At Home in McCormick Ranch

I’ve heard that there was a eagle living in McCormick Ranch, and thought I saw one last week.  We weren’t sure, but the folks behind us on the bike trail, who happened to be from Washington state, took one look at it and went so far as to say it might be a bald headed eagle like they were used to seeing back home.

Yesterday, I was have a quick lunch on my back patio which overlooks the McCormick Ranch Golf Course (and wild life sanctuary :-), when I was interrupted by a huge bird landing on one of the trees.  It’s times like this that I wish I had a telephoto lens.  I just couldn’t get a close enough  photo, although I kept trying, and then the bird took off.  At first I thought it was a hawk, but now I’m thinking it might have been an eagle.  What’s your opinion?

The sunrise was breathtaking this morning. 

With a little research at the Library of Congress, I discovered a bit more on the adage, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning”. 

A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

Interestingly enough, we are looking at a cloudy day, with rain tomorrow.

Here’s the upcoming weather report, via weather.com.

At the beginning of this year, I spent a bit of time compiling statistics for each of the six communities in McCormick Ranch that line McCormick Parkway.  I had some sense of where the market was last year and decided to compare the first and second halves of the year, to see how prices were changing in each of the individual communities.

First, a quick profile of these McCormick Ranch subdivisions, each of which have some homes that line the McCormick Ranch Golf Course:

Camello Vista - Condo style living with detached garages.  Some with golf course view.  Community center and pool.

Santa Fe - Single and two-story townhouses.  Spanish style exteriors. Community pools.

Spanish Oaks - Townhouse style living. Single and two-story units. Guard gated.  Community pool.

Meridian - Single family homes in very close proximity to each other, so they do have a townhouse feel.  High ceilings.  Gated, no guard. Community pool.

Sandpiper - Single level patio homes spread out on large grassy grounds. High ceilings, spacious rooms.  Guard gated. Eight community pools.

Colonia Encatada - On the tax records, this community is called Cuernavaca Segundo.  Edmonds built town homes, Spanish style, with high ceilings and open floor plans. Guard gated. Community center, community pools, tennis court.

Click on the chart above to get the full report.

As you can see from this report, real estate really is local. Each of the communities is in a different price range, some have increased in value in 2007, other have not. By reviewing the chart at the bottom of the report, you can see the changes that these communities experience from the first to the second half of 2007.

Questions, call or email. I’ll be glad to review.

Was sitting in my car southbound on Scottsdale Road, waiting for the light to change so I could turn east onto McCormick Parkway (aka one of the prettiest roadways in Scottsdale), and took a quick photo of the new McCormick Ranch signage.  Nice. 

Here are some comparisons that I put together for patio homes and town homes in the 85258 zip code, which is comprised mostly of McCormick Ranch and Gainey Ranch.  I focused in on homes that were 1500-3000 square feet.

Although there is a slight downturn from the first to the second half of the year, prices have held pretty steady throughout the year.

Seems only fitting to kick off a new community focused blog with a posting about the new entrance being constructed.

I paid a visit the to the McCormick Ranch Property Owners Association a few months back asking what the plans were for the Scottsdale Road and McCormick Ranch Road entrance.  I’d heard rumor that plans were under way to update it.  After asking for some additional information about the entrance, I was show some plans that were on the wall in the conference room.  My first impression was very, very positive.  I took a couple photos of the plans, and then Garth Saeger, Executive Director of the POA, stopped in.

Garth give me a quick update on the project, that it would be underway shortly and that there were a few modifications to the plans I was looking at that I’ve shared with you.  He also asked me if I wanted to see the bronze horses that had been purchased and would be incorporated into the new entrance.  They’d been stored in the storage area for almost a year, and although they were very dusty, the sculptures are outstanding and I can’t wait to see them installed.

Last Sunday, we took a walk down to the entrance, to take a closer look at the signage that’s under construction.  It’s coming along and I’ll keep you updated as the entrance project progresses.