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Pick the Right Place

...for Retirement

Southern Arizona

Arizona Real Estate Recovery Continued in 2014

Phoenix, Real Estate, Sun City, Tucson

In 2014, Arizona home prices rebounded to near 2005 levels after falling dramatically in the housing bubble crash of 2008 to 2011. Phoenix and other cities in Arizona were hit hard during the Great Recession when the sub-prime mortgage crisis resulted in big declines in home values across the United States.

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Arizona home prices peaked in 2006

According to Zillow, home prices in several Arizona cities popular with boomers topped out in the summer of 2006, before falling roughly 50%. In Phoenix, the median home price rose to $246,400 in June 2006. Tucson homes peaked at $196,000.

Arizona real estate bottomed out in 2011-12

Following was a period of rapid decline, with residential real estate prices falling most sharply from 2008 through 2011. By September 2011, the median home price in Phoenix was only $106,700. Tucson homes bottomed out in January 2012 at $110,200, according to data published by Zillow.

Steady gains in Arizona home prices 2012 – 2014

Triggered by historically low mortgage rates and low inventory, the Arizona real estate market showed new signs of life in 2012, as evidenced by a noticeable upswing in prices. Home prices leveled off in 2013 and 2014 at levels roughly equivalent to 2004 as builders began to catch up with demand and homes in foreclosure became available for sale.

There is no way to predict where Arizona home prices will go from here. However, it appears that for the time being, a modest recovery from the bottoms following the real estate bubble is underway.

Quail Creek Community – Community Profile

Community Profiles, Green Valley

GREEN VALLEY — Quail Creek is a beautiful resort community located just south of Tucson in Green Valley, Arizona. This gated community offers all of the luxury amenities an active adult could imagine with the security of continuous roving patrols. As an added bonus, the community also features the beautiful backdrop of the Santa Rita Mountains.

History

Quail Creek is a Robson Resort Community. For the past 40 years, Robson has been a leader in developing some of the best active adult resort communities across Arizona and Texas. They design homes with the end consumer in mind, and also design the communities to go with them.

Housing Options

The homes at Quail Creek are designed with today’s consumer in mind. That is why they contain a number of popular features like open floor plans, contemporary styling, and outdoor living spaces. The home designs are broken down into three major categories: The Traditional Home Series, The Premiere Home Series, and The Estate Home Series.

The Traditional Home Series allows buyers to pick from the Perla, Baja, Riva, Agave, Vita, and Fiesta models. Each of those models contains two bedrooms and either two or two and a half bathrooms. The square footage ranges from 1376 to 1965 square feet. The Traditional Home Series can cost anywhere from $188,000 to $243,000.

The Premiere Home Series allows buyers to pick from the Cortez, Medina, Treviso, Mirador, and Sonata models. Each of these models contains two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. These homes range between 2051 and 2541 square feet and can cost anywhere from $264,000 to $322,000.

The most elite series is The Estate Home Series, which only offers the Montara model. This model is a two bedroom, two and a half bathroom home that totals 2686 square feet. This home starts at $359,000.

Restaurants & Shopping

The Green Valley area, which is very close to Quail Creek, offers plenty of shopping and dining. There is a Wal-Mart, Safeway, and Walgreens. There is also a Ross Dress for Less and the Green Valley Mall.

While there are a number of local restaurants in nearby Green Valley, one of the best places to eat around Quail Creek is actually at Quail Creek. The community has its own restaurant, known as the Grill at Quail Creek. The restaurant is open every day for lunch and serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday nights. Some of their specials are Quail Creek Chili, Wok-Charred Salmon Salad, Stuffed Shrimp Orzo, Bacon-Wrapped Filet, and Veal Picatta.

Active lifestyle

Staying active and healthy are essential aspects of life at Quail Creek. The beautiful Madera Clubhouse provides residents an excellent hub for dozens of different activities. The club also has a tremendous ballroom, as well as a fantastic library.

Residents can pursue their fitness goals at Quail Creek through the Anza Athletic Club, which contains a state-of-the-art gym. The club also features a number of aquatic activities, aerobics classes, and yoga classes. The community also has tennis courts, bocce courts, a dog park, and a 27-hole championship golf course.

Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Lifelong learning is extremely important to residents of Quail Creek. This is evident in the number of educational opportunities available throughout the community. There are a tremendous number of clubs that meet regularly to pursue hobbies and interests. Residents can learn and grow as part of performing arts groups or creative arts groups. There are also computer, photography, and bible study classes available.

In addition to educational opportunities available within the community, residents can also take advantage of the fact that Central Arizona College and Pima Community College are both within 20 miles of Quail Creek.

Quirks and Perks

One of the most interesting aspects of the Quail Creek community is the amount of giving back that the residents do. There are a number of different groups that do volunteer work to serve the community. Some of those groups include the Blanket Brigade, the Care and Share Lending Closet, the Community Emergency Response Team, the Critters Club, and the Memorial Committee.

Location

Quail Creek is located just east of I-19, which can take residents north right into Tucson, or south towards Mexico.

The Quail Creek community does a fantastic job of combining state-of-the-art amenities with security with the beautiful views and weather of Arizona. This makes it an ideal community for active adults and retirees.

Preserve at Saddlebrooke – Community Profile

Community Profiles, Tucson

Nestled beside the Santa Catalina Mountains and just 20 minutes from Tucson, Arizona, The Preserve at SaddleBrooke is a retirement community that offers active adults amenities and activities they’ll appreciate. This active adult community requires that at least one member of the household be no younger than 40 years old, and preferably is at least 55 years old. No one under the age of 19 is allowed to live permanently at a residence.

The Preserve features five different home designs that range in size from 2,633 to 3,485 square feet. Most of the homes have two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths; the largest model has three bedrooms. The homes sell for between $542,000 and $675,000. The homes are built to order in partnership with the Environments for Living program, which offers energy efficiency and comfort for homeowners.

The amenities at The Preserve at SaddleBrooke provide numerous relaxation and recreation opportunities. The Preserve Country Club has an outdoor pool and whirlpool, a fitness center and lighted tennis courts. Golfers at all skill levels can play the 18-hole golf course, which features sets of tees. The course is designed by golf architect Dick Bailey, and offers breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The Preserve Restaurant has a covered patio that’s a great place to enjoy a meal or drinks with friends,

The Preserve at SaddleBrooke is located about 20 minutes north of Tucson. It’s close to six major hospitals, including Oro Valley Hospital about 10 miles away. Doctors, dentists and physical therapists are located in an on-site neighborhood center. The center also offers banking, a beauty salon and barber shop, and a convenience store. Shopping is plentiful close to The Preserve; malls, grocery stores, retailers and movie theaters can be found within a few miles.

The airports at Tucson and Phoenix are within two hours of The Preserve. Family and friends coming to visit will have plenty of attractions to visit, such as Sabino Canyon, Kitt Peak National Observatory, the Biosphere 2 Center and several different museums. Residents and visitors can also enjoy cultural arts programs, including opera, ballet, symphony and theatre programs. For the sports enthusiasts, fishing, hunting, and skiing are located close by. Golfers can find three courses within the SaddleBrooke Community and five more courses within five miles of The Preserve.

The Preserve at SaddleBrooke offers some of the best advantages of an active adult retirement community in a magnificent setting. It’s worth it to take time to check out The Preserve. Visit community website.

Encanterra Country Club – Community Profile

Community Profiles, San Tan Valley

Encanterra Country Club is located in San Tan Valley, Arizona. Encanterra is built by Trilogy, a division of Shea Homes started in 1999, with many communities located in Arizona, California, Nevada, Florida, and Washington. Encanterra offers a resort style atmosphere in an active lifestyle community. An active lifestyle community typically is geared toward the 55+ age group.

New Home Construction

A variety of floor plans and homes are offered by Trilogy. There are currently three different collections offered: the Franca Collection, the Italia Collection, and the Espana Collection. Homes range from two bedroom, two bathroom homes with a two car garage all the way up to a three bedroom, three and half bathroom home with a three car garage. Gross living area ranges from 1,300 sq. ft. under air to over 3,500 sq. ft. under air. Base home prices ranges from around $150,000 up to around $300,000. All homes are Shea Green Certified, meaning that the homes support green living and are energy efficient.

Move in ready are offered as another option if one does not want to start building from scratch. These move in ready homes are only a few months away from completion. Many interior upgrades have already been chosen, but the home will be ready sooner when compared with a home built from the ground up.

Amenities

La Casa, the Club at Encanterra, spans over 60,000 sq. ft. Amenities commonly found in a high end resort can be found here. They include the following:

Golf course designed by Tom Lehman, PGA Tour veteran. Full service spa treatments are offered by the Alvea Spa. Four restaurants and multiple dining areas are located within the community. Three swimming pools, tennis courts, athletic club and even a business center.

Also available are member clubs. Member clubs are member run groups that range in interests from motorcycles to knitting to poker to wine.

To experience what life could be like at Encanterra, a promotional package is available to prospective onwers, called a test drive. A four day, three night stay allows one to partake in the variety of amenities offered and ge a feel of the whole Encanterra experience! Visit community website.

Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago – Community Profile

Community Profiles, Southern Arizona, Vail

Southern Arizona Retirement Living

For many retiring baby boomers, finding just the right retirement community can be hard work. Location, home sizes, amenities and activities all must be considered, as retirees must be certain they will be comfortable with their living situations. For those who are looking for a retirement geared toward an active retirement, Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago might be the right fit.

Located in Vail, which is east of Tucson, Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago is in the Rincon Mountain area of the desert. The community is surrounded by attractions both natural and historical attractions, being just a short drive from Saguaro National Park, Colossal Cave, Bisbee and Tombstone. And because the desert makes for excellent stargazing, there is both Graham International Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory for observation. And for those who want more lively pursuits, Tucson is just twenty minutes away, and offers shopping, museums, entertainment and opportunities for education. The community also offers its residents the peace of mind of knowing medical facilities are only minutes away.

The Homes

Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago offers three different categories of homes to allow residents to choose their ideal style. Cochise model homes are large, single story and ideal for entertaining. With about two thousand square feet on average, these homes offer plenty of space and style for residents. Pima homes are, on average, slightly larger, with two to three thousand square feet on a single story. These homes offer entertaining areas inside, as well as covered patios outside. Santa Cruz homes are smaller, averaging around fifteen hundred square feet, and have rear-loading garages for residents’ convenience. All homes are two bedroom, two bathroom and offer granite countertops, maple cabinets and tile and carpet. Some homes also offer upgraded stainless steel appliances and other features. These homes range from $270,000.00 at the high end, to $140,000.00 at the lower end.

For the money, residents are offered a wide variety of lifestyle amenities. Secured behind a gated entry, this community offers a fitness center, dedicated arts and crafts area, exhibition kitchen, library, billiards room, as well as a ballroom and conference areas. There are tennis courts and two heated pools, as well as a large lawn space for gatherings. For those who want to get involved, there are many clubs and classes for all interests, as well as a dedicated lifestyle director to keep things organized.

For those who wish to have an active retirement, Del Webb at Rancho Del Lago offers the homes, services and amenities that should be foremost on any wish list. Visit community website.