Recently, I was allowed to take a tour of the Operations and Maintenance Facility for the upcoming Light Rail system in Phoenix and I got to actually ride in one of the cars! I also met with the Project Manager for the maintenance facility and was able to discuss some of the technology, our opinions on future ridership, demographics, expansion etc.During my meetings and research of the new rail line, here are some "facts" as I remember them, as I was told or as I have read.1. Arizona Light Rail cars will be among the most technologically advanced in the world.2. 16 cameras on each train. ie: security, monitors etc.3. Cars are 90 feet long, 12 feet high, 8.5 feet wide.4. No-step boarding. This is really cool. Un-like most other systems where the "working parts" are underneath the train, ... 01/18/2008

Well Sun Devil Fans, Arizona State University open up its basketball PAC 10 play against Oregon.  They ended winning that game and now beat Oregon State today.  This is the first time in 20 years that ASU has started with a 2-0 PAC 10 start.  Now I do not think we can expect a great season from the Sun Devils, but since Coach Sendek took over last year, ASU has become the most improved team in the PAC.  I have been a season ticket holder for over 10 years now, and I can say that at least they are playing competitive basketball.  Anyhow, If you have not been out to Wells Fargo Arena, you should come out to Cheer On the Sun Devils to a victory.  With the cost of NBA tickets so pricey now, this is the best deal in town.     01/05/2008

The development at the corner of Mill Avenue & Rio Salado Parkway was unanimously approved by the Tempe City Council on Thursday, January 10th. 2008! Here is a new rendering of the development planned for 100 Mill Avenue - also known as the Monti's La Casa Vieja site.  The new 100 Mill Avenue development will include office, retail, residential and is just one of the many reasons to make downtown Tempe the place you Live/Work and Play! Would you like more information on this amazing area? Call an Urban Real Estate Broker who actually lives & works in Downtown Tempe!Contact us at our live/work loft in downtown Tempe. Urban Realty would love an opportunity to share with you what we know about urban living and help you find your own life in the heart of the city! We specialize in downtown ... 12/16/2007

Well, its official, The Arizona State Sun Devils will be heading to the Holiday Bowl.  Considering at the beginning of the season, everyone expected Arizona State to finish 4th-5th in the PAC 10.  I am excited to see them play in a nice bowl game for a change and help get their program set for bigger events in years to come.We all can thank the Rose Bowl Committee for NOT getting ASU into a BCS Bowl game.  The Rose Bowl Committee needs to wake up and start picking the best teams.  They did their job by putting USC in their pick, but Illinois, come on.    If Illinois was not chosen that would of opened another BCS slot somewhere else for ASU.  That is a joke.  ASU played to the level of a BCS Bowl Game, but until a playoff system is born, we all need to live with the outcome.    12/15/2007

Some very powerful, rare winter rainstoms took their best shot at last month's Tempe Festival for the Arts, but the event was still a success.  413 artists displayed their crafts under tent's or umbrellas to the brave shoppers trying to find that unique holiday gift.  Arizona State football had a big home game Saturday night during the festival and many fans came out early to shop, eat and enjoy the atmosphere before kickoff.  Now the Mill Ave. district is all decked out in their holiday lights as the season gets into full swing.  Every year I take the kids to Zoolights (an event in itself) then walk across the Mill Ave Bridge into Downtown Tempe.  They really get a kick out of strolling the cobblestone streets on a night when the air is crisp and the holiday lights are bright.  Of cour... 12/13/2007

Tempe has a nice mix of high rise condominium properties along with cool infil townhome and loft projects.  Brownstones at Tempe is in it's final construction stages of phase III and has some attractive close out pricing on their successful row houses.  I have been a big fan of this community from the beginning and have helped several clients purchase in Brownstones.  Across the street Tempe Urban Living is nearing completion as well.  I also saw a lot of activity at Shea residential's new mixed use project at 5th and Farmer.  The Tempe landscape is changing rapidly and new residents are enjoying the lifestyle offered by Mill Ave and Tempe Beach Park/Tempe Town Lake.  Mosaic and Lumina seem ready to start construction to add their contribution to the new skyline.  Centerpoint Condomiums... 12/13/2007

Two new developments have surfaced regarding the proposed high rise condominium project encompassing Monti's La Cas Vieja restaurant.  The project has been controversial from the get go with historical societies up in arms over a development at the site of Tempe's oldest standing structure.  The whole concept had to be revamped just to preserve the adobe house built in 1871 by Charles Hayden.  Now the East Valley tribune is reporting that US Airways, who owns the adjacent land to the project has filed a legal protest over the proposed height of the towers.  Developer Tony Wall of Scottsdale based W Companies now must win a city counsil vote buy no less than 6 to 7.  That's the bad news.  Good news is the project did get FAA approval for current design.  The two towers would reach 300 an... 12/13/2007

The new light rail service for Tempe is scheduled to start in about a year.  The new service will run through the ASU campus and along Apache Blvd before heading into Mesa.  The city has already kicked off studies for extending the line further into south Tempe, where I live.  The rail as it exists now does not do much for me unless I drive or take a bus (good luck with that) to a stop further north.  Not too convenient. It would be great to take the rail service into downtown Tempe or further into Phoenix without the hassle of driving.  To get down to my end of town though will be a challenge for the planners.  They have to somehow navigate through a railroad crossing which runs east-west between Apache Blvd and Broadway Rd.  Now all that's assuming I haven't moved before 2015 which is... 12/12/2007

The Hayden Ferry project marches right along despite a sluggish real estate market.  The much anticipated second tower (Bridgeview) is taking shape and building tours are now available for prospective buyers.  Tours are done by appointment only and will cover some of the common areas as well as some of the unfinished homes.  The Hayden Ferry Project will dominate the southern shore of Tempe Town Lake with 4 residential high rise condominium properties.  When Edgewater completed in 2005 it quickly became THE upscale address for Tempe.  Bridgeview promises to deliver on an even grader scale with larger common areas, higher elevations and dominating architecture.  Adding to all the residential development is the newly open Tempe Market Place.  This brand new retail mecca offers the shoppin... 12/12/2007

This past year has been tough on the gereral real estate market for both private sellers and developers.  Now we are starting to see some creativity on the part of some developers to make thier properties even more attractive to prospective buyers.  Centerpoint Condominiums is offering a 1 to 2 year leaseback programs on selected condos in tower 1.  The program would allow investors to own in one of the premier Tempe developments with steady income for 12-24 months without having to worry about the typical headaches that come with owning investment properties.  Centerpoint would likely sub-lease the property out durning the leaseback time, and would therefore be responsible for finding and screening tenants, collecting rents, handling tenant concerns and repairs taking all of those conc... 12/12/2007

The area south of Tempe Town Lake and west of Mill Ave is blossoming with some really cool urban villages and loft projects. Millstone by Barton Communities was one of the first to break ground in early 2006 and they are starting to deliver to the owners. The project offers three story lofts with two car attached garages a beautiful community. Walking distance to Mill Ave and the FLASH route made this project, and the others to follow, attractive to parents of students of ASU as well as the business professionals coming to new jobs in the area. The project is technically sold out but there is a possibility that 3-4 homes may be coming back to the builder. I also know a man who may be putting his on the market due to a job transfer. More on that later.The Brownstones at Tempe is coming a... 12/12/2007

Last weekend my wife and I spent some time out in Tempe. We looked around Tempe Marketplace and took in a movie at the new Harkins theatre. Quite a few shops are open and many more are moving in. This area will be a great resource for Tempe residences and I can't wait to see it when it's done. After the show we had a late lunch at Monte's and asked the staff about the historic restaurant. According to the people I spoke with there will be some renovation and expansion of the original structure but none of the history or the artifacts will be removed. The history, the service and the food will always make Monti's a great destination for visitors and locals alike.From there we took a driving tour around Mill Ave and checked up on the Centerpoint construction site. According to Lisa Greg o... 12/12/2007

Recently I had a client from California looking to relocate to the Phoenix area.This gentleman happened to be an ASU grad and still holds season tickets to ASU football. He was interested in seeing what both the downtown Phoenix and Tempe areas had to offer in terms of condos or lofts considering style, price, and most importantly lifestyle...We started downtown and visited a variety of different properties from the 15th floor of Regency House, to the Artisan on Central and Parkview developments.While he liked some of the homes we saw, he was stumbling somewhat on the lifestyle. The trouble was he kept drawing comparisons to living in downtown LA, which he felt was great for working and special events but emptied out most evenings and weekend.This client was looking for more interesting... 12/12/2007

Lumina Update Tempe's newest high rise project Lumina recently opened it's sales office. The show room comes complete with models, mock up's and plenty of printable information to digest. Like most Tempe high rise condo projects, Lumina is ambitious, it's tall, it's upscale and when completed it will contribute towards Tempe's transformation into an urban center unlike any other in the Phoenix metro area. Lumina will be the second Tempe development planned to combine residential condos and a luxury hotel on the same site. Each will have their own tower, but will share some of the amenities.The vision calls for 245 residential condos in a 20 story tower offering studio, one, two and three bedroom floor plans with pricing comparable to other Tempe high rise condo projects. The hotel aspec... 12/12/2007

Touring New Construction (with photos) If you really want to learn a lot about a new construction project, you have to get out and tour the site. Over the last several weeks I have taken clients on building tours of some of the more notable construction sites in Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale. The trip to the top of 44 Monroe provided by far the most spectacular views. These photos from the 34th floor penthouse show a side of Phoenix you normally just don't see, unless your using some sort of aircraft! This project seemed to take a forever to get started and there was a time when we wondered if it would ever happen at all. Now construction is well along and you can see that this really is going to be a beautiful addition to the downtown skyline. Moving from downtown Phoenix due east take... 12/12/2007

Back in October we kicked off our monthly bus tour of high rise condos and lofts focusing on the Tempe Town Lake and Mill Avenue area.  We took guests to all the newest and coolest condominium communities that Tempe has to offer.  Hayden Ferry high rise, Centerpoint Condominiums tower, Brownstones at Tempe, Tempe Urban Living and 5th St. Lofts were just some of the diverse urban properties showcased on our tour.  Many people were surprised at all the different types of loft and condo style properties coming to the area.  At the end Avenue Communities treated us to a quick lunch prepared by their signature Chef Troy.  Everyone learned a lot and we all had a great time.  Keep informed on upcoming condo and loft tour events by visiting the WeKnowUrban website.  12/12/2007

With only about a year left before Arizona's Light Rail line is set to begin carrying passengers, I have seen many changes so far with many more to come. One in particular was the addition of the bridge spanning Tempe Town Lake. Nearly $22 million was spent to build an award winning bridge to carry light rail cars and passengers from one side of the lake to the other. Tempe Town Lake plays a major part in the new light rail systemThe bridge design includes a state-of-the-art fiber-optic lighting system that can change colors as the train crosses and provide other interesting visual effects. A fiber optic tube will be installed under the deck of the bridge and illuminate screens covering the truss structure. The lighting component will be the art feature for the bridge, and was conceived... 12/08/2007

On Saturday morning, November 17th, we toured Downtown Tempe Luxury Condos as a group of investors from The Walsh Team's Millionaire Real Estate Investor (MREI) seminars. We first toured the Bridgeview at Hayden Ferry Lakeside complex on the south shore of Tempe Town Lake.  These condos are quite luxurious, with spacious and sophisticated one-bedrooms starting at just over $600,000, and three-bedrooms topping out at just over $1.5 million.  These units sport spectacular views of the lake, cityscapes, and Arizona State University.  This complex is next to the Suncor business center and a soon-to- be- built boutique hotel.  Just over 60 units remain, and move-in is scheduled for early 2008, right after the Superbowl.  So, if you have the means, the desire, and the need for absolute luxury... 12/07/2007

The many new developments in Tempe are fun to watch. From Bridgeview to  Mosaic to Centerpointe to the new Monti's project, the Mill Avenue District is really "growing up." Soon, the Valley's Light Rail system will travel right through the community. If you haven't been down there lately, you will be amazed. If you have, you can't help but notice how "alive" the area is. People of all walks of life enjoy this area. From small coffee shops to million dollar condos with HOA fees in the $1500.00 per month range! :-) The park, the lake and near by hiking at "The Butte" / "A" Mountain are all things that people love as well. I found this cool video that shows some of the many existing and proposed changes in the area.Take a look!    To Live, work and play, our great city is hard to beat! The... 12/06/2007

Arizona State football team won the Territorial Cup last night against their arch rival Arizona and finished their regular season 10-2 and 2nd in PAC 10 play.  Now its up to the BCS committee to determine if ASU has what it takes to play in a BCS bowl game this year.  With Hawaii winning last night, its starting to look slimmer for Arizona State's chance but hey they will still get invited to a nice bowl game.  12/02/2007