Elizabeth Newlin - Arizona Real Estate Agent

Our new house is currently under construction and due to be completed and close December 23, 2008. Which, I know, is an insane date to attempt any kind of move. But I’ve decided that I’m kind of into it. I really do not love the whole ‘decorating for Christmas’ thing and I actually think it will be pretty special to spend our first night in the new house on Christmas Eve.

Anyway, we are building in a new planned community out in North East Mesa called Mountain Bridge. It’s a Blandford Homes community and I couldn’t be more excited. Check out the view from our balcony off of the master bedroom:

Yeah, that’s right; a green belt AND MOUNTAINS. I’m genuinely sick-to-my-stomach-ecstatic over the idea of mountain views from my own balcony. WITH ENOUGH BEDROOMS FOR ALL OF MY KIDS TO HAVE ONE OF THEIR OWN (yep, that’s how excited I am, I’m shouting at the Internet). Whee!

But enough of my own glee. My point is that building a new home is kind of an awesome option. I have several clients who have either gone this route, or at least considered it recently. I’ve shown 3,600 square foot houses for $299K out at Signal Butte and Elliot. I’ve sold 1,800 square foot houses in Maricopa for $114K (last month!). I currently have a client under contract to build at McQueen and Ray on an over-sized lot, 2,200 square feet, for $250K. There are fabulous deals to be had. There are great builders still in business.

Don’t however, make the mistake of going this route alone. The deals may be amazing, but the pitfalls are deep. Builders continue to declare bankruptcy without warning. Brown Family Communities, a local builder who was in good standing with all of their creditors, abruptly filed for bankruptcy, October 24 of this year, leaving buyers under contract high and dry. Keep yourself covered. There are things you can do to protect your earnest money. Hire an agent to show you the way and watch your back. And keep a close eye on this page.

How happy are all the Zonies to be living in the land of the sun right now? In our family, we couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s finally perfect park weather. Today we loaded up the wagon (Gray calls it the ‘Santa Wagon’ because Santa gave it to them last year for Christmas) and walked over to the park near our house.

And that is why we live in Arizona. Mid-November trips to the park where you can accidentally get caught in the sprinklers and not freeze to death.

Edited to add: This is also one of the reasons why I am a REALTOR. I need to remember days like this (Thursdays when all the other corporate drones are sitting at desks in cubes and I am at the park running around with my monkeys enjoying the gorgeous weather and winter green grass) when I am beating my head against the wall trying to meet under-writing’s final funding conditions that seem like they will never end while simultaneously calming my buyer who is ready to draw lender blood. These days make my chaotic lifestyle worth it.

Did you?