The Sun City Festival community is about to open their Saguaro Recreation Center this spring. Here is a sneak peak at this georgious new amenity.
In addition Sun City Festival will be complete with renovating their former Sales Center into community recreation space. This will greatly increase the available spaces for activities and clubs.
Ready to check out this beautiful new community. Give me a call!
It is that time of year again. Summer sunshine turns a little cooler, the leaves start changing (up north) and people begin to come south to Arizona.
It is also that time of year when the builders are coming to the end of their fiscal year. That is a good thing for you!
Builders, always are building homes in anticipation that you may not want to wait 6 or 7 months to move into your new home. Earlier this year started building homes knowing the principle “Built it and they will come”.
There are currently lots of Spec Homes / Quick Move In Homes / Designer Homes – whatever you call them lots are waiting for you. Since it also is the end of their fiscal year, the builders are incentivized to get them sold. That means better value and bargains for you.
This is the best time of the year to purchase a brand new home. If you are looking for a new home, and don’t have the burning desire to pick out all of the design elements. Or you would really like to enjoy living in your new Arizona home this year. This is the time for you!
Call me, let us schedule a visit and together we will find you a beautiful new construction home that you can enjoy this winter!
There is a new trend happening in the 55+ communities.
Del Webb, the leader in building and creating the unique 55+, Active Adult lifestyle communities has always acquired a large parcel of land and over time built the homes, activities centers, more homes, additional activities facilities and more homes. Sun City West for example, the largest of the age restrictive communities in the greater Phoenix area, has 17,000 homes, It truly is a city. Del Webb started construction of the community in 1978 and completed the last homes in 1997 almost 20 years later.
As additional builders came into the Active Adult Community arena they too acquired large parcels of land and over time built all the homes within that community themselves; Shea Homes and most of their Trilogy Communities for example.
The new trend is to have one initial investor who created the Homeowners Association, establishes the community as a 55+, and then sells off sections to be built by many different builders.
This will have the community completed much faster. With 3 or 4 different builders all actively constructing homes, the number of homes completed increases exponentially.
This method has been the norm for many Master Planned Communities all over the Valley. It has only been a trend for the Active Adult Communities in the past 5 years.
There are benefits to the home buyer.
Identifying a disadvantage of this new trend: an Active Adult Community floor plan is not just a single level home. Builders new to the market have to recreate their floor plans to effectively provide the style of home this unique homebuyer is looking for.
I would classify the Active Adult floor plan as one with luxury features; wider halls, high ceilings, large master suites, gourmet kitchens, open great room, with a split plan for the guest room. The 55+ buyer looking at a 1700 square foot homes is not looking for the same thing as the first time homebuyer looking at the same sized house.
Enjoy the diversity and options available to you in these new trending communities, but also remember to consider the design and layout of the homes.
If you need help navigating all these communities, I am here for you.
Get your Groove on with a 60’s party on July 23rd. Dust off your Disco Dudds for a 70’s party on Aug 13th. Get ready for a 70’s Rock concert with Rock Me Gently on August 21st. Finnish off the summer with an 80’s party (date to be released)
Check out the flyer and get your tickets now!
So what’s next? In late June we hope to introduce a new neighborhood just west of the Dog Park and another 18-lot neighborhood near the Sage Center, just to the west of the old models. Then in July we hope to open our second neighborhood in Phase II near the White Tank Mountains, abutting State Land parcels to the east and south. There will be some very nice home sites along the perimeter of this area with unobstructed mountain views. As soon as I receive more details I’ll be passing them along.
We have a GREAT selection of inventory homes, priced from $263,000. Of these, 11 are Move-In Ready, carrying incentives of up to $39,000. My three-page summary sheet is attached and if you’d like to share photos of these homes, CLICK HERE and then on the “See Quick Move-Ins” tab. Only four of our former model homes remain to be sold…the Haven, Pursuit, Serenity and Journey are priced from $396,000 to $601,000 with some nice lake and mountain views.
Incentives for June include a $10,000 Design Center credit and 3% of the home’s base price ($6,200-$12,300) as a cash-buyer discount or closing cost incentive if your client finances with Pulte Mortgage.
Sun City Festival Active Adult Community at Festival Ranch in Buckeye is located on the north-west corner of the White Tank Mountains. This new Del Webb/Pulte Community has a 31,000 sq ft Sage Recreation Center . Every amenity imaginable including an ASU Lifelong Learning Academy is available in the community. Del Webb/Pulte has long been known for the excellence of their activities for active adults in their many award winning 55+ communities. The community surrounds the Copper Canyon Golf Club, a Troon course that sports 4 sets of tees from 5200 to 6800 yards, a game for every level player. The setting is quoted as being similar to that of the first Sun City, but with much more extensive experience in homebuilding and 55+ communities.
Return to Arizona Active Adult Communities page
|
Sun City Festival |
Sun City Festival |
View Active Adult Communities in a larger map
Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch in Florence is an active adult community with extensive amenities within the new Anthem at Merrill Ranch master plan community. The master planned community combines three separate communities. The residents will have the choice of using their own 55+ age restricted facilities or those of the other, larger Merrill Ranch communities. It is a great solution for adults who wish to be near their families, while still having the ability to their leisure with other adults. The sister Sun Cities in Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West and Sun City Grand are recognized as having superior facilities and amenities. Sun City Anthem will be an equal of it’s other sisters.
Amenities that are exclusive to Sun City Anthem Residents are; Union Center for Wellness and Higher Learning, Clubs and classes for every interest, Activities Directors, Indoor walking track, Cyber cafe with wireless internet access, Revere Plaza amphitheater, ASU Lifelong Learning Academy, Multi-purpose rooms, Fitness center with aerobics and locker rooms, Indoor pool and spa, Outdoor resort-style pool and spa, Pickleball courts, Bocce ball courts and Horseshoe Lanes.
|
Sun City Anthem Merrill Ranch |
Sun City Anthem Merrill Ranch |
View Active Adult Communities in a larger map
There are now 6 Sun Cities in and around the Valley of the Sun.
The first Sun City by Del Webb was one of the first Active Adult Communities in Arizona.. His first community in AZ was built in Tucson in 1948. Sun City in Surprise was opened in 1960. It had 25,000 people show up for the opening weekend! With 11 golf courses and 7 swimming pools and a club for every activity you can imagine, it grew to 26,000 homes in the 18 years before it was completed. Due to their proximity to the freeways and Phoenix itself, as well as the super low real estate taxes many of the homes today are being remodeled and updated.
Sun City was so successful that additional land was purchased and Sun City West evolved. It opened in 1978. Not quite the size of Sun City, but still boasting 9 golf courses and 6 pools. The expanded amenities and activities held the interest of the residents of its 17,000 homes.
Del Web expanded the theme of Active Adult Living to include shopping, churches and restaurants and even a hospital within the boundaries of the development. One needs to have only a golf cart for transportation. It took another 19 years, until 1997 for Del Webb to reach sell out of Sun City West. 
In 1996 construction began on Sun City Grand just to the west and south of Sun City West, with Grand Avenue (Rt. 60) being a divider. This Active Adult Community was to have a greater range of home sizes. It was smaller with only 10,000 homes, 5 pools and 3 golf courses. The community was sold out in 2004.
Corte Bella was the last of the Sun Cities in the cluster forming the NW corner of the Phoenix Valley. It is considered part of Sun City West, although separated by walls. It is an upscale, private, gated golf course community with only 1600 homes and a single pool. The last new home was sold in 2007.
The 5th Sun City is Sun City Festival, located about 30 miles west of Surprise and the 4 preceding Del Webb communities. It is just north and west of the White Tank Mountains. Del Webb has perfected the art of Active Adult Communities and this is reputed to be their best yet. Within a natural unspoiled desert environment, it is likened to the original Sun City 50 years ago. Sun City Festival will have 7200 homes, has one 18 hole golf course with another planned. The amenities are superb and commercial development is certain to follow. The project opened in 2006 and is expected to be built out by 2016. This Sun City combines the expertise of Pulte in their successful multigenerational communities and Del Webb’s superb active adult specialization.
This combination of multigenerational and active adult communities is a popular concept and allows families to be in close proximity to their retirees while having separate community amenities. Del Webb and Pulte repeated this in the most recent development, Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch in Florence, about 55 miles southeast of central Phoenix. This community opened in 2006 and is expected to reach build out by 2014.
Check out: Sun City, Sun City West, Sun City Grand, Corte Bella, Sun City Anthem at Merrill Ranch, and Sun City Festival
| Current Golf Course Homes in Sun City GrandClick for golf course listings |
Current Golf Course Homes in Sun City WestClick to view all golf course listings |
Sun City West is the second of the Sun Cities in the NW corner of the Phoenix Valley. Construction and homes sales began in 1978 as the first Sun City sold out. It took until 1997 for Sun City West to complete their build-out. The community boundaries are Bell Rd to the south, Grand Avenue to the east and El Mirage to the west. The new state road 303 curves around the northern boundary. Most of Sun City West is excluded from the Maricopa School Districts, and therefore enjoys lower real estate tax. The lower real estate taxes combined with the low maintenance fees make Sun City West a very desirable location for the retiring active adults on a fixed income. The financial incentive plus the tremendous number of clubs and activities and of course the opportunity to play 9 golf courses all combine to create another extremely desirable 55+ retirement location. The variety of single level home styles, patio homes, and condos offer a wide range of home pricing. Within the community the streets are approved for driving your golf carts and you will find shopping, churches, and banks, drug stores, grocery stores and the Del Webb hospital.
For Sun City West Visitor Information click here
For Sun City West Recreation Centers click here
For Sun City West Clubs and Groups click here
|
Sun City West |
Sun City West |
View Active Adult Communities in a larger map
In 1996 construction began on Sun City Grand just to the west and south of Sun City West, with Grand Avenue (Rt. 60) being a divider. This Active Adult Community was to have a greater range of home sizes. It was smaller with only 10,000 homes, 5 pools and 3 golf courses. The community was sold out in 2004. This community is truly “grand”, the facilities are extensive and include 5 activity centers, with meeting rooms, classrooms, 2 with complete fitness set ups, 2 with indoor and outdoor pools, and even a ballroom in one! The play courts are as varied as the centers, there are 12 pickle ball courts, 14 tennis courts and 8 Bocce Ball courts scattered around the community.
Residences vary tremendously. There are one bedroom condos with less than 1000 sq ft complete with their own community pool and clubhouse which are a popular choice for many as winter getaways. The luxurious estate homes sprawl over ¼ acre and many exceed 3,000 sq. ft. There is truly a home in Sun City Grand for every taste, be it an escape for a few weeks at a time or full time lavish living. This is definitely not your Grandparents retirement center.
For more information on Sun City Grand click here
Sun City Grand
Just Listed
Sun City Grand
Homes for Sale
Sun City Grand
Golf Course Homes
View Active Adult Communities in a larger map
Irene A Hammond, SRES, e-Pro
REALTOR, Author
Call or Text me
480.788.0171
Send me an email
Irene@I-Hammond.com
.
Specializing in Active Adult, 55 Plus, Retirement Communities, Relocation, Second and Seasonal Residential Real Estate
