A recent client was looking for a community with a full wood working shop available to use. There are not that many. I headed to my computer and started checking with each community. Many do have wood carving clubs, but only a few are large enough and chose to do full wood working shops.
Here they are
Sun City Festival
Sun City Grand
Sun City West
Sun City
Westbrook Village
Del Webb has put woodworking shops into almost all of their “Sun City” communities – way to go Del Webb!
There is something more than majestic to mountain views. They draw us to them like any aspect of nature. They help us stay calm, focused and centered. It is not surprising that people love a home that has a beautiful view of the Mountains.
The challenge is building homes on a hillside is much costlier than building on flat land.
Most of the Phoenix area Valley of the Sun is flat as well. We do have Mountains surrounding the city. Where will you have the best chance of having magnificent Mountain Views? In the communities closest to the biggest mountains.
The most significant mountains in the area are to the north and east of Phoenix; Tonto National Forrest, and Superstition Mountains. There are a few other notable mountains scattered around as well.
In the northeast, the views of Tonto Nationa Forrest and McDowell Mountains from Rio Verde, Tonto Verde and Trilogy at Verde River are truly spectacular. Then I would head to Trilogy at Wickenburg Ranch, the terraced lots have created amazing views from many of the home sites. Heading out to Gold Canyon the views of the Superstitions are awesome at Mountain Brook Village. Next on my list would be to the north of Tucson the SaddleBrook Communitieswith views of the Catalina’s.
This next group have fewer homes with mountain views, but views are available. I then would go to Canta Mia next to the Estrella Mountain Regional Park, and Sun City Festivalwith views of the White Tank Mountains. Lastly I include Solera at Jonson Ranch located next to the San Tan Mountains.
Rio Verde & Tonto Verde
Trilogy at Verde River
Trilogy at Wickenburg Ranch
Mountain Brook Village
SaddleBrook Communities
Canta Mia
Sun City Festival
Solera at Jonson Ranch
There are now 6 Sun Cities in and around the Valley of the Sun.
The first Sun City by Del Webb was one of the first Active Adult Communities in Arizona.. His first community was built in Tucson in 1948. Sun City in Surprise was opened in 1960. It had 25,000 people show up for the opening weekend. With 11 golf courses and 7 swimming pools and a club for every activity you can imagine, it grew to 26,000 homes in the 18 years before it was completed. Due to their proximity to the freeways and Phoenix itself, as well as the super low real estate taxes many of the homes are being remodeled and updated.
Sun City was so successful that additional land was purchased and Sun City West evolved. It opened in 1978. Not quite the size of Sun City, but still boasting 9 golf courses and 6 pools. The expanded amenities and activities held the interest of the residents of the 17,000 homes.
Del Web expanded the theme of Active Adult Living to include shopping, churches and restaurants and even a hospital within the boundaries of the development. One need have only a golf cart for transportation. It took another 19 years, until 1997 for Del Webb to reach sell out of Sun City West.
In 1996 construction began on Sun City Grand just to the west and south of Sun City West, with Grand Avenue (Rt. 60) being a divider. This Active Adult Community was to have a greater range of home sizes. It was smaller with only 10,000 homes, 5 pools and 3 golf courses. The community was sold out in 2004.
Corte Bella was the last of the Sun Cities in the cluster forming the NW corner of the Phoenix Valley. It is considered part of Sun City West, although separated by walls. It is an upscale, private, gated golf course community with only 1600 homes and a single pool. The last new build was sold in 2007.
The 5th Sun City is Sun City Festival, located about 30 miles west of Surprise and the 4 preceding Del Webb communities. It is just north and west of the White Tank Mountains. Del Webb has perfected the art of Active Adult Communities and this is reputed to be their best yet. Within a natural unspoiled desert environment, it is likened to the original Sun City 50 years ago. Sun City Festival will have 7200 homes, has one 18 hole golf course with another planned. The amenities are superb and commercial development is certain to follow. The project opened in 2006 and is expected to be built out by 2016. This Sun City combines the expertise of Pulte in their successful multigenerational communities and Del Webb’s superb active adult specialization.
This combination of multigenerational and active adult communities is a popular concept and allows families to be in close proximity to their retirees while having separate community amenities. Del Webb and Pulte repeated this in the most recent development, Sun City Anthem in Florence, about 55 miles southeast of central Phoenix. This community opened in 2006 and is expected to reach build out by 2014.
Specializing in Active Adult, 55 Plus, Retirement Communities, Relocation, Second and Seasonal Residential Real Estate
