I took this picture at my Sun City Grand open house yesterday in the 115 degree weather.  It will be cooler today, just 113 degrees is projected. © 2009 Leolinda Bowers (Arizona Retirement Communities & Sun City Grand Real Estate). Unless otherwise noted, the content, both pictures and written, is the property of Leolinda Bowers.  Reproduction in part or whole without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. 07/19/2009

Open House in Sun City Grand Arizona Sun City Grand Real Estate Leolinda Bowers | Ken Meade Realty| Additional Information | (602) 403-6865 First Open House in Sun City Grand Arizona    JULY 21, 2009  9AM TO 12PM18300 NORTH SHIMMER LANE     FIRST OPEN HOUSE IN SUN CITY GRAND ARIZONA WELCOME!  This newly listed home for sale in Sun City Grand will have its first open house on Tuesday, July 21 from 9am to 12noon.  It's a Madera model with its great room floor plan that is impeccable. Property has a meticulously landscaped yard that is located in one of the best central locations in Sun City Grand, away from the 303, Grand Avenue or Bell Road. Home boasts a complete package, from the gorgeous salt water pool, lush landscaping, attractive interior with its extensive use of neutral tile, pla... 07/19/2009

As a Sun City Grand homeowner, I am frequently asked by prospective buyers about Sun City Grand real estate models with split bedrooms.      A split bedroom floor plan is a home in which the master bedroom and master bath are located on one end of the home, and the other bedrooms and baths are located on the opposite side of the home.  Since the bedrooms are away from the master bedroom, it affords the master bedroom some extra privacy.  There were 50 different floor plans built in Sun City Grand, 13 of which are split bedrooms.  These are the split bedroom models: Sundance Monterra Silverstone Azalea Cactus Flower Stonecrest Hacienda Palo Verde Borgata Windrose  Mesquite Hampton Windsor  Homes with split bedroom floor plans are the most popular homes for sale in Sun City Grand.  To se... 07/16/2009

   Sun City Grand Arizona real estate home sales almost came to a complete hault last week.  The market decline of this nature was last observed in December 2008.  Number of listings remain relatively low. Archived Sun City Grand & Arizona Traditions Sales Sun City Grand Real Estate Resale Market Report for the Week Ending July 12, 2009: Total Listings:  166 Total Golf Course Property Listings: 33 Total Non-Golf Course Property Listings: 133 Under Contract:  2 Closed Transactions: 2 Weeks of Inventory 36 Arizona Traditions Market Report for the week Ending July 12, 2009: Total Listings for the Week Ending 7/12/2009:  36 Total Golf Course Property Listings for the Week Ending 7/12/2009: 6 Total Non-Golf Course Property Listings for the Week Ending 7/12/2009: 30 Weeks of Inventory 36   I ... 07/12/2009

I just treated my kitty cat "Sassy" to an hour at the spa.  Actually Pawsh Spa (cute name) came to us.  What a great idea for a business!  I just had to share Sassy's and my experience.  Jillian and her mobile spa serve the communities of Sun City Grand & Arizona Traditions in Surprise AZ, Sun City West, Trilogy Vistancia in Peoria and all the other neighborhhoods in Surprise, Peoria, El Mirage, Sun City and Glendale. Like most cats Sassy leads a somewhat sheltered and independent life.  A trip to the vet sends her into orbit and on one of our recent visits my husband and I learned she has kidney disease that will one day take her from us.  Because she hasn't been feeling 100%, she hasn't been taking care of her grooming as well as she used to (and "mom" hasn't been staying on top of it... 07/10/2009

I was already planning on doing a blog post about the Loop 303/Bell Rd intersection work that began a week or two ago when I ran across the following presentation the ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) had made to the Sun City Grand homeowners association. http://www.grandinfo.com/ddocc/bellrdand303intersectionscgmeeting.pdf While road construction is never fun to have to deal with, these improvements will no doubt save lives. With the continued growth of the Surprise Arizona area and beyond out to Sun City Festival this intersection has become increasingly congested and more dangerous. More than once in the last year someone has been killed crossing over Loop 303, evidenced by the crosses and flowers at the side of the road. Sometime in May one of the representatives of the A... 07/08/2009

Sun City Grand real estate sales are remaining constant. The number of new listings are beginning to correlate to the total number of listings closed/sold. This may possibly be an indication of a market upswing. The number of total listings are relatively low considering the market standards. Homeowners are considering accepting contingency offers (contingent on the buyer's home closing). This means that buyers have already sold their property and are purchasing the new property when the sold property closes. There is 36 weeks of market inventory, the time that it will take to sell off all properties at the current rate of sale.   Sun City Grand...I live here, I work here, I know this community!   If you looking to buy a home or sell a home in Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona, please... 07/06/2009

The number of active Sun City Grand real estate listings is at its lowest since the summer of 2007. Many Sun City Grand homeowners take their properties off the market during the summer and sometimes re-list it in the fall.    According to Trulia, the Phoenix market has declined 25.2% from March to May 09 and prices have decreased 59.5% compared to the prior year.  Unlike Phoenix, Sun City Grand home prices have only fallen 11 percent since 2008 which indicates a strong stable market.  The decrease in listings indicate that the market is steady since homes are selling within a few percentage points below list price.  This is all dependent on realistic pricing, upgrades, features, location, landscaping and how well the home shows.    Sun City Grand...I live here, I work here, I know thi... 07/06/2009

Sun City Grand real estate sales remain robust even in a buyers market.  Most buyers are obtaining mortgages to purchase their second or vacation home.  2009 prices have decreased approximately 11 percent from 2008 prices. As on June 30, 2009 there were 195 Sun City Grand homes listed on the market, 31 of which were golf course properties, and 20 that were located in the La Solana condominium complex.  This is the lowest inventory of homes for sale in Sun City Grand since May 2008.      Sun City Grand...I live here, I work here, I know this community! If you looking to buy a home or sell a home in Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona, please contact me or visit my website.  To search homes for sale in Sun City Grand real estate and homes for sale including Foreclosures and Short Sales go... 07/05/2009

© 2009 Leolinda Bowers (Arizona Retirement Communities & Sun City Grand Real Estate). Unless otherwise noted, the content, both pictures and written, is the property of Leolinda Bowers.  Sun City Grand...I live here, I work here, I know this community! If you looking to buy a home or sell a home in Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona, please contact me or visit my website.  To search homes for sale in Sun City Grand real estate and homes for sale including Foreclosures and Short Sales go to http:LEOLINDA.com. Search Sun City Grand Floor plans that fit your lifestyle or check out recent home sales in Sun City Grand. See other golf course retirement communities including Sun City West, Sun Village, Arizona Traditions, Westbrook Village, Trilogy at Vistancia, Pebble Creek and Sun City Fest... 07/05/2009

Other than Sun City Grand, I have not found real estate sold in any other Surprise Arizona community that offered a potential homeowner the opportunity to add a casita when the home was built.  Sun City Grand is an active adult community in the West Valley in which a few years ago the age restriction in Sun City Grand was lowered to 45 years of age. Casita is Spanish for little house.  A casita is a detached guest house that is connected to the main home with a privacy wall. There are many homes in Sun City Grand with a casita since it can be used as a hobby room, guest room or perhaps an office. Many homeowners had the foresight to add a casita on to their property during construction.  Sun City Grand homes with a casita are highly sought after since it takes a special lot size due to ... 07/04/2009

Just a little less than one year ago I did an article on the Sun City Grand real estate absorption rate. I decided to revisit this to see how real estate inventories for Sun City Grand compare this year to last year. Those of us who specialize in selling Sun City Grand real estate have been watching our inventory (homes for sale) drop to the lowest numbers we've ever seen. But you have to take a look at the bigger picture. Are these homes selling? Or are they just being taken off the market. As I just reported in my blog post Sun City Grand Real Estate & Homes Sold - June 2009, we had 45 homes/condos that sold last month. In June of 2008 we only had 19 sales. hmm... So what is an absorption rate? The actual definition is: The number of weeks (or in my example, months) it takes to sell t... 07/01/2009

Some of the most spectacular sunsets can be seen from your patio in Surprise Arizona. If you looking to buy a home or sell a home in Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona, please contact me or visit my website to search homes for sale in Surprise AZ.    Sun City Grand ~ I live here, I work here, I know this community!     © 2009 Leolinda Bowers (Arizona Retirement Communities & Sun City Grand Real Estate). Unless otherwise noted, the content, both pictures and written, is the property of Leolinda Bowers.     07/01/2009

I just posted the June sales figures for Sun City Grand real estate. We are currently experiencing the lowest home inventories we have had in years. This month Sun City Grand had 45 home sales. Last June we had 19. Only time will tell but there are indications we could be at or very near the bottom of our real estate market. Once demand outpaces supply we should see prices start to recover. While we've seen home values drop, our sales in Sun City Grand have remained fairly strong through the real estate crisis. In years past our Canadian neighbors helped keep our resale numbers up. For the last 9 months or so though they have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the exchange rate to improve, but our June closing numbers are strong anyway. As I said, only time (and the national/worl... 07/01/2009

This market update for Sun City Grand real estate & Arizona Traditions properties provides you with transactions that closed in escrow in June 2009. Sun City Grand Golf Course Properties Model SQ FT Original List Price Sold Price Days on Market Address Verbena 2,035 $398,000 $323,000 519 16310 W. Desert Winds Dr Borgata 1,958 $465,000 $400,000 122 18761 N. Celosia Lane Jasmine 2,406 $550,000 $413,000 327 16307 W. Spring Canyon Wy Hacienda 2,312 $479,000 $430,000 108 19411 N. Canyon Whisper Dr Averages 2178 $473,000 $391,500 269     Sun City Grand Properties Off the Golf Course Model SQ FT Original List Price Sold Price Days on Market Address Acacia 1,414 $239,000 $203,000 133 16059 W. Glendora Ct Azalea 1,518 $239,900 $228,000 18 17536 W. Vinca Ct Borgata 1,894 $351,900 $324,000 197 188... 06/30/2009

A few days ago I came across a post from a lady who was having difficulty finding just the Sun City Grand listings amongst all the Surprise, Arizona homes for sale. No small feat. As of this writing that is 198 homes in Sun City Grand out of 831 total in Surprise. I told her that several agents who specialize in the Arizona active retirement communities, including myself of course, have made it easy to find those listings by creating searches for just these communities. It hasn't always been that way though. When I came to work for Ken Meade Realty I knew I wanted to specialize in selling real estate in the area retirement communities. Knowing that the vast majority of our clients come from out of state and that many begin their search months, or even years, in advance of actually movin... 06/29/2009

A close friend of mine has a neice who has not only has a rare brain desease but Cones Disease as well.  There is no treatment for the Cones and it will eventually lead to blindness.  Her niece is a musician, cook, housekeeper, teacher, wife and mother.  This disease is taking her eyesight so rapidly that she will be blind within a year.  To add to her plight, her only daughter was killed in a car accident a few months ago when the car she was riding was hit by a drunk driver.  Her niece treasures every sunrise and every sunset.  It's because the only time she has is right now, and she will never know what the future brings.  We used to say that it was critical to have PMA (Positive Mental Attitude).  Without a PMA, it's difficult to make it through life.  As Realtors® we need to keep ... 06/25/2009

There is excitement in some of the Surprise Arizona neighborhoods today as Fry's Marketplace has opened one of it's beautiful super stores in the new Prasada master planned retail location. It was hard to find parking but I wasn't going to leave until I had an opportunity to see what was there. It is gorgeous and had all the departments I've come to love in their other super store locations. In addition to the quality produce, deli, meat, seafood, dairy, bakery and floral departments we've come to love, you'll find one of my favorite haunts (a really nice Starbuck's) as well as an expansive health food selection (another favorite), housewares, toys, pharmacy and so much more. Of course there are lots of festivities and freebies that come with a grand opening. My husband Rick Anderson, w... 06/24/2009

There have been recent roadrunner sightings in Sun City Grand. No!  Just kidding.  Not the one we grew up with.  The ones I've spotted are of the greater roadrunner species, found throughout most of Arizona.        They look more like this and always seem to be in a hurry... This last week alone I have seen two.  I have read comments from others saying this is a rare occurance so we must be blessed in the Phoenix west valley.  My brother-in-law, who has lived here for almost 30 years, was even surprised to hear of my many sightings in Sun City Grand.  While they reportedly prefer to be out in the desert, I can't help but think they like some company.  After all, Sun City Grand is a great place to live.         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are in the market to buy or s... 06/24/2009

BEFORE      AFTER  © 2009 Leolinda Bowers (Arizona Retirement Communities & Sun City Grand Real Estate). Unless otherwise noted, the content, both pictures and written, is the property of Leolinda Bowers.  All content is original.  Originally posted on LeoLinda.com website at Surprise! It's Apple Time   Sun City Grand ~ I live here, I work here, I know this community! 06/24/2009