What are your plans for today? A backyard BBQ? A parade? Watching a big fireworks display? Watching the celebration on TV news at 10:00p.m.? Or hitting a local fireworks stand and creating your own show for your kids? Whatever your plans include, please take time to remember our troops and the sacrifices they make for our continued freedom and democracy. I'm originally from Washington state (the Seattle area to be more specific) and in order to enjoy one of the BIG fireworks displays, you had to fight the traffic to get to one of the launching points. And if you wanted a good seat you needed to get there early in the day to stake your claim on the best spot. Then you had to fight the traffic to get back home and hope you didn't get run off the road by someone who had partied all day. He... 07/04/2008

ModelOn the Golf CourseRosewoodOff the Golf CourseStonecrest/PoolHaciendaVerbenaCholla/PoolBorgataPalo VerdeDesert RoseDesert RoseDesert RoseDesert RoseMaderaAzaleaCactus FlowerCactus FlowerSageCypressWillow/Expanded Sq.Ft.2896 s.f.2392 s.f.2334 s.f.2035 s.f.1934 s.f.1852 s.f.1954 s.f.1850 s.f.1816 s.f.1834 s.f.1854 s.f.1627 s.f.1518 s.f.1427 s.f.1427 s.f.1338 s.f.1330 s.f.1234 s.f. Address15479 W Cypress Point Dr15881 W Mill Valley Ln15022 W Home Run Dr20040 N Window Rock Dr15273 W Sierra Vista Dr20767 N Canyon Whisper15180 N Daybreak Dr14875 W Medinah Ct15267 W Springleaf Way20694 N Glen Canyon Dr20143 N Cactus Forest Dr16039 W Indigo Ln15243 W Springleaf Way19872 N Coronado Ridge16340 W Kearney Ln15770 W Remington Dr20936 N Canyon Whisper20309 N Windsong Dr Listed$739,900$450,000$34... 07/02/2008

RECENT HOME SALES INSUN CITY GRAND                JUNE 1, 2008 TO JUNE 30, 2008               GOLF COURSE PROPERTIES               Address Bedroom Bath Model Sq Ft List Price Sale Price Days on Market 15479 W CYPRESS POINT DR 3 3.5 ROSEWOOD 2896  $739,900 $715,000 244                                 NON-GOLF COURSE PROPERTIES               Address Bedroom Bath Model Sq Ft List Price Sale Price Days on Market 15243 W SPRINGLEAF WAY 2 1.75 AZALEA 1518  $270,000 $260,000 28 20767 N CANYON WHISPER DR 2 1.75 BORGATA 1852  $269,900 $247,500 104 16340 W KEARNEY LN 3 2 CACTUS FLOWER 1427  $189,000 $189,000 492 19872 N CORONADO RIDGE DR 3 2 CACTUS FLOWER 1427  $229,000 $208,000 88 15273 W SIERRA VISTA DR 2 2 CHOLLA 1934  $329,900 $310,000 97 20936 N CANYON WHISPER DR 2 2 CYPRESS 1330  $227,900 ... 06/30/2008

In addition to the multitude of activities available in each of our Phoenix west valley active adult communities, the city of Surprise also offers up things to keep retirees busy... even in the middle of the summer.  As the temperatures rise, make sure you don't become a recluse.  Get over to the senior center and meet people from other communities with interests to yourself.  Not everyone is a "snowbird". Click HERE for the July newsletter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are in the market to buy or sell a home in one of the Phoenix west valley active retirement golf communities, please call me or visit my website http://KathyAndersonRealtor.com. Here you will find information on homes for sale in Sun City Grand Surprise Arizona, resales in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival... 06/28/2008

Each one of Arizona's active retirement communities has something to offer.  Some more than others.  What it comes down to is, "What are you looking for?".  Do you like a gated country club style community?  If so, Corte Bella & Trilogy @ Vistancia might be your cup of tea.  Are you looking for more of an intimate neighborhood style community?  Then start with Arizona Traditions, Sun Village, or maybe Ventana Lakes. But if you want several golf courses, loads of activities and clubhouses, restaurants & more than one rec center with state of the art equipment than you are going to want to concentrate on Sun City Grand, PebbleCreek & Sun City West.  For the purposes of this post, I am concentrating on Sun City Grand.  So here we go.  My... TOP 10 REASONS TO RETIRE TO SUN CITY GRAND #1 - T... 06/27/2008

There are 249 homes presently listed in Sun City Grand, none of which are presently in foreclosure.  That is not the case in other communities in Surprise.  There are presently 1,386 homes in Surprise (excluding Sun City Grand) presently listed for sale in MLS.  I counted the short sales, REO, and foreclosures and stopped at 322. The sheer number of foreclosures has resulted with numerous homes in disarray with weeds and overgrown yards.  On Surprise Pride Day, volunteers will be cleaning up the occupied and unoccupied homes that need sprucing up.  The cleanup day should result in a pride of ownership and accountability for living in this fast growing west valley city.  Volunteers are asked to meet at Surprise Stadium at 15960 N. Bullard Avenue on Saturday, June 21 at 6:15 am to pick u... 06/16/2008

While calculating absorption rates for the west valley active adult communities for a previous post I did, I decided to see how the Surprise family communities were fairing.  I already knew the prices had plummeted, in some cases as low or lower than the prices paid as far back as 2003 and 2004. I knew the real estate speculators had rolled through Surprise in droves and I knew the lenders had gotten far more creative in their lending practices than they should have.  I also knew that a large percentage of the foreclosure and short sale homes here in Surprise were people who jumped into the investor market too late and had thought they could flip the homes for profit. Knowing all this, and not having kept up with the market outside the walls of the active adult communities, I just assum... 06/15/2008

It's the little things that count! Sometimes we loose sight of the small things that make people feel warm and fuzzy. Not long ago I was showing property to some people from Bellingham Washington. They were purchasing a second home in Sun City Grand for the winter months useage. I would safely guess that about 20% of current sales will be used by Washingtonians as a second home. I haven't been to Washington in a few years but I know that it is pretty wet. Just like the Big Island of Hawaii - namely my hometown of Hilo. The prospective homeowners met me at my office in Sun City Grand. They had already checked out the listings on my website and knew exactly which homes they wanted to see and they were very excited. We met early in the morning and I showed them all of the homes on their li... 06/08/2008

Update 1 year later in June of 2009... We are at an all time low in inventory in many of our retirement communities and once again, I am running out of personal inventory to sell. This May & June was the busiest May & June we've had in years and I can only assume it will continue through the end of the summer. Do you have a home to sell in one of our area active adult communities but believe homes don't sell in our HOT Arizona summer months? Nothing could be further from the truth!  I have four buyers, that I know of, coming in this month alone.  And I have many others waiting for the perfect home to come on the market so they can write an offer.  And I'm not the only agent working the area. In fact some of my buyers are getting nervous the right home isn't going to appear in the timefr... 06/08/2008

Many realtors track absorption rates to determine a trend in the market.  Ideally this should be done regularly so you can see if you are dealing with a buyers market or a sellers market and where the trend is headed. The actual definition is:  The number of weeks (or in my example, months) it takes to sell the current inventory at the present rate of sales For consumers unfamiliar with the term or how this is calculated, it is actually quite simple.  You divide the current inventory of homes by the previous months actual sales. Many agents will give you an across the board figure.  I, however, prefer to break it down even more.  It is my experience, people looking for a vacation villa are not really concerned with how many golf course properties have sold.  It is irrelevant to them. So... 06/08/2008

The Phoenix area has long been known as one of the premium retirement locations in the United States.  No small wonder with our fabulous weather throughout most of the year. Because we have so many out of state visitors looking for their future retirement or second homes, I get many questions from people looking at my website at the many active adult community options we have to offer.  One of the biggest group of questions has to do with... Where is Sun City Grand, or PebbleCreek, or Corte Bella?  How far away from Surprise, Arizona or Sun City Grand is Sun City Festival? Well after sending countless individual maps to individual clients, it was high time I provided some sort of map for clients to see where all of the west valley active adult communities are, in relation to one another... 06/08/2008

Everyone love a freebie and this is an excellent one!  The Surprise police department is being proactive in protecting us from the bad ones who borrow our cars and it's FREE! On June 7th, the Surprise police department will be providing FREE vehicle identification number (VIN) etching.  It will be held from 8:00am until 11:00am at the Safeway Store located at 13828 West Wadell Road.  This is located about 10 minutes from Sun City West and Sun City Grand.  The first 50 vehicles will receive steering wheel locks. 06/02/2008

SUN CITY GRAND May 2008 Sales Golf Course Properties11 Sun City Grand Golf Course properties sold and closed in escrow in May 2008.  The Ashbury, Cambridge and Mission models were most sold.The lowest sale price was 629,900 and the highest was $1,025,000 The average days on the market was 228 The average price per sq ft was $235   SUN CITY GRAND May 2008 Sales Non Golf Course Properties32 non-golf course properties sold and closed in escrow in May 2008.  The average square footage was 1,769The average sales price was $268,016The average price per sq ft was $147.The average days on the market was 146When selling or placing an offer on a property, the buyer or seller should review the absorption rate for the community.  The Absorption Rate is the rate in time (months) that it should take ... 06/01/2008

ModelOn the Golf CourseWindsor/PoolBriarwood/PoolHamptonRosewood/CustomCambridgeCambridge/PoolAshbury/CasitaAshburyMissionMissionStonecrestOff the Golf CourseCordovaWindrose IIHaciendaMissionStonecrestSierra/PoolSierraVerbenaBorgata/CasitaBorgata/PoolBorgataPalo VerdePalo VerdeChollaChollaDesert RoseSycamore/PoolSycamoreManzanitaMaderaSonomaAzaleaJuniperCactus FlowerAcaciaSundanceSundanceKivaCypressCedarMonterraLa Solana CondosGrande Sq.Ft.3411 s.f.2959 s.f.2852 s.f.2997 s.f.2650 s.f.2650 s.f.2686 s.f.2483 s.f.2318 s.f.2278 s.f.2282 s.f.2529 s.f.2466 s.f.2424 s.f.2374 s.f.2282 s.f.2075 s.f.2019 s.f.2035 s.f.2150 s.f.1958 s.f.1894 s.f.1870 s.f.1870 s.f.1978 s.f.1918 s.f.1854 s.f.1726 s.f.1934 s.f.1712 s.f.1627 s.f.1616 s.f.1544 s.f.1495 s.f.1409 s.f.1414 s.f.1300 s.f.1300 s.f.1278 s.f.1... 06/01/2008

Have you ever fallen asleep at an open house?  I mean really asleep where someone would walk in and shake you to awaken you?  No, not you.  Excellent! Anyway, here I am at an open house.  It was my second listing and no one came all day long.  No one arrived after 5 hours and I just wanted to get home!  It was hot - the typical Arizona heat - hot - dry - dry and hot.  The door bell rang and I jumped to my feet.  I greeted the couple like they were my only prized possession.  After all, they were my first and only customers of the month.  This lovely couple visited with me and asked me to show them a house on the golf course.  Sure!  They followed me to the home and they immediately walked to the patio.  They didn't even look inside the house.  Just walked straight though, opened the bac... 05/31/2008

SURPRISE AZ REAL ESTATE I continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep my clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends.  Below you will find Surprise AZ real estate statistics for the 4th week of May 2008. New Homes on the market: 67 Number of homes entering escrow: 103 Number of homes closing escrow (sold): 60 Number of homes expiring: 22 Avg Days on Market (sold homes): 77 If you would like a free list of homes for sale in Surprise Arizona, would like more information about the Surprise area or would like to be the first to know about hot new listings before other buyers do, then give me a call. Nick NeillCozland Corporation Real Estate1-800-514-2313 ext. 3005www.surprise-az-real-estate.comnick@nickneill.com   05/30/2008

I just had the best month ever!  To all my clients out there that helped me achieve this success... a heartfelt thank you!  Thank you for your business & for entrusting me with your friends and family. Now... I need your help!  I'm running out of inventory.  If you have a home to sell in one of our west valley active adult communities or you know someone else that does, I'd love to hear from you.  Before you do though, check out my website.  I have hundreds sometimes thousands of visitors every week and at least half of them visit regularly looking for new listings.  I also have over 50 clients set up with personalized searches.  Make sure your home has the internet exposure it deserves. To go to my website home page click onKathyAndersonRealtor.com To see homes in the Phoenix Arizona a... 05/21/2008

Take the time to relax in the tall ponderosa pines and the higher, cooler altitude this Memorial Day weekend.  The drive from Sun City Grand to Mormon Lake is about 2 hours.  (Email me if you need directions - I know a short-cut from Sun City Grand or Surprise AZ) To my thinking, Mormon Lake is one of the most beautiful recreation spots in Arizona, an ideal place to enjoy the long weekend.    When at Mormon Lake, check out the Mormon Lake Lodge.  The meals are excellent and serving portions are large.  The lodge will have entertainment on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The local band is superb for two-stepping.   This weekend starts the official Mormon Lake rodeo roping season.  The cowboys will be doing their stuff on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  Be sure to arrive early since the ropi... 05/20/2008

ModelOn the Golf CourseMesquiteAshburyHaciendaStonecrestBorgata/CasitaPalo Verde/CasitaPalo VerdeValenciaChollaChollaOff the Golf CourseHaciendaStonecrestStonecrestMissionBorgata/CasitaBorgataBorgataPalo VerdePalo VerdePalo VerdePalo VerdeValenciaValenciaValenciaValenciaValenciaWindroseChollaSycamoreVerbenaSierraManzanita/CustomSonomaMaderaMaderaMaderaMaderaMaderaAzaleaJuniperCactus FlowerCactus FlowerAcaciaAcaciaAcaciaSageSundanceSundanceKivaWillowCelebrationLa Solana CondosMiradaMiradaAvistar Sq.Ft.2779 s.f.2483 s.f.2334 s.f.2282 s.f.2014 s.f.2200 s.f.1850 s.f.2018 s.f.1934 s.f.1937 s.f.2334 s.f.2298 s.f.2282 s.f.2282 s.f.2014 s.f.1894 s.f.1894 s.f.1909 s.f.1850 s.f.1870 s.f.1909 s.f.2004 s.f.1990 s.f.1950 s.f.1962 s.f. 1936 s.f.2273 s.f.1934 s.f.1772 s.f.2035 s.f.1997 s.f.1735 s.f.1... 05/18/2008

RECENT HOME SALES IN SUN CITY GRAND, Surprise Arizona               APRIL 1, 2008 TO APRIL 30, 2008               GOLF COURSE PROPERTIES               Address Bedrooms Baths Sq Ft Model List Price Sale Price Days on Market 17518 N STONE HAVEN DR   2 1.75 1937  CHOLLA $380,000 $380,000 549 16351 W SCARLET CANYON DR   2 1.75 1934  CHOLLA $445,000 $425,000 94 19416 N ECHO RIM DR   3 2 2334  HACIENDA $475,000 $465,000 3 16111 W STARLIGHT DR   2 2 2282  STONECREST $499,900 $485,000 93 20344 N CACTUS GARDEN TRL   2 1.75 2018  VALENCIA II $499,999 $460,000 525 16500 W DESERT WREN CT   4 3 2200  PALO VERDE $529,000 $475,000 338 19004 N DIAMANTE DR   2 2.5 2483  ASHBURY $549,900 $519,000 199 19711 N REGENTS PARK DR   2 3 2014  BORGATA $559,000 $528,600 13 20409 N PALM CANYON DR   3 2.75 2779  M... 05/07/2008