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AMC Esplanade 14 movie theater will re-open as posh Fork & Screen

Heather — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Biltmore-area movie-goers have undoubtedly noticed that the AMC Esplanade 14 movie theater at 2512 E Camelback Road has been closed down this summer. In August, the Esplanade will reopen as the latest site of AMC’s newest concept, the upscale Fork & Screen.

With this renovation, AMC is trying to attract the posh “dinner and a movie” crowd to the Biltmore location. The new movie venue will offer luxe décor, top-shelf cocktails, wait staff and bartender service and even private suites in which to watch the movies.

Oh, and for all you jobseekers out there, AMC is currently hiring wait staff, bartenders, back-of-house people (dishwashers, cooks, etc), and even a theater manager. Search available openings on CareerBuilder.com, using the employer name “TD-AMC Dine-In Theatre”.

Sources & Links for this story:

http://www.amctheatres.com/dinein/forkandscreen/

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2011/05/amc_esplanade_14_fork_screen.php

AMC Esplanade 14 movie theater will re-open as posh Fork & Screen is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

Heather Barr is a Realtor and a happy workaholic. She eats more than someone her size ought to be able, and is a runner as a consequence. Her TiVo's full of spy thrillers, police procedurals and Whedonesque sci-fi.

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Hiking tips for Phoenix, Scottsdale visitors

Heather — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:50:47 +0000

It’s gonna be a hot one today, folks! The metro Phoenix area is slated to see 98 degrees Farenheit today.

If you’re visiting the metro Phoenix-Scottsdale area and you’re considering hiking some of our beautiful mountain trails today, take note… it’s hotter than you think, and the trails are steeper than you think.

Remember that our firefighters routinely pull tourists (and sometimes even locals) off the mountain trails on stretchers and take them to the E.R.

Here are some tips to keep you safe when you’re hiking the desert mountain trails of the metro Phoenix-Scottsdale area. Tips courtesy of the Scottsdale Parks department and the Phoenix Parks Department, and you can see more tips on their websites.

Always tell someone where you’re going, when you’ll be back, and stick to your plan!
Hike with a friend; it’s safer and more fun.
Bring lots of water, three or four times as much as you think you need. The Scottsdale Parks department recommends at least one gallon of water per person, per day. I personally think that a standard-sized 16 to 19 ounce bottle is enough for about 15 minutes when it’s really hot outside.
Wear a hat! If you’ve forgotten a hat, cover your head with whatever’s handy
Wear and carry sunscreen, SPF 15 at minimum. Reapply more often than you think you need to.
Wear closed toe hiking shoes, or at least wear sneakers.
Rest 10 to 30 minutes for each hour of walking, depending on your overall level of fitness.

Get some info on the trail before you go. The Phoenix Parks department has a wonderful online library of information about the trails, their length, their degree of difficulty, locations of Park Ranger ramadas, etc. The City of Scottsdale also has a wonderful online resource about their hiking trail system.

Trail etiquette

ALWAYS stay on a designated trail. City ordinances prohibit trailblazing.
Learn to share the trails with all other users.
In general, bike riders yield to both hikers and horseback riders; hikers yield to horseback riders. However, for all trail users, downhill yields to uphill. Use common sense and courtesy while on the trails.
Announce your intentions and slow your pace when passing someone on the trails

Well dear reader, I hope you have an enjoyable experience hiking our desert southwest trails! I’ll be out there on South Mountain, sweating it out with the rest of you today, April 1, 2011.

Just wondering… have you ever thought of buying a vacation property in the metro Phoenix region? I am a Realtor, after all, so I tend to talk about property values all the time. Can I ask what you paid for your seasonal rental? I know, it’s a pretty personal question. But we’re on the Internet, so nobody will hear your answer. Did you know that you can pick up a vacation condo in the metro Phoenix area for as little as $25,000 to $50,000? Really. And after 3 or 4 years of price declines in Phoenix, it is possible to pick up a small home in several metro-Phoenix communities for about $100,000, give or take $25,000.

Want to do a little online home browsing? Search Phoenix-area homes for sale, online. When you’re ready for a Realtor’s help, contact us, The Phoenix Agents at Thompson’s Realty. Real people, making real estate, real simple.

Hiking tips for Phoenix, Scottsdale visitors is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Chateaux on Central has new owner

Heather — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:39:00 +0000

Depending on your viewpoint, the red brick McMansions on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix known as the Chateaux on Central are either an eyesore or a diamond in the rough.

Back in the boom years, the Chateaux was built at an estimated cost of about $40 million with an additional $47 million provided by Mortgages Limited when the building went into foreclosure.

Wisconsin based MSI West Investments thought they were a bargain at $7million and snapped them up last March. They hired Rowland Luxury Homes to finish the build-out and punchlist items, and are putting out word they’re nearly ready to sell the luxury mid-rise condos.

The building includes 21 condo residences varying from 5,100 to 8,200 square feet. That means MSI West got the building for about $330,000 per condo.

Before the market fell apart, asking prices ranged from $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 per condo. MSI West Investments say the condos will now start at about $1,300,000.

The local Fox affiliate, KSAZ Fox 10, did a short piece on the Chateaux; see below.

Insider’s Note: I love how the Realtor in the video describes these condos as “a lifestyle never before offered in the Valley.”

Yeah, because over-the-top luxury is *never* offered in North Scottsdale or Paradise Valley.

Frankly, I think $1,300,000 for a smaller condo here seems a little high. They are downtown Phoenix condos after all, and your typical buyer with a cool million or two to spend doesn’t think of looking in downtown Phoenix first. People with two million smackers go look at mansions in Paradise Valley.

I’m betting the prices will settle out to more like $925,000 up to $1,700,000. Check back in about a year to see how I did predicting future sales prices for the Chateaux on Central.

Find the original Fox 10 news video on the KSAZ MyFox 10 website ; or view the Arizona Republic’s coverage of the Chateaux on Central sale.

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Fabulous, but too far out. . .

Heather — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:56:00 +0000

Recently a client and I exchanged emails about her housing options that reminded me of one of most enduring metro Phoenix’s real estate truisms: fabulous is often also too far out (geographically speaking).

Since metro Phoenix has always had room to grow, geographically, it generally follows that the newer, fancier, nicer houses that many 20-something, 30-something and 40-something buyers want are miles out of town.

We had a saying during the boom years of 2004-2006 that buyers “drive until they qualify” meaning they drive out from center city until they hit a pocket where the builders have put up houses that those buyers can afford.

But really it’s also true that buyers drive until they find the finishes & fixtures they desire at a price they can pay.

So what we often find is this . . . .

5 miles (7-12 minutes) from downtown Phoenix your budget of $150,000 buys this:

about 1,200 to 1,400 square foot
2 or 3 bedrooms ; 2 bathrooms
1/4 acre lot, with no pool
built in 1950s
No HOA; you could add on another bedroom fairly easily
linoleum floors & laminate counters
overall, looks like it was remodeled on the cheap in late 1980s

10 to 12 miles (20-25 minutes) from downtown Phoenix that same $150,000 buys this:

1,500 to 1,800 square feet
often with a pool ; usually about the same 1/4 acre lot as above
Built in the 1970s or 1980s
Probably no HOA

You can choose between an older kitchen in a fairly nice neighborhood. . .

. . . or you can choose a completely remodeled kitchen in a neighborhood most buyers would consider a step down from the neighborhood above.

20-25 miles (45-60 minutes!) from downtown Phoenix $150,000 buys this. . .

1700-1900 square feet
rarely with a pool ; usually a small 1/10th of an acre (5,550 square feet)
Brand new build house or about 3-5 years old
HOA controls much of what you can do to the outside of the house

What’s more important to you – ?

Granite countertops and new cabinets or a quick 5 minute commute to downtown Phoenix?

5-year old house with generally poor insulation or a well-insulated 40 to 60 year old house that probably needs a new roof in the coming 5 years?

A little elbow room in your backyard or trying to plant a hedge to hide the 2-story house looming over your tiny backyard?

Long time readers know or will guess that I’d choose the teensy 1950s house over the new build in Surprise or Avondale every time. And that’s not just because I don’t have children. I’d raise kids in that teensy house in a heartbeat. They’ll have more quality time with Mommy & Daddy because my commute to work is only about 8 minutes.

What about you?

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Don’t leave your house naked

Heather — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:57:20 +0000

Just me popping in with a little tip for home sellers.

We’ve all heard of “curb appeal”. The home above has none of it. The home below, on the other hand. . . .

. . . now that’s curb appeal!

These two homes are approximately the same floor plan in the same neighborhood. Neither is my listing. In fact, neither is for sale as far as I know. I just took pictures of homes in a Central Phoenix neighborhood I happen to like, so I could make a point about dressing up the front of your house when you’re trying to sell.

Obviously there’s a lot of difference between the two. Sellers, you wouldn’t have to do everything the homeowners in picture number 2 did to give this sort of home more curb appeal.

Adding shutters might be enough. Or get the grass lush & green. Full grown shrubs planted against the house might be expensive, but you could add some eye-catching color with small flowering plants like lantana or verbena. See Moon Valley Nursery’s website for more flowering ideas.

A fresh coat of paint goes miles towards snazzing up any home, exterior or interior. Those crisp white shutters really dress up the front of what’s essentially a plain red brick house.

Just some food for thought for the day.

Don’t leave your house naked is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

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REOs Rule, But Not Everywhere

Heather — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:44:59 +0000

Image courtesy of Stock Exchange user svilen001

Just a little blurb from one of our favorite title/escrow officers, Maggie Clark of Equity Title. This gives a good picture of just how much the REO (“real estate owned”, i.e. bank owned foreclosure) properties are driving the market lately.

Southwest Valley – REO active listings represent 16% of the total listings, and 50% of the sales for the last month.

Peoria and Glendale – REO active listings represent 17% of the total listings, and 54% of the sales for the last month.

Scottsdale – REO active listing represent 6% of the total listings, 29% of the sales for the last month.

We still get calls on a regular basis from buyers seeking second homes and winter vacation homes. They often ask for Scottsdale, and expect prices to have nose-dived there just like everywhere else. Not the case! Scottsdale hasn’t been hit with the tsunami of foreclosure much of the rest of the Valley of Sun has. Not as many bank owned homes on the market at bargain bazaar pricing equals prices have not nose-dived. Not in Scottsdale anyway.

You want bargain basement, clearance sale pricing? Go to the older neighborhoods in Phoenix, and to the West side neighborhoods of Peoria, Goodyear, Avondale, Tolleson, Maryvale, Buckeye, Peoria, etc. The far Southeast has seen plummeting prices too: think Queen Creek, Florence and Apache Junction.

REOs Rule, But Not Everywhere is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

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The Highs and the Lows 2

Heather — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:37:30 +0000

Wherein I periodically post about the highest and lowest priced homes in the local MLS. Properties must be:

single family, detached homes
bank owned
currently Active in the ARMLS (AZ Regional Multiple Listing Service)
located in the general metro Phoenix region (Wickenburg, Florence, Coolidge, etc are excluded but Surprise, Buckeye, Queen Creek, etc are included)

$20,00 Fire Damaged Tear Down

Fancy yourself a handy person? You’ll need to be. This 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in Maryvale Terrace was torched.

The exterior might be salvageable though and it seems like a nice big yard.

Recently, same-sized homes in the area that are move-in ready and remodeled have topped out at $80,000 to $90,000. I’m no contractor but it seems like you could rebuild this poor fire damaged little casa for $60,000. Again, I’m not a contractor but I’m not sure there’s room here to rehab it and sell at a profit.

Paradise Valley Acre Plus, Rebuilt in 2007 – $4,085,000

Check out that view of Camelback Mountain in the upper left of this picture! That’s worth a million right there. The lot is 1.14 acres, so there’s another $900,000 or million in value.

The house itself is 8,422 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, with a 4 car garage. It was completely rebuilt in 2007. Pictures seem to show it was 100% torn down and rebuilt, not just remodeled.

Based on this picture, the home has everything you’d expect in a home in this price range: built in island and cabinetry that can pass for being hand carved in the mythical Old Country, miles of slab granite and travertine, stainless steel double stoves (probably Viking), high ceilings and crown molding … just enough to make your neighbors jealous.

Personally, I say “so much for the idea that bank-owned homes are screaming great bargains.” I think this house is probably worth about what they’re asking for it, maybe even less.

What do you think?

View other Highs and Lows posts.

Technorati tags: Phoenix real estate

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Head West, LAD Follow Up

Heather — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:15:46 +0000

A few days back, Chris wrote a great post called Head West, LAD. He explained the local meme that helps us all remember that Lanes, Avenues and Drives are always on the West side of Phoenix. But he admitted there’s no localalism for remembering where Circle, Court and Terrace are located.

Off the top of my head, the only Terrace and Circle I can think are on the East side.

Being addicted to my SnagIt screen capture software, I decided to make a map of where in the Valley homes on either Circles, Terraces, or Courts.

Circles

Courts

Terraces

Looks like Circles and Courts are largely on the East side of town, and the far Northwest. Terraces are mostly up north in Carefree & Cave Creek. Hmmm.

Don’t mind me, I’m just addicted to my SnagIt.

for a humorous take on driving around Greater Phoenix, click here.

Confused about Phoenix area freeway names?

Head West, LAD Follow Up is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Navigating Phoenix – Head West, LAD.

Chris Butterworth — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:06:00 +0000

We all know Phoenix is a big grid, with Named streets running east-west and Numbered streets running north-south. And we know that street numbers start at Central Avenue, and run progressively larger to the east (streets) and west (avenues).

Click here for a humorous look at driving in Greater Phoenix

But things are never as easy as they seem, right? What about all those Lanes, Places, Drives, and other street suffixes?

Head West, LAD.

Lanes, Avenues, and Drives are on the west side of Central.

That leaves Ways, Streets, and Places on the east side of Central. Unfortunately, the only good acronym might be considered controversial these days – can I say “WaSP” without getting in trouble?

I can hear some of you crying now – What about Circle or Terrace or Court? Well…

Knowing the basics of East-West, the hundred block of North-South, and LAD-WaSP will get you where you need to be just about every time. If you still get lost, trust your Garmin or your Google Map; they do a pretty good job ‘round these parts.

Your gettin’ there from here Realtor,

Chris Butterworth

Confused about the freeway names in Greater Phoenix?

Navigating Phoenix – Head West, LAD. is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

Chris Butterworth is: Realtor. Analyst. Husband. Father. Writer. Amateur Photographer. Triathlete. Soccer Dad. Big fan of technology, efficiency, and the Arizona Wildcats.

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maybe the WORST LISTING EVER!

Chris Butterworth — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Last week I came across a home – listed for sale in MLS – that might take the cake as the worst listing ever. Fortunately I had my camera with me.

I’m not going to count things outside the sellers’ control against them, such as the run-down neighborhood, the functional obsolescence, or the busy street nearby. Pictured below are the things the seller had control over..

(and I saved the best for last, so scroll all the way through.)

Yes, that’s the carpet which greeted us at the front door. If you don’t recognize it, that’s because they stopped making carpet like this in 1982!

I didn’t think I liked the carpet, until I saw the linoleum in the kitchen. Then I got dizzy & wished for more carpet! So I thought I’d stop looking at the floors…

Faux brick AND wood paneling. Wow, what a bold design statement. But what’s around the corner to the right?

yikes, I’m speechless. and I didn’t have the courage to actually touch it, otherwise I’d tell you what kind of material that was. OK, enough of this train wreck, let’s go out back.

Hey, not bad. Good sized lot, well-built storage shed in the corner, block wall. But it looks like there’s something on the gate – I’d better get a closer look…

LEASE KEEP GATE LOSED SO CRACK HEADS STAY OUT.

Geez, if only the gate wasn’t damaged so I could read the whole message…

The problem with this house is that it would cost more to make the house somewhat habitable than the house would be worth, even after the renovations. So nobody is going to buy it – it basically has zero value.

Maybe the best thing to do is to show a little charity – maybe leave the gate open and give the crack heads someplace to stay? I’m just brainstorming here…

Your still in shock Realtor,

Chris Butterworth

maybe the WORST LISTING EVER! is a post written by The Phoenix Agents at Thompson's Realty. If you're reading this anywhere other than a feedreader (rss subscription) of ThePhoenixAgents.com, the site you're reading this on is guilty of copyright infringement.

Chris Butterworth is: Realtor. Analyst. Husband. Father. Writer. Amateur Photographer. Triathlete. Soccer Dad. Big fan of technology, efficiency, and the Arizona Wildcats.

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Getting Smart About Short Sales

Heather — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:37:35 +0000

Are home buyers getting smart about short sales in metro Phoenix? The tale of this particular home seems to indicate yes. Read on….

Cute home, no? Three bedroom, two bath, 1500 square feet. Nice neighborhood, good schools, newer homes. In winter 2005 it sold for $242,000.

This house was listed as a short sale for just over 7 months. In August 2008 the asking price started at $173,000. By February 2009 the price dropped to $119,000. It sat there for about 6 weeks, until the bank finally took the home back at foreclosure auction in mid-April 2009.

For 6 weeks nobody wanted the home for $119,000 if it was a short sale.

May 4, 2009: the home is listed as a bank-owned property. Asking price, $101,500. The bank got so many offers they took it off the market on May 5. On May 8, the bank picked a winning bid. The winning bidder took possession on May 23, 2009.

Final sold price: $133,200. That’s 12% higher than the short sale asking price.

At least in this case, a buyer was willing to pay a 12% premium to take possession of a bank owned home right away rather than sit out the frustrating months-long wait for a short sale.

If you’re reading this and smugly thinking “That’s stupid! Pay 12% more? They shoulda bought it as a short sale,” then chances are you’ve never tried to buy a short sale. Read some of the posts in our Short Sale category and you’ll see why they’re rarely short and rarely sales.

Technorati Tags: short sales,bank owned homes,foreclosures

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