AZ Active Retirement Living

There have been several times over the past few years when I have walked into our backyard or out of our Sun City Grand Ken Meade Realty office and smelled the unmistakable aroma of skunk.  I had no idea skunks lived among us but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. 

I came across the following video showing a group of guys who helped to free a skunk from a yogurt container. 

It made me curious about these and other critters that may live closer than we know.  The Arizona desertmuseum.org website provides a wealth of information I thought you might find as interesting as I did.

It continues to amaze me the way creatures (and plants) have adapted to our harsh low desert summers.

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Be sure to visit my website. Here you will find homes for sale in many of the Phoenix Arizona retirement communities, including Sun City Grand, Corte Bella, Sun City Festival, Arizona Traditions, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

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Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Arizona Sun City Living Ad for September 2010 - Retirement Homes for Sale

Click on the image to see an enlarged version of my September 2010 Sun City Living Ad

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Be sure to visit my website. Here you will find MLS listings for many of the other Phoenix Del Webb retirement communities and more, including homes for sale in Sun City Grand, Corte Bella real estate, Sun City Festival homes for sale, homes for sale in Arizona Traditions, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Arizona Sun City Living Ad for September 2010 - Retirement Homes for Sale

Which side of Sun City Grand Arizona retirement community do you want to live on?

The real estate in Sun City Grand has the distinction of being divided by the Loop-303... AND the city of Surprise has given each side of the community its own zip code.

This makes it quite easy to do custom searches for people who want to live on the "Cimarron" side (which is newer and was built mostly by Pulte homes after they bought out Del Webb) and the "Del Webb" built side of the community which is predominantly the east side of the community and where the main rec center and many of the clubhouses are. 

Please note:  There is a pocket of homes on the east side of Sun City Grand that was also built by Pulte homes so this is not an exact science unless you have a custom search made that also uses the year built as a search parameter.

Why is this a material matter to some buyers?  Well for some, they are looking for the newer construction in Sun City Grand and lean toward the Cimarron rec center side of the community.  For others, they believe Del Webb produced a better quality home than Pulte once they bought Del Webb out and therefore want to be on the Sonoran Plaza side of the community in a "Del Webb" built home.

It really just comes down to personal preference.

Anyway, I just made it easier to find the homes on each side of the highway that divides.  Click on the links below.

Search Sun City Grand homes for sale - west of the Loop 303

Search Sun City Grand homes for sale - east of the Loop 303

Keep in mind, these searches are only as good as what the listing agents put into the MLS.  As of this writing I see that one agent has put the wrong zip code into the system and therefore is one listing showing up in the wrong camp.

Also, these searches encompass all of the Sun City Grand MLS listings.  If you have a preference to which side of Sun City Grand you would like to purchase your new retirement home on, it makes much more sense to have a custom search of your own set up that will include price, size or floor plan search parameters to pair down the number of listings you have to sort through.

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Be sure to visit my website. Here you will find MLS listings for many of the other Phoenix Del Webb retirement communities and more, including Corte Bella real estate, Sun City Festival homes for sale, homes for sale in Arizona Traditions, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Sun City Grand OPEN HOUSE!  Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 9:30 a.m. to noon
Gorgeous Sun City Grand Briarwood estate home for sale

Address: 15840 W Mill Valley Ln, Surprise, AZ 85374
Sq.Ft.: 2959
List Price: $725,000
MLS # 4439210

Description: This elegant Sun City Grand Briarwood sits on a private N/S cul-de-sac lot & is just under a half acre in the prestigious Summit neighborhood. Some of the features include: a full 3-car garage, Heated pool & Spa, Raised panel Cherry cabinets w/ crown molding, Slab granite counters w/ copper tile backsplash, 4 Sub-Zero freezer drawers & Full size Sub-Zero refrigerator w/ wood panel fronts, Viking gas range, Stainless steel 2 drawer dishwasher, Faux stone on front exterior, Arched 5-panel doors, Custom StoneCreek media cabinet w/ 52 Sony Bravia TV, built-ins in Den, Beveled glass French doors to Den, Bay window & pendentive ceiling in Master Bedroom, Security system, Stucco finished vacation mailbox & SO MUCH MORE!

There won't be any directional signs to the home, as they are not currently
allowed during the week, so I've added a map below for your convenience.

This may be your only chance to see it without an appointment.

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If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, please call me or visit my website. Here you will find MLS listings for many of the Phoenix west valley retirement communities, including foreclosures & short sales, resale homes for sale in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

NEW LISTING!
Sun City Grand real estate
Gorgeous Sun City Grand Briarwood estate home for sale

Address: 15840 W Mill Valley Ln, Surprise, AZ 85374
Sq.Ft.: 2959
List Price: $725,000
MLS # 4439210

Description: Located in the prestigious Summit neighborhood, this elegant Sun City Grand Briarwood sits on a private N/S cul-de-sac lot & is just under half an acre. Some of the features include: Full 3-car garage, Heated pool & Spa, Raised panel Cherry cabinets w/ crown molding, Slab granite counters w/ copper tile backsplash, 4 Sub-Zero freezer drawers & Full size Sub-Zero refrigerator w/ wood panel fronts, Viking gas range, Stainless steel 2 drawer dishwasher, Faux stone on front exterior, Arched 5-panel doors, Custom StoneCreek media cabinet w/ 52 Sony Bravia TV, built-ins in Den, Beveled glass French doors to Den, Bay window & pendentive ceiling in Master Bedroom, Security system, Stucco finished vacation mailbox & SO MUCH MORE!

Click on the image below to see a Virtual Tour of this home

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If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, please call me or visit my website. Here you will find MLS listings for many of the Phoenix west valley retirement communities, including foreclosures & short sales, resale homes for sale in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

This was a rare Sunday for my husband and I... neither one of us had to work.  So we escaped north to Jerome, AZ.  I had seen an episode of Arizona Highways on TV that talked about Jerome and its reputation as a ghost town.  After our visit I found a website called Jerome Times to find out about the town's history.

We knew Jerome was at a higher elevation but we had no idea it was literally built into the side of a mountain.  We kept climbing and climbing. 

Once in Jerome, we were struck by how quaint the town was as well as how scary it would be to live in some of the cliff-hanger buildings.  It was a beautiful drive and a fun day.

The above picture is a view from one of the parking lots.  I think the next time we have visitors another trip to Jerome is in order.

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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. Here you will also find information on homes for sale in Sun City Grand, resales in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

I just came across this notification of a scam that has taken place in Sun City Grand but could easily happen in any of our Arizona retirement communities (or family communities for that matter).  A small lock on your irrigation timer box would help but just beware any service provider that targets you or puts pressure on you.

From: Sun City Grand® Community Association Management

July 6, 2010

RE: Irrigation Leak Scam Dear Sun City Grand Homeowners and Residents

One of our Sun City Grand homeowners was kind enough to alert me of the following "scam" that some of our residents may have been the target of. The "scam" works like this:

1. A target resident is selected, preferably a person living alone whomay not understand how their irrigation system works and is not able to do any repair of the system themselves.

2. One of the workers goes to the house late at night and manually runs the irrigation timer for several hours.

3. Early the next day one or more workers go to the house and tell the resident that their irrigation system is leaking, pointing out the puddles created by running the system for several hours the previous night.

The resident is told that the flexible drip pipes are deteriorated and leaking and all of them should be replaced with the rigid white plastic (schedule 40) pipes, at a cost of about $2000 or more. The resident is pressured to allow the workers do the job as soon as possible to prevent loss of water and plants (and prevent the resident from getting a second opinion from a different landscape company).

If you have questions regarding your irrigation system you might find some of your answers by clicking HERE.  A landscape architect has designed this website to give you unbiased information.

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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. Here you will also find information on homes for sale in Sun City Grand, resales in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Gardening in a Phoenix Arizona Desert landscape can be challenging unless you stick with the desert
adapted plants and stay away from some of the sub-tropicals that many new residents like.  One such plant is the Queen Palm.  You see them all over the valley but we don't have the soil pH they really thrive on.

Our alkaline soil makes it difficult for these beautiful palms to take up the needed nutrients.  As a result their palm fronds start turning yellow and become frayed.  As I am writing this blog post I am looking out my picture window at the three I have planted and they are starting to look a little sad. 

The go-to guy here in AZ about all things gardening is Dave "the Garden Guy".  The neat thing is, he does garden segments on one of our local news affiliates and they archive the pieces making it easy to find answers to your landscape plant questions.

Below is the segment I looked up regarding my yellowing palms.  Please note - there is a short commercial (seconds) you have to listen to before it gets to the story piece.

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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. Here you will also find information on homes for sale in Sun City Grand, resales in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

PRICE REDUCED!
Arizona Traditions real estate
This darling Arizona Traditions home is priced to SELL!

Address: 17813 W Arizona Dr, Surprise, AZ 85374
Sq.Ft.: 1254
List Price: $149,000
MLS # 4354528

Description: This expanded Orangewood includes a den addition off the great room.  It has the much desired south facing backyard and is a short 2 blocks to the rec center.  Split bedroom floor plan.  Washer, dryer & refrigerator stay.

Click on the image below to see a Virtual Tour of this home

View Larger Map

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If you are in the market to buy or sell a home in one of the Phoenix area golf retirement communities, please call me or visit my website www.KathyAndersonRealtor.com. Here you will find Sun City Grand real estate for sale, resales in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Search for Sun City Grand Cambridge resales homes for sale.

If your favorite of the Sun City Grand floor plans is the Sun City Grand Cambridge model you are not alone.  This was one of the more popular Del Webb floor plans.  So much so that they rolled out a version of it in Corte Bella, called the Mirada and again out in Sun City Festival  as the Parada.  The Cambridge is also the newer version of the original Sun City Grand Rosewood, sometimes referred to as the "party house".  The open floor plan and wet bar helped give this popular floor plan it's moniker.  Take a look below.

I've set up a new search on my website to make it easier to find just the Sun City Grand Cambridge homes for sale out of all the other real estate & homes for sale in Sun City Grand.

Please keep in mind, the information found in this search is only as good as the information the individual listing agents have put into our Arizona Regional MLS listings.  (Pay attention sellers!)  Out of area agents, including many of those listing Sun City Grand foreclosures and Sun City Grand short sales, leave out search critieria that make it easy to find the listings you are looking for.  If you are close to making a buying decision though you might want me to do a manual search to make sure you aren't missing any "hidden" gems.

If the Cambridge isn't your only floorplan of choice you might want to look for other Sun City Grand real estate and homes for sale by floor plan or model name.  Of course you can still use my other "one-click" search options to look by square footage or price range as well as Sun City Grand golf course homes for sale, Sun City Grand homes with a private pool, or Sun City Grand homes with a 2.5 or 3 car garage.

Enjoy!

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If you are in the market to buy or sell a home in one of the Phoenix west valley active retirement golf communities but aren't sure Sun City Grand is the one for you, please call me or visit my website. Here you will also find information on resales in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival real estate, Arizona Traditions MLS listings, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities. Don't hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930