Tyler Ryan

Phoenix's Encanto Park, recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of the nation's 12 best city parks, will be celebrating its 75th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 27. The daylong celebration will feature live music, kids' activities, food and a spectacular fireworks display at 7 p.m.

Encanto Park lovers also can support it at a fundraising reception at the park's Clubhouse sponsored by Friends of Encanto Park. The reception features food from local restaurants and live music and performances. Ticket prices for the reception are $50 in advance or $75 at the door. Comprehensive event information is available online at phoenix.gov/parks.

Encanto Park's 65 acres, located in the heart of central Phoenix, boasts dozens of massive trees of numerous species. The 27 holes of the adjacent Encanto Golf Course, along with the park, offers residents more than 200 total acres of green space right in Phoenix's urban core. Its fishing lagoons attract thousands of anglers each year. Visitors can rent paddle boats to set out on the park's waterways.

The park also features a sports complex with lighted basketball, handball, volleyball, tennis and racquetball courts; lighted picnic areas and grills; an exercise course; a playground; a pool; a recreation building; and restrooms. It is also is home to Enchanted Island Amusement Park, with a host of rides for children ages 2 to 10 years old.

Encanto Park was built between 1935 and 1938 in what was then the northern part of the city. It has provided outdoor recreation for generations of Phoenicians from throughout the city. The land was purchased, designed and built jointly by the federal Works Progress Administration and the city of Phoenix. For several decades in and around the 1950s, a band shell at the park hosted concerts and cultural events that would attract thousands of spectators. The park also hosted fishing derbies at its signature lagoon that attracted hundreds of area youth. Phoenix voters approved numerous bond issues over the years to expand and improve the park.

There are many great houses for sale in the Encanto Palmcroft and Del Norte Historic area surrounding the Park, for more information visit us at www.myPHXagents.com or call today!

If you purchased a ticket for the Health and Wealth Raffle, you might just end up being the winner of a 2,846 square foot penthouse at One Lexington. Proceeds from the raffle benefit St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and the Barrow Neurological Institute. The drawing will be held on September 30, 2010. Other prizes include cash, luxury cars, vacations, and tons of other goodies.

I’ve personally walked through the penthouse at One Lexington and was blown away. The finishes are over the top and include beautiful hardwood floors, custom Italian cabinets, commercial built-in Wolf and Sub Zero appliances, 3 master suites with lavish bathrooms, and a million dollar view. One Lexington is located at Central Ave and Lexington in the heart of Central Phoenix. The development features unparalled amenities such as a resort style pool, concierge service, a huge fitness center, and a resident clubhouse perfect for large parties and meetings. One Lexington is by far my favorite development in Phoenix.

The lucky winner will have a choice to either take the penthouse or $1 million cash.

There are still 3 other penthouses left awaiting your customization, visit us at www.myPHXagents.com!

Loop 303 is moving ahead, the Arizona Department of Transportation plans to start construction on a 16-mile stretch of the Loop 303 later this year or early in 2011. In the next five years, a six-lane divided freeway will run from Interstate 10 to Grand Avenue. This is great news for west valley development in the future; there has never been a better time to buy a home in the west valley, for more information check out myPHXagents.com. Read more about the 303 loop here.

This past weekend I was previewing some condominiums and lofts in the downtown area for an out of town client, it had been a while since I had had a serious look at these types of properties. As many of us know there was an explosion of developments in the downtown Phoenix and Tempe areas during the real estate boom. Some of these developments were finished, some of them started and not finished, and many were not started at all.

Personally I was concerned about the value some of these developments represented during 2004-2006, with many in the $500.00/sq ft price range. Now that some of the crisis has shaken out many of these developments are very attractive, I looked at some of the very same units I had looked at two or three years ago that are being offered at half the price they were previously. At the current prices these developments are very attractive.

I think this maybe a great time to get into a beautiful downtown area condo or loft, while these properties prices have become more affordable downtown Phoenix continues to become a more attractive place to live. With the downtown ASU campus continuing to expand bringing more and more life downtown and several other major projects under construction downtown Phoenix is becoming alive. For those of you that have not been down there lately check it out, there are also many unique dining options popping up for your enjoyment.

For anyone that is considering going solar or has clients that are interested there is a event in Phoenix this weekend at the civic center where you can talk to lots of different companies about your options and see some different systems. Solar is really taking off and there are some interesting deals out there with rebates, tax credits, etc. For more information go here.