A lady walks into a local bar and the bartender says, “Good afternoon!  Are you new to these parts?”  The lady replies, “Why, yes, I just moved in on Jesus Street!”  The bartender chuckles and says, “You should know that around here we pronounce our J’s like H’s, so you actually live on Hesus Street.”  The woman smiles, a little embarrassed and the bartender continues, “When did you move in?”  The lady replies with confidence, “Oh around Hune or Huly!”

Pronunciation can be a tricky thing!  We are raised constantly learning how to phonetically spell and pronounce words but in our culturally enriched society, we have learned that phonetics is not always the best policy.  Perhaps becoming bi-lingual or multi-lingual would do the trick.  Either way, you will notice that rules were meant to be broken because when it comes to pronunciation, it just is what it is.

Let’s start with “Corte Bella” which is pronounced KORH tuh BEHL uh, meaning beautiful style.  This can be confusing because there are other words like “Ocotillo” which is pronounced o cuh TEE yo.  Or our street Calle Real pronounced KAH yuh reh YAHL.  Notice the two L’s in a row have two completely different sounds.

Much like the woman in the bar, some of you may say you live on Junipero, which is actually pronounced who NEE puh roh, which is Spanish for Juniper tree, which is pronounced, JUN uh per.  Confusing enough?  How about Quinto, pronounced KEEN toh which means “fifth” but the word quint is pronounced kwint.

We could go on and on, especially in our neighborhood because every street seems to have multiple pronunciations.  We just tend to gravitate to the most commonly heard way of saying our street names.

When we all moved into our new homes at Corte Bella, chances are we were told the correct pronunciation of our street.  Over the years, however, these street names have transformed much like the game of telephone.  If you are curious about the right way to pronounce your street in Corte Bella, ask your friendly Home Smart realtors, Jen Meehl or Shirley Owens!  They will let you know exactly how to say it!

You have just placed your home on the market.  You have cleaned like crazy and have plenty of cookies to bake to get that fresh scent that new home buyers are drawn to.  Your open house has been scheduled with your fabulous Home Smart real estate agent.  Everything is going great!  Which is precisely when the dishwasher decides to not drain, the refrigerator decides to stop cooling and the washing machine floods your laundry room.

You have just purchased a beautiful new home with the help of your wonderful Home Smart real estate agent.  You have had everything completed, including an inspection, to let you know that your new home is worth what you paid for it and has fully functional appliances.  You have received your keys and the move-in has begun.  You load up your dishwasher, throw the moving blankets in the washing machine and fill up the freezer with meat.  Everything is going great!  Which is precisely when the dishwasher starts squealing like a pig, the washing machine is gyrating across the floor and you better plan a BBQ because your freezer is defrosted.

As if your decision making skills have not reached their limit, now you have yet another decision to make.  Do you repair home appliances or replace them?  Here are 3 things to consider before you make that call.

1.  Are the appliances what a buyer might want or what you want in your new home?  If they are, a repair could be an inexpensive option.  Always check for a warranty with the manufacturer.  There are local repair shops that can work with your warranty to get you back up and running.  If they are not your dream machines, this is the perfect time to replace it with what you really want!  Also, new appliances can come with extra rinse cycles on dishwashers or steam features on dryers that may be the one little thing that catches the eye of a home buyer or makes your new house a home.
2. You may want to consider replacing the appliance with something more energy efficient.  Saving your new home buyer or yourself on that utility bill will offset the cost of buying the new appliance, especially in this Arizona heat!
3. Of course, cost is going to be the major deciding factor here.  The price of appliances is only increasing so a repair may be the option that you want to consider.

If you take style and features, energy efficiency and cost into consideration, the decision will come easily for you!

**Remember the heat is quickly approaching so get your A/C unit checked and tuned up so you don’t get stuck sticking to your leather sofa!**

The things we consider when we buy a new home can be endless! Will my TV fit in that space? Which drawer will my silverware go in? Well, that closet will work for me, but where will my husband put his clothes?
And…if you are an animal lover, chances are you will be considering things like doggie doors and cat litter locations and toy baskets! We love our animals and they will certainly play a part in our home buying decision. Make sure you share these concerns with us while you are on your home tour! We would love to find you the perfect house to call a home!
Already in your new home and thinking about adding a four-legged family member? Are you wondering just what breed of dog is the perfect pal for you? The Great Arizona Dog Show is coming to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on April 5th through April 9th. Kachina Kennel Club and Arrowhead Kennel Club are joining to bring you some exquisite breeds from around the country and to fill you with information. Sometimes a furry friend is just what you need to make that new house a home! Visit www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/ for schedule and ticket prices.

Have you heard about CantaMia in Goodyear?  Check it out!  It’s the newest Active Adult community in AZ. 

Book a 3 night stay for $149.00 to experiance the active adult lifestyle in this brand new active adult community in Goodyear.  CantaMia is at the foothills of  the Estrellia Mountains 14 miles south of I10. 

Call 623-594-1881 to book your reservation. 

Sun City Festival offers a vacation villa stay to perspective homeowners for $89 per night!  Live like a resident and get to know why Sun City Festival is Del Webb’s finest community in the west valley.

Call Shirley Owens, HomeSmart real estate @ 623-594-1881 to book your reservation.

Copper Canyon Golf Course

2011 Was an interesting year for home sales in Corte Bella.  There were 83 homes sold, 27 of those were distressed properties (bank owned foreclosures or short sales).  19 Were positioned along  the golf course.  The median price was $250,000.

There are currently 88 homes listed for sale.  This is about 20 less then the same time last year.  The number of distressed properties currently for sale is 11 and there are 6 pending distressed property  sales.  Most of these properties sit along the north perimeter of Corte Bella.

The Maricopa county recorders office reports only 6 additional owners have been issued a notice of foreclosure.  This is good news!  Last year in January there were over 35!

The statistics and facts tell me that  the market is starting to shift.   Very soon, most of our listings and sales will me normal sales.. not distressed.   Because AZ is a deed of trust state, there will not  be a new wave of foreclosures.  That new wave is predicted for the judicial foreclosure states.  The foreclosures happend quickly in AZ because they did not have to go through the court.  There is no shadow inventory!

It’s a great time to purchase a home!  If you wait, the good deals will be gone and you will miss the opportunity to take advantage of the bottom of the market.

$106,050
12812 W JUNIPERO DR Arcada 1661sf Foreclosure

$184,000
23310 N LAS ALTURES DR Arcada w/Casita Foreclosure

$210,000
12942 W MICHELTORENA DR Arcada

$210,000
23135 N VIA VISTOSA DR San Marco 1904sf Foreclosure

$224,000
12949 W RIDGLEY DR San Marco 1904sf

$226,000
22133 N ARRELLAGA DR San Ysidro 1837sf

$230,000
22107 N LAS ALTURAS DR Encanto 2095sf Foreclosure

$240,000
22710 N ARRELLAGA DR San Marco w/pool/golf course 1904sf Foreclosure

$240,000
22209 N ARRELLAGA DR San Marco 1904sf

$240,000
22213 N MONTECITO DR Encanto 2095sf Foreclosure

$259,000                                                                                                                                                 12911 LA VINA DR Cambria 2450sf

$275,000
22207 N PEDREGOSA DR Encanto 2095sf

$337,500
13233 W QUINTO DR Cambria/Pool 2450sf

$450,000
12932 W SANTA YNEZ DR Mirada/Golf Course 2593sf

$460,000
22914 N HANK RAYMOND DR Granada/ Golf Course 3027sf

$518,000
22529 N PADARO DR Mirada/Casita/Golf Course 2593sf

$535,000
22517 N DEL MONTE CT Figueroa/Pool/Golf Course 2784sf

 $243,700  2217 9 N Pico  1684sf  Arcada/Pool                          8/5

  $200,000  12839 W LaVina  2095sf  Encanto Distressed  8/12

  $221,000  13829 W. Sola  1904sf  San Marco Distressed 8/25

  $325,000  13256 Micheltorena  2593sf  Mirada      8/26

September Sales 

    $272,000    12938 W Quinto Dr.  2095 SqFt    Encanto   9/30

    $250,000   13174 Figueroa Dr.  Encanto                    9/22

     $225,000   23140 N LORETO   San Marco                   9/28

Stay tuned to find out the latest homes that have sold in Corte Bella Country Club

Shirley Owens and Jen Meehl, Corte Bella Neighborhood Specialists®. Nobody knows Corte Bella like Shirley and Jen. Stay tuned for all of the latest news and events about this great community in Sun City West, Arizona.