Mesa, Arizona Real Estate - Teri Ellis - Homes Arizona Real Estate: Arizona

My Speechless Sunday photo - Clouds With Endless Views!

 I think all of us love clouds! It's just something about their shapes, their seemingly pillow-like puffiness, and their beauty! I remember lying on the grass looking up at the clouds and guessing what the shape was! I do the same now with my grandchildren to entertain them in the car.

This photo was taken along highway 60 North from Globe to Show Low this past summer during our monsoon season. I love the view of the curving road heading to? where? who knows?

This is my first post in the Cloud Group! Just discovered that one! Enjoy!

The Phoenix, Arizona Valley and Outlying Cities - Recycling Christmas Trees!!!

The City of Mesa, and other cities throughout Arizona are offering facilities to recycle your live Christmas Trees!  Please do not just dump it in a landfill, take your tree to be recycled. I've provided a link of information for cities throughout Arizona including Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Goodyear, Glendale, Payson, Peoria, Flagstaff, ShowLow, Prescott, Scottsdale and more.

For complete details including times, addresses and more, click on RECYCLE!

Sunland Springs, a 55+ Retirement Community located in Mesa, Arizona.

In Mesa, Arizona, especially East Mesa as well as Apache Junction and Gold Canyon there are a plethora of retirement communities. Many of our winter visitors come here for a visit and then end up purchasing their winter home returning year after year to enjoy our wonderful Arizona weather.

The retirement community of Sunland Springs Village is located on the far eastern edge of Mesa, just south of Baseline and east of Signal Butte, and is very popular with our winter visitors.  Sunland Springs is complete with a club house, swimming pool, tennis courts and three beautiful golf courses. My favorite golf course in this community is Four Peaks, probably named after the mountain range Four Peaks directly to the north. There are always lots of fun things to do at the club house, or if you choose to just sit and watch, that's fun too.

Any time of the day you will see joggers, fast walkers, strollers, and lots of friendly people enjoying the warmth and the sun. Since I am from Arizona, during the winter I don't wear shorts, but on the putting green or the driving range and on the golf courses themselves, lots of our winter visitors are wearing shorts. I'm bundled up unless it gets into the high 60's.

Mountain ranges are evident all around; however, the mountain that I particularly love to see is Superstition Mountain just nine miles east of Sunland Springs Village. To the north are the Goldfield Mountains, and to the south the San Tan Mountains.

There are still new homes being built as well as resale houses available. If you're in the market for a second home, or are thinking of retiring, I am available to show you these beautiful homes in a wonderful and peaceful area.

Located near hospitals, shopping at Superstition Gateway East and Superstition Gateway West, theaters including an IMax theater, Coldstone Creamery, Super Wal-mart, Kohl's, Staples and lots of places to eat, this might just be a great place to settle in.

Mesa and Gilbert flank each side of Power Road, and the cities are joining together to plan the improvement of Power Road - widening it into four lanes from the 202 to Pecos - a stretch of about 2.7 miles. Could this be part of our job stimulus dollars at work? Guess that could be up for debate, but it is a "good" thing nevertheless.

As the map reflects, this is a busy hub area since one way into the airport is along this corridor.  Right now, the road narrows down into just two lanes, so the improvement will be a welcome relief to those home owners heading for Power Ranch, for Seville, and other communities south of the 202.

Mesa and Gilbert leaders are planning for the corridor to be the "knowledge corridor."

One day, we will all look back and remember when Power Road was just a rural two lane road. As the cities grow, and the people move into this beautiful area of the southeast valley, wider and better roads will definitely be something better to serve the communities south of the 202.

The Mesa, Arizona Temple sets up displays that are spectacular. Thousands of volunteers place 50 life-size figures, including a nativity scene and the three wise men and their camels. 750,000 lights are set in citrus trees, cacti and palm trees. The visitors center shows a short film depicting the birth of Christ through December 31. Holiday music is performed by valley choirs, school groups and entertainers.

Musical performances begin at 6 or 7 p,m. nightly. Be sure to see details at: MesaChristmasLights.com

Struggling Consumers in Mesa and in Chandler have opportunities for finding affordable groceries! 

I recently learned of reduced pricing for feeding a family in Chandler and Mesa, Arizona. No income requirements, no lengthy forms to fill out. Order as many boxes as you want. Wow! Seems too good to be true? Well it is true, and this is where, how, and how much.

Angel Food Ministries provides enough food to feed a family of four for a week for $30! Additionally, the United Food Bank has a similar program, "Help Yourself," that provides meat, canned goods and a bag of produce for $16! Items vary weekly and are available every Friday on a first come, first served basis. You'll probably have to wait in line, but for $16, you will want to wait in line.

According to the Arizona Republic, a recent Department of Agriculture
survey found that about 50 million people went hungry last year. Nearly
one in four was a child. Some local children come to school famished on
Monday after having nothing to eat at home over the weekend. Food pantries and soup kitchens across the Southeast Valley have been innundated with people who can't afford even a $16 weekly box of food.

How we can help! We can buy a food box online through Angel Food Ministries, for pickup at several Southeast Valley locations, or from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays at United Food Bank, 358 East Javelina Avenue, Mesa.  Chandler Christian Community Center is collecting canned food, turkeys, hams and baking ingredients for the holidays. 480.963-1423. 

I am so proud of those who dig into their almost empty pockets to help others less fortunate.  After all, isn't that what America is all about? Helping each other?  This is information on just two of many throughout the valley and throughout our country!

My photo blogs are hardly wordless, but I just say "less." Each year, my husband and I take some time and go to the Phoenix Botanical Gardens. We really enjoy the beautiful displays presented there. This year, there were myriad glass sculptures by Chihuly all set into the desert scape. You'll notice the cacti, but the forefront with the light shining through are glass. The one I am sharing is one of my favorites. Another of my photos at the Chihuly exhibit which is on Flickr - was included in an article about our area.

Mill Avenue in Tempe - shopping, great restaurants, and a great place to people watch. As promised, here is the second part of my story and photos that I shared about our trip on the Light Rail on Veteran's Day: One of our stops was to 3rd and Mill Avenue. We hopped off and walked down Mill Avenue looking for a place to stop and eat. While we were in this mode, a man from a building came up to us and asked us what we were looking for and were we hungry.  Apparently the place was just opening, and since it was set back from the sidewalk, we hadn't noticed it - and there weren't that many people there.  We agreed to give it a try.

Very contemporary, the Regions Bistro and Bar was a delight. Our waiter, Dustin, was part of the reason, and the food was very good. We were able to view the people walking up and down Mill, and Dustin kept us company while we ate. He plans to be a singer someday, and loves working at this restaurant.

Along our way from Phoenix back to Tempe, and in Tempe on Mill Avenue, I'm sharing a view of Mill Avenue. Note the brick/coblestone walkway. Very quaint with a lingering atmosphere.

One building that I have seen as long as I've lived in the Phoenix area is this one -but I don't know what it is. Anyone know? It's very large, perched on a hill, and has a gated entrance. I've looked all over and can't seem to identify it....maybe someone else can. Thanks to Deanne, this mystery building is the Tovrea Castle.

I'll end this for now, but suffice it to say that it was a spectacular day, and the Light Rail in Phoenix through Tempe and into Mesa is awesome!

Hazardous Waste Collection and Recycling Event in Mesa on December 12, 2009! 2412 North Center (Center Street North of McKellips)

I appreciate the opportunity to clean out the garage, get rid of those "things" that have been sitting around forever and dispose of them in a safe and green manner.  

Event Hours: 8 a.m. - 12 noon.  Materials will not be accepted after 12 noon!!

Drop Bidding in Arizona is illegal! Apparently there is a disturbing trend in the Phoenix, Arizona real estate market known as "drop bidding" on the properties being put up for auction. I've provided a link for the reader's further enlightenment; however, "as usual" those that choose to stretch the boundaries of truth are finding other ways to cheat others out of purchasing these homes.

In a nut shell, a drop bid is a tactic used to sell a property faster. Though this practice is legal in some states, drop bids are illegal in Arizona.  Arizona law requires that opening bids on the foreclosure properties are to be posted at 9:00 a.m. the day before the auctions. This is so all potential bidders, including the homeowner, have the information in time to research a property and line up the money to bid. [The Arizona Republic - 11/22/2009, p. A20] 

The drop bid is happening on the courthouse steps the day of the auction. It appears as though a few "insiders" are the ones privy to this information and, thus, are able to grab the deals before the regular folk can even have a chance!

I cannot even believe how corrupt our country has become! Everywhere I turn, there's another story of thievery and greed! What is to become of our world if this continues?