine variety, you likely are a fan of dog-friendly destinations.  Here in the Valley of the Sun, Fido can join you on a hike through the gorgeous Sonoran Desert only in those areas where dogs are permitted.  To that end, here are a few hikes where you can enjoy the companionship of your pooch . . .

Starting at the southern end of the valley, South Mountain Park and Preserve features 51 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.  There is absolutely a hike for every skill level.

Widely considered to be one of the most difficult hikes in the Valley of the Sun, Camelback Mountain, with its Cholla and Echo Mountain summit hikes should definitely be reserved for those possessing high fitness levels and hiking abilities.  But if you and Fido are determined to try it, the views at the top of the 2,704-foot peak are absolutely worth the exertion.

While the Circumference Trail is 5.73 miles, there are other shorter hikes at Deem Hills.  This beautiful spot located at 51st Avenue and Deem Hills Parkway is open from sunrise to sunset, with the parking lot opening at 5:30 a.m.

Shaw Butte/North Mountain are in North Mountain Park and are landmark peaks in Phoenix, both offering popular day hikes.  There are five different mapped trails of varying lengths and difficulty, so be sure to consult the park map before heading out with your pet to see which is the best fit for both of your fitness levels.

Check out Lookout Mountain Preserve which is home to Lookout Mountain and Shadow Mountain, and is located just north of North Mountain Park.  These peaks are at a lower elevation and are fun for children and those who are looking for a more leisurely hike.

Papago Park is adjacent to the popular Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden.  The hiking trails in Papago Park are relatively smooth and easy, and offer another great option for family hikes.

As always, remember to keep your pet safe by avoiding hikes during the hottest part of the day, and always carry plenty of water for both of you.  Laws require that your pet’s waste must be picked up immediately, placed in a secure plastic bag, and disposed of in a solid waste container. Phoenix leash laws apply on all trails, and pets must be leashed at all times.

Learn about Scottsdale Homes and Neighborhoods