by Peter Madrid | Dec 2, 2019 | News & Updates
Full-time Community Director, Community Coordinators onsite 24/7 provide monitoring, social activities through new independent living concept for adults with disabilities.
PHOENIX (Dec. 2, 2019) – Luna Azul, a new gated single-family home community, offering a new approach to independent living for adults with disabilities, recently celebrated its grand opening and the move-in of the community’s first residents.
The 4.5-acre development located at 1500 E. Wahalla Lane in North Phoenix also launched its Community Association, which provides heightened attention through 24/7 on-site monitoring by a team of Community Coordinators who also organize a full calendar of social activities for residents and their guests.
Jon Krueger
The 30-home “pocket neighborhood” was designed to address and accommodate the needs of adults with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities, allowing them to live independently (or with a family member or caregiver).
Luna Azul’s approach, as the first in the nation to implement this model, offers the option of independent living for adults with disabilities through home ownership and a Community Association with a full-time team of on-site Community Coordinators. Coordinators help ensure the overall safety and well-being of residents; monitor the community; assist with home maintenance issues; and plan social and recreational activities for regular engagement among residents.
“We created Luna Azul because we wanted something different for our daughter, who has a rare disability,” said Mark Roth, founder and developer of Luna Azul. “Our goal was to build a place for her to live safely and permanently and have a socially fulfilling life with lasting friendships. With residents now living there, we’re seeing the Luna Azul concept work, even to the point where some residents are flourishing beyond their parents’ expectations and their need for in-home care is less than was originally planned, confirming all my expectations of how impactful friendship and inclusiveness is on our lives.”
Luna Azul’s Community Coordinators are care professionals with extensive experience working with individuals with disabilities. Rex Matthews, Luna Azul’s Community Director, has more than 28 years of experience working with individuals and service organizations in Arizona’s developmental disability community, including serving as the director over day and work programs.
Jon Krueger, Luna Azul’s Assistant Community Director, has more than 18 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, including serving as service coordinator for six-day and work programs across the Valley. Together, Rex and Jon manage the team of six Community Coordinators who serve the residents as employees of the HOA.
“Rex is the ideal person to lead the team of Community Coordinators at Luna Azul,” Roth said. “I am regularly amazed by his extensive knowledge of the state’s laws, funding reimbursements and local vendors’ services for adults with disabilities. He’s helped me and my wife navigate the system, and now that he’s onboard as Director, we have the peace of mind knowing my daughter will have Rex looking out for her when she’s ready to live at Luna Azul.”
Rex Matthews
The 1,100- to 2,000-square-foot, two- and three-bedroom homes at Luna Azul range from the low $400s to the high $500s and have incorporated a wide range of features that can be customized to address and accommodate the varying needs of individuals with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities.
These features include highly durable flooring and finishes chosen for longevity and ease of care; low-maintenance bath and kitchen counters without grout lines for ease of cleaning; wide doorways and hallways for accessibility; large private front porches surrounding lush courtyards that encourage social engagement among the residents; in-home spaces that help minimize sensory overload and mitigate social challenges as well as CAT6 pre-wiring to provide an extensive range of Smart Technology safety, energy and control options.
Luna Azul’s first phase of 14 cottage-style homes are available and on-track to sell-out by year-end. Construction of the second phase of 16 new homes is expected to begin in early 2020, with completion of the full development slated for fall 2020.
About Luna Azul:
Luna Azul is a for-sale single-family home gated community in North Phoenix created for adults with disabilities to live independently, with family members or caregivers. The community’s “pocket neighborhood” design features 30 two- and three-bedroom cottage-style homes with large front porches facing shared green space and landscaped courtyards alongside a large clubhouse and pool, encouraging neighborly interaction and social engagement for people seeking a greater sense of community and a more caring, supportive, safer and connected place to live. Community Coordinators, employed and managed by the HOA, are on-site 24/7 to monitor the community and plan a variety of social and recreational activities. The Coordinators are also responsible for common area maintenance and services to meet shared needs of residents. Luna Azul, which is located just south of the 101 and 16th Street at: 1500 E. Wahalla Lane in Phoenix, is the nation’s first community of its kind, offering adults with disabilities and their families the financial benefit of home ownership. For more information, visit www.LunaPhx.com.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 25, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November, 25, 2019) – NAI Horizon partnered with of Nathan & Associates to sell the former 5,000 SF bank building and 4.3-acre site on which it sits in the Town of Wickenburg.
The site, located at 1980 Wickenburg Way, will house the new police headquarters and communication center for the growing town 65 miles northwest of Phoenix.
The accompanying land will be developed for other town services.
NAI Horizon represented Vulture Peak Properties Limited Inc. of Phoenix in the sale totaling $1 million. NAI Horizon Vice President Troy Giammarco and Associate Joe Pequeno and Sean Gillespie with Nathan & Associates brokered the sale on behalf of the seller.
“We are very excited to acquire this great property that will provide increased public safety to our growing community,” said Vince Lorefice, Wickenburg Town Manager. “Our experience with NAI and Nathan & Associates through the process was great.”
The Town of Wickenburg represented itself.
“Vince and the team at the Town of Wickenburg were thorough and conscientious, keeping the residents’ needs first and foremost in their decision to move forward creating a win-win for all parties involved,” Giammarco said.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 21, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November 21, 2019) – NAI Horizon represented Old Vine Limited Partnership of Denver, Colorado, in the $3.5 million acquisition of Papago Plaza, a 19,810 SF retail property located at 2240 N. Scottsdale Road in Tempe, Arizona.
NAI Horizon Senior Vice President Lane Neville and Associate Logan Crum, along with Tom Swan of Amcal Southwest, represented the buyer. Iver Bowden of De Rito Partners represented the seller, DROF I-5, LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona.
“We are excited to own Papago Plaza. As a boutique retail property on prestigious Scottsdale Road, it fits nicely within our mixed-use portfolio of properties located throughout the Southwestern U.S.,” said Mark Cytrynbaum, Principal Partner with Old Vine Property Group.
Papago Plaza tenants include Anytime Fitness, Green Restaurant, PMT Ambulance, Distinctions Salon, Allstate Insurance and Pink Elephant Records.
“Papago Plaza has a prime location just south of ASU Skysong and a few miles north of Arizona State University. The property is conveniently located just minutes from both Loop 202 and 101 freeways,” Neville said.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 18, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November 18, 2019): NAI Horizon Senior Vice President Denise Nunez represented the seller in a $2 million sale of Camp Verde 24 Hour Storage, 603 Industrial Dr., in Camp Verde, Arizona.
Nunez represented the seller, 603 Industrial, LLC. The buyers were from out of state and acquiring their first self-storage investment property.
Anchor Mini Storage was built in 1985 as an addition to a real estate brokerage services company that operated out of the main building. The facility is positioned on a 2.38-acre site. There are 176 self-storage units plus one apartment in the main building.
The facility is located in the town of Camp Verde, which is bisected by I-17, extending 8 miles to the west and 10 miles to the east of the interstate. Three freeway exits provide local access: Exits 285, 287 and 289. UPS operates a distribution center out of this location with a ground lease.
“The seller purchased the property in 2017, added a website, made some physical improvements, operational changes and was able to capitalize on the significant improvement to net operating income,” Nunez said. “The seller 1031 exchanged into four other self-storage opportunities.”
The buyers were represented by Don Arsenault of Don Arsenault Realty.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 14, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November 14, 2019) – AZCREW, the leading organization for senior-level executive women in the Metro Phoenix commercial real estate field, presented a $10,000 scholarship to an Arizona State University Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) student.
The scholarship winner – Abby Perez – was announced at AZCREW’s annual Black & White Affair, held recently at the Transwestern office at the Esplanade in Phoenix. The event benefits AZCREW’s “MRED Dollars for Scholars” program.
Over the past 9 years, AZCREW has supported MRED students by awarding scholarships totaling nearly $50,000.
“We are proud to support Abby as she continues her path in commercial real estate,” said Jennifer Cranston of Gallagher and Kennedy, 2019 AZCREW President. “It’s exciting to provide her with both monetary assistance and the ongoing educational and networking opportunities that accompany her membership into the professional family we call AZCREW.”
Perez, a native of Phoenix, holds a BA in communication, with minors in business and real estate. A fulltime student, she previously served as a research intern at Cushman & Wakefield.
In nine months, the transdisciplinary W. P. Carey Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program prepares students to lead real estate development projects that are environmentally respectful, socially responsible, and artfully designed. Small class sizes provide opportunities for peer interaction and a number of synthesis projects cover the entire spectrum of development, preparing graduates for roles throughout the industry.
The MRED program is a transdisciplinary partnership between four highly regarded schools within ASU:
- The W. P. Carey School of Business;
- The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law;
- The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts;
- The Del E. Webb School of Construction.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 14, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November,14, 2019) – NAI Horizon represented the tenant, an indoor action playground company, in a long-term lease at the Fort Union Shopping Center in Midvale, Utah.
NAI Horizon Vice President Mike Kumelski in Phoenix and Scott Brady from Mountain West Commercial Real Estate in Utah represented Aggregate Athletics LLC of South Jordan, Utah, in the lease of 44,927 SF for Kids That Rip (KTR).
KTR has Valley locations in Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale. KTR offers families a new form of indoor entertainment through skateboards, scooters, Parkour, trampolines, slacklines, ninja zones, gymnastics and sports.
“The site is positioned in a great demographic for our use and will be a fantastic addition to services for kids and families in the community,” Kumelski said. “This is adjacent to a 5,597 SF Aqua-Tots transaction we previously negotiated. Both are planned to be open in first quarter of 2020.”
The landlord is Fort Union Shopping Center LLC of Los Angeles.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 13, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November 13, 2019) – The Arizona Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Association, elected officers and board members for 2020 at its November board meeting.
The 2020 Executive Committee of NAIOP Arizona is Jim Wentworth Jr., Chairman, Wentworth Property Company; Danny Swancey, Vice Chairman, ViaWest Group; Cathy Thuringer, Treasurer, Trammell Crow Company; John Orsak, Programs Chair, Lincoln Property Company; Rusty Kennedy, Secretary, CBRE, Inc.; Molly Carson, Immediate Past Chairwoman, Ryan Companies US, Inc.; and Andrew Cheney, Immediate Past Chairman once removed, Lee & Associates Arizona.
New 2020 Board Members are Chris Burson, Alliance Bank of Arizona; Derek Flottum, Irgens; Kate Morris, Transwestern; Jeremy Womack, JLL; and Pat Boyle, Cushman & Wakefield (Developing Leaders representative, 1-year term).
Returning members of the Board of Directors include Phil Breidenbach, Colliers International; Bryon Carney, Cushman & Wakefield; Keith Earnest, VanTrust Real Estate; Danielle Feroleto, Small Giants; Jeff Foster, Prologis; Tom Jarvis, Willmeng Construction; CJ Osbrink, Newmark Knight Frank; Darren Pitts, Velocity Retail Group; and Candace Rosauro, Jokake Construction.
Larry Pobuda, The Opus Group, is the board member who is rolling off the leadership team after having served as both the Board Chairman of the Arizona Chapter of NAIOP and of NAIOP at the Corporate level.
“Thanks to our members and corporate sponsors, NAIOP Arizona is as strong and healthy as ever,” said 2020 Board Chairman Jim Wentworth Jr. “We look forward to providing another year of excellent programs and events, as well as advancing our legislative priorities. We have a highly qualified and engaged Board of Directors to help us accomplish our goals in 2020.”
About NAIOP
NAIOP comprises 19,000+ members and provides strong advocacy, education and business opportunities through a powerful North American network. It is the leading organization for developers, owners, investors and related professionals in office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate.
by Peter Madrid | Nov 13, 2019 | News & Updates
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA (NOVEMBER 13, 2019) – Fidelity National Title Agency is pleased to announce that Blake Greer has joined the company as Assistant Vice President, Commercial Account Manager.
As Commercial Account Manager, Greer will focus primarily on assisting commercial brokers, attorneys, developers and lenders by creating practical strategies to promote their business growth. His outgoing personality and interpersonal communication skills support his professional values of honesty and integrity.
Greer has strong relationship-building skills. For Greer, networking is instinctive and service is key. He understands the importance of being solution-oriented and customer-focused, which works hand-in-hand with Fidelity National Title Agency’s commitment to its customers’ success.
“With Fidelity National Title Agency providing state-of-the-art resources and the platforms needed to best serve our commercial business partners, Blake is in a position to maximize the partnership experience with our clients and he is an important addition to the FNTA-Maricopa Commercial Sales Team,” said Diane Day, Fidelity National Title Senior Vice President, Operations Manager.
Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., Greer is an avid golfer and has been a PGA pro for more than four years. He just recently moved to the Valley.
About Fidelity National Title
With a proud history of more than 150 years, Fidelity National Title Agency (NYSE-FNF) is the nation’s premier real estate service providers. FNF has $1.5 billion in claims reserves, 33.2% market share, and is the highest-ranked title insurance company currently on the Fortune 500. Through its nationwide network of direct operations and agents, Fidelity National Title Agency provides title insurance, underwriting, escrow and closing services to residential, commercial and industrial clients, lenders, developers, attorneys, real estate professionals, investors and consumers. Let Fidelity demonstrate why customers nationwide rely on its experience, service and financial strength for real estate transactions across the country. For more information visit www.fntarizona.com/
by Peter Madrid | Nov 12, 2019 | News & Updates
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA (NOVEMBER 12, 2019) – Fidelity National Title Agency is pleased to announce that Linda Bruce has been promoted to Vice President, Commercial Account Manager.
Bruce has been a vital member of Fidelity’s commercial services sales team for more than 13 years and has 25 years of experience in sales and marketing with high-level customer service. In 2007, her role expanded to the Commercial and Banking Partners segment, where she achieved outstanding results by growing an impressive portfolio of diverse clients in the commercial and banking industry.
Bruce has achieved numerous awards at Fidelity and currently holds the prestigious “Hall of Fame” honor. Bruce graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing from the University of Arizona.
Prior to joining Fidelity, Bruce worked at Showtime Networks with strategic accounts in the fast-paced and demanding entertainment industry. In that position, Bruce developed her skills in building and managing multiple high-level national marketing campaigns for more than 10 years.
“Linda’s commitment to excellence, building relationships with high integrity, expertise in customer service and impeccable work ethic contribute greatly to the team’s success in forging both local and national business partnerships,” said Mary Lou Paulk, Fidelity National President and County Manager.
Bruce is an active member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), WLI, NAIOP and Valley Partnership along with many other charitable organizations in which she will stay involved within her new role. Bruce is a founding member of HARTT, an animal rescue organization.
About Fidelity National Title
With a proud history of more than 150 years, Fidelity National Title Agency (NYSE-FNF) is the nation’s premier real estate service providers. FNF has $1.5 billion in claims reserves, 33.2% market share, and is the highest-ranked title insurance company currently on the Fortune 500. Through its nationwide network of direct operations and agents, Fidelity National Title Agency provides title insurance, underwriting, escrow and closing services to residential, commercial and industrial clients, lenders, developers, attorneys, real estate professionals, investors and consumers. Let Fidelity demonstrate why customers nationwide rely on its experience, service and financial strength for real estate transactions across the country. For more information visit www.fntarizona.com/
by Peter Madrid | Nov 7, 2019 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (November 7, 2019) – El Dorado Holding has plans to develop Douglas Ranch, a 37,000-acre community in Buckeye. What impact will it have on the West Valley and the proposed I-11?
Chris Grogan
AZCREW, the leading organization for senior-level executive women in the Metro Phoenix real estate field, presents a Douglas Ranch case study at its November 19 luncheon at Phoenix Country Club, 2901 N. 7th St., in Phoenix.
Chris Grogan, Partner, El Dorado Holdings, is the featured speaker.
AZCREW’s November lunch begins with networking at 11:30 a.m. The program starts at noon. Member registration is $45; non-member pre-registration is $65. Registration closes Oct. 10. Lunch is included. Register here.
