Arizona Real Estate Informer

Phoenix's land fight set for next round: desert preserve vs. dream-home plans

A half-mile south of the Carefree Highway, the pavement ends and Central Avenue turns into a rough dirt road through high Sonoran Desert. The views are long and lovely. In 2000, Sherry Harnish bought 5 acres just on the other side of the mountain, accessible only by a winding dirt road off "Central," such as it is. She intended to build a dream house for her retirement. More...

Hate the House? Then Renovate

LOVE the neighborhood, hate the house. That is a common enough complaint from both current homeowners and prospective homeowners. More...

National Retail Properties notches record sales in 4Q

National Retail Properties Inc. recorded a 27.3 percent jump in year-end sales, due in part to its acquiring 213 properties with combined 1.1 million square feet of leasable space, the company announced Wednesday. Orlando-based National Retail Properties (NYSE: NNN) also reported a 27.9 percent increase in fourth-quarter revenue and an investment portfolio occupancy rate of 98.2 percent as of Dec. 31. More...

Riggs boundary divides Seville

One of the most contentious disputes in recent years in the Chandler Unified School District ended Wednesday night at an unusually lengthy meeting of the district's governing board. The attendance boundaries for Riggs Elementary, scheduled to open in south Gilbert for the 2007-08 school year, will not include the northern sector of the Seville development despite a concerted, monthlong effort by residents to push an alternate plan. More...

Chandler council strengthens property maintenance codes

Frustrated Chandler residents armed with graphic photos of their neighbor's junk pleaded with the City Council to toughen property maintenance codes and enforcement policies. The council did it in a unanimous vote Thursday, but not before Mayor Boyd Dunn called the pictures "quite alarming." More...

Gateway development endorsed

It is not often residents, business owners and civic employees unite, but the mixed crowd at Saturday's Congress of Neighborhoods agreed the positive economic benefits of a budding Williams Gateway area far outweigh any concerns. More...

Queen Creek considers sewer rate increases

Queen Creek residents and business owners will see a hike in sewer service rates if the Town Council continues with a five-year plan to build up reserves for repairs. More...

Chandler plans to hike add-on fees for system

Chandler plans to increase system development fees — charged to builders on each new home built and used to pay for growth-related improvements such as police and fire stations — by 44 percent. More...

Valley new home market shows signs of stabilizing

Following a year of slumping sales, the Valley’s new home market is expected to stabilize in 2007 as builders continue to get rid of excess inventory. More...

Mesa has Waveyard developer waiting

It may be several months before the City Council formally considers a proposal to build a massive water-theme resort near the Riverview project in northwest Mesa. But developers say they are time strapped and aren't sure they can wait that long. More...