If you are looking to purchase a home in the beautiful community of Ashton Ranch, located in the heart of Surprise, Arizona now is the time to buy. There are currently 57 homes offered through the Arizona Multi-list Service and these homes range from $156,900 to $252,000.Now is a perfect time to look at Ashton Ranch for you family. It is only 1 mile from the Surprise Recreation Complex, Aquatic Park, DreamCatcher Park, the Westside Library and spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals baseball teams. Ashton Ranch has three pools with hot tubs, spacious common areas with play equipment for the kids and bike paths for avid riders.For more information on the area, community or homes contact me at gthornton3@cox.net or see www.sellingedge-azre.com. 11/17/2007

Welcome to my Sun City Grand Real Estate Page.  Sun City Grand is a Del Webb/Pulte Master Planned Retirement Community located in Suprise, Arizona about 20 miles from downtown Phoenix as a crow flies and north of Bell Road and west of Grand Avenue.  Within this beautiful community you will find over 9000 homes ranging in size from 1000 square feet to well over 3000 square feet all on very nice sized lots.  All of these homes were built between 1998 and 2006 in 4 phases.  Property values have increased significantly over the last few years.  Upon entering this community you will be very impressed by the towering Date Palms, lush landscaping, and beautiful flowing water falls.  Sun City Grand appeals to all the senses and they spare no expense to keep it looking beautiful and colorful yea... 11/16/2007

Water is a most precious commodity in the desert. Programs to conserve and reuse water are vital to each community. The city of Surprise, Arizona has teamed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program to help residents conserve water and reduce costs.The Phoenix Business Journal reports that WaterSense program is "designed to decrease nonagricultural water use through simple conservation methods and the use of high efficiency products." The EPA has a criteria for efficiency in products and WaterSense-labeled product meet this strict standard.The beautiful city of Surprise also is receiving international recognition for its wastewater plan. A Swedish Company, Alfa Laval, manufacturers wastewater treatment equipment, and they are printing a story in their trade maga... 11/12/2007

The Surprise Arizona DreamCatcher Park has been honored as a "Best of the West" award given in the Service to Communities-Health category at the October 25th Westmarc awards banquet in Glendale, Arizona.The park is a real dream because it can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices. This is Surprises first fully-accessible park and it features a softer, more resilient playing surface that is perfect for baseball, football or soccer.Fans can also view the games from shaded, stadium-style seating, keeping the beautiful Arizona sun from shinning down on them. Surprise is a progressive city with families and activities for all ages available. For more information go to http://www.surpriseaz.com/. 11/07/2007

Come honor those who have served our Country on Friday November 9th at the Surprise Northwest Regional Library on Bullard. The City of Surprise is inviting all veterans and the public to attend this special Veterans Day ceremony which will start at 10 AM.Patriotic displays, a police and fire honor guard, speeches and songs will be part of the hour-long event and a Mayoral Proclamation will be read in honor of all veterans.Veterans living within Surprise city limits may call for a free ride to and from the event through the city's Dial-A-Ride service. Come and join the celebration. 11/07/2007

Volunteers are always needd  at the Surprise Food Bank. If you are looking for a way to give back to the community and team-build at the same time, join the St. Mary's/Westside Food Bank Alliance as a group or an individual. The food bank can use from five to 150 volunteers and service includes packing Emergency Food Boxes, sort food from food drives and repack produce. For more information contact ElizaethWunsch at 623-344-2138. 11/05/2007

Many cities in beautiful Arizona have elections on Tuesday 11/6. Many offices are up for election and candidates need your support. Take the time to let your voice be heard by voting for the people of our choice. Don't let a few make decisions in your cities and towns by staying home because it isn't a General Election with National implications. In Surprise, Arizona we have the chance to elect a new mayor for the first time in years. You have a voice, let it be heard at the polls this coming Tuesday! 11/03/2007

Do you have kids in the Dysart School District? Are you interested in the boundaries for the coming years?The Dysart Unified School District is forming a committee to review the boundaries for the 2008-2009 school year and those parents and community members are invited to participate in the process. The meeting will be help on Thursday November 1st at 6:30 PM in the Dysart Education Center, 15802 N. Parkview Place. There are two new elementary schools opening in the district and those boundaries will be discussed as well. There will be two additional meetings open to the public as well. The next meeting after the 1st will be Thursday November 15th and the on November 29th, all at the education center. Get involved in the process and let your voice be heard! 10/31/2007

Do you want to go fishing but not travel a long distance. Right here in Surprise, Arizona is the Surprise Lake, just between the County library and the new tennis complex. It is stocked with a variety of fish and the limits are posted for your convenience. Walk around the lovely lake or picnic at one of the large pavilions that surround the lush lawn and play ground for the kids. The entire Surprise Recreation Campus is 180 acres and is home to the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals the 5 acre fishing lake, a dog park Arizona's largest playground, the Aquatic Center and the region library.Surprise, Arizona is one of the most family friendly communities in the State of Arizona. Come and check out all the amenities that Surprise offers, you won't be disappointed in making it you home. 10/23/2007

A new 49,000 square foot Bashas Grocery Store is now open in Surprise, Arizona at the southeast corner of Waddell and Reems Roads. Bashas is the anchor store in the Marley Park Plaza which will also be home to a variety of retailers, restaurants and service-oriented businesses.Surprise is a beautiful community in the Northwest area of the Valley of the Sun. Surprise reached the 100,000 population level just last year and is a clean and vibrant community. Take the time to visit and enjoy all the amenities Surprise has to offer. 10/22/2007

I read the following post http://activerain.com/blogsview/134449/Property-Managers-Help-Meand wanted to respond to Sara on her property management quandary. I find many landlords have the same questions and lack of understanding on property management.I would be confused by the answers her "interviewed" property managers gave to her as well. My experience with "most" property management/managers is a lack of knowledge (to be kind) and/or professionalism. Property management takes a separate set of skills apart from listing or selling a home. May I suggest some qualities to look for in a property manager for your valuable income property.First, what are your expectations of the property manager? Do you want them to list your home, find renters, do background checks and make certain the p... 10/21/2007

Foreclosure! What a terrible word to deal with in today's housing market. Homeowners facing foreclosure have several options available to them. One option is to consider an auction to unload the property quickly. Another viable option for owners to work out a payment arrangement and schedule with their lender, rather than just waiting for foreclosure. Lenders do NOT want to have a stable of houses and in many cases will work with a homeowner. Some lenders won't work out an arrangement but it doesn't hurt to ask.If this is the case then the borrower could give the lender the title to the property, bypassing the legal fees that get racked up by foreclosure.Then there is the short sale which seem to be in abundance these days. Be sure to use a Realtor experienced in short sales to make the... 10/21/2007

   The frustration you are feeling right now is nothing strange.  Your hopes and plans do not have to end simply because your home did not sell...the first time.  My partner, Christine, and I specialize in helping sellers sell, who for whatever reason, were not able to the first or second time around.  We have a LIST of homes that had expired that we were able to re-list and sell.       Our plan is simple.  We have one!  We know exactly what we are going to do in order to get our homes sold.  We leave nothing to guess work.  Our marketing strategy is laid out, it is proven and it works.  You will not be left in the dark as far as what we are going to do to sell your home.  You will know exactly what is going to happen.    As far as expireds go, usually we can tell you why your home did ... 10/19/2007

The City of Surprise, Arizona city council has approved a new rental accountability ordinance and will be hiring two new employees whose soul responsibility will be o deal with potential problems. The first "specialist" will be on board by the end of November. Although the employee will not be looking strictly at rental properties in the city, it is expected that the majority of the two employees duties will revolve around rental units. The housing boom in Surprise has resulted in an increase in rental properties within the city. The city wants the neighborhoods to be maintained and preserved and the new ordinance is designed to accomplish that goal.Not everyone is happy with the new ordinance and council member Joe Johnson said that this blames the property owners for everything and he... 10/18/2007

Hello,   I just wanted to give all Countryside residents an update on what has happened and what is happening recently.     Currently there are 33 homes for sale in Countryside.  There are 3 homes that are pending.  From 10/1-10/15 -- 3 homes have sold.  This is actually good.  Valley wide 1 in 18 homes sold last month.  So far this month, one in 11 have sold in Countryside.  If the 3 that are pending go through that would make it 1 in 5.5 for Countryside!! -- We will have to watch and see.       Hope this helps!!   Shayne   www.theoasisteam.com 10/16/2007

   As I sit here once again calling expired listings day after day I genuinely feel sorry for the sellers who did not sell and could have sold had they just done a few simple things different.  Most of these suggestions should be done in any market.  However, in our current market it is imperative to do the right things the first time.  I have literally seen home prices drop $30,000- 100,000 or more in the last two years. I just wish simple suggestions would be taken more serious.  Sometimes the simplest thing can end up costing thousands of $$$.      I have come to the conclusion that most people list their home for sale based on emotion and not on the facts.  That is hard for me as an analytical person, especially when I have seen the amount of $$$$ lost stack up for some people.  As ... 10/15/2007

If you live in Kingswood Parke have you noticed the fresh paint being applied to the community walls? This project is nearing completion in the front section of the community with a lighter color paint than was original used. The HOA is utilizing association dues to clean, fix and maintain the beauty of this community. Also, new green wrought iron fence graces the top of several walls and there will be more new fence on additional walls in  the weeks ahead. Even if you haven't noticed, the ducks have and they appreciate the brighter fresh look! 10/12/2007

All over the country we here that it is a "buyers" market. However, as I was pondering the market conditions  and those words I asked myself, self, "if it is a buyers market and no one, or very few are buying, is it a buyers market?"  Last week in the Phoenix market we had over 57,000 homes for sale and yes, there were sales of over 3.000 so people are buying. But the ratio is very small.I just find the words we use interesting at times and if we stop to think about them they can make us smile. OK, well they make me smile. I'm sure if you asked the majority of the people whose homes have been listed for six months or more they would "dispute"the buyers market term I hear them say, "if it is a buyers market, where are the buyers." That is where our professional expertise and knowledge co... 10/12/2007

I'm sure all of you have been there but I just have to laugh and wonder what people are thinking in today's market. An HOA property manager referred a potential client to me to either sell her house or to lease it for her. I contacted Mrs. Jones (name changed to protect the guilty) and offered my services. She lives in Florida but has a home in Surprise, Arizona. We discussed the market and I told her I would do some comparables for her on both leasing and selling, which I did, and then called back the next day to give her the information. She had told me she had a friend that had put a for sale sign and for lease sign in the yard for them. I drove by to see the home and sure enough the two signs were in the yard. I gave Mrs. Jones the price I know the home should be listed for; $245,00... 10/11/2007

The community of Kingswood Park in Surprise, Arizona is home to a local weather station. Weather information is gathered at a home using the powerful LaCrosse 2310TWC which is mounted in the home owners backyard and is updated every 5 minutes to www.weathersurprise.com. This is a fun and informational site that will keep you posted on current conditions for your outdoor activities. Check it out and have fun! 10/11/2007