Cat Gunderson's (cathigunderson) Blog

Over the years, award-winning homebuilders and planners have blended company with the extraordinary Sonoran desert, creating diverse communities in the breathtaking city of Scottsdale, Arizona. So you've decided that finding property in one of these communities, Terravita, interests you. Now the ...

Over the years, award-winning homebuilders and planners have blended company with the extraordinary Sonoran desert, creating diverse communities in the breathtaking city of Scottsdale, Arizona. So you've decided that finding property in one of these communities, Grayhawk, interests you. Now the n...

So you've scoured the internet and decided that the community of Dove Valley is where your next home is going to be. Now you just have to find the right real estate agent. Congratulations! You're about to experience the power of excellence. Cat Gunderson loves southern Arizona like a native and k...

Many of the communities in Scottsdale, Arizona were once working horse and cattle ranches. McCormick Ranch, with a population today of just under 25,000 people, made the switch from livestock to becoming home to one of the largest and most successful planned community developments in the country....

You're pulling weeds from the front lawn when one of your neighbors wanders over to tell you a bike was stolen from their garage or an elderly woman had her purse snatched. In your neighborhood? Yes, it can happen anywhere. But by organizing a neighborhood watch, these crimes can be stopped and, ...

Beautiful azure skies and plenty of sunshine, almost every day. That's Arizona. It makes a great place to live but it does call for some extra home maintenance not needed in other areas. Extremely dry conditions, brief torrential downpours, and temperature variations that may swing 40 to 50 degre...

You turn on your faucet and water flows out. For most of us, this is how we get our water so it's easy to forget just how much the quality of a watershed affects water quality and the people, wildlife, and plants that depend on that water. Well-managed watersheds serve as recreational magnets for...

You've finally found a qualified buyer for your home. But it's not over yet. Finding the buyer is just the first step in the process and sellers often make mistakes that result in not getting the deal closed. Don't let this happen to you! Contingencies in the contract are important. If your contr...

Listen to the palm fronds gently shifting in the November breeze. Feel the golden glow of the warm Arizona sun on your back. Ah, the beauty of an Arizona vacation home. It certainly offers a break from the daily grind but it can also offer a break from taxes. The IRS allows most owners to lower t...

A tree falls on the roof of your house. You file an insurance claim, collect your settlement, and fix your roof. End of story, right? Well, not quite. Every claim you make on your homeowners insurance is recorded in a widely used insurance industry database called CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwr...