Fountain Hills Luxury Lifestyle

Featured Property

16100 E. Shooting Star Trail | $1,750,000 5825 Sq. Ft. | 3 Bed | 3.5 Bath Simply gorgeous one-of-a kind home situated on the 11th hole of Firerock Country Club. Breathtaking views of golf course and mountains. Superior finishes throughout. Sought-after floor plan which includes three large bedrooms with bathroom. Master suite on main floor, a grand billiards room, large living room with built-in bar room. Home also features an elevator. Also included are two large bedroom suites, an exercise or family room with its own private kitchenette and a spectacular indoor jetted therapy pool and hot tub!

March | April 2012

Fountain Hills Luxury A COLLECTION OF NEWLY LISTED PROPERTIES AND RECENT SALES IN

Address

Subdivision

Sq. Ft. / Bed / Bath / Lot Size List Price

10722 N Ventura Ct 40

Crestview

6.91 Acres

9641 N Cirrus Ct

Eagle Mountain 5,730 / 5 / 4.5

15935 E Villas Dr 106

ACTIVE LISTINGS

DID YOU MISS IT?

Timing the market is a difficult thing to do. We’re always looking in the rear-view mirror. If we see a downward trend, we assume it will continue. The inverse, of course, is true as well. In the simplest terms, there are fundamentally 2 sides to the housing equation— supply and demand. In April of 2005 there were 8,342 active listings on the market in the Phoenix Metro. That’s less than a third of the typical average of 33,373. Sales that same month was a record 11,091. A feeding frenzy atmosphere continued to drive prices higher and higher to a peak in June 2007. However, the inflated prices suppressed demand. As a result, active listings increased to a peak in November 2007—just 5 months later. 20-20 hindsight: Sure, any objective student of trends could plainly see that rising prices (demand) against shrinking supply was a set-up for a fall. But most everyone was drinking the Kool-Aid that ‘housing prices always go up over time’. Today the dynamics of supply and demand have inverted. Low, deflated prices, have resulted in another feeding frenzy, driven by investors with cash. Prices are on the rise in the areas hardest hit. Distressed properties, at least the foreclosed, bank-owned houses are drying up. So, if you were waiting for the bottom of the market to jump in, did you miss it? Well, that would depend on where you’re looking and what you’re looking for. Look at the following annual median appreciation list (courtesy of The Cromford Report): Fountain Hills – up 6.0% • Paradise Valley – up 3.3% Cave Creek – up 0.1% • Scottsdale – down 0.3% If you’re looking for a home in the N.E. resort corridor of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or Cave Creek, prices appear to be flat. Fountain Hills prices are up! This is the demographic that has been more resilient in the downturn. Still prices are rolled back in many upscale neighborhoods to what they were a decade ago. This represents a sweet spot of opportunity. So, no, you didn’t miss it…yet. At the street level, agents will tell you that the competition is fierce. And that can only mean one thing. Call me right away!

$625,000 $1,599,000

Firerock

2,905 / 3 / 3

15523 E Firerock Country Club Dr Firerock

6,850 / 5 / 6

$1,399,000

16100 E Shooting Star Trl

Firerock

5,825 / 3 / 3.5

$1,750,000

9615 N Rock Ridge Trl

Firerock

8,210 / 6 / 7

$1,999,000

9236 N Horizon Trl

Firerock

5,915 / 4 / 3.5

$2,700,000

PENDING SALES

$925,000

15115 E Miravista

Eagle Mountain 5,560 / 4 / 5.5

16108 E Star Gaze Trl 10

Firerock

$950,000

.87 Acre

$109,900

15419 E Firerock Country Club Dr 1 Firerock

.78 Acre

$399,000

10106 N Canyon View Ln 36

Firerock

5.13 Acres

$599,990

10430 N Villa Ridge Ct 118

Firerock

2,922 / 3 / 3.25

$769,000

10533 N Villa Ridge Ct 125

Firerock

2,922 / 3 / 3.5

$799,000

9745 N Foothill Trl

Firerock

5,425 / 5 / 4.5

$1,150,000

9640 N Rock Ridge Trl

Firerock

5,574 / 5 / 5.5

$1,150,000

9529 N Four Peaks Way

Firerock

3,541 / 3 / 4

$1,195,000

9145 N Lava Bluff Trl

Firerock

6,182 / 4 / 5.5

$1,399,000

9105 N Shadow Ridge Trl

Firerock

4,490 / 4 / 4.5

$1,499,000

9224 N Horizon Trl

Firerock

7,000 / 4 / 5

$1,699,000

9647 N Fireridge Trl

Firerock

7,068 / 5 / 5.5

$1,995,000

15317 E Firerock Country Club Dr Firerock

7,500 / 6 / 5.5

$2,000,000

13634 N Sunflower Dr

Sunridge Canyon 4,154 / 5 / 4.5

$825,000

12807 N Sunridge Dr

Sunridge Canyon 6,768 / 6 / 4.5

$890,000

The Internet Age

Are Realtors Still Necessary?

Palate-Pleasing Perfection

SOLD

10624 N Crestview Dr

Crestview

4,007 / 4 / 3.5

9120 N Flying Butte 16

Crimson Canyon .51 Acre

14353 E Zorra Way

Eagles Nest

6,283 / 4 / 4.5

480.315.1575

9435 N Lava Bluff Trl 1

Firerock

.83 Acre

9041 N Fireridge Trl

Firerock

5,943 / 5 / 5.5

877.276.1071 TOLL FREE Susan@Pellegrini.com

9936 N Copper Ridge Trl

Firerock

7,006 / 5 / 4.5

15324 E Sundown Dr

Sunridge Canyon 6,028 / 5 / 5

SUSAN PELLEGRINI ACCESS LINE:

WWW.PELLEGRINI.COM

Sold Price $975,000

$245,000 $950,000 $1,050,000 $925,000

Listings in bold/blue signify The Pellegrini Group’s involvement in the listing or sale. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The properties on this list have been listed/sold by various participants in the MLS.

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Bourbon Steak’s Lobster Pot Pie

$81,500 $1,000,000

Produced by Desert Lifestyle Publishing • 480.460.0996 • www.DesertLifestyle.net

ISSN-1939-9529

Fountain Hills Real Estate Report

In Good Taste

Featuring Bourbon Steak 480.513.6002 | MichaelMina.net

Maine Lobster Pot Pie Ingredients 5 lbs. cooked, chilled lobster meat cooked vegetables (see below)

Lobster Cream (see below) pie dough

Eighteen holes of match or medal play will teach you more about your foe than will 18 years of dealing with him across a desk. — Grantland Rice

30 marble red potatoes, cut in half 15 baby yellow squash, cut in half 6 Tbs. butter salt and pepper

Golf is like a love affair. If you don’t take it seriously, it’s no fun; if you do take it seriously, it breaks your heart. — Arthur Daley

Slowly simmer the onions, baby carrots and potatoes until al dente. Strain and lay them out on a baking sheet to cool. For the mushrooms, zucchini and squash, heat sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbs. of butter and then vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and continue sautéing until tender and caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Lay out on a baking sheet to cool. Lobster Cream 3 onions, medium dice 2 fennel bulbs, medium dice 3 carrots, peeled, medium dice 1/2 hd celery, medium dice 1 hd garlic, cut in half 10 lobster shells 2 cups white wine 2 cups brandy

Serves 10

What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive. — Arnold Palmer The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can’t see him laughing. — Phyllis Diller

1/2 cup tomato paste 1 gal cream 3 sprigs thyme 1 tsp. black peppercorns 1 tsp. coriander seed 1 bay leaf 2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Add in the oil, then the lobster shells. Stir often until the shells are well-seared and bright red. Remove pan from heat, add in the brandy and the diced vegetables and return pot to heat. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are cooked through and begin to brown. Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste begins to brown. Add in the white wine and scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking until all of the liquid is cooked out. Add in the cream and the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain through a colander into another pot or large bowl. Discard the shell mix. Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer. Return the lobster cream to a stockpot and return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 1 Tbs. of roux, cook for 1 minute. Blend using a hand blender. Cool using an ice bath. Reserve.

MARCH | APRIL 2012 Phoenix Symphony Orpheum Theatre, March 17th 602.495.1999 | PhoenixSymphony.org Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with an afternoon salute to Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham performed live by The Symphony and The Valley Youth Theater. Or, get your groove on and attend the evening performance of Motown’s Greatest Hits. Each performance is sure to delight!

I’m about five inches from being an outstanding golfer. That’s the distance my left ear is from my right. — Ben Crenshaw

To Assemble Into each 1 qt. baking dish, place three of the carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchini and squash. Divide the mushrooms evenly between the dishes. Add 1/2 lb. lobster meat. Ladle 3 oz. of Lobster Cream into each dish. Garnish each dish with chopped chives, parsley, thyme and chervil, drizzle of truffle oil, and one sliced truffle. To cap the pot pies, lightly egg wash the outer edge of the dough and carefully place the top on top of the baking dish. Gently press the dough to seal the edges. When all the pot pies have been capped, egg wash the top of each very lightly. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Place into a preheated 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately. Vegetables 2 cups white pearl onions, peeled 4 cups mixed gourmet mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces 30 baby carrots, peeled 15 baby green zucchini, cut in half

Event Calendar

Never bet with anyone you meet on the first tee who has a deep suntan, a 1-iron in his bag, and squinty eyes. — Dave Marr

it is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf. — robert lynd

If you break 100, watch your golf. If you break 80, watch your business. — Joey Adams

I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game. It is called an eraser. — Arnold Palmer

One of the most fascinating things about golf is how it reflects the cycle of life. No matter what you shoot - the next day you have to go back to the first tee and begin all over again and make yourself into something. — Peter Jacobsen

Golf is played by twenty million mature American men whose wives think they are out having fun. — Jim Bishop

Golf is not just an exercise; it’s an adventure, a romance... a Shakespeare play in which disaster and comedy are intertwined. — Harold Segall

Agave on the Rocks Desert Botanical Garden, March 30th 480.481.8188 | DBG.org Celebrate the essence of the margarita and the spirit of the Southwest at the 10th Annual Agave on the Rocks. Savor an evening of gourmet eats prepared by the Valley’s best restaurants and caterers and samba under the stars to vibrant Latin rhythms, including performances by DJ Miguel Ivery, Fuerza Caribe and Grupo Liberdade.

The most important shot in golf is the next one. — Ben Hogan The older I get, the better I used to be. — Lee Trevino

Golf is a game in which you yell “fore”... shoot six... and write down five. — Paul Harvey

Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger. — Arnold Palmer

Of all the hazards, fear is the worst. — Sam Snead

Golf is 20 percent talent and 80 percent management. — Ben Hogan

found a home online? realtors are more valuable than ever

A lot has been said about the impact of technology on the residential real estate business. Some people have predicted that technology will circumvent the role of your REALTOR®. After all, information is readily available 24/7/365 to anyone with a mouse. You don’t have to leave your house, you don’t have to get dressed; it’s all there. Theoretically, like eBay, someone could initiate and complete a transaction electronically. You could see streaming video of the property and fall in love. You could write an offer and email it to the seller for consideration and approval. It’s certainly possible to apply for the loan and secure approval using PDF documents. The escrow officer could transmit paperwork electronically, and you could wire funds for the closing. However, those components of the transaction are merely the tip of the iceberg. They are essential ingredients, but they aren’t the significant and meaningful things that still need to be done. In reality, the advancements in technology have actually strengthened the role and importance of a REALTOR® in the sale or purchase of property. The National Association of REALTORS® reports approximately eight out of ten buyers start their house-hunting search on the Internet before they make contact with an agent. Prior to the Internet, buyers sought out REALTORS® to find out what was on the market. Now, that information is available to consumers along with virtual 24/7 open houses on many of the listings. The old role as “show and tell” people, where agents delivered information to prospects and clients, made them easily replaceable. Customers had a hard time differentiating between various licensees and appreciating their value. The new role in this new “high tech” era

is far more complex and valuable to clients. It’s turning into a “high tech and high touch” environment. Agents and brokers are consultants, advisors, and educators. They are professional negotiators whose actions, leadership and efforts are in their client’s best interests acting as their fiduciary. Real estate, by definition, is highly emotional, extremely complicated, and most often adversarial, because the interests of the buyer and the seller are polarized. New research has shown that buyers and sellers depend on professional representation. They are looking for someone who is a skillful negotiator and a committed advocate. Both parties to a transaction are looking for a real estate agent who can manage the contingencies and details surrounding the sale to ensure their compliance. They also want their REALTOR® to accompany them at inspections and the close of escrow. Even if a buyer and a seller were capable and knowledgeable enough to be in a position to wear all of the necessary hats involved in the transaction, and even if they had the time and resources, they would still be at a distinct disadvantage. One of the most valuable benefits of being represented by a REALTOR® is the broker’s capacity to act as a “third party” to the transaction. The principals to the transaction often lack the objectivity and skills to respond and react properly without risk of jeopardizing the sale. From a different perspective, despite any preconceived notions about the advantages of information readily available on the Internet, buyers and sellers need to understand and recognize the limitations of home valuation search engines. The key to sound buying and selling decisions is not the presentation or receipt of information; it is the interpretation of market data. Almost anyone can search for a list of houses for sale or recent solds in an area and there’s certainly an overabundance of data available through a variety of high tech sources. But few people have the talents and skills to make the best decisions out of all of the data.

Since buyers prefer to buy low, and sellers like to sell high, it takes a skilled professional to consult with their client to determine “Reality Based Pricing” that represents a good value. Sellers also need professional representation to develop a tangible marketing plan to help assure that the house will be sold in the seller’s preferred time frame. Sellers are still looking for merchandising and staging recommendations along with evidence of hard work and a diligent effort by the agent. What do clients want from their REALTOR® that they can’t get on the Internet? They want someone who is savvy about current market knowledge and trends. More importantly, they’re looking for someone who will listen and understand their wants and needs. The key to today and tomorrow’s successful transactions is the relationship between the client and their REALTOR®. It’s all about the relationship. The proper selection of an advocate for your transaction can make the critical difference between success and failure in your sale or acquisition.

Scottsdale Culinary Festival Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, April 17th – 22nd 480.945.7193 | ScottsdaleCulinaryFestival.org There is just no other local festival that trumps this one-of-a-kind culinary experience. Partake in many great events including Bubbles and Bliss, Chef’s Wine Dinner and Best of the Fest. The event that always wows crowds is the Great Arizona Picnic featuring food from over 50 restaurants, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment and over 200 beers to sample. 6th Annual Pat’s Run Sun Devil Stadium, April 21st 480.621.4074 | PatTillmanFoundation.org Join over 20,000 runners and walkers as they come together to celebrate the memory of football star and military hero Pat Tillman. Complete the 4.2 mile run/walk and continue the fun with a finish-line festival featuring live music, refreshments and an expo. This event raises funds for the Pat Tillman Foundation, which carries on Pat’s legacy of supporting our future generations with academic scholarships. Astronomy Evening Pinnacle Peak Park, April 21st 480.312.0990 | ScottsdaleAZ.gov Enjoy a beautiful desert evening under the stars and learn about some of the objects visible in the night sky. A short talk explaining interesting facts about the solar system and the galaxy around the planet earth is followed by observing the moon, several planets, multiple star systems, globular clusters and nebulae through a celestron telescope.