AZ Active Retirement Living

Just posted! Homes sold in Sun City Grand for August 2010

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:45:35 -0400

Just posted! Homes sold in Sun City Grand, August 2010

Picture break... I was out in Sun City Festival yesterday taking pictures of my two new listings when I came across this gorgeous display of color. Even though Bougainvillea can be quite messy I will always make room for them in my landscape.

Anyway... back to business. There were 27 homes that closed escrow in August in Sun City Grand. 4 were golf course homes, one was a La Solana condo, two were foreclosures and one was a short sale.

There is also a Hacienda that sold soooo far below market value that you will surely think it must be a typo. It isn't and I don't know what the circumstances were for the seller to basically give it away. It would have sold for more as a foreclosure (unless there was some serious defect I am unaware of). In any case, some buyer hit the jackpot. These kind of deals don't happen often in Sun City Grand.

To see the report click on homes sold in Sun City Grand, August 2010

Sales in our Arizona retirement communities continues to be strong compared to the rest of the valley. This next year should be interesting.

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Be sure to visit my website if you are in the market to buy or sell a home.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Retirement homes for sale in the Phoenix Arizona area with a pool

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:51:56 -0400

Retirement homes for sale in the Phoenix Arizona area with a pool

With our fabulous Arizona fall, winter and spring weather, great attention is given to expanding our outdoor living spaces. This is especially true for recent transplants from the dark, damp and dreary northern regions. I know it was for my husband and I. We couldn't get enough of the blue sky and sunshine. Every morning I'd take my cup of coffee out to the back patio and plan out my patio and landscape.

The great thing about living in the Arizona 45+ & 55+ resort retirement communities is that there is always at least one heated community pool to enjoy. Because of that many of the residents in these communities opt not to have pools on their property.

That can make it a challenge for buyers who want to have a private pool when they are looking for their new home. I have tried to make this search as easy as possible. If you, or someone you know is looking for a home with a pool in one of the Phoenix west valley retirement communities, click on the following links.

Sun City Grand homes for sale with a pool

Sun City Festival homes for sale with a pool

Sun City West homes for sale with a pool

Corte Bella homes for sale with a pool

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Be sure to visit my website where you will find all the MLS listings for Sun City Grand, Corte Bella, Sun City Festival, Arizona Traditions, Trilogy at Vistancia and Sun City West, PLUS see floor plans and virtual tours for most of these 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

Where is Sun City Grand Arizona located?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:06:23 -0400

Where is Sun City Grand Arizona located?

People who have heard about Sun City Grand but have never had the opportunity to visit often ask me where we are located in relation to Phoenix AZ. The bubble on the map of Sun City Grand below shows you where my Ken Meade Realty office is located in the heart of Sun City Grand.

Clicking on the minus sign allows you to pan out until you can see Phoenix, Scottsdale and other area cities. As you will see we are located in the northwest valley.

View Larger Map

Living in Sun City Grand is just like living in a resort, complete with a day spa at the Cimarron Center. Whatever your interests or hobbies are, there is a club or class for you. There are few retirement communities (save Sun City West and the original Del Webb Sun City) that have committed as much acreage to the clubhouses and amenities as Sun City Grand has. Click on the picture below to see a Virtual Tour of Sun City Grand.

Now that you've seen some of what this community has to offer let me help you find your dream home. I have a number of "easy click" search categories where you can search for Sun City Grand resales and homes for sale by price range, floor plan or square footage on my website, but I have also created other searches based on criteria many buyers are interested in. The following are just a few.

Sun City Grand homes for sale with a casita or guest house

Sun City Grand homes for sale with a private pool

Sun City Grand homes for sale with 3 bedrooms

Sun City Grand homes for sale with a 2.5 or 3 car garage

Sun City Grand foreclosures

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Be sure to visit my website if you are in the market to buy or sell a home in one of our Arizona Del Webb Sun City retirement communities.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Arizona skunk is rescued

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:16:20 -0400

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.

Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Find Sun City West homes for sale the easy way!

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:39:19 -0400

Find the Sun City West homes for sale the easy way!

I just had a client referred to me who lives all the way over on the east side of the valley in Queen Creek, AZ. He told me he has become more and more isolated in the family community he lives in. I told him about all the activities and clubs in Sun City West and made arrangements to show him around this weekend. He called me three times today and told me he is so excited he can't wait to start looking for a new home.

The lifestyle a community like Sun City West has to offer is something I want my clients to experience in person as soon as possible. Once I have had the chance to give them a tour of the area and show them all of the ammenities, they understand (in a way words can never completely convey) just what has been missing in their lives. Staying active and making friends with people who have similar interests keeps us healthy and vibrant.

Anyway, I'm always working on my website to make it as easy as possible for my clients (or potential clients) to find the Arizona retirement home of their dreams. This week was Sun City West's turn as I added some new searches. These searches give my clients access to the MLS listings the way we realtors see them directly from our Arizona Regional MLS.

If you prefer to see searches by square footage or price range just click on the link at the top of this post. But if you have a specific want or need... the following links are searches based on more specific criteria and are designed to make your new home search easier.

Sun City West foreclosures

Sun City West golf course homes for sale - up to $300k
Sun City West golf course homes for sale - $300k & up

Sun City West homes for sale with a 2.5 or 3 car garage

Sun City West homes for sale with a private pool

Sun City West homes for sale with a casita or guest house

Sun City West homes for sale with 3 bedrooms

PLEASE NOTE - These searches are only as good as the information the listing agents have put into our MLS system. Because of that there may be the odd listing that doesn't show up in a given category as well as some that don't belong. I quite often come across listings that aren't getting the showings or interest they should because the seller's realtor has put either incorrect or incomplete information into the system.

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Be sure to visit my website. In addition to Sun City West, you will find MLS listings for some of the other Arizona retirement communities including Sun City Grand, Corte Bella, Sun City Festival, Arizona Traditions, and Trilogy at Vistancia, You will also find virtual tours and floor plans for some of the 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 retirement homes for sale with a Casita or guest house

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:55:17 -0400

Arizona Sun City retirement homes for salewith a Casita or guest house

"What is a Casita?". I often hear this when showing homes for sale in our Arizona retirement communities. Particularly if it is their first visit to the area.

In essence, it is a guest house or, as my husband calls it... his "man cave".

These little dwellings are a hot commodity and homes that have one usually get top dollar in the current market. In part because it provides a third bedroom space many of the homes don't have.

The addition of a casita on the front of a home also creates a wonderful, private front courtyard space that screams for a water feature of some kind.

Click on the links below to see homes for sale in Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Sun City Festival & Corte Bella with casitas or guest houses

BE ADVISED- the searches are only as good as what the listing agent puts into the MLS listings. Some of these searches will include listings that don't belong and some listings may not show up at all if the listing agent has put in incorrect or incomplete information (something the sellers should be made aware of). The majority of what comes up on these searches though will be correct and make your search for homes with a casita or guest house much easier.

Homes for sale in Sun City Grand Arizona with a casita or guest house

Homes for sale in Sun City Festival Arizona with a casita (some of these will be new construction)

Homes for sale in Sun City West Arizona with a casita or guest house

Homes for sale in Corte Bella Arizona with a casita or guest house

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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 retirement homes for salewith a Casita or guest house

3 bedroom homes for sale in the Arizona Del Webb Sun City retirement communities

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:33:09 -0400

3 bedroom homes for sale in the Arizona Del Webb Sun City retirement communities

Most people moving to the Phoenix Arizona retirement communities are looking to downsize or purchase a second home. Because of this the vast majority of the homes for sale are usually 2 bedrooms or 2 bedrooms plus a den.

There ARE 3 bedroom homes available though and I have tried to make it as easy as possible to find them. Click on the links below to see three bedroom homes available in the following communities.

BE ADVISED - the information is only as good as what the listing agent puts into the MLS listings. Some of these searches will include listings that don't belong and some listings may not show up at all if the listing agent has put in incorrect or incomplete information (something the sellers should be made aware of). The majority of what comes up on these searches though will be correct and make your search for a new 3 bedroom home much easier.

Homes for sale in Sun City Grand Arizona with 3 bedrooms

Homes for sale in Sun City Festival Arizona with 3 bedrooms (some of these will be new construction)

Homes for sale in Sun City West Arizona with 3 bedrooms

Homes for sale in Corte Bella Arizona with 3 bedrooms

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Subscribe to my AZActiveRetirementLiving.com blog feed

Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Phoenix Arizona area retirement homes for sale on the golf course

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:30:24 -0400

Phoenix Arizona area retirement homes for sale on the golf course

I work for Ken Meade Realty, located out of Sun City Grand, and specialize in the retirement communities around Surprise, AZ.

My website is a constant work in progress to make it as user friendly as possible. Many of the baby boomers looking through all the Sun City homes for sale are looking for those on the golf course with a view.

I have created search categories that include those on the golf course. Click on the links below to see what is available in some of the Phoenix west valley Del Webb retirement communities.

Sun City Grand golf course homes for sale up to $500k
Sun City Grand golf course homes for sale $500k & up

Sun City West golf course homes for sale up to $300k
Sun City West golf course homes for sale $300k & up

Sun City Festival golf course homes for sale

Corte Bella golf course homes for sale

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Be sure to visit my website. Here you will find MLS listings for some of the other Phoenix area retirement communities including homes for sale in Arizona Traditions and Trilogy at Vistancia. PLUS see a map of the Surprise AZ area retirement communities as well as virtual tours. 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

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:20:37 -0400

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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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 Arizonas retirement community do you want to live on?

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:06:36 -0400

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

Corte Bella Quinta & Bellita Villa listings for sale

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:35:45 -0400

For those of you looking to purchase a small vacation getaway... on the golf course... in one of the newer Arizona retirement communities, the Corte Bella Quinta or Bellita floor plan might just be the ticket.

At 1282 s.f. & 1155 s.f., respectively, Del Webb designated golf course lots along San Ramon Drive to these cute Villas, a rarity in the newer communities where the best views are usually saved for the estate size homes.

As of this writing there are no golf course listings available in these models but it just got easier to watch for them.

New to my website is the ability to search for Corte Bella MLS real estate listings and homes for sale by the floor plan or model name.

To watch for the Quinta & Bellita listings on the golf course click on the following links and bookmark them or give me a call and I can set you up to receive notifications as soon as they come on the market.

Corte Bella Quinta listings for sale

Corte Bella Bellita listings for sale

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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 Sun City Grand 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

Crazy Storm Caught on Video - Struck By Lightning, Not Literally~

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:08:58 -0400

Brad was able to catch one of our wild electrical storms on video. The summer monsoon season can produce quite a show.

Via Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain):

Even "CRAZIER" was standing out there shooting this! :-O

Download The ActiveRain "HELP" Toolbar for your Browser

ActiveRain University Calendar Real Estate RainCamp The ActiveRain Manual

A comforting sign from above on a day of sadness & loss

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:08:43 -0400

This story is absolutely true and quite remarkable.

A couple of weeks ago my husband lost his mom at 95 years old. She had lived a full life but her passing was rather sudden. She passed away in the early morning hours and after a long day of packing up her belongings Rick & his sister decided to relax in the pool.

While Rick was in the pool this young dove kept trying to land on him. It freaked Rick out at first as he felt he was being dive-bombed. Once he calmed down he went over to the side of the pool where the dove had landed and put out his hand... the dove climbed aboard. I also held it and stroked its feathers.

While we have doves in our yard quite often this was a first for us. This special visitor stayed with us until after dark and was gone the next morning, never to be seen again. Rick told me that just that morning he had read some scripture about a dove coming from heaven. We knew this was God's way of comforting he and his family.

I shared the story with all of my Facebook friends and family but realized I hadn't shared it here. I think it is better late than never. How about you?

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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 Del Webb retirement communities, including foreclosures & short sales, resale homes for sale in Corte Bella, Sun City Festival homes for sale, 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

Speechless Sunday - Beautiful morning in Del Webb's Sun City Festival, Buckeye Arizona

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:30:09 -0400

Beautiful morning in Del Webb's Sun City Festival, Buckeye Arizona

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Kathy Anderson
Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930

Power Line Proposal - Higher Home Values in Some Active Adult Communities?

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:19:25 -0400

It's just in the proposal stage but if APS moves the high tension power lines the way it appears they are proposing, than some of the homes in Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Sun City Festival & Corte Bella could benefit greatly in increased home equity. It should come as no surprise that homes overlooking or that back up to these high tension power lines tend to languish on the market, not to mention sell for less than a similar home elsewhere. It just isn't aesthetically pleasing for most people. This could be great news for some current homeowners. It's also something investors might want to make note of and monitor.

Click on the following link to see an article on the subject
http://www.kathyandersonrealtor.com/x-article-miles_of_new_power_lines/page_2064085.html

Click on this link to see a map of the existing lines (lime green in color) and the proposed routes
http://www.aps.com/files/siting/Newsletter-4_Routes.pdf

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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 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 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

Ken Meade Realty
Sun City Grand Office

(602) 703-8930