This month's pick for Chandler's Best Kept Secret goes to Veterans Oasis Park located at Chandler Heights & Lindsay Roads.
The park features 113 acres of walking trails, ramadas and picnic areas, a play area, a hummingbird and butterfly habitat, revolving gardens, a 5 acre fishing lake and an Environmental Education Center offering information, classes and programs, exhibits and a nature store. There's even a place to give your horse a drink...should you visit on horseback.
As for fishing, the lake is stocked with channel catfish, rainbow trout (in season) bluegill, redear sunfish, hybrid sunfish and largemouth bass. An urban fishing license is required as well as a Chandler boating license if you're going to take your fishing boat on the lake. No motors allowed by the way.
The secret is, if you wander away from the lake area, you'll find yourself surrounded by the beauty of the marshes and the sounds of the wildlife that live there and because it's a secret...fewer people to disrupt the quiet...so don't tell anyone!
In July 2009, Arizona ranked as the third highest foreclosure state in the Nation. However following a 10% month-to-month decline, Arizona fell to fourth place according to RealtyTrac.com, in its August 2009 Foreclosure Report.
#1 Nevada holds the dubious distinction of having the highest foreclosure rate in the Nation with one in 62 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in August 2009 for a total of 17,902 properties (6.7 times the National average)
#2 Florida ~ one in every 140 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing (62,401 properties in August).
#3 California ~ one in every 144 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing (92,326 properties in August) despite continuous declines in foreclosure filings.
#4 Arizona ~ one in every 150 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing (which is still more than twice the national average).
The 6 states rounding out the top ten based on number of foreclosure filings per housing unit are:
Michigan; Idaho; Utah; Colorado; Georgia; and Illinois
What's happening with Single family homes for sale in Sun Lakes, AZ? We are starting to see a slight increase in inventory with the average list price staying pretty stable. As Sun Lakes' homeowners begin their return for the Fall, Winter and Spring months, we typically see an increase in buyer and seller activity.
Check out this week's statistics for homes that are currently for sale in Sun Lakes as well as the homes that have sold in recent weeks.
REO (Bank Owned) homes are like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get. Like the REO property that was offering gifts. Yes, the bank was giving the buyer of this home many gifts! I know, hard to believe. But there it was...written enticingly within the property description on the MLS "All personal property and/or appliances left on premises are deemed a gift!"
No photos of the interior were provided on the MLS, but suffice it to say upon entering the home the buyers were overwhelmed to tears by the bank's generosity.
Behind door #1 a living room full of gifts!
Everyone loves an unplugged refrigerator full of melted and rotting food, right? You really should have the bank over for dinner to repay them for their generosity. In fact, I'm sure they'd enjoy the food they've left for you!
WOW! Every single room has a gift offering just for you!
Furniture AND dirty underwear. What d'ya think, Spanky? It doesn't get better than this!
I really don't know why this home hasn't sold with all these gifts that are being offered. Maybe if they'd been gift wrapped?
I've been wondering, why don't you hear about regular old haunted houses in the Phoenix metro area? Is it because the area is too new? Perhaps ghosts don't like the heat? Or maybe the banks have repossessed their homes?
There are some hotels that claim to have some spirit guests, but you just don't hear about haunted houses. Maybe Arizona is where ghosts go to vacation, but they just don't want to live here?
In the Midwest, every town had it's share of so-called haunted houses. Ok, don't think I'm weird...but I may actually have lived in one in Kenosha, WI. I'm not into mysticism, but there were definitely some spooky occurrences that took place in my 60 year old house where I lived alone with my little dog, Merffy.
Like the night Merffy acted like he was watching a fly buzz around his head. Then he jumped off the couch, ran to the foot of the stairs and sat there looking up the stairs to the darkened second floor. I was mildly interested watching his escapades. After about 30 seconds his tennis ball came bouncing down the stairs on it's own. He picked it up, tail wagging while waiting expectantly looking up the stairway. I sat frozen in place, heart racing for several minutes before I got up the courage to go upstairs. Stomping loudly up the stairs (thinking i would scare the ghost?) turning on all the lights and, heart still pounding, looking under the beds. Nothing ever explained it, so I gave my ghost a name, Henry.
How 'bout the time I was sitting at the dining room table eating a bowl of cereal and I heard something fall in the kitchen. Henry had apparently sent me a gift from beyond as a coin came rolling across the wood floor and stopped at my feet. It was a silver quarter dated 1959, the year I was born (no snide age comments here ~ thank you very much). And no, I've never done drugs.
The haunted house stories still intrigue me. Stories of unrequited love and death that came too soon, but then I've always leaned a little towards the creepy side. Like, I really love old cemeteries. The older the better. They're quiet, nicely landscaped and a great place to meditate on a sunny spring day. But, I digress...
People do die in Arizona, but I guess their ghosts have better places to go. Maybe we need to start importing some ghosts. I think a friendly ghost would be a nice selling feature for some of these vacant homes. Something unique that nobody else has.
I read a story about a company selling Ghosts in a Bottle. No kidding. I guess you can buy a bottle filled with a ghost that has been captured from a haunted place by a "Ghost Hunter". The bottles are sealed for your own protection of course, but who just wants a bottle of ghost. Of course you HAVE to open it.
The website does not recommend opening the bottle however, and says if you do you may experience one or more of the following:
Wait a minute...maybe we do have haunted houses in Arizona. We call them short sales.
Realtor, ABR, CNE, EPro, CDPE ~ Specializing in Chandler, Sun Lakes, Gilbert, Tempe & surrounding East Valley. "It's like working with your best friend." www.AmySellsAZ.com
I have been a full time Realtor, specializing in the Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe and Sun Lakes areas since 2001.
I was ranked the #3 RE/Max Agent in the Southwest Region of Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico in May of 2008. Despite 2008 being one of the worst years for real estate sales in decades, I earned the Platinum Award for Sales Excellence in 2008 which was presented to only 4% of RE/Max Agents worldwide in 2008. I was recently named one of the top 50 Real Estate Agents by the Phoenix Business Journal (July 2009).
You don't win awards by being substandard, however, all the awards aside, what's most important to me is exceeding my clients' expectations, which is why so many of my customers are referred to me by past clients.
A comment from just one of my happy sellers:
"Amy did in 6 weeks what another agent couldn't do in 6 months. She sold our home! On top of it all, she made it an enjoyable experience, something I can't say about the other agent. We will definitely be referring her to anyone who is thinking about selling their home!" Kelvin & Wendy Shasteen
Comments like that mean more to me than any award and it's the reason I do what I do.
I specialize in residential, vacation homes, Active Adult communities, retirement and relocation, representing buyers and sellers in the Phoenix East Valley.
"Working with Amy is like working with your best friend. She always watches out for your best interests and loves to laugh, which makes the whole transaction a fun experience. We were actually a little sad when we closed on our dream home and knew we wouldn't be spending those times together anymore. Why would anyone want to work with any other Realtor?" Derek & Denise Gorder
What is my real secret to success? Simple. God, good friends and the love of my family.
My mission is to consistently provide the highest quality, most innovative, and exceptional real estate service available anywhere in the Phoenix area while specializing in the Maricopa East Valley Communities of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Sun Lakes, Tempe, and Ahwatukee; and the Northern Pinal communities in Queen Creek and Maricopa. If you're looking for a moutain retreat, now also serving the White Mountain area including Show Low & Pinetop!
My clients' needs always come first. I will strive to always provide value far in excess of my clients' expectations. My constant goal is mutual respect, and long term relationships that are beneficial to all parties.
I will be positive, helpful, and enthusiastic at all times - always focusing on solutions, not challenges. I will take care of business first and foremost, but we will have fun as a "team" and enjoy ourselves in the process.
I will run a clean, organized, and efficient operation, and always adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethical business practices.
I will never rest on my accomplishments. I will constantly strive to create, develop, and implement new ideas, strategies, and services that will benefit my clients. I will continue to seek continuing education in all aspects of my business to increase the level of service I offer my clients. I will maintain an up-to-date knowledge base on current trends and real estate activities in and the entire Maricopa East Valley as well as Northern Pinal County and the White Mountain areas of Show Low & Pinetop.
Core Values
Achievements & Awards
July 2009 ~ Named one of the Top 50 Real Estate Agents (Number 37 to be exact!) by Phoenix Business Journal.
April 2009 ~ Multi-Million Dollar Producer Award by the Southeast Valley Regional Association of Realtors (SEVRAR) for her production in 2008. Out of over 9500 Members of SEVRAR, only 66 Realtors received this award.
February 2009 ~ RE/Max Platinum Award for Sales Excellence in 2008. This is the second highest level of recogniation awarded by the RE/Max International Organization and was presented to only 4% of RE/Max Agents worldwide in 2008.
May 2008 ~ RE/Max Achievement Award as the #3 Agent in the Southwest Region which includes Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico.
A is for awesome. A is for amazing, and A is for Amy Jones, the best Realtor in Arizona! I was so lucky to have found Amy 2 years ago to help with the purchase of my condo. She made the transaction seamless. When I decided to buy a different house a few months ago, it was only natural to call on Amy. Within a few days my condo was listed, and within a couple of weeks we had a sale - a full price offer! Amy knew exactly how to price my property in keeping with today's competitive market. Amy also assisted me with the purchase of my new house, for which I will forever be grateful. In all of the buying and selling negotiations, Amy acted as my spokesperson, my advocate and my advisor. She took the time to know what I was looking for, and truly represented me during the entire process. I would recommend Amy to anyone who is looking for a friendly, honest and professional real estate agent. Trust me - she will be your real estate agent for life! ~ Mira Radovich, Tempe
"What can I say about Amy that hasn't already been said? She made my first home-buying experience an absolute pleasure! I was moving to the Arizona area from out of state, and by holding my hand through every step of the progression, Amy eliminated any of the normal stress and concern over such a life-changing purpose. She even succeeded in making it enjoyable! Amy cheerfully and patiently answered every question I had as a first-time buyer, explaining in a simple and understandable way the paperwork and the process. As a teacher myself, I really appreciated that. Furthermore, she went "above and beyond" by helping me look at neighborhoods that were normally outside of her typical areas of familiarity. That extra effort paid off, as we found a beautiful home in Queen Creek that I show off with pride. Thanks Amy!" ~Joe Fortunato, Queen Creek
"Amy was extremely helpful and understood that we were "just looking" with little interest in actually buying. She spent time with us over the phone, in email, at her office and was helpful and gracious at every moment. She was especially helpful when we found the home of our dreams and she helped streamline the occasionally excruciating process of the home purchase. As I was referred to her, I would refer her to everyone in need of an excellent Realtor!" ~ Aaron, Carrie and Jordan Schmidt, Chandler
"We decided to relocate to Arizona as our daughter was an ASU graduate and decided this is where she and her husband would live, work and raise their family. We would visit them and always comment "what are we doing living in the snow and cold?". So, after many years we narrowed down to the Chandler area to be near family. A very good friend highly recommended Amy Jones, as she had helped her with her homes. We started the process of elimination through e-mail, after months of looking at properties we decided to build. Amy represented us and knew so many of the building codes and legalities for this area. Amy tirelessly spent many hours trying to help us make decisions and was kind enough to drive us all over to pick out tiles, granites, window treatments, etc., so very helpful, especially when you are not familiar with the area. We love our home and Amy's professional but very warm and caring personality is a true testimonial as to her love of her profession. We are also so proud to call Amy our "Friend". ~ Doug & Joy Roetzel, Chandler
"Amy was very eager to help us find our home, she listened and found us our perfect home! We would have never found it, but she suggested that we look at a home that was so new on the MLS, that it did not even show a photo. Usually we did not even look at a home if you couldn't see a picture first, but she thought it would be one we would like. It was and one month later it was ours! When it was time to move on a couple years later, she sold our home before it was even on the market and for $8,000 more than we were asking, this was 1 year before the big real estate boom. I would highly recommend Amy to everybody I now, she is the best!" ~ Chad Ruffin, Chandler
"Amy did a great job. Best agent I've ever worked with! I've referred her to several friends and family members who have been just as happy with her services!" ~ Eric Katz, Chandler
"From the beginning, Amy Jones made our experience a pleasant one. Her in-depth knowledge of real estate in the South Tempe area helped to speed up the process of finding the house to meet our needs. Amy was always available to answer our questions in a timely manner throughout the time we worked with her. We have referred her to several of our friends and will continue to refer her to anyone who's looking for a Realtor!" ~ Eric & Kim Henes, Tempe
"We had the pleasure of working with Amy Jones on the purchase of our home in Warner Ranch. During our initial meeting, Amy listened very carefully to our needs. Her integrity and willingness to follow through with all the details far exceeded our expectations. We would feel very comfortable referring anyone to Amy!" ~ Gene & Laurie Johnson, Tempe
"It was a very pleasant experience working with Amy primarily because we worked together as a team. She listened to what I wanted in a home and wasted no time tracking them down and showing them to me. Not to mention this was the first time I had bought a house by myself! Amy helped take the fear out of that just by listening, researching, and explaining the home buying process to me. I have got to admit, it was one of the smoothest purchases I have ever made...and we're talking about a house here! Wow! Amy has what it takes to work in this market and environment. She LISTENS, and values CUSTOMER SERVICE! These are two very critical areas that will make or break a person or business. It is definite I will come back to Amy and will definitely refer her to my friends who are in need of a real estate agent who makes you feel important and like you're working with a friend!" ~ Donna Ploudre, Chandler
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