If this were any city other than Phoenix, Sunnyslope would already be our Beverly Hills. Instead, this sleeping beauty — with its gorgeous mountain terrain, its dazzling views of downtown, its proximity to freeways, resorts, and the Central Corridor — has been dogged for decades by a lousy reputation that evolved from its days as the original Tent City, back when it was a lowly convalescent camp where the sick and dying came to soak up the sun.

Founded a century ago by an architect who fell for its unique skyline and klieg-lit, hilly terrain, Sunnyslope has been kept in a continuous holding pattern by that crummy rep. It’s maintained its place as a community on the brink of significance, a place of great paradox. Its handsome, hilly landscape — which stretches from 16th Street to 19th Avenue, between Northern and Cactus Roads — has long been populated by drug dealers and hookers, undesirables whose derelict homes rest in the shadow of million-dollar hillside housing. It’s a community that’s often mistaken for a town; one that’s been home to both one of the city’s best-regarded high schools and its highest concentration of crime.

And though developers have been busy building stadiums and relocating college campuses and renovating fallen neighborhoods all over town, the denizens of Sunnyslope have been quietly rebuilding their community, one street at a time. It’s an eccentric, grass-roots effort unlike any other in the Valley, one born of necessity by this overlooked, redheaded stepchild of a borough, and funded by a corporate benefactor — a hospital, no less — that owes its very existence to Sunnyslope.

So wrote Robert Pela last year in Sunnyslopetopia, his New Times article celebrating Sunnyslope.

In the article, he interviews “the mayor of Sunnyslope” Mike Nielsen, interior designer and gallery owner, whose home you can tour this week during the Third Annual Sunnyslope Home Tour.

Here you’ll see a short history of distinguished building in Phoenix: two homes from the 1920′s, including the renovated Bohn Home — an adobe home built as a labor of love during 1928; a Mid-Century Modern ranch; and two modern homes. In addition to Nielsen’s home, the distinctive Young residence will be on display.

Mr. Young, an architect with the Woolsey Studio designed the home for his personal use. He chose Sunnyslope as the site of his home because of its magnificent views right in the city and its tolerance for creative design. No McMansions here!

When? Saturday and Sunday, November 15 & 16
Time? 9 AM to 3:30 PM. Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes.
Where? Guided tour buses leave every half hour from Sunnyslope Historical Society, 737 E Hatcher Rd
Cost? $35 per person, benefitting the non-profit Sunnyslope Historical Society Museum. Tickets must be purchased in advance by cash or check.

Last year, the only single-digit ranks that visitors gave Phoenix were a 9 for Weather (obviously those visitors weren’t here in March), an 8 in Shopping for Home Design, and a 6 for Relaxing Retreat. Number One for Relaxing Retreat last year went to Santa Fe. Well, apparently those voters weren’t in Santa Fe in August for Indian Market. Now really, just what is so relaxing about shopping, dining, gallery/museum hopping and Opera 24/7?

Anyway, that’s what visitors thought about Phoenix. We natives have a pretty similar point of view. Last year we ranked Phoenix in the top ten in four categories: 9 for Weather (we know the truth about August), two 8‘s — one for Sports Fan’s Vacation and the other for Attractive People — and we share the visitor’s sentiment that Phoenix is the sixth most Relaxing Retreat.

I hope the declining housing market we’re in doesn’t hurt our scores this year. If you want to vote in this year’s polls, just go to Travel & Leisure’s 2008 Survey of America’s Favorite Cities.

Prospect:

… the home (that I sent photos of) had a different exterior…reminded me of plain block and I didn’t care for the look. The exterior of our home is more towards the traditional ranch, but it does have Roman brick on a portion of it.

To which I replied:

…The “plain block” that you don’t like is a staple on Phoenix Mid-Century modern homes. It’s called “slump block,” and is a favorite of architects from that period. You might consider this as part of getting used to the desert aesthetics.”

Alison King has a great discussion (and wonderful photos) about Mid-century modern homes in Phoenix in her article titled “Jazz Standard“ over at her ModernPhoenix website.

Midcentury era tract homes in Scottsdale and Phoenix are so ubiquitous that they often pass under the daily radar, and for good reason; classic ranch homes paved the suburbs of the Phoenix Metro area, emulating the romance of ranch style living in this citrus-field-gone-cosmopolitan city. During the same development boom that brought us western-themed ranches and whimsical character ranch styles such as Swiss Chalet and Dutch Colonial, there emerged a desert-adapted style of Contemporary Ranch architecture that passed on nostalgic forms in favor of neat lines and shade-soaked spaces.

Few postwar architects in Arizona can match the volume of production, variety and notoriety than that of Ralph Haver. Californian by birth but Phoenician by choice, Haver offered his accessible contemporary style to thousands by collaborating with local developers on sizable tracts of land. In the postwar era, tinkering with this new style of home became the American family’s leisure time hobby—their imaginations were fueled by a new genre of home-improvement publications such as Popular Mechanics and Sunset magazine. Today, Haver Homes are sought as creative projects for professional architects and do-it-yourselfers alike. Their clean lines, inherent potential for expansion and solid construction have allowed them to endure the decades through every possible design trend, from skimming with stucco to Santa Fe styling. Now Haver Homes are more likely to be stripped down to bare block or clad in corrugated steel to offer additional protection from the sun.

There was little intended as precious in Haver tract homes. Expression of economy and a few signature elements define the Haver Home styles. Preservationists generally agree that these homes retain their character better as one-story structures and that certain hallmark qualities, such as the clinker bricks and clerestory windows seen in several Haver neighborhoods are best left unmolested. But simply put, the tract homes were designed to be modified, including smooth concrete patios that were often destined to become Arizona Rooms, and the carports that could easily transform into a third bedroom to support a growing nuclear family. This inherently mutable trait poses a challenge among today’s designers who appreciate the original forms but invoke an oath to guide their work: Do nothing that cannot be undone.

In this regard, Haver Homes have become one of the Jazz Standards of architecture—a set of simple themes that an artist can improvise around while maintaining general integrity, and in the best cases emotionally thrill those it takes deep inside.

Be sure to follow the link to take a look at the rest of her article and at her pictures of the Lorna House.

I didn’t want to steal any of Alison’s gorgeous photos, but neither did I want to leave you unfulfilled of any visual treat, so here’s Shelby Lynne covering Burt Bacharach’s Anyone Who Had a Heart. She’s neither Dusty nor Dionne, but the setting of this video is cool and clean, and both 60s icons would have been right at home.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

I stumbled across this beauty during the summer of 2005. We had a client for the house — an architecture aficionado and a Frank Lloyd Wright purist — who almost bought the house…

… except he realized, when he flew in for the inspection, that he would have to put too much into the house to restore it, including tearing down additions that in his opinion destroyed the integrity of the design.

Still, I’m in love with the house. When Wright designed the Jacobs house in 1936, he created the prototype of the Ranch Style. I know, Ranches are so ubiquitous that they hardly inspire a yawn from most people. Yet, from the time of the first Usonian during the depth of the Depression through the Postwar housing boom and into the 1950s, the Ranch Style projected a streamlined, casual, energetic lifestyle. The house expanded — using picture windows in front and glass doors in the back — to bring in the light and energy of the outdoors.

Of course, this, too, was the birth of Mid-Century Modern.

You can go here to see the rest of the visual tour we created for our client to wander the home from his Boston residence.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

The author, Miki Kimuro, describes the blog as

Modern Design, Modern Architecture and Lifestyle Goodies: publishers of beautiful bling with an organic twist.

I would have loved to show an image from this blog, to give you a sample of the beautiful graphics here, but I couldn’t figure out how to contact Kimuro to get permission to copy a picture or two. So you’ll just have to click on over to take a gander for yourself.

Now. On the matter of modern-style, Greg and I will be listing a fifty-year old house later this month.

To help prepare the home for market, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for affordable mid-century pieces to help stage the home, and was tickled to run across this beautiful, modern coffee table on Craig’s List.

The photo is from the Craig’s List ad… I haven’t reassembled it yet to shoot my own. But… you get the picture!

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

ArtLink’s First Friday is tomorrow night. I don’t know about you, but the heat’s been rough on me this week. Plus, the weatherman’s warning us of possible thunderstorms tomorrow evening. But rather than skipping this month altogether, I’m going to try making it to Burton Barr’s @Central Gallery. They’re sponsoring a First Friday Reception from 7 to 10 PM, featuring photographs by Michael Lundgren:

The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program partnered with the Phoenix Office of Historic Preservation in 2006 to create the Historic Buildings Photography Project. Recognizing the rapid rate of development in Phoenix, this project intends to capture a specific historical era in local architecture. The City commissioned artist Michael Lundgren to create a photographic portfolio of important Phoenix buildings from the latter half of the 20th century. Lundgren worked closely with the Public Art Program and the Office of Historic Preservation to select the buildings and to create a view of each that best communicates its architectural significance. As the City continues to change and grow, these images will become a valuable resource for residents, planners, and scholars interested in the City’s more compelling historic structures.

Then, if it turns out the weather turns in our favor, the guardians of Modern Phoenix are chatting about an open house at DWL Architects, 2333 N. Central Ave. from 6 to 10 PM.

Nota Bene: I was honored to hear from Michael Lundgren, who pointed out that this post was confusing, because it isn’t clear that the photographs I used here are my own, not his. He’s right, and I offer my sincere apology. Of course, all you have to do is go to Mr. Lundgren’s site, and take a look at his masterpieces to know that the above photos are made by an amateur.

My gratitude to Michael Lundgren for pointing out my error, and for being patient for me to fix it while I dealt with the recent death of my father.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

This was taken at about 2:00 this afternoon. Amazingly little traffic compared to days gone by, even considering construction for the light rail tracks.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

“And you want further proof that being pet friendly is the way to go, look no further than our good friend Greg at Bloodhound Realty. Now that is pet friendly.”

I’m grateful, too, that Tom recognizes that our care of pets is sincere, not just a gimmick. Last week, Greg and I spent several days at a national conference of top Realtors. I met a lot of the country’s best real estate agents there, and gave out plenty of my business cards!

I am always tickled when people comment on Odysseus, our Bloodhound. But started becoming annoyed when I heard more times than I would have wished the mistaken notion that Odysseus is our brokerage’s representative as some sort of stunt… as though the only purpose is to tug at people’s heartstrings.

Greg has explained this on two different BloodhoundBlog posts: We selected our name and logo, because it’s iconic. It portrays traits we admire and strive always to live up to… traits such as loyalty, diligence, tenacity. Dedicated, Devoted, Determined™. Yes, dogs are cute. But they are so much more!

And so are cats… And birds… And all God’s creatures. And as a Realtor, someone who helps families move from one home to another, it’s about making that move as easy as possible on all the members of the family. including the ones with fur, feathers or scales.

Before we acquired so many pets in our own household, we fostered cats and dogs for no-kill shelters, like Noah’s Ark. Too often, I saw family pets who were given up because the family was moving, and for some reason they couldn’t take their pets with them. I always hope that people are able to come up with better choices to keep their furry families intact. So now, as a Realtor, I can help my clients explore their different options.

When you are buying or selling your home, and you have pets in your home, there are so many issues for you to consider. If you are buying, what are the HOA restrictions? Are there dog parks nearby? How about coyotes? If you’re selling, how do you keep your house presentable to show it in its best light? How do you keep your pets secure with a lock box on it? What about open houses?

And what do you do with your pets when you’re between homes? When one of our sellers thought she would have to give up her cat, Bob, because I had sold her house faster than she expected it would sell last fall, and the only apartment she could find to take her in on her terms wouldn’t budge on its no-pet policy, we worked out a much happier solution…

… One that kept them together. Because real estate isn’t just about houses — it’s about the people, and so often their pets, who live there.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

“Bah” (or something to that effect), he declared. “I’m from Houston, and I know that light rail systems don’t really help people… they only sound good, and make politicians popular. They’re just another boondoggle.”

Well… I pretty much agreed with him. Greg’s very first post on the weblog that eventually became BloodhoundBlog compared the “popular” (read that “politically correct”) heralding of Phoenix’s light rail with The Goldwater Institute’s forthright white paper on light rail.

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about killing the 27-year-old reversible lane system on 7th Avenue and 7th Street that has served us so well. It came up again yesterday in an article in the Arizona Republic, which talked about how nice it would be if our streets were more pedestrian-friendly.

And now I have to compare that to a podcast I listened to recently, in which Randal O’Toole, Senior Fellow with the Cato Institute, and author of the insightful book, The Best-Laid Plans, discusses how Portland deliberately created gridlock as a way to ensure their failing light rail system would work.

Hmmmm….

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

“Once the heat becomes unbearable, they may find the freezing cold a little more bearable–especially if it’s not quite so freezing cold as they remember.”

But even then,

It won’t happen without help. In Buffalo, Shibley speaks of a federal urban sustainabilty plan that funnels federal money to the Great Lakes region to help draw population back. It’s been more than 30 years since the U.S. had a comprehensive national urban plan. Looming ecological crises in burgeoning urban centers more than justify a revival. “Cities don’t grow by topsy, it’s not a thing of nature – it’s a function of public policy,” he says.

As objectionable as I found this Toronto Star column when I read it yesterday, I was — nevertheless — wishing for some relief from this summers’ heat. I’ve been putting on weight all summer, despite five dogs who would love for me to take them for walks. It’s just been too uncomfortably hot for any of us to spend any time other than what’s necessary outdoors.

But since this afternoon’s storms, have you noticed? The temperature has dropped to the low 80s! (A much more pleasant low-80s than I remember ever of a July evening in Cleveland, by the way.)

Channel 12 reported on some less-than-ideal consequences of the storms on the east side.

However… as I was driving up Central this evening, it couldn’t have been nicer. I was delighted to see all the walkers along the Murphy Bridle Path. You’d think that when I got home I would have grabbed a dog and joined the neighbors. But, alas, I made only enough time to run up to the canal to snap this photo of the stormy sky.

When you’re not living under the endlessly gray skies of the “more verdant climes,” cloudy skies sure do have their appeal.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

So, I found it interesting to learn today that the work triangle that I learned about at my grandma’s apron is so last century! Susan Serra, Certified Kitchen Designer, tells us:

The bottom line in today’s new kitchen seems to be it’s all about US (one’s family), not “me,” with multiple stations designed for specific needs and/or desires.

Her article gives us cogent examples, a diagram, and a promise of further elaboration in future posts.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

A couple of years ago, when Phoenix was having a particularly cold winter, I accidently domesticated a feral cat who I had been feeding in my yard. During my first decade of driving, I lived where winters really are cold — off of Lake Erie. I had learned better… hit your hood before starting your engine, in case a cat had crawled up inside during the night for warmth. But I’ve been spoiled in Phoenix, and hadn’t given it another thought when I started out for work that cold January morning. The thump, thump, thump coming from under the hood, and then seeing fur flying when Greg opened the hood to see what was going on, stopped me in horror! I thought I had killed the little feral cat that I had become so fond of. I rushed her to Vanaken Pet Hospital, and almost two months later they returned her to me in a lime green body cast. It wasn’t until we removed the cast from her, several weeks later still, that I realized Marquina is a Polydactyl.

My love for Marquina is how I came to be interested in Hemmingway Cats.

So I thought it was too bad when I read today that the U.S. government is threatening the home of Hemmingway’s cats.

I have no idea, of course, whether the complaints against the museum are legitimate, or perhaps the story of a disgruntled employee. How could I know? That’s a matter for local authorities to ferret out. And so I think it’s odd that the federal government would throw its heft into the matter. Then I noticed what gives them the authority:

U.S. Animal and Plant Inspection Service officials argue that the house, listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1968, requires a federal Animal Welfare License, like a circus or zoo, in order to keep housing the cats.

This reminded me of a house that I recently listed and sold in one of Phoenix’s historic districts. The transaction was an incredibly smooth and amicable one. The sellers were great, and so were the buyers. The buyers’ agent was wonderful, as was the title company and loan officer they had chosen for this transaction. Everything was running like a perfectly tuned instrument until a few days before close, when the loan officer called me for clarification. “The lender wants to know whether the house is on the National Register of Historic Places.” I said, no, the house is in an historic district, but isn’t specifically listed on either the state nor national registers. The loan officer was relieved… it seems that had the property been specifically named, the bank that was lending on the second mortgage wouldn’t approve the loan. Apparently, the bank reasoned that if the mortgage payment were to fall into default, the bank wouldn’t have all the normal rights to make the loan good, because they would have to deal with the federal government. They must have had some bad experience with a mortgage loan on a property listed in the National Register, which had gone into default, so decided to avoid potential for a similar problem in the future — no one wants to take on the Feds!

I’ve had clients tell me that they’d avoid nominating their homes for the Registry because they were afraid they’d be hamstrung from making changes without going through a lot of bureaucratic red tape. It’s a good idea to think through the long term consequences of partnering up with a force so much more powerful than you before being seduced by its charm.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

The sketch is oriented as though the artist was standing southwest of the center of town. That’s Central, which was called Centre back then, shooting past Monroe Street and then Van Buren Street. Do you notice the canal running along the south side of Van Buren? The map’s legend tells us that this is the Salt River Canal! You can’t see it from this shot, but the complete map shows another canal that used to run through the city further north, around Indian School, called the Maricopa Canal, with the Grand Canal just north of that.

The next gridline north of and parallel to Van Buren — the one with the little white structure on the northeast corner — must be Roosevelt, so would that make the next grid line, the one with a few trees lined up along it east of Central, McDowell? If so, the next road to the north should be Thomas. But… the legend tells us that the estate on the northwest corner of that intersection belonged to J.T. Simms, who came to Arizona in 1881 with the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company. However, we know that the property that Colonel Simms owned along Central, between Roosevelt and Moreland, was subdivided in 1893 and is now part of the Roosevelt Historic District. Since we have no reason to expect this map was drawn to scale, perhaps that corner of this map is the forerunner of today’s Roosevelt Historic District. Have any of you already researched this? If so, I’d love to see comments on what you’ve learned…

Anyway, the map is pretty cool. You can look at the full map at The Library of Congress site, which uses a technology developed by LizardTech, called mrSID. You can even download the map to your own Mac or PC, and download a free mrSID viewer from LizardTech, which gives you much more control over the pan and zoom.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

This month’s Detour feature, titled “Phoenix Envy,” is an interview with local architect, Will Bruder.

In this article Bruder tells Dwell readers what he likes most about the Valley of the Sun. No surprise that most of his favorite structures here are those that he designed, including the Burton Barr Central Library and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. But he is justifiably proud. He also talks about arts in Phoenix, including First Fridays.

And if you’re ever looking for ideas for cool places to meet friends over drinks or dinner, be sure to pay attention to Bruder’s rundown in this article. If you’ve missed any of the restaurants he mentions, you really should make a point of making the rounds… especially if you’re in Phoenix’s historic neighborhoods, where so many of these establishments, such as My Florist Cafe and Zoës Kitchen, are found.

I’m disappointed with the sole photo the online article uses… it’s an unimpressive shot of our downtown skyline looking west over an empty field and detritus toward the buildings in Copper Square. It even shows a gray sky! Come on! How often do we have gray skies? The pictures in the magazine, especially that of SMoCA, are far more compelling.

Alternatively, a great source for images of local residences that have been designed, in whole or in remodeling, by Will Bruder is the MLS. You can use this link to an MLS Gateway I put together of homes currently listed for sale, or those that have sold through Realtors.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

The house was listed for $940,000, and I didn’t have any clients who would have been prospective buyers. But at the time, Greg and I had already begun to play with the idea of DistinctivePhoenix.com. So I had thought to build a page of photos on this site. I never did get around to it, the house went under contract, and the photos stayed dormant in my electronic scrapbook.

Then, when Greg was putting together “Distinctive Phoenix, The Movie,” I revisited pictures of my favorite houses to help feed the movie. Of course, many of those photos are from this beautiful home. Once you take a look, you’ll know what I mean … I’ve been sitting on this treasure much too long. It’s time for me to take these photos out of their drawer and share them.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate

Another shining example of Web 2.0 is Amazon.com. If you’re interested in a book, you can read other customers’ reviews of that book, which will help you make a decision on whether or not to buy the book. Expedia.com is another site that has done a great job of using the community’s experience to help you make decisions. Here you can shop for vacation packages and lodging on-line, and read other customers’ reviews to help you make a decision as far as whether that hotel is for you. Folks who were responsible for developing these two sites have turned their attention to real estate, to give us Zillow.com. These people are smart enough to understand that a real estate transaction is far more complicated and momentous than buying a book or making hotel reservations. But they also recognize that there is a piece of the home-purchase experience that can translate to the internet. That piece is shopping for potential homes. Right now there are 45,821 homes (excluding mobile homes) listed for sale in Maricopa County. During this past year, we have had an unprecedented number of homes available to buy, and if you’re interested in seeing whether there are any homes out there that are of interest to you, the internet is the place to start.

Anyone familiar enough with technology to read weblogs is probably already aware that you can go to Realtor.com to find any house that is listed for sale in the Realtor® associations’ Multiple Listing Service databases (MLS). Using the Advanced Search functionality you can narrow your search down fairly precisely. A word of caution, though… Realtor.com is a national aggregator of all of the local MLS databases. The hundreds of different databases that feed Realtor.com will each use database fields that make sense for their own local areas. For example, the greater Phoenix MLS, which covers Maricopa County and then some, has a field that lets you search for evaporative cooling, either so you can exclude it from homes you are interested in or so you can make sure the homes you see have evap cooling. But this isn’t a feature that exists in the MLS databases in Ohio. So you can’t look for an evaporative cooler on Realtor.com, because that’s a local feature and Realtor.com is national. You can, however, limit the houses you see when you’re shopping here to important features such as size, age of home, amenities such as swimming pools, and community features such as golf. This in addition to the standard search criteria of number of bedrooms and bathrooms and cost range will help make your shopping experience on Realtor.com more meaningful.

So, if you want to find an historic home in Phoenix with hardwood floors, a fireplace and basement plus central air, for under $500,000, Realtor.com can find all those homes that are currently available on the MLS. But be careful… you’ll also see all the houses on MLS that kinda sorta fit what you’re looking for. For example, I just ran a Realtor.com search for the house I described in the previous sentence, and the website returned 7,344 properties, 2,054 of which have more than one photo in their listings. Now of course we don’t have 7,344 fifty-plus-year-old houses in Phoenix with basements (yeah, right), hardwood floors and fireplaces for any price! But what Realtor.com does is it will show you every house that comes kinda close to the criteria you’re looking for, then it gives you an approximation of how closely that home matches what you want, by using a percentage. So in my example, the houses that are most relevant to what I wanted match only 86% of the search parameters I entered. Unfortunately, these searches don’t let you weigh the importance of your parameters. For instance, if I would like to have a basement and hardwood floors, but I would be heartbroken if I couldn’t have a fireplace, and I’d be damned to hell if I couldn’t have central air, Realtor.com can only regard all of these requirements as equal.

When you have finished refining your search, you can register with Realtor.com to save the search. This way, if you create a search that is returning the types of houses you’re interested in seeing, you can use the same search every time you go to Realtor.com to shop.

But what if your ideal home isn’t listed on the MLS? What if it’s listed for sale by owner? There are always the old-fashioned ways to find out what’s for sale: drive the neighborhood you’re interested in or look in the newspaper classified ads to see what’s for sale. But we’re talking about using the efficiencies of the internet to shop for homes. So what other electronic tools are available for you to shop on-line for homes? The Arizona Republic has digitized its classified ads, so you can go to AZCentral.com to look for houses that owners and listing agents have promoted in the Republic’s classified ads. You’ll want to use the Advanced Real Estate Search, which has several advantages: For one, you’ll be able to specify that you want to include MLS listings (Search All Listings), even those that aren’t paying for advertising in the AZ Republic, in your search. Plus, here you can specify some more detail, such as beds/baths, size and age of home, and a couple amenities to help pinpoint what you’re interested in. But you don’t get the level of detail that you have available in Realtor.com. Using the above example, I’m able to ask for only those homes that have fireplaces and basements, but there is no way to search for hardwood floors or central air. My search for these types of homes in Phoenix resulted in seven houses — all from the MLS, but none from paid advertising in the classified columns. Again, you can save your profile on this page, which will let you save your search so you don’t have to recreate it. But there’s nothing very complicated about searches on this page, so I don’t see the value of giving up my contact information if I don’t already have a profile on AZCentral.com for other reasons.

Another on-line site that is quickly becoming the preferred classified ad site of the internet savvy is CraigsList.com. The extent to which you can promote anything for sale is so much richer here than in the newspaper, that CraigsList.com has fast taken over the eyes of people who used to search newspaper classifieds. When I list a home for sale, I can give prospective buyers so much more information on CraigsList.com than I could ever publish in a newspaper.

Another advantage CraigsList.com offers over the newspapers is the ability to search for features that are important to you, and to go beyond simply saving that search… You can set up an RSS feed on that search! This way, whenever anyone adds a listing that contains the features that are important to you, such as historic and hardwood, you’ll automatically be notified that a new listing of significance to you has been posted.

Hungry for some more sites where you can shop for homes? Back to Zillow.com. This site is the brainchild of the people who started Expedia.com, and many of the people on staff to develop the site were there with Amazon.com in the beginning of its glory days. With the help of venture capital, they have developed a beautiful site that lets sellers list their houses, buyers browse through houses for sale and anyone interested in real estate ask questions and get answers from experts in the real estate business in general or even specific houses in particular. There are other “Realty.bot” start-ups out there, hoping to earn profits by figuring out a successful commercial use for the internet with respect to real estate. Trulia.com is another notable contender… a site with beautiful maps and a real sense of community. You can read more about Realty.bots in general in this Arizona Republic article, and more about Zillow.com and Trulia.com on BloodhoundBlog. The trouble with these sights is they’re so new that they don’t have enough listings to make them the go-to sites to see what all is for sale.

And finally, there are the broker sites, many of which take feeds from the the local MLS to make it easier for buyers to search for local listings, as compared to Realtor.com, which has MLS listings for the entire country.

The internet has opened windows for people window-shopping for homes. But nothing can replace the benefits of having a Realtor working for you when it comes time to buy the home of your dreams.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, disintermediation, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

The antique tub came from this same Wisconsin antique dealer. You can see photos of the tub and all the other wonderful touches the Deermers put into their home during their recent renovation and remodel at the custom site we built for this house.

We just listed this home for sale last weekend, and as we always do, we built the website to introduce the home to prospective buyers and to help those buyers remember all the special features the house offers. Even if you’re not in the market to buy the house, you should take a look at its website, if for no other reason than to get some great remodeling ideas. You’ll get to look at some before photos, and afters. For example, just take a peek at what the Deermers did to transform their bathroom from a tawdry, marble eyesore into this delightfully comfortable room with an historic sensibility.

Pictures certainly do tell a story, but sometimes a picture alone isn’t enough. For instance, here’s a photo of the bathroom ceiling:

But how did they get a tin ceiling into a 1950 Ranch? Well, there’s a story behind that. Most homes, especially historic homes and custom homes and luxury homes, have a story. And who better to tell that story than the owners? So, beginning with this listing, BloodhoundRealty.com agents will include a video on the home’s custom website, which interviews the owners for stories about the house. Where did that tin ceiling come from? Go to the Video Tour link to find out!

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

Charles Pennington has the distinction of being the first brave soul to use the Show Us Your Home feature on this site. Actually, as magnificent as this beauty is, perhaps I’d be more precise to describe Mr. Pennington as being “proud” rather than “brave.”

You can see many more photos of Mr. Pennington’s Florida house, and read his comments here.

Technorati Tags: real estate, real estate marketing

I’ve seen a lot of these homes, and talked to the owners, and heard how much trouble it’s been to restore windows, especially — without making them look modern — without detracting from the home’s historic charm.

And what do you do if you want to be historically appropriate, while still being responsibly green? Can old meet new without clashing?

I’ve seen it done, beautifully, using Pella’s Doors and Windows. Pella’s Architect Series promises “Architectural flexibility for any project -

from historic renovation to contemporary new construction. The real beauty is the creative freedom to choose from virtually endless design options including unique shapes and sizes, unlimited exterior colors, standard and custom grille patterns and our new collection of woods – Mahogany, Alder, Douglas Fir and Pine.

Their windows and doors come with the following benefits for you and your home:

Energy Efficiency— most Architect Series® products with energy-saving, argon-filled, Low-E insulating glass meet ENERGY STAR® requirements.
Easy To Clean — sash moves toward the center of the frame a full 4”, wider than most competitors’ standard casements, making it a breeze to clean exterior glass from inside your home.
Low Maintenance — Pella’s EnduraClad® exteriors are beautifully durable, resist fading, chalking and corrosion to stay looking great for years to come. The wood interior may be painted or stained to match any décor.
Superior Aesthetics and Operation — Pella’s integrated crank with fold-away handle won’t interfere with window treatments and is standard on all casements. Stainless steel operating hardware resists rust and corrosion ensuring years of dependable performance.
Extra Tight Seal — Pella’s patented SureLock® system reaches out to lift and pull the sash tight against the weatherstripping to form a tight seal.

But what they can not emphasize enough is how beautiful this line is!

Pella doors and windows are carried locally by Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores. Pella also has its own store in Mesa at Baseline and Dobson.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

There are so many things to love about Phoenix’s Historic Districts, which are filled with Distinctive Phoenix Homes. And, since this weblog is dedicated to Distinctive Phoenix, be sure to keep coming back, because we’ll be writing about those homes.

I am particularly fond of the F.Q. Story district. This was the first district designated as “historic” in Phoenix, as result of neighbors stirred to action by the ugly slash that the I-10 made through their picturesque neighborhood. F.Q. Story has large yards and charming old homes, going back to 1921. But one more thing that makes me partial to F.Q. Story is all of the animal lovers who live there. It is so sweet to walk down Culver St. and run into one after another beloved dog being walked by his proud person.

I would like to introduce you to one of those wonderful dogs, Maizy, as a way of introducing you to Maizy’s home on Willetta.

Maizy lives in a tastefully updated 1938 Spanish Revival home at 1118 W Willetta St.

Arches are essential to Spanish Revival architect, of course. But I’m always delighted by the clever and unique ways different Spanish Revival homes in Distinctive Phoenix express their arches. The arch between Maizy’s living room and dining room is an unusual stair-stepped arch.

S.F. “Jerry” Cook III and Tina Skinner have written an inspired book, including more than 500 period photographs that explore the Spanish Revival movement of the early 20th Century in their book, Spanish Revival Architecture

There is more, so much more to this picture-perfect home, where modern comforts are gracefully introduced to antiquity. Browse the many photos of 1118 West Willetta Street to see for yourself why this home was a recent recipient of the FQ Vision Award, and featured on the neighborhood’s home tour. See how Maizy’s people have their high-end stainless steel refrigerator talking to the antique Wedgewood stove. The living room with coved ceiling, hardwood floors and a wood burning fireplace is elegantly appointed with new plantation shutters and surround sound stereo. These are just examples, as you will see. Be sure not to miss the virtual tour link on this page.

The home is currently listed by Nathalie Hotong of RE/MAX Excalibur for $399,000. Don’t worry, Maizy will be moving to another lovely F.Q. Story home.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

IN A SHORT article accompanying your report that Phoenix had surpassed Philadelphia as the nation’s fifth largest city, Phoenix was described as lacking cultural history, having water problems, being unfriendly to gays and lesbians and, in order to grow, “cheating” by “swallowing up its suburbs.”

Then the Mayor goes on to shred this ignorant stereotype point by point. Like

The cultural history of Phoenix is long and rich. The Hohokams flourished here dating back to the 3rd century B.C. and developed an extensive irrigation system that made (and makes) the desert habitable. Modern political leaders like Sens. Carl Hayden and Barry Goldwater continued being good stewards of our water needs by envisioning and funding the Central Arizona Project Canal.

Thanks to them and to so many other state and local leaders, we have a safe and assured water supply. Phoenix water regularly wins accolades for being both clean and healthy.

And

Tempe, Scottsdale and Glendale are also prospering. Phoenix hasn’t “swallowed” a square inch of any of them. We grow because 5,000 new residents move to Phoenix every month. That’s 60,000 every year and 600,000 between 10-year census reports. We don’t gerrymander people in. We pick them up at the airport.

They come to Phoenix because the sun shines 350 days a year; our cost of living is favorable; we invest in our own community and rely on citizen involvement to move our community forward. Our council/manager form of government is responsive, stable and free of scandal.

Opportunities are abundant – Phoenix is a job machine. As a city, Phoenix creates more jobs every year than 45 states. We are building an economy on education, science and research, and we’re doing it quickly.

You should read his entire letter, because there’s more… I get so tired of people who don’t know better trying to hang the backwater town label on Phoenix, comparing us unfavorably with the cities that developed before the automobile. We’re a new city, unlike Boston or New York or Philadelphia or San Francisco or Seattle. Phoenix developed after the organic growth of the old U.S. cities resulted in zoning laws. Phoenix is a western city, where land seemed abundant — in infinite supply, when Phoenix was young, but the ocean-cities were already mature. A single county in a western state is almost the size of New England! Rather than depicting Phoenix’s growth as avarice, the author of that article, had he bothered to learn about Phoenix at all, might have realized that our vastness comes, simply, from having so much land! But obviously that isn’t what the census was measuring when it recognized Phoenix as having overtaken Philadelphia in size. The census was talking about population. The fact that size of yard per capita in Phoenix is significantly larger is yet another bonus of living here… another reason for people to move here!

Phoenix is a vibrant city, without natural disasters or bitterly cold weather. It’s a business-friendly city. Employers like to bring their businesses here, and people can get jobs here, live where the sun shines year round… and have large yards! We should stop worrying that we’re not like Philadelphia, or New York, or Seattle, or San Francisco. Let’s love what makes us Phoenix, because with their moving vans, people from all over the world are demonstrating that Phoenix is a place worthy of calling home.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, investing, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

Speaking of the distinctive MoPho style, did you notice the sale, reported in today’s Arizona Republic, of Chase Tower for $166.9 million?

The state’s tallest building sold this month for the highest price ever paid for an office building in metropolitan Phoenix.

This beautiful, shiny skyscraper, originally home to Valley National Bank, was built in the early ’70s, but the idea of the tower, meant to revitalize downtown Phoenix, had been envisioned for a decade before it was built.

Valley Bank Center was designed by important mid-Century modern architect, William Becket. Becket is well known for his influence on commercial LA buildings, including the Capital Records Building and Cinerama Dome. I’m personally glad that the grand building he brought to our town is one of soaring, sleek elegance rather than kitsch. Whatever flavor of Modern Phoenix you prefer, here is a building that surely makes you proud of our downtown.

A fun side-note for Modern aficionados is this reflection I found in Matt Hinrichs’ Scrubbles.net archives:

Wednesday, July 19, 2000
This is strange – from the August 1973 issue of Phoenix magazine, concept sketches of a nightclub in downtown Phoenix’s newest hotspot, the Valley Bank Center (now the Bank One building). “The Prime Interest, located at the concourse level, will feature a cocktail lounge and separate dining/dancing area.” A veritable swingers’ paradise, I’m sure. Of course, it may have never looked this exciting. When I first went there in the mid-’90s, the Eero Saarinen tables and chairs were all that remained – and they were gone within two years. The mirrored ceiling is a nice touch; very Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing

But here we are, in our Phoenician paradise where we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in nearly 100° temperatures!

If like me, you’re tired of looking at your frost-damaged landscape, be patient just a little longer. The Arizona Republic warned us to “hold the shears.”

So what about getting a jump on enjoying why so many of us moved to Arizona… the beautiful weather and forever-green yards? There are some wonderful garden events coming up.

Be sure not to miss The Encanto Palmcroft Historic Home Tour and Street Fair, this Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Tickets are $18, on sale at Phoenix College.

That is, unless you’re taking in the Master Gardener Garden Tour, also this Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM. This tour is of gardens in the Camelback Corridor that have been designed, planted and maintained by Master Gardeners from the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. If you don’t already have your tickets, you can buy them the day of the tour for $20 at Squaw Peak Elementary School, where the first garden in the tour will be on display.

Or, for a taste of Mid-century Modern Phoenix, plan on attending the Third Annual Modern Phoenix Home Tour and Expo. Seminars will run all day Saturday, with a self-guided tour of Ralph Haver’s Marlen Grove from 2 to 5 PM on Sunday.

But, oh-oh:

Well, March showers can be a welcomed respite from all the heat! So I hope you’re able to take full advantage of this weekend’s annual events. And in the coming weeks, don’t forget the other events posted in the Republic. And, as the rains subside, bringing our desert into bloom, do try to make a point of visiting our incomparable Desert Botanical Garden.

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate, real estate marketing