The All Souls Procession is perhaps one of the most inclusive,authentic, and important public ceremonies in North America today. The Tucson All Souls procession was started in 1990 by local artist Susan Johnson with a ritualistic performance piece. Susan at the time was grieving the passing of her father. It is inspired by the Mexico's Dia de los Muertos holiday, and Johnson felt she should honor her father's life in celebration and creativity. The performance was very well received and the procession has now grown into the event that it is today with the addition of many local artists.
There are now over 20,000 participants on the streets of downtown Tucson for a two-mile long human-powered procession that ends in the finalizing action of burning a large urn filled with the hopes, offerings and wishes of the public for those who have passed. Teh event takes m,ore thatn six months to prepare with myriads of installation art, altars, performers, and creatives of all kinds top this amazing event.
The All Souls Procession, and now the entire All Souls Weekend, is a celebration and mourning of the lives of our loved ones who have passed.
Many Mouths One Stomach a non-profit arts collective based in Tucson, AZ, organizes the body for the Procession. It also serves as the vehicle for working artists to get togheter, create, and inspire the public through Festal Culture.
"Festal Culture" is the expression and fulfillment of core human needs through public celebration, ceremony, and ritual. The All Souls Procession is an event that was created to serve the public need to mourn, reflect, and celebrate the universal experience of Death, through their ancestors, loved ones, and the living.
The Procession is a sanctuary for community members from all walks of life to express their grief and loss in a celebration of creative energy and a rejoicing of living.
It will be an interesting event for those of you that live in Tucson or are visiting the area for a local event
Anne and Eddie McKechnie
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
This was this evening on my way home. It's a quiet drive up Gates Pass Road. And then, 10 minutes later...
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Anne and Eddie McKechnie
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
Beautifully updated, private location with expansive Catalina Foothills Mountain Views from this Ranch style Tucson Home in Sabino Vista. Attention to detail abounds with new Schuler Cherry Kitchen Cabinets and a gorgeous custom imported mexican tile backspash. The inside of hte home is bright, open, airy and warm. To complete the kitchen there are stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and a huge island.
The living room has great views of the Catalina Mountain range, and a cozy redone fireplace.
The Master Suite is oversized and features separate tub and shower wtih dual closets
The secondary bedrooms are oversized and show attention to detail in every way.
The Secondary bathrrom has been tastefully and beautiully remodeled with Mexican Tile and Mexican tile sink.
The backyard is very private and extends well beyond the back wall & opens to an unobstructed panorama view of lethe Catalina Mountains. Enjoy the pool area in complete and quiet privacy. This home is also located in the Fruchthendler Elementary School area. Enjoy!
Anne and Eddie McKechnie
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
Sabino Canyon and its Hiking Trails Sabino Canyon is situated in the Santa Catalina Mountain Range in the Coronado National Forest. It is a joy to hike, but in the Summer months you have to go pretty early to beat the sun.
There are a variety of trails in Sabino Canyon, and some people choose to walk along the road that goes up in the canyon. The road meanders across Sabino Creek and there are nine bridges. The road route has the most amazing views of the creek, the riparian vegetation, stunning Saguaros on the canyon walls, and towering rock formations which are dotted all around in the Santa Catalina Mountain range. The trails vary in length and elevation, but go from around 2800 ft to 3300 ft above sea level and to about 9.2 miles in length.
In the spring there is an abundance of water in Sabino Creek and many people go swimming, however the rest of the year the water is lower as the Creek is not a fresh spring, but a waterway for the winter melt off of the mountain snow.People are advised not the drink the water.
Bikers are allowed before 9am in the morning in Sabino Canyon, but after that the road is for walkers and the trolley bus.
For those that would like to walk part of the way, but not the full 3.8 miles up to the top of the Canyon and back, there is a trolley bus that will take you back.
For an overview of Sabino Canyon and its desert flora, you can ride the trolley both ways.
There is no excuse for not getting out there in the beautiful desert sunshine!
Eddie and a few friends, Carl Aune, and builder Bryan Ayers decided to do a 10 mile hike of Sabino Canyon starting at five in the morning last weekend.
For those of you no accustomed to being up at five, this is pretty standard especially in the Summer months here!
They took some beautiful photos along the way, and met some desert critters too.
The phonline hike is a more difficult hike in Sabino Canyon. It rises up far above the desert below and gives you spectacular views of Tucson and the surrounding area. The path is good, and there is variety along the way. Some areas are steep, but there are level areas where you can recompose yourself.
The trail zig zags down the mountain at the top of the trail and joins the road for the journey back. There are bathrooms along the road stops, so be advised to make sure that you relieve yourself before the hike!
Desert critters are a common experience to see on the trails, and in the Winter months, you also see Deer early in the morning.
Eddie, Carl and Bryan were really close to this Rattlesnake who happened to be mature. Rattlesnakes don't like us either, so if you keep a wide berth the will not usually bother you.
If you are planning a visit this Winter to Tucson, Arizona give us a call .....we hike in Sabino Canyon every day during the Winter months and would love to show you around!
Anne and Eddie McKechnie
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
"Tucson is still experiencing a significant increase in buyer activity, as we head into the Fall/Winter Season. The amount of active Tucson Home listings on the market was 6,095. This is a decrease of 25% from the same time last year in August 2008. There were also a total of 957 closings in August 2009, When compared to the same time last year, the sales figured are up by 6%. Tucson home inventory on the market is also showing a decrease which appears to be reinforcing the latest trend for Tucson. In August this figure was 6.4, a significant decrease from 9.0 in August 2008. However, the median price of sold homes was $162,500 for the month of August 2009, which has reduced 12% from August 2008. It is therefore a great time to purchase a home as Tucson prices are very affordable, inventory is coming down and home prices appear to be stabilising. New home builders are offering great incentives for you to buy before the first time home buyers tax credit runs out on November 30th 2009. New property sales are up 52% from the same time last year in August of 2008. The inventory of homes has reduced in the Foothills. 85718 now has around 8 months of inventory compared to a few months ago when the inventory was over 12 months. 85750 still has 11 months of inventory, but this has also reduced from 13 months several months ago. the most significant drop in inventory is in the 85749 Zip Code where three months ago there was over 24 months of inventory. This has now reduced to 10 months, which although still high, is showing signs of improvement. Many Zip Codes now have a less than six month inventory, a good sign for an improving market. However many lenders still see the whole of Arizona in a depreciating market, and Tucson often gets evaluated with the Phoenix market as one area. Our statistics are quite different. Interest rates are still very low for FHA and Conventional Loans and this week were hovering around 5%. There are still strict qualifications for Jumbo Loans, but they are out there and at great rates. Fixed Rates can be obtained for 5.5% for less than $500,000 and then 5.75% over $500,000. The Tucson Real Estate Market is experiencing a significant increase in Buyer activity, something that we will be watching into the usually busier Fall/Winter Season. Remember Tucson homes must be closed before the cut off date of November 30th 2009 to get the tax credit."
Anne and Eddie McKechnie
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
Rancho Sahuarita...the Premiere Master Planned Community in Southern Arizona!!!
While walking around the clubhouse at Rancho Sahuarita, I almost felt like Marty McFly when he was transported back in time in the movie "Back to the Future". I only had to transport approximately 30 minutes from Tucson so this was alot easier than what he had to go through. And better. Rancho Sahuarita has a very family friendly vibe to it and everyone that I encountered made me feel like I was part of their community. Even though I didn't live there. It's a type of neighborly environment you just don't expect to feel with our busy, high tech, cut off from humanity lifestyles. Being a family man and father of 3 year old twin boys, I thought to myself, "I need to get me one of these". According to the real estate consulting firm, Robert Charles Lesser, Rancho Sahuarita is ranked #5 in the nation of best selling master planned communities. This is based on the amount of new homes sold in 2008. Walking and driving around this community, I can most definitely see why. If this place is number 5, I'd really like to see 1 through 4. While previewing a few pieces of real estate for a client of mine, I found myself at one house and directly in front of it and across the street, there was a huge, grassy park complete with swing sets and jungle gyms. It was awesome. The grass was manicured and not one piece of trash in the whole area. It was pristine. Please take a look at some of the pictures that I took of some of the little parks that Rancho Sahuarita has spread throughout their community. Great for those spontaneous walks to the park.
Now, back to the Rancho Sahuarita Clubhouse.
The clubhouse could more adequately be called an amusement park. It has an 8 lane, 25 meter lap pool, 3 (count em) waterslides, a "Big Bucket" splash pool for the kids and if you're like me, the young at heart. This place even has a 9 hole miniature golf course with perfectly kept grass. (Please excuse my fascination with grass. I grew up in Ohio where grass is everywhere and when I moved to Tucson 13 years ago, I noticed the lack of well kept grass. In southwestern Arizona, it's a small blessing to see grass look this nice.)
The Lake. Rancho Sahuarita has a 10 acre lake where you can actually fish and take a small sail or man powered boat on. They even stock it with fish. I didn't get the information on what fish it's stocked with. That's in a later blog. There is also an outdoor amphitheater right by the lake and they have a fishing festival every year. While the lake in Tucson at Reid Park is nice, it doesn't compare to this place. There are houses that are available for sale on the lake for those wanting to see some water.
The gym. WOW. For those of you who prefer free weights to machines, you don't usually see them in a community gym. Rancho Sahuarita continues to impress. They got em. Bench presses and squat racks. And it looks like they clean everything nightly because I couldn't find a speck of dust in this place. For those of you who don't care about free weights, no worries. They also have elliptical machines, steppers, stationary bikes, treadmills and the complete array of exercise machines. If you like to watch a little TV while working out, you're hooked up. Rancho Sahuarita's gym has 6 flat screen TVs. I didn't get the size. Please excuse me. They even have a place set up to drop off the kids while you and your loved one work out or play. I believe a small fee is involved with this.
Classes. My wife loves classes. She says it helps her work out. I'm more of a solo work out guy myself, but to each his own. She would be covered here. Rancho Sahuarita offers classes in pilates, yoga, ballet and more.
Kiddie Train. My kids love trains. They love em. They'd really love this. On weekends, the Kiddie Trainoffers rides for the kids. Is this cool or what. As I like to ride the trains with them at Reid Park zoo in Tucson, I did not find out if adults are allowed on them. That's for a later blog as well.
Another amenity Rancho Sahuarita offers is it's Safari Park. Here among the jungle gym and various other playground toys, you'll find bronze statues of nearly every African wild animal. It's a unique sight and kids love it.
Shopping: Just down the street from Rancho Sahuarita you'll find a Fry's grocery store, coffee shop, McDonalds, gas station, and I'm sure there's more to come.
Schools: Just to the south of Rancho Sahuarita is the K through 12 school that has recently been built. The kids will never be far away from you. For more information regarding the schools, please go here http://www.sahuarita.k12.az.us/ .
All in all, Rancho Sahuarita seems like a splendid place to put your stakes down on a piece of real estate or a new home. The houses are great and there is something for everyone's lifestyle and budget. The real estate in Rancho Sahuarita comes in all sizes. Big and small. There are even Active Adult communities offered for those 55 and older. They get their own clubhouse too. I did not visit these clubhouses. Once again, that's for a later blog. For this time, I didn't cover everything that Rancho Sahuarita has to offer. That would take hours and pages. Information overload. Suffice it to say, if you're looking for a piece of real estate and you don't mind a 20 to 30 minute drive north to downtown Tucson, you may want to consider owning a home here. I know if I lived here, it would be really hard to not feel like I was on a permanent vacation. Which is what everyone that I encountered looked like. All smiles. After all, how many neighborhoods do you know of where Santa Claus comes to visit every holiday season. I love living in central Tucson, but I don't feel the community vibe like I do in Rancho Sahuarita.
As a professional Tucson real estate agent who is well informed with what Rancho Sahuarita has to offer, I'm more than happy to lend my helping hand with any questions you may have. I offer the complete line of Tucson Real Estate services and I pride myself on my commitment to customer service. I cover all areas of Tucson.
It's a great time to buy real estate in the Rancho Sahuarita community. Buying wisely is what really counts and that's what I'm here for. I'll put my experience, negotiating skills, and extensive knowledge of the Rancho Sahuarita area to work for you. Making a real estate purchase can be exhaustive. With my diligence and expertise, I'll make this a fun memory for you. I'll be doing all of the heavy lifting for you. One of the most common complaints that I hear regarding real estate agents and the customer service industry in general is lack of communication. Clients aren't kept up to date on what's going on with their home purchase or the real estate agent keeps showing them houses they don't like. I pride myself on the fact that I keep all of my clients fully informed throughout the process and I actively listen to what type of house you're looking for and act accordingly. When I hear some news, my clients immediately get it. I'm very responsive and I'm a great listener. Since I'm an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, you also have alot of resources at your disposal.
Rancho Sahuarita is a relatively short drive to Tucson and I'm down there alot. It's also only a short commute to Davis Monthan Air Force Base and Raytheon. Just to name a few places. For those of you who insist on being busy and plugged in, don't worry, the Rancho Sahuarita clubhouse has free wireless internet available. See, it has something for everyone.
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
"The second half of 2009 should prove interesting in the Tucson Real Estate market.
The month of June has closed out the first half of the year by breaking records for the year. As was mentioned last month, many economists were waiting for a six month trend in the market place to make a deduction on whether our real estate market was on the way to stabilizing.
Tucson Home sales volume increased from May by 14.63%, the Tucson home average sale price was also up 3.06%,
Pending home contracts increased by 9.98%,and Tucson home sale units were up by 11.23%.
We are still seeing a reduction in the median sales price, which is down from May by 2.88%. A good positive sign of recovery was also a decrease in active listings by 3.77%.
With the first 6 months of 2009 gone, we are definitely able to see a more clear picture of the Tucson Real Estate market , and a trend that appears to be happening.
Tucson has moved again in a positive direction, and June has shown a realistic view of the absorption of inventory, which has moved in a positive direction by 22.9% since January of this year.
Although this is a positive trend, the market in some price brackets still has a quite way to go.
The Foothills still has the highest number of active listings with 85718 at 415 and 85750 with 323.
However overall MLS Statistics do not take into consideration price brackets. Homes in the 85718 and 85750 zip codes tend to be in a higher price bracket in general.
Some home price adjustments, and a reduction in inventory will probably have to happen in order for this number to change significantly.
On a more positive note, the two top zip codes for the number of units sold in June were 85706/56 and 85746 at 59 units.
The top three zip codes that had the highest amount of homes sales to active listings were 85757 at 40.2% (77 Active 30 sold) 85711 at 36% (133 active 48 sold) and 85746 at 31.2%
(189 active 59 sold).
Coupled by recent press news of Tucson being ranked by Businessweek as the top affordable place to retire in the US, we appear to be on the right track for the Tucson Home Market."
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
Great new listing in Gated Fairfield River Estates in the Foothills
This gorgeous custom four bedroom home & guest suite just came on the market in gated Fairfield River Estates. This Gated Community is conveniently situated for a commute to both Tucson Medical Center, University Medical Center, and downtown Tucson. You can also access the Rillito Riverwalk for morning outdoor activities.
Custom cherry contemporary cabinets & GE monogram appliances abound in the kitchen with granite countertops.
Luxury living at its best, sit poolside on this oversized corner lot and enjoy both city and mountain views.
Built in BBQ, trees, grassy lawn area with beautiful desert plantings.This home has it all with an outdoor courtyard, exercise room, and guest suite.
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
Beautifully upgraded four bedroom home in Continental Reserve with Sombrero Peak Mountain views.
This home has over 2800 square ft of living space with a three car garage. Short Sale.
Travertine walkways & bathroom flooring with upgraded carpeting in the bedrooms and gameroom/loft.
The loft is prewired for surround sound, & the home is tastefully upgraded with maple cabinets throughout. Granite kitchen countertops & upgraded Kitchenaid appliances. Beautifully landscaped backyard has outdoor fireplace with bancos flagstone, patio, walkways & beautiful plantings, pool/spa.
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
Adobe brick homes are intrinsic to the Desert and fit well into the Tucson zeroscape landscape.
They provide excellent insualtion in the Summer heat and also in the cooler Winter evenings.
Nothing is finer and energy efficient as a well built Adobe Home.
Stunning views from this stunning adobe brick pioneer ranch style home.
The interiors are elegantly appointed with plank wood flooring, pecky wood ceilings and gorgeous Alder kKtchen Cabinetry, Concrete Countertops, and GE Profile/Monogram appliances.
The wrap around deck allows you to enjoy the gardens and the desert and an enclosed courtyard with kiva fireplace and bancos are situated for a great outdoor experience.
Beautifully appointed bathrooms with exposed adobe brick and mexican tile exude the charm of this great adobe home. Enjoy true Sonoran desert living of the past with the modern day convenience of a nearly new Adobe Home.
Enjoy this gorgeous Adobe Ranch Style Pioneer Style home with all the style of yesteryear but all the luxury of modern day conveniences.
Tucson Real Estate Experts Team , Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 2890 E Skyline Drive, Ste 250, Tucson, Az, 85718, Direct Office Phone (520)529-7507,
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Stunning views from this stunning adobe brick pioneer ranch style home.
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