Today - since it was going to be around 80 degrees, my husband and I went along with some friends to play golf. Now, just to make sure you all understand, I am what is affectionally referred to as a "duffer."  That means a beginner and not good. We had attended a Boy Scout Charity/Auction where we bid on and won four tickets to play at ASU KARSTEN.  We did good! We had heard it was a challenging course with lots of hills and sand traps, slopes and narrow fairways. My husband, who has been playing for many, many years told me when we returned home, that it was the most challenging golf course he's ever played on - NOW he tells me. ;-) I LOVED it!!! I wasn't good, but it was so much fun. It was a five-hour golf game with lots of walking over little knolls and hills and chipping out of san... 03/10/2008

Our latest WeKnowUrban High Rise and Loft Condo Tour was held just this past Saturday.  It was a huge success with 50 attendees.  As the entire country (and quite possibly the world) has heard, real estate, particularly the sale of high rise and loft condominiums, is a touch slow.  So, for a high rise and loft condo tour to generate 50 urban living fans in our opinion is pretty awesome.  It sure seems that people are interested in all the construction going on in Tempe and urban properties.The tour covered the Tempe Town Lake and Mill Avenue Districts including North Shore, Bridgeview at Hayden Ferry, and Centerpointe High Rise.  We also discussed Onyx High Rise, Pier 202, Marina Heights, Hayden Flour Mill, 100 Mill, Mosaic, Lumina High Rise and Farmers Art District all of which are cur... 03/09/2008

A premiere vintage car road rally takes place in Tempe Arizona on April 6-9, 2008. This event is a unique fund-raiser for the Phoenix Art Museum. Thousands of vintage car buffs come to the event from all over America. The event takes place at the Tempe Diablo Stadium at 2200 W Alameda Drive in Tempe Arizona. For more information about this interesting event visit their website. 03/09/2008

If you love to visit art shows and are in the vicinity of Tempe Arizona during March 28-30, 2008 then plan on visiting the Tempe Festival of the Arts. This juried show and sale will have more than 350 artists om a street-festival atmosphere with booths in the Mill Street District. For more information call 480-355-6070 or visit their website. 03/09/2008

Tempe Arizona is an amazing place to live, work and play. People come from all over the world to experience our incredible lifestyle, climate and all around great community. The diversity of housing options is astounding and ranges from Spanish to Urban design and from affordable to ultra luxury. We also have everything from lakeside properties to horse ranches and anything else in between,                At just over 40 square miles in size and a 2010 projection calling for just shy of 175,000 people, Tempe packs quite a punch. The balance of working and playing within the community is hard to beat. As the only city in Arizona to have light rail pass from boarder to boarder, our transportation options are many. Easy access to freeways and the airport help drive our economy and allow vi... 03/04/2008

Campus Edge is almost complete with the municipality process and is en route to be even higher and denser than before. Previously, they had proposed 100 residential units, a building height of 96 feet and 369 parking spaces. With this amendment to their custom Planned Area Development Overlay (PAD), they increased to 132 units, 117 feet up, and reduced parking to 249 spaces. As seen in several other projects in Tempe, developers are taking full advantage of this custom PAD overlay district, which allows the applicant to create their own requirements for essential building regulations. Of course with approval from the city, the developers are getting their wishes granted quite easily.Campus Edge is also on the Light Rail, which means it is engulfed by a Transit Overlay District. This als... 03/03/2008

Join the high rise and loft condo experts, WeKnowUrban, this Saturday, March 8th, for a three hour bus tour of the hottest high rise condos and coolest lofts on the Tempe Town Lake and the Mill Avenue District.  We'll be visiting Northshore, Bridgeview at Hayden Ferry, Orchid House Lofts, Centerpoint High Rise AND discussing updates on Marina Heights, Onyx, Pier 202 and more.Even though we take a bus to each property, this is a walking tour, meaning we get off the bus and enter properties.  If the building is under construction, we don hard hats and get a little dirty.  Each month, thirty to forty urban enthusiasts join us in various parts of town to see what is going on.  Students, real estate agents, developers, potential buyers and the "just curious" are all welcome.  The cost of the... 03/03/2008

  I know this is going to make some of you jealous (sorry), but I have killer tickets-- right behind home plate and just a couple rows back for the Texas Rangers vs. the Angels of Anaheim tomorrow. It's a 1:00PM game (gotta bring that darn cell phone) and the weather should be breezy and in the low 80's. I'm so excited, I'm bouncing in my chair. Are you kidding me? Does it get any better? It is only the month of March (or Feb 29th in a leap year) that I get to have a hot dog and a beer right in the middle of my business day, when I should be working. But what is baseball without a dog and a beer? Tomorrow will be a great day. On Saturday, the day after tomorrow, I managed to get three more killer seats for the Angels vs. the Chicago Cubs. I'm going to take my two favorite men-- my husba... 02/28/2008

Downtown Tempe residents get ready for great pizza & great wine!  "La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar", located in the Brickyard on Mill at 7th Street & Mill Avenue, is set to open it's doors on March 10th, 2008.  The pizzeria is slightly delayed, but it will be well worth the wait!  Serving fresh Bruschetta, pizzas, sandwiches, and of course wine, La Bocca will offer an upscale, lounge style experience that invites it's guests to "stay a while"!  Sofas and lounge chairs will grace the interior as well as the patio that sits on Mill Avenue.If you have any interest in being a part of this up and coming city, and relish the idea of exchanging the hassle of traffic with a short elevator ride down to little bistros like "La Bocca", call Tom Tokoph with Urban Realty & Development.  We would ... 02/27/2008

In the past, we have mentioned some of Tempe's outdoor activities so I thought I'd share a little bit about the Arts scene as well.. Tempe. AZ has a really great Arts and Entertainment "vibe" that is supported by many different parts of our community. In fact, if you go to the City of Tempe site, you will find an "events calendar" for "Arts". There, you will also find information about the Tempe Historical Museum. One of the many really fun events is the Tempe Festival of the Arts held on the "famous" Mill Avenue. While the Tempe Festival of the Arts primarily focuses on art and the artists that create it, there are also a wide variety of other activities for guests to enjoy. Live entertainment stages and performances by a number of well-known local musicians provide musical entertainme... 02/23/2008

Constellation is very excited to announce that Phoenix Sun’s All-Star power forward Amare Stoudemire will officially be calling Lumina Tempe home upon completion in early 2010.After months of searching for the perfect urban residence in the Phoenix Valley, Mr. Stoudemire felt that Lumina Tempe distinguished itself from the competition by focusing on servicing residents’ daily needs versus providing just a ‘place to live’ with the standard residential amenities.“Since I'm always on the road, I was looking for a place that was more than an apartment but also offered things like, home-cooked meals, laundry service," says Stoudemire. "Lumina Tempe has those things and even more, like in-room massage, a VIP access lounge, etc.  I'm excited to move into my new home. I've seen a lot of differe... 02/19/2008

In December of 2008, Arizona will have a brand new Light Rail system running from Phoenix through Tempe and in to Mesa via a 20 mile "starter" line. Tempe is a centrally located city surrounded by freeways, minutes from Sky Harbor Airport and is conveniently located near jobs, and many different housing options.  Our community bus system is growing in popularity but the coming Light Rail line will have a huge impact for many ASU students and Tempe residents. As you can see from the map, Light Rail will run East/West along Apache turning North/West through the heart of ASU, past Sun Devil Stadium and through the Mill Avenue District until heading North over the Tempe Town Lake Bridge. For sports fans, the rail line is going to be a true gem! There is a stop right outside of Sun Devil Sta... 02/16/2008

FEATURED PROPERTY FOR RENT: The Lofts at Orchidhouse Live/Work Property Live or Live/Work at this Lofts at Orchidhouse 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom, 916 s.f., 11ft Ceilings, loft style exposed ductwork, concrete ceilings, large operable windows. Fantastic urban location in the heart of downtown Tempe close to shopping, restaurants, walk to ASU, Tempe Town Lake and everything else downtown Tempe has to offer! Offered at $1,650 per month.More Information:Orchidhouse Lofts For RentUrban Realty & Development, provides full service real estate sales, consulting and brokerage services to those who, like us, are looking for their very own home in the modern world. Whether that "home" is a minimalist sanctuary in the penthouse suite, an industrial style office space with exposed ductwork and concrete ... 02/12/2008

Nearly all of the land bordering Tempe Town Lake between Mill Avenue and McClintock Road is already zoned MU-4 with PAD overlays meaning the parcels are prepared and ready to go vertical beyond the norm.  MU-4 zoning with a PAD overlay gives the developer the ability to build denser and higher than what is normally allowed.  Thus creating phenomenal projects such as Hayden Ferry Lakeside, Grigio, Northshore Midrise Condos  and more to come.SunCor and ASU joined to create an additional project called Marina Heights that will be a continuation of and immediately adjacent to SunCor's acclaimed Hayden Ferry Lakeside project (mixed use of office, retail/restaurant, hotel and high rise condos), which is now approximately half-way complete.  Marina Heights will be of similar fashion to Hayden... 02/11/2008

Many people know that I truly love living and working in Tempe, AZ. While our great state has many quality communities and a diverse job base, I can think of no place I'd rather live.By far, the largest employer in our City is Arizona State University employing over 10,500 people! ASU is a huge campus on approximately 700 acres with many fascinating and ever growing research and development sectors. While the list of Tempe's Top Employersis extensive, it would be hard to get the feeling for how nice the community is by reading the list. Many of the smaller, "mom and pop" shops tend to give us some great character. The bustling Mill Avenue District is becoming a very "cool" place for some small yet "hot" technology companies. Speaking of technology companies, Tempe is home to over 300 of... 02/11/2008

Avenue Communities celebrated the "Topping-Off" of their second tower on February 6, 2008.  It was a "first look" for myself and many others of the outstanding views from the new 30 story building.  Chef Michael prepared lite fare while developer Ken Losch gave a toast to commemorate the event. The Centerpoint development includes a 1st floor retail level which will be known as "Aroma".  Aroma will be the ultimate urban kitchen and will include fresh meats, artisan breads, wine bar, coffee bar, a gellatoria and more.  Along side Aroma will be Chef Michael's urban bistro called Trattoria M.  With large open window walls spilling into the plaza which will include a jumbo-tron, owner Ken Losch said that it wouldn't be unusual to see movies, special events, or even presidential debates broa... 02/07/2008

Hayden Ferry is one of our favorite high rise condo projects in Tempe.  There are currently two condominium towers with two more on the drawing board.  Our guess is that the next two buildings will be on hold until market conditions change.  Nonetheless we're excited to see so much going vertical against the flat foreground of Tempe Town Lake. 02/01/2008

An amazing event was held last night (Jan. 29, 2008) at Bridgeview at Hayden Ferry Lakeside!  It was a "first look" for the new Bridgeview building, which is truly destined to become one of the premier locations in downtown Tempe.  As you can see from the pictures, the property includes some amazing amenities including a theater room, state of the art gym, sauna and steam room, billards room, and a lounge with gourmet kitchen.  Add all this to an amazing location on the Tempe Town Lake and this is a seriously stunning building...Bridgeview at Hayden Ferry Lakeside Bridgeview at Tempe Town Lake is just one of the many reasons to make downtown Tempe the place you Live/Work or Play!  Would you like more information on this amazing area? Call an Urban Real Estate Broker who actually lives &... 01/30/2008

Comparative Market Analysis   Property Type:   Residential       Status:   Active SubjectProperty        #ML#StatusAddressBuiltFe CodeSqFtList PriceLP/ SFADOMCDOM1 2923596 act 2300 W Vineyard RD Tempe 1974 32FRP1C 1358 $199,999 $147 1 202 2 2866697 act 4918 S CALLE LOS CERROS DR Tempe 1976 21RP2+C 1001 $200,000 $200 103 103 3 2914828 act 2719 W Carter DR Phoenix 1975 42FRDPL2G 1597 $214,900 $135 14 14 4 2921042 act 2510 W MINTON DR Tempe 1974 32FRD2+C 1409 $275,000 $195 6 5 5 2877642 act 2516 W MINTON DR Tempe 1974 53FRXSO1C 2231 $289,000 $130 85 85 6 2853629 act 4903 S POTTER DR Tempe 1974 42.5RXPO 2039 $299,000 $147 123 123 Average    1,605$246,316  5589Number of Properties: 6( Average ListPrice / Average SqFt ) : ( 246316 / 1605 ) = $ 153.47 Property Type:   Residential       Status:... 01/29/2008

Tempe Arizona is an amazing city that has a lot of really great outdoor activities. For outdoor enthusiasts, most activities are available year round. For instance, the average high temperature in January is 68 degrees while the average low temperature is 40 degrees. Yep, it is beautiful here!. The Tempe Town Lake area is a great asset to our community featuring boat rentals, kayaking, walking trails, grassy areas, a splash pad for kids and is a great place to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July! The lake has also played host to music festivals, the Way Out West Oktoberfest, the Arizona Ironman competition, the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Marathon, Arts Festivals, parades and the famous Insight Fiesta Bowl Block Party where you can spend New Year's Eve with 100,000 of your closest friends... 01/28/2008