Realty Reality Blog

I recently visited Trilogy's newest Gated Golf Community in Queen Creek called Encanterra.  I was so impressed with all it had to offer that I just had to share it with my community!

The property is nestled between awesomely scenic surroundings - the Superstition Mountains and South Mountain Park.  When I first entered the property I was greeted by a well-informed sales person at the Main House who gave me a first-rate tour of the property and all it had to offer. 

I was immediately impressed by the fact that each home is certified GREEN!  That boils down to a one year savings on your total utility bills by an average of $1,682 a year - Go Solar!  They even have one model home at the community that shows you all of the different energy-saving components of each house.  It's really amazing!

You'll want to become an "Encanterran" after one visit.  I did!  Everything is state-of-the-art.  Even though the Club House is still under construction, it will have just about everything imaginable to offer from an Athletic Club to Restaurants and Bars and from Day Spas to Swimming Pols and Tennis. 

The Private Golf Club is designed by Tom Lehman, a PGA Tour veteran and former Ryder Cup captain.  His vision for Encanterra was to create a classic core golf layout that would offer unparalleled quality and challenges for every player.  And, it's just down-right beautiful!   It was also just named among the Top 10 Best New Private Courses in the U.S. by GOLF Magazine’s panel of golf course design and architecture experts. The announcement was made in the publication’s January 2009 issue.

The homes available cater to everyone.  From smaller Bungalow type homes for snowbirds or retirees to larger, even more elagant homes for those with the finest tastes.  They all have wonderful amenities and classic designs that bring the indoors into the outdoors.  Even the Laundry space is wisely utilized to also have an office space designed right into it. 

After teaming up with this community, they've let me offer to my clients some amazing "Stay and Play" packages.  For only $149, you can stay right on the premises (see my "Featured Listing" for pictures) for 4 days and 3 nights, Dinner with a member at a restaurant of your choice, $60 (4 $15 certificates) to te Bistro Grill, 20% discount on Golf Apparel at the Encanterra Golf Shop, round of Golf for two at Encanterra or lunch and tour at the Olive Mill in Queen Creek.  That's an $850 value!  Crazy.

If you want to stay a little longer, you can experience 7 days and 6 nights, Dinner with a Member at a restaurant of your choice, $120 (8 $15 certificates) to the Bistro Grill, 20% off apparel (above), 2 rounds of Golf for two at Encanterra for lunch/tour (above) for only $299 (a $1,700 value)!!

Oh, and they speak fluent Canadian there too, eh?  (My attempt at a joke)  Actually 30% of the purchasers so far are from Canada.  Everyone is welcome and there is no age limitations like most of the Trilogy communities.

I just came back from Edmonton last Sunday after doing a seminar about buying homes in Arizona.  Before I left, there were many people who asked me why I would want to do that when the Canadian dollar was down.  Well, what I explained to these people and the people at the seminar was simply, the CAD is down, but our real estate prices are down even more.  When I was in Edmonton last March, the Canadian Dollar was par with the US Dollar.  As of today, a $150,000 home in Arizona will cost a Canadian about $183,000.  In March, that same home would cost well over $200,000 in CAD. 

If you really want to purchase a home in Arizona, it’s still a great time to buy.  There are amazing deals out there.  Banks own more homes than they ever imagined, Sellers are more realistic about the falling prices and are willing to negotiate more so than ever before, and Builders are offering amazing incentives to New Home Buyers.

When it’s minus 30C in Canada and it’s a toasty 21C here in Phoenix that will make even more sense to buy an Arizona get-away!  It’s November 19^th and the high is projected to be 30C today.  What are you waiting for?  In three years are you going to look back and say? “I wish I had” or “I’m glad I did!”

Canadians now get as much as a 70% discount in certain areas of the US as property value has dropped more than 50% and the strength of the Loonie carried 20% more in purchasing power compared to a year ago. There is definitely interest in US properties at the moment. With over 400 Canadians registering for the recent Arizona Property Seminar hosted by HiFX Currency Exchange in Calgary and another sold out Seminar in Edmonton hosted by Colleen Lynch, Broker with CLA Realty based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. It's clear that this is more than just media hype.

A follow up survey of these attendees indicated that 68% were aged 50 or higher. 75% of respondents indicated they were interested in condos, but of that figure, nearly 35% said they'd also consider purchasing a single family residence. Roughly 50% of attendees said they'd buy property within 6 months if things continued going the way they were, and the other 50% said they would continue to wait for the market bottom.

Many indicators in the Phoenix market show that the bottom has arrived. A steady increase in sales since the beginning of the year is an excellent indicator that the market is going to recover sooner than later. This is the time many investors can really get in on the good deals. The foreclosure market is a great place to start looking to invest. Properties are owned by the bank and are offered at substantially lower prices than the market dictates. CLA Realty offers expert assistance with these types of purchases. See web page we created on foreclosures in Arizona.

Although the US dollar has lost significant ground against most major currencies over the past year, many analysts feel a bottom may be forming. With the FOMC having arguably reached an end in their recent easing cycle, the US dollar looks poised to begin pairing back some of its recent losses.

For more information on buying Arizona Property, please contact Colleen Lynch with CLA Realty. She can be reached on her toll free number at 1-800-985-3672.