July News

MODELS & OPENINGS

Century Plaza Ready for Occupancy

Century Plaza celebrated its grand opening in May with “The Party of Century” and the attendance of over 1,000 guests. Equus Development showcased one of the first new residential projects in mid-town Phoenix in hopes to revive the urban landscape along the light rail corridor.

Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot; Don Keuth, Phoenix City Alliance; and Douglas Edgelow, CEO of Equus Development, attended the opening party. Guests enjoyed a concert performed by Alice Cooper and band. Equus Development partnered with the Alice Cooper Solid Rock Foundation and will donate a part of each condominium sale to the foundation.

“We are overwhelmed with interest in the remaining units and the response to our choices for high-end finishes and sustainability was very positive,” says Edgelow. “To emphasize on our urban commitment with the goal to have residents save energy and be fuel conscious, Century Plaza will have a drawing for all buyers closing before December 20, 2008 for a Vespa Motor scooter.”

New Floor Plans at Surprise Farms

Taylor Morrison opened its newest neighborhood, the Premiere Series at Surprise Farms. Featuring three models, five floor plans and numerous options, the Premiere Series is located one-half mile southeast of Bell Road and 183rd Avenue in Surprise. Homes range from 1,961 to 3,438 square feet and start in the low $200s. Models include the Mesquite, Palo Brea and Cottonwood.

The Mesquite is a single-story, 2,070-square-foot home with four bedrooms, two baths and a three-car tandem garage. The Palo Brea is a single-story, 1,961-square-foot home offering four bedrooms, two baths and a three-car split garage. The expansive Cottonwood is a two-story home at 3,438 square feet with five bedrooms, three and one-half baths and a three-car split garage. The home includes a formal living and dining room, a large kitchen open to the family room and a spacious loft.

Toll Brothers Offers Green Home

The La Bella model at Montevista is a two-story, 3,470-square-foot plan with three bedrooms and a three-car split garage. Over 100 green options are offered with homes in the community at 56th Street and Dixileta in north Phoenix. The home is constructed with engineered wood products made from recycled scrap wood. Solar roof tiles are integrated with standard roof tiles generating efficient solar electricity.

The home has a programmable thermostat that may be accessed remotely by telephone or the internet. A tankless water heater provides hot water on demand. A solar water heater, which can reduce water-heating costs from 40 to 70 percent, is also available. Prices start from the upper $500s.

New Models Shown at Escalante

Three new model homes are now open at Escalante at Entrada del Oro, a K. Hovnanian Homes community at the base of the Superstition Mountains near Gold Canyon. Escalante will include 93 homes upon completion. The floor plans are single- or two-story homes ranging from 1,600 to 3,000 square feet with up to five bedrooms. Eight floor plans are offered and priced from $178,990.

Escalante's three on-site models are the Cabernet, a 1,730-square-foot plan with three bedrooms and two baths; the Merlot, a 2,030-square-foot plan with three bedrooms, two baths and a three-car garage; and the Shiraz, a 2,880-square-foot plan with five bedrooms, a loft and three and one-half baths.

In addition to Escalante, K. Hovnanian Homes is building Paseo at Entrada del Oro. The community offers a selection of single-story homes ranging from 2,100 to 3,300 square feet. Three on-site models are now open. Prices start at $239,990.

Greenspointe Holds Grand Opening Event

In May, William Ryan Homes held the grand opening of its newest community, Greenspointe in the Mountain Ranch community of Estrella. A new builder to the Phoenix area, William Ryan Homes has been in the industry since 1992 and also has divisions in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and Florida.

The grand opening allowed the public to view the Jaydn model, one of four single-story floor plans available. At 2,815 square feet, the home boasts three bedrooms, two and one-half baths and a four-car tandem garage. The model also features a second-floor bonus room option, which contributes an additional 600 square feet to the home.

Greenspointe at Mountain Ranch offers 60 home sites, the majority of which are premium lots backed to the golf course or desert washes. Homes range from 1,900 to over 2,815 square feet and all plans include three-car garages and granite kitchen countertops as standard features.

Shea Homes Offers New Models

Shea Homes offers eight unique floor plans in the master planned community of Villago at Tortosa in Maricopa. Each home boasts versatile living space, energy efficient appliances and countless options allowing home buyers to customize. Two models start in the mid- $90s. The single-story, two bedroom Bellagio offers 979 square feet of well-designed living space and the three-bedroom Milan is over 1,000 square feet featuring three bedrooms, two baths and a den.

Adjacent to Villago, Shea Homes also has seven diverse floor plans in Alante at Tortosa starting in the low $120s, as well as six floor plans in Lost Canyon at Rancho Mirage in the high $110s. Homes range from 979 to over 2,900 square feet, providing potential buyers an extensive selection of homes and price points to choose.

AltaVista Reveals Luxury Models

T.W. Lewis unveiled the single-story Tenita and the two-story Soriano showcasing luxury design elements that now are standard features at AltaVista in Peoria’s master planned community of Vistancia. The models are the first T.W. Lewis models in Vistancia offered within the neighborhood rather than as part of the master plan’s central model gallery.

AltaVista is a gated-entrance community comprised of 53 home sites. Offering single- and two-story designs, homes range from 2,741 to over 4,600 square feet. Each of the community’s six floor plans include granite slab countertops, two-tone companion paint packages, 10-foot ceilings, ceramic tile vanities and tubs in the master baths. Prices begin in the $470s.

INDUSTRY NEWS

New Community Opens at Lake Powell

Construction on Indigo Ridge at Lake Powell has commenced with model homes planned for this summer. Indigo Ridge is a master planned residential community overlooking Lake Powell on the border between Utah and Arizona. The development includes town homes and custom homes ranging from 1,400 to over 3,000 square feet built in a contemporary, Southwest village-style setting.

The project will feature native materials, energy-efficient technology with contemporary architecture, private pools, decks and patio options. Indigo Ridge will be eco-friendly as well. The developer is targeting LEED Certification for the homes, will employ water saving techniques and use indigenous plants in the landscaping to protect and align the community with the native environment.

Chaffey Wins Custom Green Home of the Year

Chaffey Homes and GMS Architectural Group succeeded in building the Single-Family Custom Green Home of the Year. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) awarded the honor at the NAHB National Green Building Conference in New Orleans.
“We are very proud of the role we played in making this home a reality,” says Bob Chaffey, co-president of Chaffey Homes. “Being a part of this project allowed us to reach our goal of utilizing extremely stringent green build techniques while delivering a luxurious custom home. Green building is not a trend for us; it is a part of our core philosophy.”
The home incorporates several green elements including energy efficiency, water conservation, reused materials, healthy indoor air, efficient use of space and natural landscaping.

Fulton Ramps up Marketing Efforts

Fulton Homes’ new outdoor campaign produced by knoodle, a Phoenix-based advertising and public relations firm, is making headlines. Rosaria Cain, CEO of knoodle advertising and public relations is advising her homebuilding clients to take a proactive approach during this depressed market.

“During a down market, homebuilders need to try to preserve market share,” says Cain. “Currently, many homebuilders have cut marketing budgets and staff completely, choosing to ride out the tough times. Fulton Homes is successfully defying that trend and selling residences in spite of a big drop in the current housing market.”

“I owe it to my loyal employees–and I owe it to our community,” says Douglas Fulton, president of Fulton Homes. “I think our new outdoor campaign offers a ray of hope to our customers and lets them know that we’re solid and built to last, even during the present housing slump.”

New Website for Taylor Morrison

Taylor Morrison unveiled its new consumer based website using the latest programming applications and Google mapping technology. The website puts the control of the shopping experience into the hands of the customer, says Taylor Morrison President and CEO Sheryl Palmer.

“We’re a national homebuilder but we’ve always been attuned to our local markets and product offerings,” Palmer says. “Our new site allows home buyers to see the whole picture before drilling down to the exact community or home that fits their needs.”

Community maps utilize the latest programming scripts to streamline the site’s responsiveness and interactivity. Each market’s home collections are conveniently displayed in a user controllable map that zooms in on the home buyer’s choice of community without having to reload the entire page.

Cachet Partners with Blackstone Country Club

Cachet Homes partnered with Blackstone Country Club to offer new home buyers social equity memberships to the exclusive country club. The models and home sites are on West Lone Mountain Parkway and Blackstone Drive in Peoria, next to the Blackstone Country Club. The private community in the heart of Vistancia features a golf course created by acclaimed designer Jim Engh, named Golf Digest’s Architect of the Year in 2003.

Cachet Homes at Blackstone offers four floor plans ranging from 3,900 to 4,500 square feet and priced from the mid $800s. A gated neighborhood, the homes feature high ceilings, generous outdoor living spaces, gourmet kitchens and luxury features throughout.

Equus Offers Furniture to Buyers

Equus Development Corporation announced a buyer incentive package for its resort style condo community The Springs at Yorkshire in north Phoenix. Equus is offering furniture packages to all buyers of their remaining homes in the community, ranging from studio units to three bedroom floor plans.

As an added benefit, all fully furnished sales models will be available for prospective buyers. Resort amenities include three pools, four spas, clubhouse, private movie theater, fitness center and sauna. At the heart of the Deer Valley employment belt, the gated community offers high-end resort style living with pricing starting from the $120s.

Hancock Communities Donates New Home

Hancock Communities announced a donation of the single-family home in one of its Sagewood Communities to Scottsdale-based, nonprofit Project We Remember. The new home will provide long term housing for disadvantaged U.S. military veterans and their families.

Project We Remember is a nonprofit agency that provides housing for needy U.S. military personnel, veterans and their families. The organization will work with Hancock Communities to select families to occupy the home and then assist each family with services such as job placement and financial education until they are able to move into housing that is more permanent. The first family is expected to move into the house after construction is complete in early fall.

Project We Remember is already providing short term housing for disadvantaged veterans at a condominium complex in central Phoenix. The Hancock Communities home will mark the organization’s first single-family home and it hopes to provide future homes for the nonprofit in all of their communities which include Maricopa, Buckeye and Coolidge/Florence.

Triology Hosts Wedding Show

Trilogy at Vistancia is hosting a special event on Saturday, October 25 to give mothers and daughters a unique opportunity to dream of the big day without the stress of making time-pressed decisions. This free event will feature the latest in bridal fashions, themed wedding receptions, food stations, party favors, photography, invitations and more. One lucky bride-to-be will win a free wedding reception, hosted at Trilogy at Vistancia. There will also be door prizes and raffle drawings throughout the day.

Salvation Army Joins Habitat in Gulf Project

The Salvation Army joined Habitat for Humanity at the 25th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which ran May 11 to 16 in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The Salvation Army allocated $7.4 million in disaster assistance funds to support construction and rehabilitation of up to 370 homes in the four states. The organization also provided food services for Habitat volunteers and staff at construction and build sites throughout the week.

The Salvation Army's $7.4 million will be awarded in the form of $20,000 per home grants to up to 370 Habitat applicants for down-payment assistance. It will support the construction and rehabilitation of 60 houses and the framing of approximately 48 more in the Carter Project host cities of Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, Miss. Other build sites will be spread throughout towns and cities from Mobile, Ala., to New Orleans, La.