Gordon Baker GRI, CDPE

Basement Homes in Phoenix Arizona

Anyone who has lived, well, anywhere besides Arizona, always asks upon arriving if there are basement homes in the Phoenix area. I did the same thing and was told that the ground is hard and my favorite, the water table is too high for a basement. Since then I've learned a lot about Phoenix basement homes.

Today I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Stewart at The Wall Company and find out some interesting facts about basements. The bottom line is that basements cost more, typically $20 - $25/sq.ft., and adds about 30 days to the construction process. The benefits, however, of a basement are numerous. During the summer, when temperatures can reach 115 degrees, the soil temperature four feet below ground level average 72 degrees and becomes even more significant dropping to 55 degrees at 10 feet below. Compare this to cooling a second story 10 feet above the ground!

According to Scott McDonald, the founder of The Wall Company, less than 5 percent of all basements in the southwest require a "hard dig". So much for those basement myths.

What will it cost you to find a basement home in Phoenix? A quick look at the available basement homes for sale in the Phoenix area shows the following: 19% of the basement homes have a list price under $300K, 21% of basement homes are priced between $300K - $500K. 60% are priced over $500K.

For additional information and listngs, be sure to click on Basement Homes in Phoenix for sale

Gilbert Basement Homes Chandler Basement Homes for Sale Mesa Basement Homes Queen Creek Basement Homes for Sale

Moving to Gilbert? You've made a good decision.

In the November 10, 2008 issue Business Week recognized Gilbert as one of the top places in Arizona to raise children. Obviously, they have their rating system which produced Gilbert as their top pick and makes parents in other towns & cities cry foul.  Knowing the valley pretty well I reflected on the different qualities of each town and instead of questioning their choice, I tried to build a list in my mind of why I would support Gilbert a top choice, even if it was not number 1.

What makes Gilbert a top choice

• Schools - School performance was one of the factors weighted heavily in the evaluation of towns of at least 50,000 and a median family income of $40,000 - $100,000.  The Gilbert school  district is consistently a top performing district in the valley.  Living in Arizona, you also have the opportunity to choose a charter school if you wish, which are privately run and publically fund so there is no additional tuition cost.
• Safety - The other factor that was weighted heavily in the analysis.  Gilbert so far has been able to achieve low crime rates in many categories and hopefully that trend continues.

Now here are the unique parts of Gilbert that I believe need to be highlighted.

• Parks - Obviously, Freestone Park comes to mind when you talk about Gilbert parks.  Gilbert also has a canine friendly park, called Cosmo Dog Park located at the 202 and Ray Road.  In west Gilbert, McQueen District Park is home to  the 27,000 sq.ft. McQueen Activity Center that includes indoor basketball, air hockey, ping pong tables, billiard tables, multi-purpose and classrooms.  For a more detailed list , click on Gilbert Town Parks.   The Riparian Preserve is a one of a kind 110 acre wildlife environment that is unique to Gilbert and home to over 200 bird species.
• Transportation - As you can see on the Gilbert town outline, the addition of the new 202 freeway makes Gilbert much more accessible and reduces the commute time for those working in Chandler or Phoenix. 
• Shopping - Not high on my list, but my wife has repeatedly stressed to me how important this is.  Because it is not a priority I have not taken any pictures since I only frequent malls on mothers day, Christmas and my wife's birthday.  With the opening of the 202 freeway, shopping/retail development has increased dramatically. This is especially true of the area at Williams Field and the 202.
• Variety of Property.  Gilbert has more waterfront communities than any other city in Phoenix. It also has waterski lake home communities including Playa del Rey Estates, Santan Lakeside Estates, and Crystal Point.  Lakefront communities include Val Vista Lakes, The Islands, Lago Estancia, Stonebridge, and Windrift.  Gilbert also has a good variety of horse property with irrigation for those with an equestrian interest.  If you're looking for a luxury custom home in a peaceful setting, Gilbert will not disappoint you.
• Planning - It is frequently mentioned how Gilbert has been one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.  One document that assists them in controlling this growth is the Gilbert land use map.  Land use maps are common to many valley cities, but Gilbert has had the advantage of being such a relatively new city and being able to follow this as a guideline in its development.
• Entertainment - In this respect, it's good we have access to other parts of the valley.  However, it you've never been to the Hale Centre Theatre, you really need to put it on your list.

There are a lot of great places to raise children in Arizona, and Gilbert is a very good choice.

Satellite view of Gilbert

For more information, including real estate visit My Home In Az.  Or a Gilbert Home Search

Big League Dreams now more than a year old

One thing is for sure, the Big League Dreams Park in Gilbert has received plenty of exposure since opening in January of 2008. Critics cite the $40 million cost, originally estimated at $26 million, and deteriorating field conditions since opening day. Town officials defend the public/private partnership as a way to attract outside revenue and an alternative to traditional subsidized recreational activities. Add in the sometimes bumpy relationship with Big League Dreams that operates the park and there is no doubt the first year of operation has been more eventful than anyone expected.

Replicas of famous baseball stadiums

There are eight scaled down versions of real ballparks, past and present; including Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, Angel Stadium, Sportman's Park, and to appease the local crowd, Chase Field. Each ballpark has seating for 190 spectators. There are two clubhouses that provide food and beverages. Once you see the prices for the soda pop, you'll make a quick note to fill up the cooler the next visit. Continuing the baseball focus, the park also has installed batting cages.

I was very impressed with the 26,000 sq.ft. indoor soccer complex, and the intense co-ed soccer game that was in progess. At least the artificial turf in the soccer facility won't become an issue! After reading the complaints about the condition of the lawn I went back and reviewed the pictures I took and while it does not look as good as opening day, it appears that improvement has been made.

The Friday night I visited the park, it was busy with slow pitch baseball games in most of the parks. The indoor soccer facility was busy as well as the batting cages. The parking lot was full so in spite of the on-going controversy, it appears that someone is enjoying the facility and the kinks are being worked out.

Whether the $40 million investment was a wise one will become more evident in the coming years when Gilbert starts receiving 6% of the revenue starting in 2011. Until then, expect the continuing debate from both sides. But regardless of what you read, make sure and visit the 60 acre Big League Dreams in Gilbert near Power Rd. and Elliot and come to your own conclusion. It is impressive and worth the visit, and your tax dollars paid for it!