I’ve decided to start a new series at Arizona Fusion - ‘Southeast Valley Spotlight.’  Every so often I’ll showcase something great about the Southeast Phoenix Valley - a special attraction, restaurant, real estate development or quite frankly, whatever I please.  So, drum roll please …

Cosmo Dog Park - The Ultimate Dog Park

Rated as the Best Dog Park in America in 2007 by Dog Channel, Cosmo Dog Park is located just east of San Tan Village/Greenfield Road on Ray Road in Gilbert, Arizona.  I chose Cosmo Dog Park as my first Southeast Valley Spotlight because I just happened to go there this morning with our dog, Hoosier (yes, we are from Indiana).  In fact, why don’t I share a picture of my dog who has no cajones to actually swim in the water …

Hoosier - Scared To Take The Plunge at Cosmo Dog Park in Gilbert, Arizona

Cosmo Dog Park is dog heaven.  Here, you’ll find other dog lovers from all across the Phoenix Valley congregate to let their dogs be dogs.  There’s actually three fenced in areas for dogs:

• a large grassy yard with obstacles
• a small grassy yard for smaller dogs
• a dog beach complete with a man-made lake and dock for dogs to launch off.

Every one of the fenced in areas has a shaded patio and seating for humans to escape the hot sun as well as a station to hose your dog down after getting dirty.  There’s also restrooms, a human drinking fountain and even a fire hydrant dog drinking fountain (which some dogs choose to wade in).  The City of Gilbert website says there are four fenced in areas but I can only recall three - and their website only shows three.  We usually only frequent the dog beach area.

Cosmo Dog Park is located within a growing area of Gilbert.  Bordering the east side of the park is Agritopia, a unique mini-master planned community.  I call it “mini” because this development is unlike most suburban subdivisions and actually reinforces a theme of Arizona’s agricultural past very, very well.  But, that may be another Southeast Valley Spotlight.

Other real estate developments near Cosmo Dog Park include the large community of Lyon’s Gate which is located just across the street on Ray from Cosmo Dog Park.  Lyon’s Gate is probably about 35 - 40% developed and includes homes from the $180’s for a new build with William Lyon Homes.  Also, Hacienda Builders is building new homes from $210’s in Lyon’s Gate.  Lyon’s Gate features quite a few grassy areas, tot lots and a community pool.

Also nearby Cosmo Dog Park is the new San Tan Village Mall, which is a regional mall that features fantastic shopping options and great dining options.  Next to San Tan Village is a power center with Wal-Mart, Kohls, Old Navy and more dining and shopping options.

If you’re interested in living in a growing area of Gilbert with all these conveniences, set up a fusionpower search today.  You’ll get a personal website with listings that meet your search criteria, automatic email notifications of new or changed property listings, you can ask questions about listings online, save your favorites and throw out the ones you dislike and schedule showings with Arizona Fusion Real Estate online.

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I recently stumbled upon a listing in the Tempe area (see previous post) that at first made me half laugh at the stupidity of the agent selling the condo and half empathetically cry for the sellers of the condo.  

“The property, which is listed near downtown Tempe for just under $400,000 is incorrectly listed as being within the Cave Creek Unified District.  That’s one hell of a bus ride for kids to Cave Creek which is roughly a 36 mile drive to the northern-most suburb city of the Phoenix metro area.”

Worse yet is the description used in the listing - or lack of description for that matter.  It gives no detail of the property or the amenities located within this development or the convenience of future light rail and the proximity to downtown Tempe.  The pictures (there are only three and the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service now allows unlimited photos) posted for the listing look like they were taken with the first cell phone camera ever created as they are grainy and extremely small.  Worse yet, the agent “stole” a stock photo of a Tempe Town Lake sunset and the Mill Avenue Bridge - and used it as one of the three photos to market the property.  

Now, for the icing on the cake - the property is listed as “Owner/Agent” which means the agent selling the property is also the owner.  My empathetic cry for the seller quickly went away.  Can you imagine what this agent does for his/her clients if this is all he/she does for his/her own property!?!  It’s no wonder the real estate industry has a bad image - who sees the value in paying an agent upwards of $24,000 to market a property in that way?  I sure as hell wouldn’t.

Sellers:  Check and recheck your complete MLS listing for accuracies!  Don’t ever assume, no matter who your agent is, that they’ve listed your home with 100% accuracy.  Better yet, don’t assume they’ve posted it in it’s best light.  There are a few way to check your MLS listing.  The easiest is to simply ask your agent for the complete listing printout.  Ask for the “Agent Report” so that you see everything another REALTOR would see.  Verify that all the information in the listing is correct and that nothing has been left out.

Better yet, go to websites that reciprocate MLS data - perhaps ours - and check your listing’s photos and (hopefully you have one) virtual tour.  On our site, you can view the pictures in full-screen - but only if your agent has loaded photos that are of full-screen quality.  If they haven’t, they’ll be small photos or even grainy if they are of super-low quality.  Not only that, verify that your photos actually present your property in it’s best light.  That means either your agent is a great photographer with a great camera or your agent hired a professional photographer.  

With well over 80% of home buyers using the internet to start their search it’s very easy for them to move on to the next listing if the pictures for your property don’t stir their interest.  Most of us are visual people and will first look at the pictures and then decide if we actually want to read about the property.  Make sure your pictures and virtual tour engage buyers rather than disengage.  And make sure the information on your property is 100% accurate to ensure it comes up on searches as it should.

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If you’re looking into downtown Tempe as a place to live and/or are into the arts, take a look at this article in the Arizona Republic.  It talks about the possibility of bringing a global attraction to Tempe Town Lake just west of Priest Drive on Rio Salado Drive taking up the vacant space next to the Tempe Center for the Arts.

“Elements offers an opportunity to redevelop an empty strip of the Rio Salado bank between the Tempe Center for the Arts and Priest Drive into a global arts attraction.” - AZCentral.com

What a fantastic opportunity to not only bring a truly unique attraction to Tempe (and the entire Valley of the Sun for that matter) but to also spur more development in the Farmers Avenue District.  

At a REALTOR meeting last fall, Tempe Mayor, Hugh Hallman, discussed with us Tempe’s desire to create a district known as the ‘Farmers Avenue Arts District’ just south of the Tempe Center for the Arts.  With the open-minded approach that Tempe is taking in it’s downtown area it appears that the Farmers Avenue Arts District is starting to take shape.  

Ten years from now we may see a true urban arts neighborhood.  Currently, the Farmers Avenue area is being rejuvinated with developments like the Farmers Avenue Lofts, Millstone Townhomes, Regatta Pointe Condos and 525 Tempe Town Lake Condos complete or near completion and more planned, now is an exciting time for the downtown Tempe area - especially when you factor in that this area will be serviced by the light rail starting December 27!

If you’re interested in living and investing in the downtown Tempe area contact us and we’ll set up our exclusive fusionpower search to work for you sending you updates on property listings within the downtown Tempe area - or any area you’re in which you’re interested!

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I am in need of more business cards and decided to place my main social networks on the business cards so that people can find me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Here’s the design:

With social networking being a primary way of finding people - I thought it only made sense to add my Facebook profile (find out about the personal me), Twitter profile (find out what I am doing and where I am) and my LinkedIn profile (find out about the business me).

Feel free to join me as a friend in any of my social networks!

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
LINKEDIN

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Phind Your Inner Phelps. Courtesy of the LA Times.

I admit, that’s a lot of ‘Ph’ replacements but I wanted to be clever (I’m not sure how well I did).

Watching the Summer Olympics is an inspiring thing.  It all starts with the moving stories NBC airs just prior to an event where you’re given an athlete’s background - his or her trials, tribulations and struggles and how he or she came through as a shining Olympic athlete and all set to a cinematic quality soundtrack that tugs at your emotions.

Then, to see the athlete perform as the best-of-the-best on the world stage and stand in the middle of the winner’s podium surely creates an inspirational feeling in the millions of people watching.

Yesterday, I watched as Benjamin Boukpeti of Togo (a nation many of us have never heard of) kayaked his way to the first Olympic medal for his country - ever.  The excitement rushed through the crowd as Benjamin sailed through the rapids course.  A crowd of hundreds of nationalities cheered for him the loudest of any of the competitors.

Benjamin Boukpeti of Togo Brings Home The Bronze in Kayaking. Courtesy of Yahoo! News.

As an American, Michael Phelps has been the headliner for us in these Olympic Games.  I’d assume since he’s breaking world records the rest of the world envies his abilities as well.  What’s so amazing about Phelps is his ability to continue to move forward.  He breaks a world record one year, trains harder, perfectifies his talent and abilities and comes back to shatter the world record the next year.

Even more amazing is his fantastic sportsmanship.  Even as the French claimed they’d shatter the Americans Phelps extended his hand to them after the race - both in the water and on the awards stand.  Moreover, Phelps reaction to winning the 4X100 and last night’s 4X200 was so fantastic it left no doubt in anyone’s mind that his team acheivements are just as, if not more, important than his personal acheivements.

Benjamin Boukpeti of Togo found his inner Phelps and created an historic moment for his country.

Phelps has an inner drive that propels him forward to continually beat his personal bests which often times happen to be the world’s bests.

Find your inner Phelps.  Let it drive you and push you to be all that you can be.  If you’re in the real estate industry, your inner Phelps can push you to constantly out do yourself to get that next listing, attract more buyers, continue to grow your Circle of Connections (I hate the term “Sphere of Influence”) and fine tune your marketing plan.

It can relate to anything in your life whether it’s business or personal.  Find your inner Phelps and let it propel you forward.  Whenever you’re not as motivated as you should be just think of Phelps and the rest of the American 4X100 team reacting to their .08 second win for inspiration.

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