Driving up I-51 just a pass through the middle of the Phoenix Mountains to the North West is a small cove surrounded by the preserve. Few people go there except for the residents: few of the individual communities are gated so it's not the reason: it's simply secluded and that seclusion is part of what makes this such a wonderful area but, that's not all.

The preserve area is collection of small communities that hug the mountain side. All homes here are custom and mixed in style from the eclectic modern to soft Tuscan: ranch and Santa Barbara can also be seen along with some contemporary home. So for such a small area it's distinctly diverse in architecture. There are very few Tuscan homes which seem to have flooded the market in the last decade to obscene levels.

This is a luxury community with homes reaching toward a million dollars and many surpassing it but it's not pompous or overly showy and the homes are human sized: no McMansions here.

What most homes have are beautiful city and mountains views. To the South one can't miss Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak), to the East the view stretches to the McDowell Mountains and even Pinnacle Peak glows beautifully in the setting sun. Pinnacle Peak may be beautiful if you live there and work in Phoenix you have a long drive: this is definitely not a problem with the Preserve area. Just jump on the I-51 and the valley is in the grasp of you hands.

Of course, for those of you who enjoy more then looking at the beautiful scenes the Phoenix Mountain Preserve offers dozens of miles of hiking and biking trails. It's a neighborhood that truly offers balance.

Below are all the homes for sale in the Preserve area. Just select the one of interest to get more details. You can also see all the homes for sale here. And, if you are looking for something specific please fill out this form and we'll set up a custom search for you.

Lately we have heard the price correction in housing may be and probably is in "over correction".

When you can buy a house or condo for a price not seen since 2000 or in many cases since the mid 90's then there has to be an opportunity there, more so when many of these can be purchased with a cash flow positive position as an investment: that makes it a good deal for buyers and investor.

Phoenix Central Corridor

It's nippy at 6 am under the shade of ash trees: joggers have long pants: baby carts have covers over them as moms bear down the gravel laden Murphy Bridle Path while cars buzz by taking the short trip to the big buildings downtown: some specifically taking this road vs the other city arteries because of the trees, the beautiful homes and street signs.

Yes, street signs: they are an integral part of the central corridor - decorated stone signs, wrought iron & painted tile - welcoming anyone who would like to explore the streets and niches hidden behind large oleander trees.

Some of the signs present the community like Madison Meadows or Rancho Solano but most have the names of the streets like Lawrence Rd. or Linger Lane; put there - probably- before the city installed the pole signs. Now they share the space and compete for the passer's by attention.

I'm not sure if anyone even notices them: they don't protrude, they don't stand out and people are used to looking up for street names but they are there and they certainly add a bit of charm to an already charming area of Phoenix.

In recent years real estate investors could console them selves in the rather high rate of appreciation or inflation as a hedge against high prices paid for properties, but we all knew deep down that it could not last. Many had the foresight to get out and others, reasonably thought, that we'd see a correction which would be slight or a simple leveling of prices but nothing like this huge pricing correction we are seeing and in many parts of the Phoenix valley, an over correction.

Had an investor purchased a property with prudence then the drop in price really would have no affect on him/her in the short run because either the purchase was at a break even or had cash flow. Had it even been purchased at break even a couple of years would be enough to see a cash flow and if the purchase was a good one then each year the cash flow would increase especially in a market with so many inflationary pressures.

What we have really entered is the cash flow economy at least for real estate investors. In an investment purchase there are several ways to make money on a property: speculation, cash-flow, redevelopment and so on: but, for now the speculative age is over. Since we are unlikely to see appreciation in the coming years cash flow will have to make up the major part of the investment return.

In fact most of the successful real estate investors, at least those who are successful according to the following measure - the main component of which is freedom and choice- have done so with cash flow. It's the regular money that trickles in a bit at a time, month after month, growing at or above the inflation rate and allowing you to - in many cases - have the choice to work, reinvest, pay-down the loan or take free time and so on.

It's income which is there whether you work or not: it's passive income not tied to your direct employment: and it's wonderful thing.

I remember reading a real estate investment book from the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series: at one point Robert mentioned that he wanted to buy a Porsche sports car, but instead of putting the money directly into a car - a depreciating asset - he used the money to buy a property and used the income, the cash flow from that property to pay for the loan he got on the car. What a great way for a non-depreciation asset to pay for a depreciating asset and you get multiple benefits of doing this. Well, for a long time this was not possible, but it is now possible to do just that.

In this part of the real estate cycle there is an abundance of single family homes, small and medium sized multifamily properties that provide an investor with cash flow from the time of purchase or shortly after the purchase, this is even more achievable with the current historically low interest rate financing.

We are a ways from the up cycle in real estate and the current economy will not help: this is going to be a long bottom but it does not mean that you should not invest - quite the opposite - it is when everyone else is scared that you should be buying because you're buying for a discount. Investors need to change the way of thinking and making decisions and not be afraid to go it alone, against the crowd into the cash flow economy.