The Dealmaker: 4/13/2017

Altamira adds to development plans in northwest Surprise. YourWestValley reports that P&Z’s preliminary plat approval for the Altamira development came in the face of “reservations about the number of active development plans in Northwest Surprise and whether roads and schools in the area would keep pace…. Altamira is generally located north of Pinnacle Peak Road and west of the Reems Road/155th Avenue alignment.” http://bit.ly/2obJTzG

HOW ‘COMPLEX’ IS IT? – Survey says Maricopa needs more apartments. How rare are apartment complexes in Maricopa? According to a Housing Needs Assessment study, “Maricopa is 97 percent comprised of single-family homes… while only one percent accounts for the estimated 12 apartment units available in the city.” More to the point, it’s “cheaper to buy a home in Maricopa than it is to rent.” As for drawing developers to build apartments, Maricopa Monitor contends that it “isn’t something the city can easily do.” See why —> http://bit.ly/2oDH66b

Chandler Museum design unveiled, touts a modern look. “The new Chandler Museum will be a striking contemporary counterpoint to the historic McCullough-Price House, linked by an arrival plaza, a pedestrian corridor, gardens and a shaded courtyard,” according to East Valley Tribune. “Phil Weddle of Scottsdale-based Weddle Gilmore Architects [recently] unveiled renderings for the 10,000-square-foot building…” (In a related item, confused members of a sitcom fan club reportedly filed a petition demanding similar museums for Phoebe, Rachel, Ross, Joey, and Monica.) View a rendering and get further details about the museum here: http://bit.ly/2py7f3B

BACHELOR(ETTE) HOODS – Will single buyers capture a greater share of 2017 home sales? RISMedia traces historical data from NAR’s ‘Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers’ to find out if past trends and recent demographic shifts — i.e., fewer married couples, more single females — “signal a new era where single buyers will continue to purchase more homes.” http://bit.ly/2owbsXE

Immigrants’ housing purchasing significant economic assets for metropolitan regions. That’s one of the findings from ‘Housing in America: Immigrants and Housing Demand,’ released by the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing. The report also notes that if the current levels aren’t sustained, the industry could suffer.” More on the study plus a link to the full report at REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2pbpBLc

Arizona’s Best Kentucky Derby Party May 6th at Turf Paradise – http://bit.ly/2oKe99c

As a supplement to the Dealmaker, we thought you might enjoy these articles!

Will an aging America turn into 55-plus demand or pent-up demand? That’s your call. “The population figures continue to signal a boon for developers of 55-plus new-home communities, as well as for home remodels that change design, engineering, and livability to allow people to remain happily in their homes as they age.” Builder’s John McManus looks at this “55-plus opportunity” and doles out a few words of wisdom for builders and developers. http://bit.ly/2o9ZVe2

House GOP vows to offer Dodd-Frank overhaul bill by end of April. “House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling… has set a deadline of unveiling an updated version of his bill to unwind the law ‘in the next few weeks.’… Hensarling’s statement comes on the heels of President Trump’s meeting with a group of chief executives on Tuesday, where he renewed his pledge to do a ‘major elimination of the horrendous’ Dodd-Frank regulations.” The story and details on the bill at CNNMoney. http://bit.ly/2pdwVTH

Federal fair housing law protects LGBT couples, court rules for first time. “The Federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to refuse to rent or sell housing to anyone because of ‘sex, familial status, or national origin.’ But… questions remained regarding whether LGBT people are covered. The answer… from Judge U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore in Denver… was yes.” The married couple who brought the suit talk to The Washington Post about the “encounter that led to the ruling.” http://bit.ly/2pyxlDc

Rep. Grijalva sues Trump Administration over border wall. “The suit seeks to ensure that environmental laws… are enforced as Trump moves forward with his wall.” Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ3): “American environmental laws… should apply to the borderlands just as they do everywhere else.” —Tucson Weekly. http://bit.ly/2p1h65N

Senate approves bill tightening laws for citizen initiatives. “State senators voted 16-14 Wednesday to require judges to void citizen-backed initiatives if they are not in ‘strict compliance’ with every requirement of Arizona election law. HB 2244, approved by the Republican-controlled Senate… now needs House approval.” (For Senate Republicans’ sake, hopefully all ’T’’s and ‘I’’s in the bill are crossed and dotted.) More on the HB 2244 vote — and reaction to it — in this report from Capital Media Services’ Howard Fischer at Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2p192Sb