The chance of a lifetime…fly in a B-17 for Veterans Appreciation Day in Fountain Hills!

The color RED will envelop the town of Fountain Hills, Arizona on Veterans Day, Friday November 11th in honor of the nations’s military men and women… and yes the opportunity to fly in a B-17 Warbird and possibly a B-25 is available to you!  Read below to see how this exciting day will unfold…by Chairman, Jim McClellan

Click here to view Aircraft from Falcon Field:   11-11-11 Veterans Appreciation Day   

Let's ring the Lake with Red on 11-11-11!

At 1:50 pm on November 11^th you will hear the bugler sounding Revelry. That will be the start of the event in Fountain Hills, Arizona called Veterans Appreciation Day.

We have not had a ticker tape parade to welcome home our hero’s since WWII. Most people want to show their support and more importantly their appreciation for all that our veterans and their families have done for us and our great country.

Remember that a veteran (active, reserve or retired) at one point in their life signed a blank check, payable to the citizens of the United States of America defend and protect up to,  and including the loss of their life.

An obscure attempt to show thanks was started in Canada about 2005 and it was called “Blood Friday.” Over the years it morphed into Red Shirt Friday. No one is certain how or when this happened and it has been slow to catch on. Fountain Hills is going to change that!

We are a town of patriots and volunteers. So one day not too long ago over hot dogs at the Octagon Cafe John Pletz, recent past president of the VFW, and his wife Carol partnered with the American Legion and Am Vets to hatch a plan to bring attention to Red Shirt Friday.

November 11, 2011 was selected as the perfect storm day. It’s 11-11-11. It’s Veterans Day and the first day of the Arts and Crafts Fair.

General Bud Farrington (ret.) has been asked about a flyover. Judd Gambill (ret.) has been asked about the participation of the Commemorative Air Force. Jim and Carol Hardin have been asked about the participation of Navy Seal skydivers

That night at the restaurant I explained to a couple of my customers what we were trying to do. Tait Elke, Elke Law Office, was recruited to help and on and on it went until the word spread and people where coming up to offering all kinds of help. Here are our plans that are confirmed as of this writing…

2:00   Welcome, Prayer, Pledge and National Anthem

2:15   Two F-16s will be making two passes over the lake

2:20   Guest speakers

2:40   Skydivers

2:45   Everyone in attendance will be asked to form two columns, follow the two Color Guardsmen as they walk along the sidewalk and meet on the other side of the lake. Then everyone will be asked to walk down to the lake’s edge.

3:15   With up to 7000 people ringing the lake and the Fountain colored red in honor of our veterans, a B-17 and possibly a B-25 will do two pass-overs at about 1000 feet above the lake. Tickets to ride in the planes are still available.

This event will be covered by the media and it will be videotaped. We will do it again next year and every year thereafter until all our Veterans are home.

At this time we need more sponsors and more volunteers to insure the success of this event. To get involved, make a donation or help sponsor this inaugural day of appreciation, please email us at vetappday@gmail.com.

Here are our goals:

All proceeds from the sale of the red shirts go directly to the homeless Veterans. We will raise awareness of the current and unacceptable way of dealing with our Returning Heroes. Wear the shirt proudly every Friday to silently thank those that have served and their families.

After the event help the event video ‘go viral’ to spread the word that if the proud town of Fountain Hills, Arizona can do this for their Vets so can every other community.

 

 

How about those Diamondbacks???

Talk about excitement!  Gibby and the Team…and it takes the whole team and coaches to do this well!  They are awesome to watch…  

Interested in cool summer temperatures right now?

How would you like to be enjoying cool summer temperatures right now? And yes, I know this is a DRY heat!  Consider a short trip to the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona… just a three hour drive from Scottsdale/Phoenix and Tucson…and an awesome drive at that!  Picture yourself staying in this cozy Golf Villa just a short walk to two world class golf courses at Torreon in Show Low, Arizona

Enjoy the cool in Arizona's White Mountains

Furnished in “elegant cabin”, this 1200 square foot, two bedroom/two bath home has all you need to enjoy time away from daily stress…in fact stress does not make it past the front door! Believe me!  Complete housekeeping package including a continious gas grill on your cozy back deck.

Cozy back porch for fine dining...

 

Full kitchen with all the appliances needed for a week or a month…a large flat screen TV to view sports and movies to your hearts content.  Master suite with king bed and queen bed in the second bedroom also with full bath.  Full laundry facilities too.

Dining room & Kitchen with breakfast bar

Did I mention gas fireplace for those cool mornings & evenings?

Master suite with king sized log bed

Does the cool comfort interest you…Contact us for weekly and monthly rates…480-586-5333 or Suzanne.Nann@gmail.com

Support Fountain Hills Team Rychard!

Help us as we support Fountain Hills Team Rychard…Many of you know already know our good friend, a local business owner, and a community activist, Barb Eldridge (‘just-a-mom”).   Back in 2004, she tragically lost her youngest son Rychard to AIDS. While Rychard was ill, right before his passing, Barb gave her son a promise… that she would make a difference. “You never know how strong you are until  being strong is the only choice you have”.   And the difference she has made…

Rychard Whalen

Since 2004, Barb has been involved in many community functions and various walks that raised money for those affected by this terrible debilitating disease. In fact, Barb took part in other cities’ walks against AIDS…. before Phoenix even had its own Walk. Since 2008 and after Phoenix finally started its “Phoenix AIDS Walk”, Barb’s involvement with AIDS Walk Team Rychard has tripled, and every fundraising goal that she had set… has been surpassed.

Since officially becoming the Founder of Fountain Hills Team Rychard, Barb has raised over $40,000…ALL of which went to support Aunt Rita’s Foundation, which has distributed all the funds to the nineteen local organizations. These organizations comfort the lives of those affected by AIDS and HIV. In the two previous walks, Barb had taken second place out of one hundred teams Statewide.

This year, Barb is resonating her MISSION stronger than ever, and she is doing it right here in Fountain Hills. Having joined hands with many local community activists including John and Linda Kavanagh, Frank and Jan Ferrara, Suzanne Nann, Francesca Carozza, Donna Beers, Niobe and Teena Borman and Gary Lvov…. we are planing to make the Fountain Hills Team Rychard the number one Team to lead our entire State in the walk against AIDS.

Please mark the two very important functions that we have coming up:

* The Team Rychard Gala on September 10, 2011 at the Holiday Inn

* The AIDS Walk Phoenix on October 2, 2011

The sign-up link to register for the walk is www.AidsWalkPhoenix.org/T30058

To accomplish this goal of becoming the NUMBER ONE TEAM in the STATE…please support us…and walk with us on October 2, 2011. For your convenience, Barb has sponsored an Internet sign up link. She has also rented several buses to take all the FH walkers to Downtown Phoenix on the day of the walk. These buses will take us to Downtown…wait for us…and then bring us back home.

So, please join Barb, John and Linda Kavanagh, Frank and Jan Ferrara, Gary Lvov, Suzanne Nann, all of Holiday Inn employees and many other local community activists in uniting our community on October 2, 2011.

For any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Barb at 602-882-2462 (windwithwords@cox.net) , or Gary Lvov. Please forward this message to all your friends…let’s make it viral…because this message may ease the pain of those fighting AIDS….

UNITED FOUNTAIN HILLS WE STAND !!!!!!!!

Please help us unite our Town ….and walk shoulder to shoulder as ONE UNITED FOUNTAIN HILLS TEAM RYCHARD on October 2nd. Every step counts…because every step will save a life!

Excerpted from an email by Gary Lvov, Managing Director

Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Fountain  Hills

602-810-7447

 

Welcome to the Fountain Hills Lifestyle, Stephanie & Mike!

Happy Anniversary, Honey

It is my pleasure to welcome you, Stephanie & Mike, to our Fountain Hills Lifestyle!  I know you looked long and hard for several years to find just the right home in just the right community…well your timing was perfect.  You now have a wonderful home at a terrific price with a sunny and star light view of Red Rock and the Valley of the Sun.  Welcome Home!

It is such a pleasure to introduce new friends to the Fountain Hills Lifestyle.  I truly love the challenge of finding just the right property to suit each family.  To some views as well as the North/South exposure is most important; to some the price; others the home’s amenities.  In many cases we are able to address and accomplish everything on the wish list.  That is a wonderful feeling for all.  Here is how this happy couple feels about their Fountain Hills home buying experience:

Pool of Dreams!

To whom it may concern:

My wife and I recently purchased a home in Fountain Hills, AZ.   This is a 2^nd home for us so we were not in Arizona for most of the process.   We were very fortunate to have come in contact with Suzanne and Bob Nann. 

Suzanne had a listing that we went and looked at.   We immediately liked Suzanne’s professionalism, integrity and knowledge of the market so we asked her to help us out in our search for a home in the area.  She quickly honed in on what we were looking for and showed us the houses that fit our style and budget.

Suzanne was a godsend!  We were previously unfamiliar with the ins and outs of short sale negotiations – she provided us an invaluable education.  Her communication all the way through the process was great!   Not only did she provide very clear and up to date details of the process, she also took and e-mailed detailed pictures that were required after the renting tenants moved out just prior closing.  We are in the IT business and appreciate people who have the skills to make things happen quickly using the technology we have today. 

Throughout the process, Suzanne and Bob were extremely helpful in getting us lined up with some of the key service providers in the area to inspect the home, provide estimates on repairs, etc.  In short, the Nanns exceeded our expectations on every level and I would (and will) recommend Suzanne and Bob in the future. They made this entire process extremely smooth.

Regards,

Michael

 

What is happening with real estate in Fountain Hills???

Do you want to know what is happening with the real estate market in Fountain Hills...  Please read and enjoy our Sonoran Lifestyle Real Estate’s Executive Market Summary for the Fountain Hills Area at the conclusion of the 2nd Quarter, 2011 in Maricopa County

4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home with great views

Perhaps the best way to explain what is going on in the Maricopa County Real Estate Market is to quote the Cromford Report from July 2, 2011. The Cromford Report is a reliable source that tracks, among other things, data from the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service: According to the current ARMLS data, 2,216 homes closed on June 30 across all areas and types, the largest total we have ever recorded for a single day. It beat the previous record set on June 30, 2004 by nearly 57%! Not only that, but the total for the calendar month of June was 11,141, also a new all time record for sales through ARMLS. We know that the total sales recorded by the counties may have been a little higher during the summer of 2005 because so many transactions were completed outside of ARMLS in those days (mainly new homes and FSBOs). However in June’s total we are not including the homes purchased at trustee sales which were very few in 2005 and likely numbered over 1,500 last month. However you look at it, June 2011 sales volume was enormous…

Shadow inventory? Foreclosure “tsunami?” According to the “experts” we’re supposed to be right in the middle of what was predicted to be “the bigger wave” of foreclosures, with much doom and gloom forecast. But inventory is at an alarmingly low rate especially in desirable areas like Fountain Hills and the East Shea corridor. Prices are stabilizing and the wave is looking more like something out of a 1960’s beach party movie. While this certainly doesn’t spell the end of the housing crisis in Arizona, it does highlight what we’ve been saying all along…the Maricopa County real estate market is very resilient. Unless the federal government succeeds in mucking up our economy to a much greater degree, we have survived the worst and can begin to feel confident in our sunbelt real estate appeal, once again. Fountain Hills: All indicators in the Fountain Hills real estate market are positive…..every last one! This is the first time in recent memory that we’ve seen:
Inventory decreased in every category (homes, condos, land)
Sales pace ahead of 1st quarter 2011 in every category
Sales pace ahead of the 2nd quarter 2010 in every category
Prices increase over 1st quarter 2011 in every category

Distressed Property Sales comprise 36% of the $89 million of sales closed during 2nd Quarter, 2011 in Fountain Hills. That’s a huge decrease from just 6 months ago at the end of 2010 when 50% of Fountain Hills’ residential sales were either Bank-Owned Properties or Short Sales (49% at the end of 2009) Currently, there are 36 bank-owned properties listed for sale in Fountain Hills, the smallest number we’ve seen in over two years…and one-half of what it was in October 2010.

To be fair, the local real estate market was feeling euphoric one year ago at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2010, when inventory was reduced and prices had risen drastically the previous 6 months. But, as most of us believe, this was more than likely an artificial market created by the incentives of the Homebuyer’s Tax Credit program. It is no secret that the 1st and 2nd quarters of each year are usually Fountain Hills’ busiest. And, we had a huge drop in business the second half of 2010 that resulted in an 8-year low in prices. However, we at Sonoran Lifestyle Real Estate are experiencing a very robust sales pace even this summer…with many more enthusiastic buyers than one year ago. So, the next 6 months will officially tell us whether we have left the bottom of this market behind us. And, while the long climb out of the problems of the past few years will not be a steady, uninterrupted incline, we do believe that if you’re waiting for the “perfect time” to purchase your next home or investment property, that time is NOW!

A few words about “shadow inventory:” Across the Valley, we are hearing that the anticipation of a huge shadow inventory is a non-starter. First, it’s important to understand the various forms of shadow inventory. Some experts consider it to be the foreclosed properties that are sitting vacant and off the market. Others use a broader definition as any property that is either headed for default, is in default or has been foreclosed and is vacant and off the market. Those that believe this is a non-issue are—in our opinion—analyzing the market place from an informed, realistic position. Their comments generally include statistics that take into account the active sales pace of short sale properties that will remove the anticipated shadow inventory prior to foreclosure; they also take into account properties that are purchased off the courthouse steps by investors that are either purchasing to hold or to fix and flip…creating a much more vibrant market than we saw several years ago when trashy default properties clogged the system. In Fountain Hills, we are seeing both of those dynamics in play. If a property is in decent shape and priced reasonably…it sells. Statistically, there are only about 25-30 properties that might be considered “shadow inventory” by the narrower definition. These properties are often plagued by prior title conditions (bankruptcy or actions for deficiency judgment); extreme hazardous conditions within the home (mold, etc.) While there may be other factors that negatively impact our local market, we don’t believe “The Shadow” is lurking around us.

Enjoy the attached reports. There is a lot of information in them, and we’re happy to help you analyze them for your own purposes or to send you more detailed reports such as our “Neighborhood Report” or some of the Cromford Reports that analyze both the local and valley wide market. We look forward to being of assistance should you decide that now is the time to buy or sell your next property.  Be certain to find out is Fountain Hills is on your dream wish list!

Bob and I are at your service: contact us at 480-586-5333 or Suzanne.Nann@gmail.com

The Sold Specialists for Fountain Hills real estate

 

Honor our Troops…wear Red Shirts on Friday…

Yes, Honor our Troops everyday and especially on Fridays wear your Red Shirt to show the world that you mean it! 

Red Shirts honoring our Troops

We feel that Memorial Day is one of our most important days of the year when we remember those who fought and many died for the very freedom we in this great Nation enjoy each day.  Our family is honored to be a part of Red Shirt Fridays a Fountain Hills Community effort sponsored by all three Veteran’s organizations in our town.  VFW 7507, AM VETS, and American Legion Post 58.  Please visit their website www.redshirtfridayinfountainhills.info  and search for them on facebook  “Red Shirt Fridays”

Many dedicated volunteers have worked hard to spread the word about Red Shirt Fridays.  To date there are over 3600 shirts sold in Fountain Hills and beyond.  I know that Bill Nann of Metuchen, New Jersey is wearing a red shirt because he asked his brother, my husband Bob, to share his shirt when Bob was in to town to visit his family for Memorial Day.  Bill, show your shirt around to Lorraine Mulligan, Walter Zjawin and Nick D’Andrea and let’s get something started in Metuchen…the most patriotic town East of Fountain Hills!  I know that John Stypa would buy one!  Thank you, Jennifer for giving Dad a new red shirt for Father’s Day.

Commander Peltz & Vice Mayor Dennis Contino

We honor our troops!

Commander John Peltz and Vice Mayor Dennis Contino on Memorial Day.  They are two of the innovators of  Red Shirt Fridays.  Shirts can be purchased from the Veterans Organizations in Fountain Hills.  If you are interested in starting this wonderful community event in your town, contact me and I will be certain to put you in touch with the right people.  Suzanne.Nann@gmail.com

Carol Peltz & Suzanne Nann on Memorial Day 2011

It was so wonderful to share our pride and patriotism with friends and family in our beautiful town of Fountain Hills.  This resort like community is the home of many fortunate people who live where others vacation.

God Bless America…especially our veterans in harms way.

“Home of the Free because of the Brave” is printed on the back of each red shirt to show the silent majority is NOT silent any longer.