Arizona is A Top Hot Spot for Foreign Real Estate Investors – Especially Canadians

A leading real estate information firm, Inman News, has recently published its annual report on the Top 10 Hot Spots for Global Homebuyers. They used data collected by DataQuick and interviewed real estate experts to create the list. Not surprisingly, number 6 on the Top 10 list is Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Arizona area. We whole-heartily agree because we know the real estate market from Scottsdale to Tucson!

Why is Arizona such a hot spot for foreign home buyers? The Inman report sums it up well:

• Homes and condos under $200,000 (although that’s changing) in Arizona,
• Investing in Arizona real estate is a good hedge against the Canadian dollar,
• Foreign investors look for real estate in areas with well-known universities, professional sports teams, and a leisure component to the economy,
•  A strong vacation rental market, and of course,
• The weather, the weather, the weather!

During our more than 10 years in the real estate market in Arizona, we’ve seen a lot of changes, but some things have remained the same. Real estate investors – whether foreign or domestic – know that the realization of income from a second home or vacation home purchase in Arizona is an important component of a sound investment strategy. That is one reason we developed our Luxury Vacation Property Rental management program – to help clients of our Mountain Vista Real Estate company keep their investment properties occupied when not in use by the owner. With the real estate market now in recovery, it’s important to act now to buy a property.

Here are three turnkey vacation rental condos in a premiere golf course community that are available now for under $200k. These are the perfect real estate investments for foreign homebuyers, but they are moving fast. Give Frank from Mountain Vista a call – he will help you out! 520-877-7924

Realtor.com Names Tucson Top Real Estate Investment Market

There’s good news in real estate and Tucson, Arizona takes top honors! The real estate data aggregator, Realtor.com, examined inventories, price trends and unemployment in 146 markets and named Tucson as the best real estate market in the US in which to invest. Of course, we’d like to say “We Told You So!” but we shouldn’t be that obnoxious, should we?

Realtor.com analyzed a lot of data to find which real estate markets were worthy of investment. When they looked at the Tucson, Arizona real estate market they found quite a few positives that bode well for Tucson home buyers.

“Thanks to the jobs boom surrounding the University of Arizona and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and an 8.19 percent drop in real estate owned (REO) properties along with a 3.03 percent median house list-price increase from a year ago February, Tucson, Ariz., tops the list. A median price of $170,000 anchors the market.”

Each week we share with you the top houses and condos for sale in the Tucson-area market. A few weeks ago, five houses that we showcased in the Oro Valley were sold/under contract within days of our promotions. We know Tucson real estate – in fact that’s the web address www.WeKnowTucson.com for our real estate and luxury vacation rental management company, Mountain Vista Real Estate. Not only will we find you your dream home but we will also rent it out for you when it’s not in use if it’s a vacation home.

Here are three turnkey luxury vacation rental condos we showcased last week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, here’s a sneak peek at the two amazing homes we will feature this week in our weekly email (don’t forget to add your email address to our mailing list found on our sister site Tucson & Scottsdale Golf Vacations). Buying a home, vacation home, or investment property has never been more affordable and Tucson Arizona is the place to do it! Give Frank a call – he will help you out! 520-877-7924

What Happened this Week in Golf and Real Estate?

We normally write an article or two each week about a real estate or golf item of interest. We try to cull out stories that we think our AZGH followers will want to read about. And of course, because we love where we live and what we do, we try to always give our readers a vivid picture of what it’s like to live in and play golf in Tucson and Scottsdale, Arizona. We want you to come out here to visit or stay!

This week we decided to give you a choice of things to read written by other folks that we think are particularly interesting. We know you don’t have a lot of time to surf the web looking for real estate and golf news so we did the work for you! Let us know which article interested you the most and we will be sure to cover that subject in greater detail in the weeks to come!

Buying beats renting in 98 of 100 metros

Mortgage rates surge again

B of A Tests an Option to Foreclosure

Eating Our Way Around Old Town Scottsdale with Arizona Food Tours

PGA Champ Keegan Bradley Hits Mark on Yorktown

‘Big Miss’ says as much about Hank Haney as it does about Tiger Woods

Welsh teenage golfer holes in one at The Belfry – at the famous 10th

One of our favorite stories from this past week is about the teenager with the hole in one. Imagine the bragging rights he now has! Also, the Tiger Woods’ book written by Hank Haney – we want to read it but it has that “car crash” feel about it – that it’s more salacious than anything else but we still can’t look away. Of course, the real estate news is always of interest and we are thrilled that the market is improving because it has been a rough few years. There are so many great home buys right now and some houses around here are selling before we can even share them with you! Home affordability has never been better! It has been an interesting week around here and we are looking forward to another beautiful weekend in the land of sun and golf!

Arizona’s Best Kept Secret Public Course – Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course

The best kept secret public golf course in Arizona is ready to offer you a truly unique golfing experience in the high Sonoran desert. Every tee box here presents a panoramic vista and an exhilarating challenge to your game. The course will take you up, over and around Dinosaur Mountain with dramatic tee-to-green elevation changes and long, loping fairways. If you don’t hit straight you had better bring an extra dozen golf balls in your bag!

The views of the nearby Superstition Mountains and the Phoenix Valley are spectacular. Signature holes #4 and #5 are among the most memorable in the game! Carts have GPS and ice coolers (fill your cooler with ice at the snack stand by the carts). There is no water to drink on the course so be sure to bring some bottles with you. A camera is a good idea for the views and the wildlife that pops up now and again – you could see bunnies, lizards, and even a hawk or two!

After you’ve played the Dinosaur it’s off to its sister golf course the Gold Canyon Sidewinder. This course snakes around the base of Dinosaur Mountain, through natural arroyos and dry creek beds. Native cholla and prickly pear cacti, mesquite and palo verde trees line the challenging twists and turns that will keep you on top of your game. And like the Dinosaur course, it’s a scenic adventure that will bring you back again and again.

Let us build a custom golf vacation package for you that include these two courses and others of your choosing in the Scottsdale and Tucson areas. We will also arrange for your lodging and will throw in a dozen Pro V1X golf balls per player (new bookings only). Call us today at 520-877-7924 and start planning a golf trip of a lifetime!

Play an Audubon-Certified Golf Course in Scottsdale, Arizona

Discover a natural alternative to ordinary Scottsdale, Arizona golf courses at McDowell Mountain GC built on the western slope of Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountains and adjacent to the nationally recognized Westworld equestrian center. Acclaimed golf course architect Randy Heckenkemper transformed the Bureau of Reclamation’s storm water retention area into one of the premier Scottsdale golf courses.

McDowell Mountain GC is more than a stunning 18-hole daily-fee Scottsdale golf course. Formerly known as Sanctuary at Westworld- McDowell Mountain GC is the first golf course in Arizona and the 17th course in the world to attain the coveted Audubon Signature Status. While friendly to the environment, McDowell Mountain GC is an entertaining challenge that demands intelligent course management at every hole. In addition to establishing itself as one of the finest Scottsdale golf courses, the Golf Course also houses a stone and stucco clubhouse that serves as an inviting retreat featuring a host of amenities including a comfortably elegant dining room, a multi-use, outdoor covered pavilion and an impressive golf shop.

The Sonoran desert‘s native quails, roadrunners and jackrabbits watch quietly as you play on the rolling terrain of the MCDowell Mountain Golf Course. After the sun sets brilliantly to the west, deer and wild coyote come out to play on a 6,624-yard, par-71 layout that features 71 acres of turf and 65 sand bunkers. Typical of the McDowell Mountain GC experience, the par-3 No. 8 is both beautiful and enticing, incorporating one large water feature complete.

Bordered by naturally protected areas, holes 2, 3, 4 and 5 demand precision and smart golf management, golf in Scottsdale has never been more enjoyable. With five sets of tees on each hole, you will find an enjoyable golf experience for players of every skill level with two multi-tiered waterfalls.

Insider Golf tips: Stick to the blue tees, and hit nothing but 3-wood off the tee

We will customize a golf vacation experience for you that include the McDowell Mountain GC as well as others of your choosing. In addition, we will arrange for your lodging in a premier resort or upscale vacation rental. Give us a call today 520-877-7924 and then come out to play on one of the few Audubon-certified golf courses in the world. Trust us, you will love it!

The Top 5 Real Estate Buys in Oro Valley – All under $300k

There was good news for the real estate market released yesterday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) when its Index data showed that existing home sales in January 2012 are up compared to December 2011 and compared to one year ago. In addition, NAR projects existing-home sales will rise 6.8 percent to 4.55 million units in 2012, from 4.26 million units in 2011. In 2013, sales are expected to rise 3.3 percent to 4.7 million.

Along with the DOW closing above 13,000 and unemployment dropping, this is good news for the US economy. We wanted to share with you some more good news so we looked around and found the Top 5 Best Homes in the Oro Valley that are all priced below $300,000. It’s absolutely unbelievable the amount of home you can get for the price in sunny, beautiful Arizona! If we didn’t already live here, we would move!

Look at the gorgeous details – from granite kitchen counters, to gorgeous tile floors and plantation shutters, to inground pools overlooking stunning views,  to stone and brick entryways and carriage-style garage doors. These are the types of features once found only in very expensive homes and are now affordable for many buyers. You really do have your pick of beautiful high-end homes at very budget-friendly prices.

11439 N Moon Ranch Place 

13250 N Pioneer Way

11710 N Peaceful Night Road

13425 N Barlassina Drive

You must take an hour or two to view some of these homes. This is a buying opportunity that you shouldn’t miss and based on data, home prices will go up as the real estate market recovers. Now is the time to buy a vacation home, rental property, or new family home. We know Tucson real estate and can help you. All you need to do is give us a call! 520-877-7924

Foodies are Coming to Scottsdale on Vacation

It’s time to start the official countdown to the Great Arizona Picnic and the Scottsdale Culinary Festival from April 17-22! We have our travelling knives and forks ready to go because we are ready to visit and EAT!

If you haven’t yet visited Scottsdale Arizona, then this is the perfect opportunity to do so. First, the weather in April is FANTASTIC (as it is most of the year, too!), and the food is…well…DELICIOUS! Just imagine a huge community picnic set in the midst of the quaint and picturesque Old Town Scottsdale. Really, it’s a feast for the eyes and the tummy!

There will be 50+ food vendors, 5 specialty areas, live music, and the Travel Channel’s Adam Richman of Man vs. Food fame, and Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods will be in attendance cooking and joking around as they always do! All the food is sample size so you can taste a bit of everything from tacos to crab cakes to food truck specials.

Now we have a great idea for the loyal followers of AZ Golf and Home. We have amazing vacation rentals with top notch kitchens that will allow you to whip up some culinary treats in your very own space. No cramped hotel rooms allowed! Even better, how about combining a visit to this amazing epicurean event with a few rounds of golf at some of the world’s best golf courses? Of course we can arrange that, too! Rentals are filling up fast so please call us today to secure yours. 520-877-7924

Ahhhh…good food, great golf, beautiful accommodations, amazing setting…It’s good to visit Scottsdale Arizona in April!