As a buyer of real estate in Arizona, you have the right to KNOW material information about the property BEFORE YOU BUY. THE FOLLOWING list represents some of the IMPORTANT MATERIAL FACTS you should educate yourself on before purchasing any type of property in Arizona.

 

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW:

• If the property is located in an incorporated city or unincorporated part of the county.

• If title insurance is available and if fire insurance can be acquired.

• If you have fire and police protection and, if so, who provides this service.

• If your roads provide access for fire protection and police service

• If the roads are maintained, and by whom.

• If utilities are available, and who provides them. (Water, Electric, Gas, Sewer, Trash)

• If your water supply is adequate.

• If the jurisdiction the property is located in has conservation restrictions and policies.

• If your property is located in a school district, and the distance to the closest schools.

• If there are any natural or geological hazards, pests or wildlife.

• If there are essential services near your property such as grocery and medical services.

• If there is crime in your area and the crime rate.

• If there is a Seller's Property Disclosure Statement or an Arizona Subdivision Public Report. You have the right to review these documents before you purchase property.

*excerpted from the Arizona Home Buyers' and Renters' Bill of Rights - ADRE doc. 

Take this quiz to see how your lifestyle is impacting upon our planet and its resources.

Tucson, like much of the rest of the country, is offering numerous earth-friendly alternatives in home construction. In an effort to lessen the ecological footprint we all leave behind, there is a wide range of options available from simple solar energy conversion to rammed earth and straw bale construction. Rammed earth and adobe structured walls lessen the heat/cold transfer from the exterior to the interior of the home, thereby making internal temperatures more stable and less costly to maintain at comfort levels. Tucson, like most arid climates, experiences vast temperature variations between daytime and night temperatures for most of the year, excluding the Monsoon in summer late June-August.

For those considering green construction and want interior finishes and materials that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly we have a resource right in Tucson's downtown located at 526 N Ninth St. - Originate Natural Building Materials Showroom.

Triad Hospitals/Northwest Medical Center has paid $13.2 million, or about $228,000 per acre, for 58 acres  from a subsidiary of Forest City Land Groupwithin Gladden Farms master planned community in Marana, AZ, for the construction of a new hospital.

The new facility will be located west of I-10 near Tangerine Road on the southwest corner of West Moore Road. The hospital and surrounding project will service Pima and Pinal counties. Currently, the closest hospital for many Marana residents is Northwest's Oro Valley campus at Tangerine Road near First Avenue.

"We are excited to be a part of Marana¹s growth and are looking forward to providing additional healthcare services to the residents of Marana," Phil Gustafson, Northwest Medical Center CEO, said. Community needs will determine the size and specific services offered at the hospital, and population growth will determine the construction timeframe, according to Gustafson. *

"It's been very rewarding to work with Northwest Health and the Town of Marana on this project," said Dean Wingert, senior vice president at Forest City Land Group. "The hospital will be a real asset to Marana and an important part of the community's growth." *

"The Town of Marana is excited to have Northwest Medical Center become an even more important part of our community," said Rodney Campbell, Community Relations Officer. "We're excited about having a full service hospital here in town that will make health care even more accessible to members of the community particularly those in the northern part of town." *

Forest City Land Group is the managing partner and developer of the project. Gladden Farms is a 1,350 acre master-planned community that will eventually hold 3,500 homes plus businesses and parks. Other recent Forest City Land Group projects include Tangerine Crossing, a single-family residential and commercial development at the corner of Tangerine Road and Thornydale Road as well as master-planned communities in Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas and Albuquerque.

*Excerpt from Marana Weekly News

Marana Regional Airport, formerly known as the Avra Valley Airport, also known as Marana Northwest Regional Airport, was classified in 2004 is a general aviation reliever airport for the Tucson International Airport. It is located in Marana, approximately fifteen nautical miles (24 km) northwest of Tucson and five miles west of Interstate 10.on Avra Valley Road. In 1999, the airport was purchased from Pima County by the town of Marana. The airport is home to over 300 based aircraft and counted over 90.000. take-offs and landings in 2004. As Southern Arizona's only full-service fixed-base operator (FBO), privately owned Tucson Aeroservice Center provides a huge range of services including offering Jet A, 100LL, fueling, chartered flights, car rental, shuttle service, aircraft maintenance, and flight instruction. The airport's ICAO identifier is KAVQ,  FAA airport identifier is AVQ.  Marana Northwest Regional Airport covers 571 acres and has two runways:

• Runway 12/30: 6,901 x 100 ft. (2,103 x 30 m), Surface: Asphalt
• Runway 3/21: 3,893 x 75 ft. (1,187 x 23 m), Surface: Asphalt

Pima Aviation is currently responsible for all based and transit aircraft at the airport. They currently lease 232 T-Hangars, 28 covered tie downs, and 94 open tie downs on the airport. Airport director is currently Charles Mangum.

  Marana Regional Airport in 2005

 

 

Originally constructed in 1943 and known as Auxiliary No. 2, the Marana Regional Airport began life as one of five "landing mats" for the Marana Air Base (now known as Pinal Airpark).  These "mats" were 3000 feet square with four 3000-foot runways.  The purpose of these were to allow the military student pilots to practice take-off and landings.   During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Force trained in the North American AT-5 "Texan".  During the Korean War the U.S. Air Force pilots were trained in the North American T-28 "Trojan" airplanes.

Aerial view of airport in 1958

Info excerpts from Town of Marana website, and Town of Marana Community Profile 2007.

A $50 million deal announced June 4th. initiates a step toward homes, a small high-end resort, and commercial development of the 1658 acre area surrounding Biosphere 2. Biosphere 2 was purchased by CDO Ranching & Development. CDO Ranch takes its name from "Casa del Oro" a name given the property by owner Lady Margaret, Duchess of Suffolk shortly after she purchased it back in 1957.   The Biosphere 2 facility will apparently be retained as the property has been zoned for 1500 homes, a resort and commercial areas. It has also been approved for educational/research purposes and negotiations are under way with the University of Arizona according to Jerry Hawkins, vice president/investment services who represents CDO Ranching & Development.

Biosphere 2 is located 20 minutes north of Tucson and 90 minutes south of Phoenix, can be toured 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Visitors can explore inside the 3.15 acre structure on a fully guided tour. This tour utilizes a trail traversing most of Biosphere 2's wilderness ecosystems that allows easier access to the public. Entry fees range from $19.95 and down, with discounts for children, AAA, seniors and military. Biosphere was that self-contained multi-environment experiment. The Biosphere was built as an artificial environment that would serve as a model for a human colony on the moon or Mars. Biosphere Website.

  Inside the Biophere  from KJZZ 91.5 FM

Real Estate Sales Statistics are in from Tucson MLS!

Average Sales Price (all residential types) Increased 4.22% from $269,217 in May 2006 to $280,589 in May 2007. After falling from January to February 2007, average sales price has continued to climb, reaching $280,589 in May 2007. For the second month in a row, average sales price has increased in year-over-year comparisons. The average sales price in May 2006 was $269,217 - more than $11,000 less than the average sales price in May 2007.

Median Sales Price Increased 1.02% from $221,250 in May 2006 to $223,500 in May 2007.

And fewer new listings are coming on the market:  new Listings Decreased 6.60% from 3,169 in May 2006 to 2,960 in May 2007.

In good news for area sellers, the average time on market in May 2007 reached 61 days. That's the shortest time we've seen so far this year. Days on market reached a high of 68 in January 2007 and has hovered in the mid-60s from February to April 2007.

Tucson market seems to be showing some signs of life, and with interest rates slightly nudging upward things may be looking better. How are things in your market?

Marana's Fourth of July Celebration will be held at Ora Mae Harn Park 6 pm to 11 pm. Patriotic exhibits including a wall of honor dedicated to all our servicemen and women. Games and activities for the kids. Entertainment for adults and lots of food for everyone. Come and enjoy one of Southern Arizona's very best fireworks desplays to light up the sky starting 9 pm. Free admission. No alcohol allowed in the park Event sponsored by Meritage Homes. Attendees may bring blankets, food, and chairs. For more information or to reserve a vendor booth please contact Sandy Groseclose at (520) 382-1937.

We have loaded a new short movie clip onto our website http://www.movingtomarana.com/ for those who have never visited our town of Marana and would like a pleasant overview of our lovely town. See some history and Marana's vision for the future and just why we call Marana home! Check out this short movie by going to our About Arizona Page and Clicking "Meet Marana, AZ" right at the top right column!

indigoMODERN is a new cutting-edge community of single family homes in downtown Tucson. Renowned firm Rob Paulus Architect, Ltd. - the team that brought you Ice House Lofts and Barrio Metalico - introduces a new home style to fit the green lifestyles while satisfying the desire to be right in the heart of Central Tucson's arts, culture, restaurants and events!

Conveniently situated on the 3rd Street bike path, between Speedway and 5 th St., East of the University of Arizona, minutes froim I10, indigoMODERN offers urban living at its finest! Each home is pre-wired for solar photo-voltaic panels and pre-plumbed for solar hot water. Rainwater is collected in a rain-harvesting tank for use in your garden. Other features: solar sun screens, treated glass, energy-efficient appliances, and eco-friendly bamboo flooring and of course the TEP Comfort Guarantee for each home.

Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Marana, AZ is partnering with City of Tucson, City of Tucson Water Dept., and Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (Trico's power supplier) to initiate Phase III of the Thornydale Reclaimed Water Reservoir Site in Northwest Tucson. Phase III will install and utilize 72 solar panels mounted on the reservoir roof to supply electricity to pumps that direct reclaimed water to golf courses north of the reservoir, among them The Gallery, site of the recent  2007 Accenture Match Play Tournament. Trico will donate $50,000. to construction costs of Phase III. All three Phases combined will generate over 60 kilowatts of clean, green energy for Marana and North Tucson.