Real Estate in Val Vista Lakes, of Gilbert AZ Part 5 of 7 parts After the RTC left Val Vista Lakes, and the HOA became fully homeowner controlled, things began to settle down. The various builder subdivisions were nearing build-out. The remaining production subdivisions - Castaway Bay (Finitz Homes) and Patterson Point (Ditz-Crane Builders) were still active, but they too were nearing completion. Resales were now the dominant player for buyers who wanted to live in the east valley's most-sought-after community. For many families, this was a very good time. They bought their home in the down market that followed the S&L debacle, and now they were sitting on some nice equity. If they wanted to move up to a larger home, it was no problem. Many folks did just that! There are many families w... 04/05/2010

How To Create Enthusiasm With Curb Appeal In Today's Market.   Curb Appeal can make the difference when selling your home.  Will it be a GO or a NO....When selling your home, you basically have to sell it to a potential buyer three times.  First online with photos, second when they drive by, and if that gets them to ask for a showing, third when they come into your home.  More than not, if they don't like what they see online or when they drive by, you've lost them. Houses with that at-first-glance wow factor will do better in any market and especially in today's tough market.  Curb Appeal is key in creating a great first impression and gives the potential buyer a clue of what the rest of the house may look like.  If your exterior looks neglected, this will give buyers a clue that thing... 04/05/2010

Gilbert AZ is a wonderful place to live, and has some very nice restaurants. However, if we want a very special treat at a more elegant and upscale restaurant then we have to go to Tempe for the Top of the Rock restaurant with it's view, to Phoenix, Scottsdale, or to this fantastic 70 year old and recently remodeled  El Chorro Restaurant in Paradise Valley AZ. I wanted to take a day off, and treat my wife to a great Easter brunch so we made reservations about one month ago for this fabulous restaurant. With no traffic it's only 30 minutes from our home in Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert. Someone recommended the restaurant but we had not read any reviews, so everything was a surprise. One can sit outside and eat, or dine inside. Even from inside there is fantastic view of Camelback Mountain ... 04/04/2010

Best of Phoenix Eating and Unique Atmosphere Where do you go to find a unique local restarant that serves award winning BBQ?  Head south on Gilbert Rd. to Joe's Real BBQ in the historic section of Gilbert.  Joe's opened for business in January 1998 and has been satisfying cravings for barbeque brisket, pulled pork, pit ham, pork ribs, chicken and turkey breast ever since.  The food is award winning and you'll also appreciate the old-style atmosphere that is one of a kind.  Where else will you find a  1948 John Deere tractor in the middle of the dining area?  The New Times awarded Joe's the Best of Phoenix for Old-Fashioned Charm. If you are into sauces, you  have your choice of spicy, or "we dare you" hot which uses habanero peppers to turn up the heat.   My favorite lunch time meal is... 04/03/2010

  (edit/delete)   Mary Jo Thomas at Solutions Real Estate is proud to announce my website featuring homes specifically located at Active Adult Communities in Gilbert, Arizona.  The website can be viewed at www.MaryJoThomas.com and features Active Adult Communities in Gilbert, Arizona. You can also search Bank owned/ Foreclosed Properties and GolfCourse Properties in Gilbert, Arizona. There is also a page that provides a real time update showing Gilbert, Arizona properties that have been newly listed or had price changes   04/02/2010

VAL VISTA LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE YEAR GILBERT AZ Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert AZ has won the Town of Gilberts "Neighborhood of the Year" award for the years 1997 and 2007. And all for a very good reason. Val Vista Lakes, which is located in Gilbert AZ, in the East Valley of the Phoenix AZ area is a well run Master Planned Community consisting of 24 sub communities. Val Vista Lakes has a 9 member board of directors made up of some very talented and dedicated community volunteers. While the board membership changes often, each member whose term is up is always replaced with another community member with skills and dedication. The Val Vista Lakes board of directors hires a full time in-house manger to manage the day to day community operation and reports to the board of directors. Becaus... 04/02/2010

Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert AZ New Events Web Site Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert AZ will soon be unveiling a new web site to market the Banquet room Rentals for Weddings and Corporate events. It isn't online yet, but the url is http://VVLevents.com. The Val Vista Lakes Events web site will be promoted through a marketing program that utilizes social networking sites and Google adwords. A professional SEO writer will be working on the project monthly to build traffic to the sites. It's estimated that it will take 6 months to one year to achieve substantial results. However, the results should be excellent. I've worked on the Val Vista Lakes Banquet Marketing committee for the past several months and the department, under the direction of Banquet Manager Janet Marhover, has made tremendous pr... 04/02/2010

To short sale a house in Gilbert AZ, requires both traditional market knowledge in proper pricing & marketing & specialzed short sale training.  Newest from O'Bama, some troubled homeowners may be able to get loan modifications with principal reduction!  Just out 3/26/10.  Details should be comming very soon.  Scam artists are reported to be abundant with what they call easy "rescue plans".  Many ask for upfront money, don't do it.  You should not have to pay upfront money for the help you need.  There are even lawyers out there who will do a short initial consultation for free, or a very low cost. The biggest wave of faulty loans is about to hit us in the next few months, which many think will bring many more foreclosures.  If you have lost income, had your payment raised, or are havin... 04/01/2010

This market has created great buying opportunities in Val Vista Lakes.  Prices have dropped to below bubble prices.  Recent news has reported that some prices have over corrected.   View bank owned homes & others for sale at www.mls4ValVistaLakes.com  & see what the buzz is all about.  That lake front dream might be more reality than you might think.   04/01/2010

  The RTC finishes up... Part 4 in a 7 part series As the savings & loan debacle worked its way through the Arizona economy in the early 1990's, no one was spared. Locally, that meant a degree of pain for the developers & builders working in Val Vista Lakes. The Val Vista Lakes Partnership went into bankruptcy during this time, and the position of "declarant" (the legal entity in charge of assets & money until homeowner control is conveyed) fell to the RTC. We here in Val Vista Lakes were fortunate to have as our RTC liaison an honorable local attorney named Cary Forrester. Besides assembling the various remaining assets for sale to the highest bidder, he was responsible for the monthly subsidy to the HOA. Often, in the early years of a project, builders will keep resident HOA dues low,... 03/31/2010

  Mary Jo Thomas at Solutions Real Estate is proud to announce my website featuring homes specifically located at Chaparral Estates in Gilbert, Arizona.  The website can be viewed at www.MaryJoThomas.com and features Chaparral Estates in Gilbert, AZ. You can also search bank owned or foreclosures and Golf Course Homes in Gilbert, Arizona. There is also a page that provides a real time update showing Gilbert, Arizona properties that have been newly listed or had price changes.  An Example of Homes in Chaparral Estates in Gilbert, Arizona: 3489 E LOWELL AVE Gilbert, AZ 85295 Beds/Baths: 5 / 3  SF: 3,211  Year: 2001 Price:  $250,000 THIS IS A GORGEOUS HOME WITH ALL THE UPGRADES. THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOME IS BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED WITH COBBLESTONE ENTRANCE. YOU WILL LOVE THE OAK WOOD SPIRAL ... 03/31/2010

 Mary Jo Thomas at Solutions Real Estate is proud to announce my website featuring homes specifically located at Chaparral Estates in Gilbert, Arizona.  The website can be viewed at www.maryjothomas.com and features Chaparral Estates in Gilbert, AZ. You can also search bank owned or foreclosures and Golf Course Homes in Gilbert, Arizona. There is also a page that provides a real time update showing Gilbert, Arizona properties that have been newly listed or had price changes.  An Example of Homes in Chaparral Estates in Gilbert, Arizona: 3489 E LOWELL AVE Gilbert, AZ 85295 Beds/Baths: 5 / 3  SF: 3,211  Year: 2001 Price:  $250,000 THIS IS A GORGEOUS HOME WITH ALL THE UPGRADES. THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOME IS BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED WITH COBBLESTONE ENTRANCE. YOU WILL LOVE THE OAK WOOD SPIRAL B... 03/31/2010

Val Vista Lakesat Christmas time is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Whether you are a move-up buyer to a new home on the waterfront, or a first time home buyer in one of the smaller non-waterfront homes, you will thoroughly enjoy Val Vista Lakes during the Christmas Holiday Season. Most all of the Val Vista Lakes homes are decorated to some degree during the Holiday Season. The homes on the waterfront decorate the front of their homes and also the waterfront side of the home. They usually place more decorations on the waterfront side of the home. The Val Vista Lakes community Christmas Activities include: Lighted Boat Parade Luminary Hayride Holiday Mountain Breakfast With Santa Lighted Boat Parade:The waterfront residents decorate their boats, and many of them participate in t... 03/30/2010

A critical factor when considering a short sale in Arizona Arizona homeowners benefit from two statutes that address the deficiency after a foreclosure or trustee sale; A.R.S. §33-729(A) and A.R.S. §33-814(G).  To qualify for protection under these anti-deficiency statutues, the home must be on a parcel that is 2.5 acres or less, be a fully constructed singe one or two family dwelling and be occasionally occupied by the owner or a tenant.  Very important, the loan on the property cannot be a VA loan.  These requirements are fairly straight forward and easy to determine.  The anti-deficiency laws also protect investors and are not exclusive to owner occupants. Another requirement that is more complex is the determination of whether the loan can be considered "purchase money".  When a hom... 03/29/2010

Why Val Vista Lakes to buy your next home? There are many reasons why one would benefit from buying a home in Val Vista Lakes. First it's located in the Phoenix East Valley Town of Gilbert in Arizona. And Gilbert is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Gilbert has a reputation of having good schools, and is recognized as a rather conservative faamily-friendly community. When one decides to buy a home in Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert they should do their own research to verify the quality of schools and the crime rate. Then it should be easy to make a decision. Gilbert AZ was once a farm land and the land that Val Vista Lakes now sits on was actually a sheep farm. In the early 1980's a group of developers envisioned a large lush green community with a huge resort-like clubhouse an... 03/29/2010

Val Vista Lakes Homes For Sale When one thinks of Gilbert AZ, an East Valley suburb of Phoenix, it's easy to think of desert sand and cactus with no water. But in desert areas one can also conjure up a mirage of a beautiful oasis with palm trees, green grass, and plenty of water. That's just what Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert is --- a wonderful oasis in the middle of the Sonoran Desert --- only this oasis is not a mirage. It's for real, and when one is in this East Valley community it's difficult to even remember that you're in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.  Below are some Val Vista Lakes sales statistics as of March 29, 2010 39  Active Homes For Sale 11  Actives are on the waterfront 27  Pending Sales (Under Contract) 15  Sold within the past 90 days The average Days on Market is 88.... 03/29/2010

Real Estate Sales in Val Vista Lakes, Gilbert Arizona - History Repeats Itself? Part 3 in a 7 part series By the late 1980's, sales in Val Vista Lakes were brisk, although much of that would be attributed to the builders, with their large advertising budgets... Richmond American, Ryland, McBail, and A&M homes were the major players on the production side, with a large numbers of custom builders putting up homes in the custom areas. Times were good - the community was coming together as Dennis Barney and the rest of the partners had envisioned. But, storm clouds were on the horizon... In late 1986, the seemingly dead "Tax Reform Act" came to life and was passed by Congress, and the air was beginning to leak out of the real estate balloon. By 1989 / 1990, the writing was not only on the w... 03/29/2010

VISUALIZATION It is not uncommon for us to procrastinate, for whatever reason, and get behind in our work. The more we procrastinate, the more our work piles up, and the further we get behind. That viscous circle is a downward spiral that we must control, otherwise we will never get things done. There are probably many ways to overcome this situation. However, a technique that works for me is this: VISUALIZE Sit down in a comfortable chair with no distractions and no noise. Turn your phone off so as to not be interrupted for 5 to 15 minutes. Close your eyes and relax all the muscles in your body. Once you're relaxed, begin to "visualize" the following actions: Visualize yourself sitting at the desk getting a pencil and pad of paper. Write down the Major Projects you need to accomplish.... 03/29/2010

  Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse Wedding Facility in Gilbert AZ   Photo courtesy of Val Vista Lakes Banquet Dept.  Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse Banquet Room is the premier location for a wedding reception in the Gilbert AZ and Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Ceremonies are held outside of the Clubhouse by the waterfront on the "Grassy Oval" which sits at the base of the man-made Holiday Mountain with its cascading waterfalls providing ambiance, and near the sandy lagoon pool. Cocktails after the ceremony are typically held on the Queen Palm Patio and Gazebo by the waterfront, while the bride and guests can take a tour of the lake in the clubhouse 21-foot party boat.  Photo courtesy of Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse Banquet Dept. Photo courtesy of Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse Banquet Dept.  As of March 2010 ... 03/28/2010

Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse in Gilbert AZ   Located in the East Valley of the Phoenix Metropolitan area, in the Town of Gilbert AZ, is an Oasis situated in the middle of the vast Sonoran Desert. That beautiful oasis is named Val Vista Lakes, a community with lush green landscape that has won the Town of Gilbert's "Neighborhood of the Year" Award in 1997 and 2007, and the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse is like being in a resort without the high price tag. The community revolves around 4 gorgeous man-made lakes with spectacular waterfront homes having magnificent views. There are also many beautiful homes that are not on the waterfront. If you live on the lake you can cruise up to the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse on your boat and tie up right at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse dock.   A compelling fe... 03/28/2010