Dude ranch heading to Scottsdale?

24 November 2011
Posted in Valley Notes

Listen here pard'ner. Talks round these parts about you fancy-pants slickers heading out to the ranch to play cowboy. What...you'al gonna rustle up some scared skinny little desert bunnies? Get on y'r horse and quit your high-flut'en blabber and show us your stuff! From Developer lays out ideas for dude ranch in Scottsdale, Peter Corbett, Arizona Republic News, Oct 22, 2011:

...Anderson wants to turn his 220-acre site southeast of Dynamite Boulevard and 128th Street into a modern version of the kind of dude ranches that have largely disappeared from Arizona over the past few decades. Anderson, who worked with his father, Lyle, developing Desert Highlands and Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, has yet to submit plans for the project, which he is calling Reata Ranch. He expects to submit a rezoning request by the end of next month. The land is zoned for homes on roughly 1.6-acre lots and Anderson is seeking a zoning category that allows guest ranches, resorts and homes. At least 122 homes could be built under the existing zoning, Anderson said.

...Anderson suggests that Reata Ranch would blend ritzy and rustic in a no-roughing-it style. He describes it as “glamping,” a mash-up of “glamour camping.”

New home sales increase year-year

24 November 2011
Posted in Housing | Trends

<p style="text-align: justify;">From <a title="New home sales increase in Phoenix Arizona" href="http://www.builderonline.com/local-housing-data/mountain/phoenix-mesa-scottsdale-az.aspx" target="_blank">Latest New Home Sales Increase Year-Over-Year After Falling Last Month</a>, Nov. 8, 2011:</p>

<p style="text-align: justify; padding-left: 30px;">There was an increase in new home sales in the Phoenix, AZ market in August year-over-year, bouncing back from a decline in July 2011. Sales increased 5.3% from a year earlier to 593, relative to a 15.5% fall in July from the year earlier. In the 12 months ending August 2011, there were 6,696 new home sales, up from an annualized 6,666 in July.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify; padding-left: 30px;">Of the total number of sales, new home sales made up 4.9%. A year earlier, new home sales represented 4.6% of total sales. For new and existing homes, sales dipped in August after also declining in July year-over-year.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify; padding-left: 30px;">...Average price of newly sold homes saw a 7.4% decline year-over-year in August to $231,697 per unit. This decline is less significant than the 3.9% decline in July from a year earlier.</p>

Back in time: small town 50's America

24 November 2011
Posted in Daily Life

As you lie half-comatose from an overindulgence in your turkey dinner, check out a day in the life in Millwood, a 50's-era small town in America.

The Nosy Neighbor Dilemma

09 November 2011
Posted in Daily Life

If you've moved around enough you're likely to have come across the dreaded nosy neighbor. From the pathological to the occasionally annoying they're out there - lurking in your driveway, peering over the wall, staring through the windows and accosting you when they can to probe with questions and innuendo. You can tolerate the pain only to pass it on with a move from your house or you can get proactive and try a few tricks to reduce interaction and limit visibility. You may yet have the chance to enjoy that quiet cup of coffee in your backyard. From How to Get Rid of Nosy Neighbors, howtogetridofstuff.com, Feb 9, 2009:

We all want to be friendly with our neighbors, but we also need our privacy. Some neighbors may be too friendly to the point that they start to become pesky, nosy, and far too friendly for your taste. They may start to spread gossip, bad rumors, or talk about your private life in public. Or maybe they just peer over the fence or the hedge and watch every move you and your family makes. Here are some ways to get rid of your nosy neighbors.

Why Are Some Neighbors Nosy?

Before you do anything serious or drastic, you first need to know why your neighbors are so nosy. Here are some common reasons:

1. Jealousy. Maybe you live next door to a family of limited financial means, and your neighbors may be jealous of your lifestyle. They may be very nosy and check out your new home entertainment system, your new car, or the swimming pool in your backyard.
2. Perversion. You may have a neighbor who is strongly attracted or even lustful after some of your more attractive family members, or may even be attracted to you.
3. Idleness. It's often said that the idle mind is a boiling pot of evil thoughts. A neighbor of yours may not have much to do, so he or she may just look out the window or peer over your fence just to pass the time. Worse, this neighbor of yours may just have enough time to spread irrelevant facts or even rumors about you.

And while there are classic nightmare neighbors - Kramer on Seinfeld, Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched - the most penetratingly evil has to be Hyacinth Bucket in the great British comedy Keeping up Appearances. Snobbish, dictatorial, grating and so utterly clueless she drove everyone around her to tears from husband to neighbors alike. So deal with your pain and maybe use a few tricks from this article but understand - it could be much worse!