SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 | VOL. XX, NO 5 Will Desert ......from Aquatic Center pool. bit.ly/2wT8gdl WestWorld Events Junk in the Trunk. Sept. 15-17. The ever-expanding vintage market

On the last day of July, plans for what was once

called the Desert Discovery Center but will now be

known as the Scottsdale Desert Edge, were re-

leased. The $61 million project will literally be in

McDowell Mountain Ranch’s back yard, so we felt

it important to add four pages to this newsletter to

help provide our readers with as much information

about this project as possible.

By the time this newsletter reaches you, a couple

of Scottsdale City agencies will have already taken

votes on the Desert Edge, so if you feel this pro-

ject is important to you one way or another, now is

the time to learn more about it. If built, the new

facility will cover 5.34 acres on the southern end of

the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway parking

lot. This is smaller than an earlier plan, which

would have taken up 9.55 acres.

Because the new location is at a lower elevation, it

will be less visible from the street and will interfere

less with the Gateway Trail than the original loca-

tion. (See map on Page 18.) The new site, which is

less than a mile from MMR and across the street

from Windgate Ranch, would house quite a num-

ber of buildings and add up to 47,586 square feet

under air conditioned roofs. In actuality, though,

the Desert Edge will use up 75% of the 5.34 acres

because much of the lot will become walkways

and outdoor seating shaded by semi-transparent

material doubling as solar energy collectors.

Structures would include a controversial café,

which was scaled back from earlier plans, as well

as a gift shop. An indoor theater would project

images not only to the roof above, like a planetari-

um, but also on the floor. Other exhibits and build-

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 | VOL. XX, NO 5

Inside 2 Odds & Ends

3 Things to do

4 Business of the Month

5 Spotlight

10-17 Retail Activity

11-14 Helene’s Pullout section

22 Looking Back

23 New Advertisers List

Brett’s Perspective will return

in November

If built, the Desert Edge will be sunken mostly below street level, so it is expected to be relatively invisible while driving down Thompson Peak Parkway or Bell Road.

(Continued on page 18)

info@

writethrumedia.com

480-889-8710

Celebrating 20 Years Serving the MMR Community!

Will Desert Edge Become

Our New Neighbor?

Special Edition: Everything You Need to Know

About the Proposed Desert Discovery Center

2 McDowell Mountain Ranch Real Estate Newsletter | September-October 2017

ODDS & ENDS


Happy Birthday Aquatic Center The McDowell Mountain Aquatic Center cele-

brated its 10th birthday on Sept. 1st with bal-

loons, flavored ices, a demonstration by the

synchronized swim team and a cannonball

contest. It’s hard to believe that a facility that

was incredibly controversial before it was

built has become such an integral part of our

community. The pools are always active with

tykes learning how to swim, athletes working

out with their teams, birthday parties, teens

learning how to become lifeguards and fami-

lies taking it easy on the lazy river. But the

facility is so much more: world-class athletes

have emerged from the skateboard park,

adults practice yoga in the dark and body

builders take advantage of the exercise equip-

ment. Here’s to another 10 years of enjoying

this incredible community amenity.

Kierland Resort & Spa Honored While we’re speaking about pools, the travel

company Trivago ranked The Westin Kierland

Resort & Spa in Scottsdale as one of the best

pool getaways in the Southwest and nation.

The hotel’s facilities include a lazy river, 110-

foot water slide, lap pool and whirlpools. If

Ad Sales Person Wanted As you may have noticed, there are quite a

few new or updated ads in this edition of our

newsletter, so we want to thank the commu-

nity for being so supportive. But success can

be a tricky thing. The more time we spend

selling ads, the less time we have for writing

the newsletter. So we could really use some

help, preferably from someone who already

lives in the community, selling ads. This is the

perfect opportunity for someone who loves

talking to area business owners, needs to set

their own hours and does not need to work

every day. If you’re interested, please contact

Brett Levy at [email protected].

Scottsdale Tech Jobs Jump Speaking of jobs, Scottsdale is the right place

to be in the Valley if you’re looking for the

tech variety. A city report reveals that Scotts-

dale has seen its technology workforce grow

by 40% since 2012, far better than Phoenix’s

14% improvement. During the same time,

Scottsdale saw a 46% increase in insurance

jobs and 17-20% growth in bio-life science

jobs, according to the report. Titled

“Enhancing Scottsdale’s Business Brand,”

the report looks at economic developments

since the city approved the Economic Strate-

gic Plan in early 2015. bit.ly/2ePUu1d

Changes at Cream City Café Although Cream City Café hasn’t reopened

since its owner took a break on July 1st to

work on another project, the possibility re-

mains that it may reopen under new owner-

ship. If you think owning a fully-equipped ice

cream store might be your thing, contact the

owner by emailing [email protected]

or leave a message at 480 588-7008.

that’s not your style, take advantage of the

Kierland FlowRider to learn how to ride the

waves or even how to snowboard.

bit.ly/2eywgvJ

Raising Funds for Teen Lifeline An event sponsored by Helene’s Team,

Premier Title Agency and Amerifirst Financial

helped raise $786 for Teen Lifeline, a hotline

for teenagers who need help or are consider-

ing suicide. Donated at the event, which was

held at the Twisted Lizard on July 26th, were

OdySea tickets and a $50 gift card that will be

raffled at McDowell Mountain Ranch’s Ok-

toberfest, which we have more about in the

next item. Teens in need of help can call 602-

248-TEEN. Also: Facebook.com/TeenLifeline

Helene’s Team at Oktoberfest As a regular sponsor of Oktoberfest, Helene’s

Team will be raffling four tickets to the

Odysea as well as a $50 gift card to the

Twister Lizard. The annual event includes a

beer garden, bratwursts, hot dogs, face paint-

ing and a petting zoo. The Lions Club is also

sponsoring a chili cook-off. The event will be

from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 28th at the Com-

munity Center. Teen Lifeline, which we also

talk about in the item above, will man a booth

next to Helene’s Team. If you are interested

in being a vendor, call Debbie at 480 585-

7600 or email her at [email protected].

Also, see Things to Do on the next page to

learn about Teen Lifeline’s next big fund-

raising opportunity.

A Sno-Kone is prepared for a young Aquatic

Center visitor.

https://teenlifeline.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/2017ConnectionsofHopeAnEveningtoCelebrateArizonasYouth/tabid/834668/Default.aspx


ODDS & ENDS (CONTINUED)

Arizona No. 2 for Retirement Baby Boomers are still flocking to Arizona for

its sunny weather and more affordable hous-

ing, according to new rankings. In fact, our

state was second only to Florida, which

doesn’t have a state income tax and doesn’t

tax retirement account withdrawals. In one

survey, Smartasset found that Arizona grew

by 27,576 retirees over the age of 60. Almost

50,000 retirees headed for Florida.

Out of cities on the list, Scottsdale placed

12th, but Scottsdale placed eighth on a list for

best places for a “worktirement.” The survey

cites Scottsdale’s low retirement rate and

high number of seniors, which totals 21.9%

of the city’s population.

Mystery Building Update The Scottsdale City Council approved a re-

quest to allow live entertainment at what

we’ve been calling the mystery building on

the northwest corner of Frank Lloyd Wright

Boulevard and the 101 Freeway. It is still un-

clear as to what type of food will be served,

though we do know it will operate as a lunch

and dinner restaurant. A disc jockey will play

recorded or live music, which will be per-

formed from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Despite some

previous concerns, the new permit does not

allow the mystery building to operate as a

gentleman’s club.

Meet Dina Davault The management com-

pany behind McDowell

Mountain Ranch Home-

owner’s Association

hired Dina Davault to

take over as the Com-

munity Standards Ad-

ministrator following the

departure of Trudy

Vinger. Dina, who has

strong ties to Scotts-

dale, has worked in the

industry for four years, but also served as a

homeowner’s liaison where she now lives in

Scottsdale Ranch. The mother of two is origi-

nally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Things to Do MMR Events Bulk Garbage Pickup. Week of Sept. 25.

New policy: Please create separate piles

for plant debris and bulk garbage.

Board of Directors Meeting. 7-8 p.m. Sept.

26 at the McDowell Center.

MMR Community Garage Sale. 7-11 a.m.

Oct. 14. This is your chance to get rid of

unwanted or unneeded household items.

Bulk Garbage Pickup. Week of Oct 23.

New policy: Please create separate piles

for plant debris and bulk garbage.

Board of Directors Meeting. 7-8 p.m. Oct.

24 at the McDowell Center.

Oktoberfest. Noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 28 at the

Community Center. Includes beer garden,

face painting, raffles, petting zoo & music.

105th Street Park Construction. Work may

begin in December or January.

Community Events McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Board

Meeting. 3:30-5 p.m. Sept 21.

bit.ly/2sMPW4z

Tour de Scottsdale. 5:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct.

8. Ride begins at Market Street in DC

Ranch. tourdescottsdale.net

Mountain Bike Ride. 8-11 a.m. Oct. 9.

Sponsored by McDowell Sonoran Con-

servancy. bit.ly/2imaAnu

Creepy Desert Creatures Family Hike. 9:30

-11:30 a.m. Oct. 15. Sponsored by

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy.

bit.ly/2v8X4p6

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Board

Meeting. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 19.

bit.ly/2vTzWh4

Dunkin’ for Pumpkins. 1-3 p.m. Oct. 29.

Residents can snag a floating pumpkin

from Aquatic Center pool. bit.ly/2wT8gdl

WestWorld Events Junk in the Trunk. Sept. 15-17. The ever-

expanding vintage market returns.

bit.ly/2sOFhDt

Arabian Breeders Finals. Sept. 27-30. In-

cludes exhibitors, prize money and chance

to showcase Arabian horses. bit.ly/1IlQCzF

Saddlebred Futurity Horse Show. Oct 5-7.

The annual event to check out rising stars

will be in Wendell Arena. bit.ly/2v8AVaF

Dates and event specifics are subject to

change because of our two-month produc-

tion cycle. If you have a local event that you

would like to promote, send us an email at

[email protected].

(Continued from page 2)

Pinners Conference

& Expo. Oct. 6-7.

Nearly 100 DIY,

photography and

craft classes as well

as over 200 exhibits.

az.pinnersconference.com

Maricopa County Home Show. Oct 20-22.

Want to find vendors to upgrade your

home? This may be the event to attend.

bit.ly/1O4WzBW

Polo Championship. Nov. 11-12. Expect

over 10,000 fans to attend World’s Great-

est Polo Party. Barrett-Jackson and Arabian

Horse Show previews will be lining the

competition field. thepoloparty.com

Scottsdale Events Arizona Taco Festival. Oct. 14-15. Try crazy

new tacos for $2, take cooking classes,

listen to great music or enter a competition

at the annual event. aztacofestival.com

Cooks & Corks. Oct. 20. Net proceeds of

the dining event at Four Seasons Scotts-

dale benefit Scottsdale League for the Arts.

Includes silent auction. cooksandcorks.org

Scottsdale International Film Festival. Nov.

2-6. The 17th annual festival is held at the

Shea Harkins Theater just a few miles from

MMR. scottsdalefilmfestival.com

Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival. Nov. 3-

5. Arizona’s largest wine-tasting event in-

cludes 165 artists and over 5,000 master-

pieces of fine art. bit.ly/2cNNnpK

Arizona Fall League. Oct. 10 - Nov. 18. Top

Major League prospects play in the Valley,

including at Talking Stick.

atmlb.com/1xQIduW

MMR Resident to be Honored MMR resident Erik Olsson will be honored

by Teen Lifeline for his ef-

forts supporting this critical

non-profit that helps teens

in crisis. The fund-raising

event, called Connections of

Hope, will begin at 6 p.m.

on Oct. 6th at the Omni

Scottsdale Resort & Spa at

Montelucia. Helene’s Team

is a proud supporter of Teen Lifeline.

bit.ly/2x4Pn8c


The mystery building is not expected to be a mys-

tery for much longer.


I’m not the worst person around when it

comes to negotiating for a car, though I’m

fairly confident I’m not the world champion

either. I get the whole playful banter thing as

well as the conversation where I beg for a

lower price because “I have to pay for my

kids’ expensive college so please help me out

here on the price, please!” (Actually, both

negotiating sides do this.) I even get how to

play hardball when the other side doesn’t

want to budge even an inch.

But when it came time to buy our newest

vehicle, we had a new problem: We simply

didn’t have time to go car shopping for work,

family and health reasons. Meanwhile, the

front-end of our minivan seemed determined

to fall off, and our air conditioner died just as

temperatures soared well into the triple digits.

Fixing the 12-year-old vehicle just didn’t make

economic sense and before we knew it,

school season was about to resume.

It just made sense to call our advertiser Brian

Sinuk, who owns Carsultants, to help out. We

explained we needed a new car in the next

week or so and gave him a rough idea of

what we wanted. A well-priced used or new

small white sedan. We added that we put a

premium on longevity, because we tend to

keep cars until there are more paper clips

holding them together than original steel.

Brian both listened and asked questions, then

I went back to working on this newsletter and

my consulting work. Because it was Sunday,

my wife and I figured we’d hear back in a few

days. Instead, we found ourselves at Right

Toyota about three hours later.

OUR FEATURED BUSINESS

Carsultants Brian M. Sinuk

480 329-3000

carsults.com

[email protected]

Carsultants Makes Car-Buying Process so Much Easier

While most people do not enjoy the negotiating

aspect of buying cars, Brian M. Sinuk clearly rel-

ishes doing just that.

Brian had already negotiated a deal on a

white Toyota Corolla. Brian tells us that he

has favorite dealerships he likes to work

with, such as Right Toyota. He explains some

dealerships are more willing to work with him

than others.

Once we were at the dealership, we just had

to work out the trade-in and a few other

details. We were amazed that we were able

to get a fully-equipped car for under $20,000

with two years of basic mechanical service

for free. The only extra we paid for was the

extended warranty, which Brian negotiated

down to half the usual price. The savings

that Brian wrangled for us more than

covered his fee.

And we know this sounds weird, but we

literally bought the car sight unseen. It didn’t

matter, though, because it was exactly the

vehicle my wife wanted. It would have been

more difficult for us to buy a

refrigerator – jeesh, there are so many

options on those things – than a car.

And that, plus the time savings, made

hiring Brian totally worth it.

Brett Levy is the Editor and Publisher of

McDowell Mountain Real Estate News.


SPOTLIGHT ON THE COMMUNITY

Above: One of the

models for Estates at

Lane’s End.

At left: The upper ar-

row illustrates where

large construction

vehicles will enter

Lane’s End. The other

arrow points to where

construction workers

and residents of Lane’s

End will eventually

access the community.

Spotlight on the Community

Scottsdale OKs 15 New Homes We have several Discovery Canyon residents

to thank for preventing large construction

equipment from rumbling down their main

street. That’s because the Scottsdale City

Council has agreed to allow the developer,

Camelot Homes, to use an alternate route for

building 15 new homes.

While large grading vehicles and concrete

mixers will now access the roughly 7.5 acres

just west of Discovery Canyon via 102nd

Way, smaller work vehicles, such as pickups,

will still come down 102nd Street. That’s be-

cause it will be the only paved road into The

Estates at Lane’s End, as the new community

is being called.

Those homes are expected to become part of

McDowell Mountain Ranch’s Homeowner’s

Association by the time the development is

complete. The HOA may vote on the plan,

which would make Lane’s End another spe-

cial use area because it will be a gated and

walled community, as soon as the September

meeting. By the way, Camelot Homes is not

entirely new to the Ranch as the developer

also built Vermillion Cliffs.

With the City Council’s approval of the gated

community at its Aug. 28th meeting, plant

salvage may begin sometime in September

with grading of the property to run from Octo-

ber through November.

A lot of earth will be brought in to level the

land over a two- to four-week period, but the

big trucks will come down the west side of

the road near the McDowell Mountain Ranch

Aquatic Center to stay out of the way of De-

Long-term

Access to

Lane’s End.

Approximate

Temporary

Access to

Lane’s End.



SPOTLIGHT (CONTINUED)



sert Canyon Elementary and Middle School

children.

Credit for keeping the biggest vehicles out of

Discovery Canyon go to residents such as

Bobby Raines, Brian Sawyer and Martin Kauf-

man, all who attended city committee meet-

ings and worked with city representatives

and Camelot Homes.

Installation of dry utilities, such as power

lines, are expected to take from January to

March with paving of the new roads ex-

pected sometime in March or April. The over-

all construction period should last from No-

vember of this year until late 2019. The wash

that runs through the property will be kept as

native land as required by the City of Scotts-

dale.

The models for Lane’s End will not be onsite.

Instead, prospective buyers will need to visit

Camelot Homes at Bocara, which is between

Happy Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads just

east of Scottsdale Road. For an aerial video of

the property and McDowell Mountain Ranch,

go here: bit.ly/2lllGFo

MMR Park Plans Updated As anyone who has remodeled their home

knows, you have to make choices to keep

the project within budget. The same is true

for big park projects, such as the one that the

McDowell Mountain Ranch Homeowner’s

Association is developing. So when the pro-

ject plan by ForeSite and Dig Studio came in

higher than the $1.5 million budget, the Im-

provement Committee met at the end of

August to consider how it might alter the

project while leaving in all the best elements.

The good news is that all the big-ticket items

are staying in and the adjustments seem to

be relatively minor.

Changes to the Community Center Park

(Paradise Lane) plans include:

Install fewer seat walls.

Install two instead of four new barbe-

ques.

Cut back on artificial shade elements for

the splash pad and new pickleball courts,

though trees will still provide plenty of

sun protection.

Reduce the amount of expensive-to-

install and expensive-to-maintain rubber-

ized surfaces for the children’s play area.

Refurbish existing furnishings, such as

pool chairs and add new ones only after

the project is complete and as future

budgets allow.

Drop the plans for a fire pit because

needed safety technology does not exist

yet.

Keep existing grading instead of adding

new boulders.

Changes to the Recreation Center Park

(105th Street) plans include:

Drop a tire swing.

Drop four commercial grade pool um-

brellas.

Reduce the amount of flagstone paving.

Reduce the amount of expensive-to-

install and expensive-to-maintain rubber-

ized surfaces for the children’s play area.

Drop plans for a fire pit.

Some of the items could be added back if

other savings are found. The project probably

won’t start until January, depending on win-

ter rains, and may be finished by April.

CASY Preschool Opens Many residents have probably heard of CASY

Preschool, which used to be located on Cac-

tus Road near the 101 Freeway, but did you

know they relocated to the old KinderCare in

the Desert Canyon Center? That’s right, the

new owners of CASY upgraded the interiors

of the old preschool and opened during the

last week of August.

CASY, which stands for Creative Arts School

for Youth, had to leave its old property be-

cause the owners wanted to build homes at

the location, according to co-owner Bob

Filmer. With the addition of CASY and the

soon-to-open Primrose School of North


Scottsdale, the Ranch area will be going from

no preschools to two this year. We hope to

have more information about both schools in

the November issue.

Yes, Flo’s Is Still Open When we posted on our Facebook page that

Flo’s Asian restaurant by AJ’s Fine Foods was

in Chapter 11, we saw a

huge surge in traffic, but

we also learned that

many people were con-

fused over what the filing

actually meant. First off,

let us reassure everyone that Flo’s is still

open for business and just rearranging its

debt. Basically, owner Florence “Flo” Chan

had taken out a loan to update her restaurants


(Continued from page 6) just as the Great Recession hit. As a result,

she closed down her DC Ranch location in

2008, but her restaurants near AJ’s and the

Promenade have done well all these years.

By filing for Chapter 11, Flo’s is able to pay

down the company’s debt under better fi-

nancial terms.

Mandarin Immersion Starts Desert Canyon Elementary School launched

its full Mandarin immersion program this fall

as the school promised it would last year.

Participating children spend half the day

learning math, science and the Chinese lan-

guage from a native speaker. The teachers

and students only speak in Mandarin during

that time. The rest of the day, students

study writing, reading and social studies

from an English-speaking teacher. Immer-

sion programs generally are more effective

at teaching a foreign language than just a

single hour a day. Parents, who signed up

enough immersion students to fill up two full

kindergarten classrooms, seem to agree.

Each year the program will grow into the

next grade level for students through DCES,

Desert Canyon Middle School and eventually

Desert Mountain High School.

FLW Road Work Nears End While a few of our friends are ready for the

construction along Frank Lloyd Wright Boule-




vard to be done, there is still more to come,

according the City of Scottsdale. The intersec-

tion of Frank Lloyd Wright and 92nd Street

will be closed to north-south traffic for about

two weeks starting on Sept. 11th and should

be open by Sept. 26th. Lanes will continue to

be closed or restricted from about 90th Street

to Via Linda. The overall project is expected to

be completed sometime in December. Go

here for the latest information: bit.ly/2wDiJZI

Resident Hikes Every Trail McDowell Mountain Ranch (MMR) resident

and Scottsdale Unified School District teacher

Kate Conway finished a 40-day hike that cov-

ered every trail mile in the 30,000-acre

McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Conway em-

barked on the hike to help raise funds to bat-

tle the Scottsdale Desert

Edge, which, if you’ve read

the rest of this newsletter,

may be built adjacent to the

Sonoran Preserve trailhead a

few blocks north of MMR.

Kate is also the secretary of

the anti-Desert Edge group

known as Protect Our Pre-

serve.

Chauncey Lane DMB Ventures began building

an entertainment complex

called Chauncey Lane. The

$25 million, 53,000-square-

foot development will be adja-

cent to luxury residences and

will include a restaurant, fit-

ness center and luxury retail-

ers just a block south of the

Whole Foods on Mayo Boule-

va rd. Const ruc t ion a t

Chauncey Lane and Scotts-

dale Road is expected to

begin before this summer

ends and should be finished by summer of

2018.

New Trailheads The Scottsdale City Council approved the use

of $27,100 for pre-construction work for the

Granite Mountain and Fraesfield trailheads in

the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The two

new trailheads will eventually include paved

entry, parking, equestrian staging, restrooms,

shade ramadas, interpretive displays and stor-

age for maintenance equipment.

Residents Plan Autism School McDowell Mountain Ranch moms Victoria

Lawrence and Sonia Bernaquez held an or-

ganizational meeting at the McDowell Com-

munity Center for their planned School for

Autism. We have to say that we were a bit

amazed at the number of residents who ex-

pressed interest in the meeting on our Face-

book page. Victoria confirms that there was

quite a lot of support and demand for the

school, which plans to open sometime in

2018. If you are interested in learning more,





Scott Reid, Realtor® Seniors Real Estate Specialist. SRES 602-625-9936 | [email protected]

www.mmrhomes.com

Downsizing by Design Total Solutions

for Downsizing

and Relocation

We coordinate your

moving process from

beginning to end

volunteering or getting on the mailing list, go

to their website at schoolforautism.org.

Bikers Getting Ready for Race By now you’ve probably noticed the packs of

bicycle riders zipping along Thompson Peak

Parkway and Bell Road. That’s because riders

are once again preparing for the Tour de

Scottsdale, which will roll through McDowell

Mountain Ranch starting at 6:30 a.m. on Sun-

day, Oct. 8th.

Like in previous years, cyclists can choose

between the 30-mile and 70-mile courses.

Both races are for beginners and serious bike

riders. It doesn’t matter if you coast along on

a beach cruiser, dominate the road with a

mountain bike or ride a high-speed racer.

Both rides start at DC Ranch’s Market Street,

but they’ll end at different locations. Remem-

ber, the 70-mile race wraps around our com-

munity by zipping up Thompson Peak, then

east on McDowell Mountain Road before

riders curve around the Ranch and head north

back up Thompson Peak. (See map.)

There still are opportunities to volunteer for

the event, which is sponsored by and bene-

fits the nonprofit McDowell Sonoran Conserv-

ancy. To participate, go here to register:

bit.ly/1hOJubo

Some Nasty Crashes In late July, there were a series of truly awful

traffic accidents around and on the 101 Free-

way making it difficult to get in and out of our

community during the evening rush hour.

We do our best here to immediately post

about these events for your benefit on our

Facebook page here: facebook.com/

mmrhomes


We can also use your help. If you know that

traffic is seriously fouled up somewhere near McDowell Mountain Ranch, send us an

email to [email protected].

10 Helene’s MMR Real Estate Newsletter | September-October 2017

RESALE ACTIVITY AT THE RANCH

OUR STUFF - Although the listings and transactions shown in this publication

involve a variety of organizations and agents, you’ll note that all of our Team’s list-

ings and sales are printed in BOLD BLUE TYPE and UNDERLINED.

HOMES CURRENTLY FOR SALE

Address Subdivision Model Price Sq ft Br Gar Pool

16420 N TPP #2131 Cachet Heritage $274,900 1338 2 1 N

16150 N 102nd Way Discovery Trails Cholla $315,000 1093 2 2 N

16600 N TPP #1077 The Ridge Legacy $365,900 1890 2+Den 2 N

15739 N 102nd St Arizona Vintage Zinfandel $380,000 1604 3 2 N

14915 N 103rd Way The Preserve Avalon $395,000 1702 3 2 N

16420 N TPP #2013 Cachet Monarch $399,900 1659 3 2 N

10610 E Betony Dr Panorama Point Mariposa $449,900 1963 4 2 N

10470 E Karen Dr The Preserve Brisas $453,000 2132 4 2 N

10372 E Caribbean Ln Discovery Canyon Mtn View $459,000 2268 4+Loft 2 N

10841 E Betony Dr Castle Chase Windsor $465,000 1936 3 2 N

14780 N 115th St Sunrise Point Sierra $469,000 2043 3 2 N

16539 N 105th St Arizona Highlands Estrella $474,900 2024 3 3 N

14992 N 102nd St Discovery Canyon Mtn View $475,000 2197 5 2 Y

10382 E Hillery Dr The Preserve Brisas $485,000 2132 4 2 Y

10280 E Rosemary Ln Eagle Ridge #3343 $489,900 2084 4 3 Y

10881 E Salt Bush Dr Castle Chase Stirling $550,000 1782 2+Den 2 Y

16068 N 106th Way The Overlook Palo Verde $555,900 2421 4 3 Y

10686 E Rosemary Ln The Summit Aruba $560,000 2068 3+Den 3 N

10264 E Rosemary Ln Eagle Ridge #3355 $569,000 2933 5+Den 3 Y

16554 N 103rd Way Eagle Ridge #3343 $574,900 2084 4 3 N

10435 E Conieson Rd Sonoran Fairways Mesquite $598,500 2034 3+Den 2 Y

15703 N 102nd Way Panorama Point Ironwood $599,000 2711 4 3 N

10333 E Acoma Dr Sunset Point #2787 $599,000 2797 4+Loft 3 Y

10531 Salt Bush Dr The Overlook Ironwood $599,900 2814 5 2 Y

14620 N 103rd Way Sunset Point #2787 $620,000 3064 4+Loft 3 Y

10357 E Pine Valley Dr Sunset Point #3097 $629,000 3064 4 3 N

10366 E Bahia Dr Eagle Ridge #3354 $629,900 2287 4 3 Y

10830 E Jasmine Dr Armonico Tierra $639,900 2413 4 3 Y

10674 E Blanche Dr Cimarron Hills Montoro $649,900 2623 3 2 Y

10824 E Bahia Dr Armonico Montana $655,000 2995 4+Den 3 Y

11465 E Blanche Dr Cimarron Ridge Valencia $660,000 2398 3 3 Y

16622 N 108th St Armonico Montana $669,000 2994 4 3 Y

11108 Winchcomb Dr Sienna Canyon Catalina $679,000 2738 4 3 Y

16466 N 108th Pl Armonico Montana $679,000 2994 4 3 Y

10631 Tierra Buena Ln The Overlook Ironwood $695,000 2613 4 3 Y

10382 Acacia Dr Montecito Santa Barbara $695,000 2770 4+Den 3 Y

10634 E Sheena Dr Sonoran Fairways Cholla $725,000 3466 4+Loft 3 Y

10609 E Raintree Dr Desert Cliffs #6085 $734,900 3509 5+Den 3 Y

11171 E Beck Ln Cimarron Hills Laredo $740,000 2787 4 3 Y

10602 E Blanche Dr Cimarron Hills Sevilla $742,000 2823 4 3 Y

14151 N 107th St Sienna Canyon La Palma $749,900 2936 4 3 N

10646 E Butherus Dr Desert Cliffs #6085 $760,000 3509 4+Loft 3 Y

16522 N 109th St Vermillion Cliffs #932-5 $765,000 3597 5 3 Y

10703 Palm Ridge Dr Sienna Canyon Talavera $774,900 3801 5 3 Y

10996 E Karen Dr Cimarron Hills Montilla $847,900 3749 4+Den 3 N

16215 N 109th Way Trovas Medici $889,000 4205 3+Den 3 N

10983 E Bahia Dr Trovas Medici $930,000 4065 4+Den 3 Y



REAL ESTATE PULL-OUT SECTION


cepting that this is no longer a loan of “last

resort.”

Rob indicates that the biggest hurdle he

REAL ESTATE PULLOUT SECTION

Home Sweet Home If your childhood was anything like mine,

moving was a rare occurrence. My family

and I lived in our home from the time I

was 7 until well after high school. Moreo-

ver, I don’t recall anyone “on my block”

moving during that period either. Howev-

er, when I came to Arizona in 1997, it

seemed that moving every three to five

years was the norm. In fact, our team has

represented some customers on a number

of occasions, as they traded up or down or

from one community in MMR to the next.

Interestingly, there seems to be another

behavioral shift taking place right now.

More often than not, the folks we general-

ly classify as seniors are staying in their

homes rather than relocating and trading

down. That’s important because people

between the ages of 55 and 74 now com-

prise 21% of the population, up considera-

bly from 1985 when they accounted for

just 16% of the total. A survey conducted

by Realtor.com found that homeownership

among this group is at 78%, or about 33

million properties, and that the vast majori-

ty, 85%, like where they are and have no

plans to sell their home in the next year.

That’s one of the key reasons why the

number of homes currently for sale is at a

20-year low. When asked why they had

no plans to sell or move, most respond-

ents indicated that they were happy where

they are and that their home meets their

needs.

When you think about it, rising home pric-

es and our surprisingly stable economy,

coupled with the desire to be near family,

friends and in a community that people are

comfortable and familiar with, it’s no mys-

tery why people are staying in their homes

longer than in years past.

Best-Selling Realtors and McDowell Mountain Ranch

Specialists for over 20 years! Call Us Today for a Confidential Consultation

Regarding Your Housing Needs.

[email protected] • Visit Us Online at www.MMRHOMES.com RE/MAX FINE PROPERTIES • 21000 N. PIMA RD, SUITE 100

SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85255 • (480) 563-3333 • (888) 471-9500

That brings us to the subject of aging in place

and taking some advantage of the home eq-

uity that’s been accumulated over the years.

Over 70,000 people turn 62 in this country

every week and more and more of those

Baby Boomers are opting to tap into the $6.3

trillion of unused equity in their homes with a

reverse mortgage. So we reached out to Rob

Kanyur, a Certified Reverse Mortgage Plan-

ner with Fairway Independent Mortgage Cor-

poration in Scottsdale, to help explain just

how it works.

I’ll confess that I was skeptical about the

value of Reverse Mortgages until I began

looking into them as an option for my mom.

Rob was respectful of my concerns and of-

fered studies conducted at Boston College’s

Center of Retirement Research which

showed that the two main culprits for not

using Reverse Mortgages are lack of under-

standing and fear.

Actually, Rob had a similar revelation about

the program and that's why, after having

worked in the traditional mortgage industry

for 18 years, he now focuses solely on this

type of financing. He said Reverse Mortgag-

es are the hot thing in the financial planning

world and that advisers and CPA’s are ac-

MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES

Conforming* Loans

30 Year…….3.672%

15 Year …...2.827%

5 Year ARM.…3.375%

7 Year ARM…3.375%

10 Year ARM.….3.819%

Jumbo* Loans

30 Year…….3.792%

15 Year …...3.562%

5 Year ARM……3.375%

7 Year ARM……3.500%

10 Year ARM….3.625%

Rates effective 8/30/2017

Fees vary by lender

All loans have Zero Points

*In Scottsdale, Conforming refers to loans

up to $424,100 and Jumbo to larger amounts

Call Your Lender for Current

Quotes!



A Few of Our Current Listings…...

The Preserve

14915 N 103rd Way

3BR/2BA 1,702 SF

A Blank Canvas Priced to Sell!

Kitchen w/Center Island & Break-

fast Bar. Private Corner Lot. 2CG!

$395,000

Discovery Trails

16150 N 102nd Way

2BR/2BA 1,093 SF

Popular Great Room Floor Plan w/

Spacious Backyard! Maple Cabs,

Ceramic Tile, Gas Fireplace! 2CG!

$315,000

Eagle Ridge

10359 E Rosemary Drive

4BR/2BA 2,597 SF

Backs to Wash w/Mountain Views

& Pebble Tec Pool! Granite Coun-

ters & Stainless Appliances! 3CG!

$565,000

Montecito

10382 E Acacia Drive

4BR+DEN/2.5BA 2,780 SF

Backs to Wash w/Mountain Views,

Built-In BBQ, Sparkling Pebble Tec

Pool+Spa! Granite Counters. 3CG!

$695,000

Grayhawk

20121 N 76th St #1059

3BR/2BA 1,615 SF

Gated Ground Floor Unit w/Great

Room Floor Plan, Gas Fplc, 24” Tile

Floors, Heated Comm Pool & Spa!

$314,900

And Some of Our Team’s Recent Sales….

Cachet

16240 N TPP #1063

3BR/2BA 1,659 SF

Gated Great Room Plan with Hard-

wood & Ceramic Tile Flrs! Comm

Pool, Spa & Fitness Facility! 2CG!

$350,000

Sienna Canyon

10914 E Gelding Drive

5+Den/Loft/4BA 3,800 SF

On Cul-de-Sac Street w/Mountain

Views and a Heated Diving Pebble

Tec Pool & Spa! 1st Floor Master!

$745,000

Arizona Highlands

16756 N 106th Street

3BR+DEN/2BA 2,361 SF

Corner Lot on C-D-S Street w/Mtn

Views, Heated Pebble Tec Pool &

Spa. Granite Countertops & 2CG!

$545,000

Armonico

10825 E Jasmine Drive

4+DEN/3BA 2,994 SF

Great Room Floor Plan on Corner

Lot w/Mtn Views, Built-In BBQ &

Htd Pebble Tec Pool & Spa! 3CG!

$699,000

Desert Cliffs 10805 E Raintree Drive

3BR+DEN/2BA 2,351 SF

Popular Split Plan in a Gated Com-

munity w/Mountain and City Light

Views! Cozy Fireplace & Lap Pool!

$530,000

The Overlook

10531 E Salt Bush Drive

5BR/3BA 2,814 SF

Camelback Mountain Views! Htd

Pool w/Wtrfl, Built-In BBQ, Firepit,

Putting Green & View Deck. 2CG!

$599,900

The Preserve

15228 N 104th Place

4BR/3BA 2,132SF

On C-D-S w/Grassy Backyard! Tile

Floors & Neutral Carpeting, Vault-

ed Ceilings & Downstairs BR! 2CG!

$1,995/Month

http://www.mmr-homes.com/homelistings_details.asp?id=2672











Featured Home


has to overcome is the emotional satisfac-

tion that comes with owning your home

“free and clear“ by the time you retire.

However, he believes that once homeown-

ers are educated about how the Reverse

Mortgage truly works, logic and practicality

will supersede emotion nine times out of

ten.

There are a few basic caveats that must be

followed in order to apply. At least one

homeowner must be 62 years or older. The

home must be your primary residence —

defined as being occupied for six months

plus one day. And all borrowers must meet

with a HUD approved reverse mortgage

counselor.

The payout options on the reverse mort-

gage include a lump sum which could be a

fixed-rate loan (if you wish) or that same

lump sum, a line of credit or a regular month-

ly payout as part of an adjustable rate mort-

gage.

The line of credit option allows you to draw

on your loan at the times and in the amounts

that you choose while only being charged

interest on the amount of money you with-

draw. The line of credit option also features

credit line growth. The amount that you can

borrow can increase over time. The growth

applies to the unused funds remaining in your

credit line. The less you take out up front, the

more you will be able to borrow later.

If your preference is a monthly payout, there

are two choices available, “tenure” and

“term.” The tenure option allows you to re-

ceive a monthly payout from your lender as

long as you maintain the mortgage. The

monthly term option is similar, but you only

receive the monthly payout for a fixed num-(Continued on page 14)

(Continued from page 11) ber of years and the amount could be high-

er. Rob will be happy to explain this to you.

REVERSE MORTGAGE MYTHS

There have traditionally been some con-

cerns associated with the Reverse Mort-

gage but Rob assures us that the myths

outlined below and on the following page

are, in fact, untrue.

Myth #1: The lender will own my home.

FACT: You and your heirs retain ownership.

The lender’s interest is limited to the loan

balance and they will NEVER take control of

title.

Myth #2: I will owe money if the loan ex-

ceeds the value of my home.

FACT: A reverse mortgage is a non-

recourse loan, meaning that you can NEVER

Gated Community! Castle Chase

10841 E Betony Dr 3BR/2BA 1,936 SF

Located in a Gated Community,

this Beautiful Split Floor Plan

Features a Spacious Kitchen

with Stonite Counters, Stainless

Steel Appliances, Center Island

with Pendant Lighting & Break-

fast Bar that Opens to the Fami-

ly Room with Built-In Art and

Entertainment Niches. Recently

Remodeled! Wood and Ceramic

Tile Flooring and Granite Bath-

room Countertops. Energy Effi-

cient Block Construction! Enjoy

the Private Rec Center with it’s

Heated Pool, Spa and Fitness

Room! Call Me @ 480-563-3333

before it’s gone!

$465,000



owe more than your home’s value, regard-

less of the loan balance.

Myth #3: My loan terms will change if my

loan is sold.

FACT: The terms of your loan can NEVER

change. At closing you sign legal docu-

ments, ensuring that your loan’s terms can-

not change.

Myth #4: My heirs will be burdened.

FACT: You can repay the loan by selling or

by refinancing. Upon passing, all remaining

equity belongs to your heirs/estate. They will

have 6 months (sometimes as long as 1

year) to repay the reverse mortgage.

Myth #5: My SS/SSI, Medicare/Medicaid

benefits will be affected.

FACT: A reverse mortgage does NOT affect

these or most other means-tested benefits.

Myth #6: I must be in good health to qualify.

FACT: There are no health requirements.

Myth #7: I must be debt free to qualify.

FACT: You can still qualify if you have an

existing mortgage or other home-related

debt. However, the proceeds of the reverse

mortgage must be used to pay off those

debts.

Myth #8: I will owe more in income taxes.

FACT: Reverse mortgage proceeds are tax

free because they are considered borrowed

funds.

REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS

We asked Rob to provide us with some real

life scenarios and it turned out that his in-


Sales By Price Range (January-August 2017)

Price Range # Sold Avg Price Avg SF DOM $/SF % Change

Up to $299,999 7 $267,214 1,381 90 $193.53 -1.44%

$300,000 - $399,999 27 $352,536 1,641 69 $214.86 -2.14%

$400,000 - $499,999 35 $451,882 1.911 76 $236.44 5.16%

$500,000 - $599,999 26 $571,890 2,401 86 $238.17 10.74%

$600,000 - $699,999 18 $653,500 2,699 86 $242.09 8.21%

$700,000 - $799,999 14 $737,779 3,175 152 $232,37 5.49%

$800,000 - $899,999 9 $845,000 3,358 77 $251.61 3.75%

$900,000 - $999,999 3 $935,667 3,526 74 $265.36 8.43%

Over $1,000,000 15 $1,292,500 4,210 153 $307.02 1.77%

The Ranch 154 $606,451 2,454 92 $247.15 5.89%

laws have a reverse mortgage. If that isn’t an

excellent testimonial, I don’t know what is!

Here’s Rob’s personal story in his own

words — My suggestion that my in-laws take

out a Reverse Mortgage on their almost free-

and-clear home met with some resistance

and suspicion at first. However, once I ex-

plained how the new and improved FHA Re-

verse Mortgage could create more cash flow

for them every month, potentially reduce

their tax obligations and that they could nev-

er owe more than the house was worth, they

were all ears. I also explained to my in-laws

that studies conducted out of Texas Tech

University proved time and time again that

taking out the Reverse Mortgage at age 62

rather than age 82 actually created more of a

legacy for their heirs. This is due in part to

the reverse mortgage line of credit, which is

guaranteed by FHA to grow every year.

Other clients, Bill and Dolores, elected to use

the Reverse Mortgage to purchase their for-

ever home. We essentially increased their

buying power by 2½ times. They were able

to buy a home in North Scottsdale close to

friends and family and they have no monthly

mortgage payment. By utilizing the Reverse

Mortgage, they avoided having to pay cash

and depleting their retirement nest egg.

Taking out a traditional mortgage at their age

made absolutely no sense either since they

would be paying hundreds of thousands of

dollars in interest over the course of that

type of loan.

Since borrowers are not required to pay

back the loan until the home is sold or oth-

erwise vacated, their monthly payment

obligations cease. As long as the borrower

(s) live in the home, they are not required to

make any monthly payments towards the

loan balance. The borrower must however,

remain current on property taxes, home-

owners insurance, etc.

If living in the home you love, not having to

make a mortgage payment and/or having

better cash flow for retirement appeals to

you, then you owe it to yourself to call Rob

at 602-361-1587 or 602-REVERSE. All HUD

counseling sessions must be ordered by

Sept. 29th to be eligible for the current re-

verse mortgage parameters before they

change. Act now. You worked hard for that

home equity, now let it work for you!

Our thanks to Rob Kanyur, Reverse Mort-

gage Planner at Fairway Independent Mort-

gage, for contributing this article. Rob is

also an instructor at the Arizona School of

Real Estate & Business and can be heard

on KFNN 1510am Money Talk Radio with

Sinclair Noe.

CONSIDER THIS!

Now that you have a better understand-

ing of how a Reverse Mortgage works,

why not put it to use?

This tool could offer the perfect oppor-

tunity to buy the vacation home you al-

ways dreamed of or an investment prop-

erty that could bring you additional cash

flow! Call Us at 480-563-3333

SF = square feet

$/SF = Average sales price per square foot

DOM = Days on Market

% Change = the change in the value per square foot

since 8/31/2016

Things are Looking Up!

We’ve had some nice appreciation so far

this year (see adjacent chart), of almost

6%. It’s interesting to note that much of

the increase seems to be concentrated in

the $500-700,000 area. This is quite proba-

bly the result of increased fluidity in the

pre-retirement marketplace. Baby Boom-

ers are headed our way once again. Ap-

proximately 4.2 million made a move last

year.

THE KEY


RESALE ACTIVITY AT THE RANCH (CONTINUED)

*UNDER CONTRACT-ACCEPTING BACKUPS (UCB) Indicates that

there’s an accepted contract on the property, but the sellers have request-

ed that the home continue to be marketed in hopes of getting backup of-

fers. As a practical matter, these listings receive little, if any, attention with-

in the real estate community. However, when inventory grows very scarce

(as it is now), there’s a possibility that they might draw some interest.

PENDING, UCB * & CBBS** TRANSACTIONS



16600 N TPP #1014 The Ridge Legacy $329,900 1892 2+Den 2 N

10486 E Raintree Dr The Preserve Palomino $359,000 1358 2+Den 2 N

10146 Morning Star Dr Arizona Vintage Zinfandel $395,000 1604 3 2 N

10353 E Raintree Dr The Preserve Brisas $419,000 2132 4 2 N

10353 E Karen Dr Discovery Canyon Mtn View $498,500 2268 4+Den 2 Y

10423 E Texas Sage Ln The Preserve Avalon $499,000 1702 3 2 Y

10473 Star of the Desert Discovery Trails Highline $525,000 2197 4+Loft 2 Y

14881 N 102nd St Discovery Canyon Skyview $525,000 2364 4+Den 2 Y

16756 N 106th St Arizona Highlands Santana $545,000 2361 3+Den 2 Y

16047 N 108th St Castle Chase Carlisle $550,000 1678 2+Den 2 Y

10751 E Caribbean Ln Cimarron Hills Valencia $599,000 2369 3 2 N

10565 E Cosmos Cir Arizona Highlands Santan $650,000 2361 5 2 Y

10856 E Bahia Dr Armonico Tierra $670,000 2413 4 3 Y

15367 N 107th Pl Cimarron Hills La Jolla $695,000 2310 3 2 Y

10825 E Jasmine Dr Armonico Montana $699,000 2994 4+Den 3 Y

10832 E Bahia Dr Armonico Montana $725,000 2994 4+Den 3 Y

10967 E Greenway Rd Cimarron Hills Laredo $750,000 2788 4 3 Y

10674 E Butherus Dr Desert Cliffs #6090 $764,900 3924 4+Den 3 Y

10827 E Butherus Dr Desert Cliffs #6090 $815,000 3924 5+Den 3 Y

14175 N 109th St Sienna Canyon Talavera $850,000 3801 5+Den 3 Y

11047 E Verbena Ln Trovas Dante $948,000 3297 3+Den 3 Y

13944 N 110th St Sonoran Estates Saguaro $1,395,000 4422 4+Den 3 Y

HOMES CURRENTLY FOR SALE


14116 N 109th St Sienna Canyon Talavera $955,000 4098 6+Den 2 Y

11416 Autumn Sage Dr Cimarron Ridge Escalante $965,000 3377 4+Den 3 Y

11511 E Caribbean Ln Cimarron Ridge Montilla $1,055,000 3984 3+Den 3 Y

11540 E Caribbean Ln Cimarron Ridge Montilla $1,199,900 4098 4+Den 3 Y

11368 E Winchcomb Dr Sonoran Estates Sabino $1,279,000 3933 5 3 Y

11397 E Betony Dr 100 Hills Cardona $1,750,000 5266 4+Den 3 Y

16022 N 113th Way 100 Hills Custom $1,799,000 5498 5+Den 3 Y

11505 E Penstamin Dr 100 Hills Custom $2,425,000 6925 4 4 Y

CLOSED SALES IN JULY & AUGUST



16420 N TPP #1002 Cachet Legacy $315,000 1737 2+Den 2 N

16420 N TPP #1022 Cachet Legacy $331,000 1737 2+Den 2 N

16420 N TPP #1063 Cachet Monarch $350,000 1686 3 2 N



** CCBS The Arizona Regional Multiple Listing System has

created a new sub-status of “Active” called CCBS (Contract

Contingent on Buyer Sale). Like the UCB status, CCBS indicates

that there is an accepted contract on the property, but the sellers wish to

obtain backup offers. However, it also explicitly indicates that the contract they

have accepted is contingent on the buyer selling their current property.

CLOSED SALES IN JULY & AUGUST


10289 E Karen Dr Discovery Canyon Catalina $385,000 1504 3 2 N

14960 N 102nd St Discovery Canyon Scenic $385,000 1837 4 2 N

16028 N 102nd Pl Arizona Vintage Zinfandel $390,000 1604 3 2 N

10516 E Firewheel Dr The Overlook Mesquite $405,000 1972 3+Den 2 N

15963 N 102nd Pl Arizona Vintage Chablis $415,000 2211 3+Den 2 Y

10459 E Hillery Dr The Preserve Avalon $443,000 1702 3 2 Y

15240 N 104th Pl The Preserve Brisas $460,000 2132 4 2 Y

10883 E Le Marche Dr Castle Chase Helmsley $475,000 1681 3 2 N

10782 Salt Bush Dr Castle Chase Helmsley $501,000 1903 2+Den 2 N

10444 E Raintree Dr The Preserve Brisas $520,000 2132 4 2 Y

10805 E Raintree Dr Desert Cliffs #6040 $530,000 2351 3+Den 3 Y

10543 Tierra Buena Ln The Overlook Palo Verde $537,000 2421 4 3 N

15989 N 106th Way The Overlook Mesquite $544,000 1972 3+Den 3 y

10399 E Rosemary Ln Eagle Ridge #3344 $545,000 2367 3+Den 2 Y

10602 E Conieson Rd Sonoran Fairways Mesquite $555,000 2058 3 2 Y

10359 E Rosemary Eagle Ridge #3374 $565,000 2597 4+Den 3 Y

11285 E Helm Dr Sunrise Point Estrella $575,000 1792 2+Den 2 N

11001 E Betony Dr 100 Hills Montoro $575,000 2638 2+Den 2 N

10696 E Penstamin Dr The Overlook Ironwood $590,000 2818 4 2 Y

11470 E Blanche Dr Cimarron Ridge Valencia $625,500 2393 3 2 Y

10676 E Caribbean Ln Cimarron Hills Valencia $640,000 2369 3 2 N

10866 E Verbena Ln Armonico Montana $670,000 2994 4 3 Y

16024 N 111th Pl 100 Hills La Jolla $685,000 2387 3 2 N

15348 N 106th Pl Cimarron Hills Sevilla $695,000 2678 4 2 Y

16606 N 104th Way The Summit Molokai $719,000 2682 5+Den 3 Y

14075 N 106th Pl Sonoran Fairways Cholla $735,000 3466 4+Loft 3 Y

10914 E Gelding Dr Sienna Canyon Talavera $745,000 3801 5+Loft 3 Y

10841 E Jasmine Dr Armonico Ladera $808,800 3596 5 3 Y

10948 E Cosmos Cir Trovas Verona $815,000 2826 4 3 Y

16674 N 111th St Trovas Alessi $823,000 3000 4+Den 3 Y

11510 E Mirasol Cir 100 Hills Malaga $1,110,000 4378 3+Den 3 Y

11429 E Betony Dr 100 Hills Custom $2,340,000 6582 5+Den 5 Y

PENDING RENTALS AS OF AUGUST


16420 N TPP #1094 Cachet Legacy $1,725 1737 2 2 N

10481 Star of the Desert Discovery Trails Sabino $1,925 1622 3 2 N

10417 E Hillery Dr The Preserve Brisas $1,950 2132 4 2 N

10429 E Texas Sage Ln The Preserve Brisas $2,095 2132 4 2 N

10410 E Morning Star Dr Panorama Point Ocotillo $2,350 2342 4+Den 3 N

10557 E Cosmos Cir Arizona Highlands Catalina $2,545 2646 4 3 Y

10838 E Palm Ridge Dr Sienna Canyon Talavera $3,495 3801 5+Loft 3 Y

Advertise With Us Be seen

Our readers spend more time reading our newsletter.

Call 480-889-8710

or email us at

[email protected]

AVAILABLE RENTALS



10308 Star of the Desert Arizona Vintage Zinfandel $1,790 1603 3 2 N

14960 N 102nd St Discovery Canyon Scenic $1,950 1837 4 2 N

15228 N 104th Pl The Preserve Brisas $1,995 2132 4 2 N

14851 N 103rd St The Preserve Avalon $1,995 1702 3 2 N



RENTAL INSIGHTS – Rentals have been doing well for a number of years. The

average price per square foot for an unfurnished home is now at $1.23 versus

$1.13 for all of 2016. That’s up over 9% and the average days on the market are

just 36. Please call us if you are interested in renting out your home.

AVAILABLE RENTALS


10307 E Caribbean Ln Discovery Canyon Scenic $1,999 1837 4 2 N

11485 E Pine Valley Rd Sunrise Point Sierra $2,150 2083 2+Den 2 N

10380 E Caribbean Ln Discovery Canyon Skyview $2,500 2268 5+Loft 3 N

11473 E Blanche Dr Cimarron Ridge La Jolla $2,900 2293 3 2 N

10559 Tierra Buena Ln The Overlook Ironwood $2,900 2818 4+Den 2 Y

10686 E Rosemary Ln The Summit Aruba $3,000 2068 3+Den 3 N

10556 E Firewheel Dr The Overlook Ironwood $3,000 2820 5+Den 2 Y

15037 N 114th Way Cimarron Ridge Valencia $3,150 2397 3+Den 2 Y

10960 E Kora Ln Cimarron Hills Escalante $3,400 3375 4+Den 3 Y

11135 E Greenway Rd Cimarron Hills Escalante $3,500 3375 4+Den 3 Y

CLOSED RENTALS IN JULY & AUGUST*


10289 Star of the Desert Arizona Vintage Bordeaux $1,695 1478 3 2 N

10338 E Saltillo Dr Discovery Trails Sabino $1,800 1622 3 2 N

11484 E Pine Valley Rd Sunrise Point Acacia $1,895 1886 3 2 N

10377 Star of the Desert Arizona Vintage Chablis $1,900 2316 3+Den 2 N

10454 E Texas Sage Ln The Preserve Brisas $2,000 2132 4 2 N

14949 N 104th Pl The Preserve Brisas $2,000 2132 3 2 N

10297 E Karen Dr Discovery Canyon Scenic $2,100 1837 3+Den 2 Y

10602 E Morning Star Dr Panorama Point Mariposa $2,150 1963 4 2 N

10292 E Caribbean Ln Discovery Canyon Sunrise $2,200 1546 3 2 N

10453 E Hillery Dr The Preserve Brisas $2,295 2132 4 2 N

16738 N 106th St Arizona Highlands Santan $2,450 2350 3+Den 3 N

10462 E Helm Dr Sunset Point #1908 $2,500 2114 3+Den 2 N

10608 E Firewheel Dr The Overlook Palo Verde $2,500 2421 4 3 N

10437 E Helm Dr Sunset Point #1855 $2,695 1849 4 2 Y

10697 E Le Marche Dr The Overlook Ocotillo $2,700 1770 4 2 Y

16325 N 106th Pl The Summit Aruba $2,800 2130 3+Den 2 Y

10431 E Sheena Dr Sonoran Fairways Cholla $2,850 3466 4+Den 3 N

16433 N 106th Pl The Summit Molokai $3,150 2682 5 2 Y

16484 N 108th Pl Armonico Montana $3,200 2994 4+Den 3 Y

16589 N 109th St Vermillion Cliffs #923 $3,300 2858 3+Den 3 Y

10959 E Kora Ln Cimarron Hills Laredo $3,500 2787 4 3 Y

10853 E Verbena Ln Armonico Montana $3,600 2994 4+Den 3 Y

10730 E Ludlow Dr Sonoran Estates Santana $3,950 3658 4+Den 3 Y

14844 N 110th Way Mirador Solana $4,100 3108 3 3 Y


THE DESERT EDGE (CONTINUED)

ings would take a look at the area’s biodiver-

sity, offer a virtual reality display of how a

desert wash works, reveal how mountains

impact the region, and investigate the rela-

tionship between the desert and city edges.

Arizona State University’s new Global Dry-

lands Institute would serve as a research

center on the site. ASU believes that the

9,045-square-foot facility would attract world-

class researchers and students to the Edge.

One way that Desert Edge project designers

reduced the footprint of the proposed experi-

ence center was to move administrative

buildings and 200 additional parking spots

offsite. Although a second location has not

yet been identified, everyone from city offi-

cials to the project planners point to city

property either on the north or south side of

Bell Road.

By the way, the term “project designers”

refers to the Desert Discovery Center Scotts-

dale, an organization that the city hired to

create the project plans and probably man-

age the construction of Desert Edge.

While the offsite location will be used to

handle overflow and bus parking, the project

plan calls for increasing the number of availa-

ble parking spots at the Gateway parking lot

by 544 spaces. In fairness to the city, most

of those parking spots were pre-planned and

would have been made available as the num-

ber of visitors to the park increased.

On the other hand, a Scottsdales city staff

member reports that the change at Gateway,

which is the name used for the hikers, bikers

and equestrians who visit the current facility,

will impact a total of 14.68 acres. This in-

cludes opening up those previously men-

tioned parking spaces and finding a new

home for the equestrian side of the park,

which would be displaced by Desert Edge.

Because we’re guessing that you don’t have

time to go through all the material published

by the project’s organizers, we decided to

distill eight reports totaling 773 pages into

the more easily digestible format below:

What is the Desert Edge? If approved, the Desert Edge would consist

of several buildings on a 5.34-acre site just at

the southern edge of the McDowell Sonoran

Preserve Gateway. For those new to

McDowell Mountain Ranch, that is just north

of Bell Road on the east side of Thompson

Peak Parkway.

While the word EDGE is an acronym for En-

counters, Discovery, Global and Education,

the original name for the project was the

Desert Discovery Center or DDC. The idea is

to provide a place for those who are not

hikers, bikers or horseback riders a way to

learn about and observe the Sonoran Desert.

The Edge would provide a desert experience

for families, school children, seniors and the

handicapped. Also, Scottsdale has long

sought another major tourist draw for winter

visitors and reportedly promised such a facil-

ity in exchange for support of the Preserve.

The onsite buildings will include an indoor

360-degree theater, a research center for

Arizona State University, a number of exhib-

its, a small café, outdoor vistas and a gift

shop. There will be additional buildings and

exhibits, putting about 47,586 square feet

under some kind of air-conditioned roof,

though there is debate about how the pro-

ject’s size should be calculated.

Regardless, the overall footprint of the De-

sert Edge inside the Preserve is smaller than

the 72,000-square-foot version proposed in

2010-11. At this point, we have no idea how

big the proposed offsite building along Bell

Road might be.

How Will This Impact MMR? There will be the obvious short-term impacts

such as the construction process, which will

bring both jobs and equipment generally

used for moving vegetation, grading sites,

installing infrastructure and erecting build-

Some Numbers

Edge acreage: 5.34

Indoor space: 47,586 square feet

Café space: 2,043 square feet

ASU Drylands Institute space: 9,045

square feet

Gift shop space: 1,094 square feet

Expected project cost: $61 million

Estimated annual visitors: 300,000

Adult fee: $17.50 (Free once a month &

on birthdays for Scottsdale residents.)




ings. But in the long term, we could see a

change in property values – up or down – and

if the estimates are accurate, roughly

300,000 visitors a year.

What Happens to Traffic? We’ve been told that traffic will not be signifi-

cantly altered because there would only be a

1,317 increase in vehicles per day, or

480,705 per year. The peak change would be

about 192 more trips in the morning with 240

during evening rush hour, according to a re-

port by Kimley-Horn. These are averages, of

course, with higher traffic loads in the cooler

months than the summer.

Still, there is no denying that large buses may

eventually traverse Bell Road and Thompson

Peak Parkway, which may alter the feel of

our immediate community. In addition, the

buses will drop visitors off at the Desert

Edge, drive back to the offsite location and

then return for pick up.

If the project is built, the city is expected to

approve a stoplight at East Windgate Ranch

Road, Thompson Peak Parkway and Carla

Way. Also, an entrance-only driveway would

be added just south of Carla Way to make

room for incoming buses. Buses and cars

would then exit out Carla Way.

That’s not the only change we may see on

the traffic front. We announced in our July

edition that the city is planning to upgrade

the stoplight at Thompson Peak Parkway and

Bell Road. While other factors, such as 29

accidents in three years, are driving that deci-

sion, Kimley-Horn agrees that lights at the

intersection should get an upgrade to accom-

modate the Desert Edge.

What About Nighttime Usage? The plan to allow 60 events a year may be

one of the biggest sources of consternation

outside the cost and more obvious environ-


Former Scottsdale Mayor

Sam Campana has been

leading the project for the

Desert Edge.

Swaback Partner and

Architect John E. Sather

designed the buildings for

the Desert Edge.

Wellington “Duke” Reiter,

is an ASU Senior Advisor

and is the university’s

liaison on the project.

Tom Hennes is the found-

er of Thinc, the organiza-

tion tasked with the De-

sert Edge’s exhibits.

Key Desert Edge Players

mental impacts the Desert Edge would make

on the Preserve. In fact, just before we went

to print, The McDowell Sonoran Preserve

Commission seemed pretty concerned that

the plan allows for these events to end at 9

p.m. at night as well as allowing alcohol to be

consumed. Caterers, volunteers and staff can

stay as late as 10 p.m. for cleanup after

events.

Although we’ve heard multiple residents and

officials say that one event a week isn’t too

bad, we should point out that most of the

events would be during the October to April

busy season, which would more realistically

amount to about two events per weekend.

DDCS officials took great pains to inform city

officials that the events would not be wed-

dings and parties, but instead focus on aca-

demic and other, more sober events. Also,

event nighttime goers will be required to park

at the offsite location.

Although events must end by 9 p.m., we

don’t think that outgoing traffic at that time

will have much of an impact on MMR, but we

are pretty sure that Windgate Ranch resi-

dents will not be as thrilled with event-goers

tying up their main access point in and out of

the community with cars or buses.

Will the Preserve Still be Free? The short answer to this question is “yes.”

Parking and trail access will remain free,

though there may be competition for parking

Top: One of the

major exhibits

would be the Pod,

which is an in-

door 360-degree

theater. Yes, that

means an image

will also be pro-

jected on the

floor.

Left: This exhibit

reveals some of

the geologic

history of nearby

mountain ranges.





spaces if the Edge is particularly busy. That’s

why 544 additional parking spaces will be

made available in the Preserve. Also, DDCS

promises that new bathrooms accessible

from the Bajada trail will be free.

Scottsdale residents will also be allowed to

visit the Edge, which is expected to cost

$17.50 for adults and $11 for youth, for free

once a month and on birthdays. Access to

the café and gift shop will also be free.

How Will the Edge be Funded? The project proposal has been designed to

avoid new taxes. Instead, the money would

come from the existing Preserve tax, which

caused a great deal of concern for members

of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commis-

sion.

Until now, two sales taxes have mostly been

used to purchase the $1 billion Sonoran Pre-

serve, but there really isn’t more land the city

can affordably buy. Because of this, there has

been discussion that the remaining funds be

used to create an endowment for the long-

term care and maintenance of the Preserve.

But the Desert Edge plan calls for the remain-

ing tax funds, which are still being used to

build trailheads and paying down debt, to

help pay for the project. It was unclear

whether there would be enough funds to pay

for both the endowment and Desert Edge.

Other funding for the Desert Edge would

come from the city’s bed tax and the DDCS

would be responsible for raising 10 percent

of the funds needed to build the project.

Once the Desert Edge was complete, the

DDCS would have to raise $1.7 million annu-

ally to cover annual shortfalls of its $6.3 mil-

lion annual operating budget. ASU tells us

that while they will not contribute to the De-

sert Edge’s construction, they would pay to

outfit the Drylands Institute once completed.

What About Utilities? Power will be generated by solar collectors

that will double as shade structures. Water

and other utilities will be accessed from the

city. There will be a gray water collection

system and water vapor captured from air

conditioners will also be used.

What Are the Legal Issues? While we would love to get into the complex-

ities of city charters, MUMSP, state laws and

whatnot, we decided to avoid the legal stuff

with a 10-foot pole. We simply don’t have the

time, energy or space to follow this particular-

ly angle of the story at this time.

Above: This existing

maintenance building

would be enlarged

and repurposed for

ticketing and volun-

teers.

Left: This equestrian

trailhead is where

the Desert Edge

would be built if

approved. A new

equestrian access

point would be deter-

mined at a later date.

Project Votes Coming & Going Regardless of how you feel about the Desert Edge,

the decisions are being made now.

Votes that have already passed:

Development Review Board meeting. (3-2 Yes.)

McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission meet-

ing. (Voted to send meeting notes to Council.)

Planning Commission meeting: 5 p.m., Sept. 13

at City Hall Kiva.

Here are some upcoming meetings:

Tourism Development Commission meeting: 8

a.m., Sept. 19 at City Hall Kiva.

City Council Study Session: 4 p.m., Sept. 26 at

City Hall Kiva. (No vote will be taken.)

Go here for updates and additions: bit.ly/23qgoJZ (Continued on page 21)




Above: This is what

the mountain exhibit

might look like.

Left: This is what an

aerial view would

look like of the Com-

mons area, which

would include a café,

kitchen, and the gift

shop.

Links

City of Scottsdale:

Desert Edge project reports: bit.ly/2vmGnul

Desert Edge city meetings: bit.ly/23qgoJZ

For project

DDCS: scottsdaledesertcenter.com

Against project

NoDDC: noddc.org

Protect Our Preserve: protectourpreserve.org

Who Is For the Project? Organizations that have shown support for

the project include the Scottsdale City Coun-

cil, which we’ll discuss in a second, various

tourism, hotel and business groups, and ASU.

There are also supporters from around the

city, region and state.

Of course, it’s the City Council that matters

most when it comes to whether the Desert

Edge becomes reality or not. Five council

members have previously hinted support for

the project. Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield

and Councilman Guy Phillips, though, have

been consistently opposed. Because it is an

election year for some of the councilmem-

bers, one or two members seem to have wa-

vered a bit in their support, though in the end

it’s likely they will vote for the project. The

one wildcard may be David Smith, who has

publicly expressed some concern about the

Edge’s price tag.

Who Is Against the project? There are two primary groups that have been

organizing almost since the project was an-

nounced. Their members are comprised

mostly of citizens concerned about the cost

and environmental impact of the Edge. Both

groups agree that the project would damage

Preserve lands and should not be built in the

Preserve, if at all.

From our standpoint, NoDDC has been the

more publicly aggressive of the two groups

by using a number of tactics to stop the pro-

ject. But Protect Our Preserve (POP) has also

worked hard to fight Desert Edge. Both

groups have been raising a legal fund to stop

the project, and both would like to see the

Desert Edge project go to a citywide vote.

However, as long as the city doesn’t need to

ask for bonds, that is not likely to happen.

NoDDC also conducted an unofficial poll that

found that 5.86% of Scottsdale residents

want to build the Edge at the Gateway Trail-

head and 62% do not want it under any cir-

cumstances. It’s up to you to decide if the

poll is valid. You can find these groups at

noddc.org and protectourpreserve.org.

So, What Now? For those of you who have lived in The Ranch

long enough, you might recall that some resi-

dents bitterly fought against the McDowell

Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center being built,

partly on the grounds of increased traffic and

other perceived negative impacts on our com-

munity.

But this summer the Aquatic Center celebrat-

ed its 10th anniversary, and we’re reasonably

sure that it’s mostly beloved. The same can

be said for the Arabian Library and the Ice

Den. Will the same thing happen 10 years

after the Desert Edge opens, presuming

that it does? It’s impossible to know the

answer to that because we’re not entirely

sure the projects are comparable. The De-

sert Edge will be far more dependent on

outside visitors than the built-in clientele for

the Aquatic Center or Ice Den.

In the end, though, it really comes down to

how you feel about the Preserve, Scotts-

dale, and of course McDowell Mountain

Ranch. Whichever side you come down on,

now is the time to take action either for or

against the project.



LOOKING BACK... Just Five Years Ago*

September 2012 — Arizona Public Service

revealed plans for 65-foot tall towers for

power lines in the McDowell Business Park.

Those lines were instead installed under-

ground this summer. … Whitestone REIT

painted the Desert Canyon Center, upgraded

its logo and monument sign. … MMR resi-

dent Drew Bernhardt lost his bid to unseat

Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane. … Helene’s

Team ranked in America’s Top 100 for RE/

MAX producers. … Crow Holdings bought

the Safeway center. … The medical center

called the Gateway 101 was almost ready to

open. … Notre Dame Preparatory School

turned 10 years old. … Solar panels were

installed at the Desert Canyon schools.

Only 10 Years Ago*

September 2007 — The Arabian Library

finally opened. … Only 11% of MMR resi-

dents who responded to a survey were en-

thusiastic about the Desert Discovery Center

while 29% were excited about the soon-to-

open Auto Salon, which eventually become

The Thumb. Twenty-six percent were excited

about the Arabian Library opening. … Con-

struction began on Planet Beach Tanning. …

Developer David Richter planned to build 15

homes on 7.5 acres purchased from the

state. It was never built but is now slated to

become Lane’s End by Camelot Homes.

About 15 Years Ago*

September 2002 — DC Ranch made a formal

proposal to host the proposed Aquatic Cen-

ter, which had become a notably contentious

issue here in MMR. … Sports Cutters and

the La Villa pastry shop opened their doors at

the MMR Marketplace. ... Flo’s moved across

the street from the Safeway Center to the

AJ’s Center and the Desert Canyon Center

was running a series of promotional draw-

ings in which you could win a Vespa-like

scooter.

*As reported in this newsletter.


New Garbage Collection Rules The City of Scottsdale is changing how it han-

dles the way it picks up bulk garbage and

brush each month. In the past, the city re-

quired residents to pile the two different

kinds of trash together for pickup. Under the

new policy, the city wants residents to sepa-

rate brush and bulk garbage into two separate

piles so that organic material such as tree and

bush trimmings can be used to create com-

post. The other rules remain the same. Go

here for more information: bit.ly/1RDXFsj

Appliances Garbage seems to be the theme of the

month. Once a month, the City of Scottsdale

ODDS & ENDS (CONTINUED)

will now pick up old, bro-

ken appliances – except

those containing Freon.

Items the city will pick up

include:

Washers

Dryers

Water heaters

Stoves

Ovens

Dishwashers

Freezers and refrigera-

tors that no longer con-

tain Freon. Schedule a

pickup of your large appli-

ance at bit.ly/2fnjznh or

call 480-312-5600.

Time to Dispose of Old Electronics

Oh, and don’t forget that it’s almost time to

get rid of older, smaller electronics, such as

printers and computers. The city will be

holding its next disposal event from 7:30

a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7th, at the

city’s drop-off facility at 9191 E. San Salva-

dor Drive.

The Citrus Correction In our last edition, we mentioned that new

citrus trees are not allowed in McDowell

Mountain Ranch under Homeowner Associ-

ation rules. That wasn’t quite correct: Resi-

dents are still allowed up to two dwarf varie-

ties, but they are no longer allowed four.

The HOA, however, is discouraging resi-

dents from planting new citrus trees be-

cause of problems with pests.


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EDITOR & PUBLISHER

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NEWSLETTER FOUNDERS

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The Desert Edge

Pages 1 & 18-21

Documents

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 | VOL. XX, NO 5 Will Desert ......from Aquatic Center pool. bit.ly/2wT8gdl WestWorld Events Junk in the Trunk. Sept. 15-17. The ever-expanding vintage market