Posts Tagged ‘Tucson real estate’

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Tucson Houses The Santa Catalina Mountains

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

The Santa Catalina Mountain foothills near Tucson houses the aptly named community of Catalina Foothills. This community boasts a wealth of luxury homes and real estate from intimate luxury homes to multi-million-dollar estates nestled right up against the mountains, Catalina Foothills has something to capture everyone’s interest.  

Shopping in Catalina Foothills is an experience unlike that offered in many other places in Arizona. With plenty of ritzy stores and restaurants, the upscale shopper will feel right at home among the flourishing boutiques and fine dining establishments. No matter what you set out to purchase, Catalina Foothills provides you with a variety of scintillating options.  

Catalina Foothills is mainly served by the Catalina Foothills School District, which is widely regarded as offering a top-tier public education. From highly rated elementary schools to the excelling Catalina Foothills High School, children educated in the Catalina Foothills School District graduate with a valuable education and countless opportunities ahead of them.  

Catalina Foothills has many benefits that come from living next to a magnificent mountain range. Mt. Lemmon, the largest peak in the range, has numerous fun experiences for people of all ages. From skiing in the winter to sensational places to picnic all year-round, a trip to Mt. Lemmon is well worth anyone’s while. Near the top of the mountain sits the little community of Summerhaven, which boasts comfy-cozy respites from the cold where visitors and residents alike can enjoy mouth-watering homemade pizza, scrumptious fresh-baked cookies and delicious hot chocolate. The community continues to recover from a devastating fire which ravaged it in 2003, and the sight of the town thriving so well after such a tragedy is not only beautiful, but also truly inspiring.  

In addition to the wonders of Mt. Lemmon, outdoors enthusiasts will love everything about Sabino Canyon, located just a proverbial hop, skip and jump from Catalina Foothills. The trails of Sabino Canyon range from easy to challenging, but they all share one thing in common: every trail provides the hiker with stunning scenery set amidst the majesties of Mother Nature. Other canyons in the area include Ventana Canyon and Pima Canyon, which varies from 2,900 feet above sea level to 7,255 feet above sea level.

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Marana is Great Town Near Tucson Real Estate

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Conveniently located off of Interstate 10 just northwest of Tucson real estate is the town of Marana. Marana combines the suburban feeling of living in a smaller town with the knowledge that the city of Tucson is less than a half-hour’s drive away. A wealth of luxury homes and real estate are available in Marana, along with a plethora of things to do and see.  
 
For example, the Ironwood Forest Natural Monument, located not far from Marana, is home to over 100,000 acres of protected land. The monument includes a huge concentration of Ironwood trees, hence, its name. In addition, it consists of over 200 Hohokam and Paleoindian archaeological sites, which provide great opportunities for people looking to see a piece of the history of Arizona.  
 
Community is an integral part of Marana’s atmosphere, and monthly activities held at Silverbell District Park help bring together people of all ages. The “In The Park!” series features such events as “Music In The Park!,” “Movie In The Park!,” and “Live Theater In The Park!”. Marana’s eight other parks are spread throughout the town and provide places to have a picnic, enjoy the outdoors or play with your kids. Speaking of kids, Marana is served by the Marana Unified School District, whose sixteen schools offer a solid foundation for the education of children who attend them.  
 
When it’s time to savor some fun in the sun – in a cool way –, Breakers Water Park contains dozens of water attractions, including numerous slippery slides and a rollicking wave pool. In fact, Breakers Bay, which holds over one million gallons of water, is the largest wave pool in Arizona and offers the perfect way to chill out during Arizona’s hot summer months.  
 
For those who love to golf, Marana features several golf courses, each with their own level of difficulty. The most prominent golf course is at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, home to the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship. This tournament, which has seen some of the greatest golfers in the world come to Marana to compete, has traditionally been held in February. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club is part of the Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain, a 250-room luxury resort hotel nestled inside the community of Dove Mountain.
 
*photo from Wikipedia

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As Place to Live, Tucson Gets High Marks and Low Cost of Living

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Located in Pima County, the city of Tucson, Arizona encompasses forty-four zip codes in a variety of high-end and more moderately-priced Tucson real estate communities. Tucson is currently the second largest city in the state of Arizona with a population of over 525,000 residents (as of 2009). According to the website www.bestplaces.net, the population growth since 2009 has been 6.63 percent. The married-to-single ratio is 48 to 52, the median age is 33 years old, and the male-to-female ratio hovers around 49 to 51.  

Good news – when compared with the rest of the country, Tucson’s cost of living is approximately five percent lower than the U.S. average. Additionally, at the present time, Tucson’s unemployment rate is a full percentage point lower than the current U.S. average.  

On an annual basis, Tucson receives eleven inches of rainfall, and most people don’t realize it, but Tucson does generally get a bit of wintertime snowfall, albeit a tad less than an inch per year. Tucson enjoys an average low temperature in January of 38 degrees Fahrenheit and an average high in July of just over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Approximately 80 percent of people in Tucson are high school graduates, which is on par with the national statistic of 79.62 percent, while over 14 percent are graduates of a four-year college and about nine percent hold graduate degrees. In alignment with Arizona averages, public schools in Tucson spend an average of almost $5,000 per student annually.  

On the political side, at the present time, 46 percent of people living in Tucson are registered Republicans, while 53 percent are registered Democrats.  

Right now, 72 percent of people who work outside the home in Tucson drive themselves to work with an average commute time of 23.5 minutes. Around three percent use mass transit, about 15 percent carpool and about three percent say they primarily work at home.

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Looking for a Great Place to Shop? Tucson Houses it All

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

Whether you’re heading out on a full-fledged shopping spree or just looking for that one special, much-needed item, the stores, boutiques and shops located all around the Tucson real estate provide the ultimate shopping experience. In fact, scattered across the city are a number of beautiful indoor malls, as well as conveniently located individual stores.  

If you’re looking for an artsy shopping adventure, head over to Fourth Avenue between Broadway and Speedway, which is a well-known environment for both dining and shopping. This area is home to vintage clothing stores, locally owned bookstores (imagine that!), custom furniture stores, funky thrift stores and pretty much everything in-between. Fourth Avenue truly comes alive at night as people come out to enjoy everything it has to offer. Twice a year, Fourth Avenue plays host to a fun-filled street fair which allows people to set up their own exhibits; this is often one of the most talked-about events in the city of Tucson.  

If you’re looking for a more traditional shopping experience, one really nice mall to visit is the Foothills Mall, located in (where else?) the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The Foothills Mall contains not just nearly 100 stores, but also a play area for the littlest shoppers, a dynamite food court and a fifteen-screen multiplex movie theater.  

Other malls in Tucson include El Con Mall, Park Place Mall, the Tucson Mall and La Encantada, which is an open-air shopping center featuring dozens of eateries, boutiques and shops. La Encantada, which is part of the Westcor shopping center chain, hosts events such as the Summer Concert Series, which brings live music and dancing every other Friday to one of the mall’s courtyards, and the Movies in the Courtyard Series, which shows a free movie and provides free popcorn on the last Saturday of every month. All you have to do is bring your own blanket.

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Tucson is Arizona’s Second Largest City

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Known by many as the “Old Pueblo,” the city of Tucson, Arizona has a history reaching back hundreds of years, well before Arizona officially became a state in 1912. In fact, the territory of Arizona was established in 1863, and Tucson served as the territorial capital for a full decade, from 1867 to 1877. Since its humble beginnings, it has grown to become Arizona’s second largest city and currently Tucson houses over one million residents in the metropolitan area and one of the state’s three public universities, the University of Arizona. Here is a brief overview of how the city is governed.  

City government: First, an important resource is the website, which is home to a wealth of information and insights into the governing structure of Tucson.   The city of Tucson is divided into six wards, each of which elects a representative to the City Council, which is run by the Mayor. Every two years, three of the wards hold re-elections, for terms of four years each. The city of Tucson also employs a City Manager to take care of the myriad of professional managerial tasks associated with running a city the size of Tucson.  

Using an online map, you can enter your zip code on the website listed above and determine in which ward you live. To stay abreast of governmental goings-on, you can review the Council’s agendas and meeting schedules so that you can be fully informed and take a more active role in Tucson’s government. In addition, you can read biographies and information related to each elected official. With this resource available to the public, anyone can easily stay informed and up-to-date.  

County government: Tucson is located in Pima County, which is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The County is divided into five districts.  

State and United States government: As a city in Arizona, Tucson is also governed by Arizona’s state officers, including the Governor, Attorney General and two United States Senators. In regards to the U.S. House of Representatives, the majority of Tucson falls under Arizona District 8, although some parts of Tucson fall under Arizona District 7.

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Tucson Residents Have Excellent Healthcare Options

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

There are so many reasons other than the great weather as to why Tucson homes are so highly sought after and the excellent healthcare system is one of them. If you are looking at Tucson real estate, you will be interested to learn more about the area’s healthcare options.

The city of Tucson offers some of the finest health care in the state of Arizona, from private doctors to highly skilled specialists to large-scale hospitals. In fact, one of the most well-known hospitals in the Tucson metropolitan area is the University Medical Center (UMC), part of the University of Arizona. This private, nonprofit teaching hospital was established in 1971 and is the only academic medical center in Arizona. Thanks to extraordinary physicians, a professional staff and a nurse-to-patient ratio of just 1:4, UMC is able to provide an extremely high level of care.  

Another well-regarded hospital in the area is Tucson Medical Center (TMC) where over one thousand physicians participate in sixty different specialties. Those specialties include cardiac care, orthopedics, hospice care, neuroscience, maternal and child health, diagnostic services, behavioral health and senior services. Additionally, the only specifically child-oriented emergency department in the region can be found at Tucson Medical Center.  

A Catholic medical group, the Carondelet Medical Group, has locations all across southern Arizona that provides care for a variety of illnesses. Considered by many to offer top-notch care, the Carondelet Medical Group boasts three specialty group offices, eighteen primary care offices and four hospitals, one of which is dedicated entirely to cardiac and vascular care. Highlights include the Carondelet Neurological Institute, which is located at St. Joseph’s Hospital and is the largest facility in southern Arizona that deals exclusively with neurological injuries, diseases and disorders.   

For urgent care, the city is host to Urgent Care Associates of Tucson. Urgent Care Associates
has two offices, one near central Tucson and one in southeast Tucson. According to Urgent Care Associates’ website, they accept all insurance and health care plans and there is no need to call in advance for an appointment. They accept walk-ins and treat unscheduled medical needs every day, with the exception of holidays. rl0z1

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Tucson Area Real Estate of Oro Valley Has Much to Offer

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Sharing its name with the Spanish term for ‘gold,’ the Tucson, Arizona suburb of Oro Valley certainly lives up to the images associated with its namesake. Named the Number 1 ‘best affordable place to retire’ in the country by Business Week in September 2009, Oro Valley presents an invaluable opportunity for those who are looking for a wonderful place to live in an environment surrounded by the grandeur of Mother Nature. Indeed, with the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains towering in the background, Oro Valley offers a tantalizing blend of upscale living, majestic views and luxurious Tucson homes for sale, and it’s an especially enticing venue for golf aficionados.  

To wit: Oro Valley is the home of five championship golf courses – El Conquistador Country Club, Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley Country Club, Stone Canyon Club and Sun City Vistoso Golf Club. Each presents its own challenges and thrills, offering hardcore golf enthusiasts several options, while also allowing more easy-going players to find the course that best suits their skill-set. Oro Valley has garnered national attention for these courses; in fact, Golf Club at Vistoso has been rated as the best public course in southern Arizona, while the Stone Canyon Club boasts rankings such as No. 21 of the “Top 100 Residential Courses” by Golfweek, No. 68 on Golf Digest’s “Greatest 100 Golf Courses in the USA,” and No. 2 in the state of Arizona by Golf Digest.  

The town of Oro Valley is served by the Amphitheater School District, which is the home of many highly rated educational opportunities. In addition, the nearby Tucson area enjoys a number of private and charter schools if that better suits the needs of your family.   If you’re looking to take in a movie, eat out, or just do some shopping, be sure to check out the Oro Valley Marketplace, which is located in the northern part of Oro Valley. Home to three large shopping plazas in the span of just a few city blocks, the Marketplace is the area to find pretty much anything and everything for everyday living. If you want a more high-end shopping experience, don’t pass up a visit to La Encantada or the Casas Adobes Plaza.  

Along with playing host to a variety of nationally recognized events including televised golf tournaments, Oro Valley is also the annual home of the Oro Valley Festival of the Arts, the El Tour de Tucson bicycle race and the Cactus Speed Classic for inline skating. These events help ensure that there will always be something going on in or near Tucson, Arizona to capture the interest of anyone who’s looking for something fun and entertaining to do in the great outdoors.  rl0z1

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Did You Know Tucson is Home to Great Bird Watching?

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

Who knew?

According to the Tucson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau website, Tucson’s plethora of classic Sonoran desert vegetation, rolling grasslands, high mountains and warm winters all combine to make southeastern Arizona a bird-watchers’ paradise. In fact, more than 500 species of birds call the area home, hummingbirds can
be seen year-round and specialty birds like the the Red-Faced Warbler, the Grey Hawk and Vermilion Flycatchers can be found within a short drive of metropolitan Tucson.  

Get this — during the fall and spring migration it is possible to see 150 or more species in a single day…that’s amazing! Summer brings spectacular rarities including hummingbird species found nowhere else in the United States, while wintertime brings more than 20,000 Sandhill Cranes, myriad species of waterfowl, sparrows and raptors…all of whom are seeking the warm temperatures and sunny skies of the scenic Tucson real estate.  

Several local communities host birding festivals throughout the year in celebration of the outstanding bird life found in this ultra-scenic area, and you can view a complete list of Tucson-area birding sites on the Tucson Audubon Society website, www.tucsonaudubon.org.  

Additional resources for bird-ophiles include:  

  • Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
  • Madera Canyon 
  • Sweetwater Wetland
  • Agua Caliente Park
  • Catalina State Park
  • Saguaro National Park West
  • Sierra Vista Birders Guide
  • Las Cienegas NCA – Watchable Wildlife
  • Southern Arizona Bird Observatory
  • Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve
  • Tubac Birding
  • Birding the Anza Trail at Tubac
  • Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
  • Tucson Audubon Society’s Rare Bird Alert
  • Tucson Audubon Society
  • The Nature Conservancy Arizona
  • Southern Arizona Bird Observatory    




*Source: www.VisitTucson.org; information used with permission. rl0z1

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Gorgeous Luxury Golf Real Estate Offered in Tucson

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

If you’re a golf aficionado (and if you’re reading this, then the chances are high that you are…), then Tucson is definitely the city for you. The beauty of the Arizonan climate is the mild winters, which allow for golfing to occur year-round. With over thirty golf courses in Tucson and the surrounding area, there is bound to be a course that matches up with your skill level. One of the more famous of the luxury golf Tucson real estate areas is located in the town of Marana at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. This course, contained within the property of the Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain, is the home of the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship, which is held (and nationally televised) every February.  

The community of Oro Valley, located just a few miles northwest of Tucson, is home to some of the finest golf courses in the southwest. Oro Valley’s five golf courses – El Conquistador Country Club, Golf Club at Vistoso, Oro Valley Country Club, Stone Canyon Club and Sun City Vistoso – each provide a unique game, which means that golfers have several options to pick from when choosing their course. These courses have been formally recognized for the experience they provide – in fact, Golf Club at Vistoso has been rated as the best public course in southern Arizona, while the Stone Canyon Club has garnered rankings such as #21 of the “Top 100 Residential Courses” by Golfweek, #68 on Golf Digest’s “Greatest 100 Golf Courses in the USA,” and #2 in the state of Arizona by Golf Digest (Arizona).  

In addition, Tucson also features a number of private and semi-private golf courses, including the Forty Niner Country Club. Situated between two spectacular mountain ranges, this semi-private course has been recently renovated and is sure to appeal to golfers of all levels of expertise. According to their website, the course’s fifth hole is the most difficult, which allows players who struggle with it the chance to better their score on the back nine. rl0z1

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Tucson Real Estate is an Athletes Haven

Saturday, October 16th, 2010

Tucson, Arizona is heaven for a sports-nut since the city plays host to a variety of sporting events and activities. To wit: If you call Tucson home, it’s easy to find something that will suit your need for competitive thrills.  

Are you a golf aficionado? No problem – there are numerous award-winning golf courses liberally sprinkled around the city and surrounding areas. For example, the town of Marana, just a few miles north of Tucson, features the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, which is the home of the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship. This nationally television tournament takes place in February ever year.  



If you’re a baseball fan, you can head out to the Kino Sports Complex, which contains a six-field practice facility which different local leagues and teams utilize. Or if you want to up the sports ante a little bit, mosey on over to Hi Corbett Field, home of the Tucson Toros, the local minor league baseball team. The Toros play during the evenings of the summer months, giving baseball-lovers a place to go to get their game on.  

Soccer is also prominent in the Tucson sports community and the city offers several intramural-type leagues and tournaments. Fully equipped soccer fields are scattered across the city, including at Golf Links Sports Complex, Fort Lowell Park, Abraham Lincoln Regional Park, Rillito Regional Park and the University of Arizona Rincon Vista Sports Complex.  

Because Tucson enjoys a balmy winter season, the city is a great training location for softball teams; the sunny weather, mild climate and lack of snow create a highly desirable and productive atmosphere. In fact, collegiate softball teams from DII, DIII, NAIA and junior colleges flock to Tucson for the Tucson Invitational Games during the collegiate softball spring training season. Softball facilities can be found at the Tucson Sports Park, Abraham Lincoln Regional Park and the Golf Links Sports Complex. Each has multiple fields and other amenities.

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