The Dealmaker: 4/20/2018

A new charter school is coming to Scottsdale: BASIS Scottsdale Primary – West Campus. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents BASIS and Great Hearts.) BASIS charter school to take over Great Hearts school in Scottsdale, Phoenix Business Journal reports. BASIS Scottsdale Primary – West Campus will sublease a building currently occupied by Great Hearts Academies at East Tierra Buena Lane and 76th Street. More on the move in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2Hh0Bbb

State Land Department will auction 269-acre parcel. • East of 56th Street and north of Deer Valley Drive in Phoenix • Includes more than 36 additional acres of right of way for public road and underground utilities • Appraised value $54 million • Auction Wednesday, April 25 • Further bidding info available via Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2vuyjbN 

ULI: Real estate outlook promising for rest of 2018. “Responses to the most recent [ULI Real Estate Economic Forecast] survey, conducted in March 2018, suggest that the industry is receiving a boost from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017.” AZRE has key findings for single-family, apartment, hotel, retail, office and industrial, as well as for “major economic indicators.” Check out the survey NOW — the next one won’t be out until October. http://bit.ly/2vwVnq3

Report: Technology transforming home buying process. Tech and homebuying are becoming inseparable. Instagrammable homes are giving Phoenix residents “major FOMO.” Welcome to NextGen. Those are among the subhead takeaways in this AZ Business Magazine rundown of the latest B of A Homebuyer Insights Report, which “explores homebuying perceptions and behaviors among adult consumers.” http://bit.ly/2vvmKky

NO LONGER IN DENIAL? – Mortgage denials fall to 20-year low. “Nationally, the share of applicants who are denied for conventional mortgages has fallen to 9.8%, according to data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.” Not since “the onset of the housing crash” have mortgage denials fallen to this level. Get the mortgage-denial data for Phoenix and 34 other metros in Builder. http://bit.ly/2HND96l 

Where singles are most likely to own. “Some places in the U.S. offer better odds of singles breaking out of renting and into homeownership.” Such is the case for three Valley locales that crack the top 10 in the SmartAsset study: “Where Singles Have the Highest Homeownership Rate.” Highlights and link to the complete report at REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2K0pIAC

Single-family rentals see big price jumps. And Phoenix is among the top 3 metros that saw the highest January year-over-year increase in single-family rents. Get a rundown of the CoreLogic data, including what’s “fueling the bulk of single-family rent price growth,” in REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2F3d7Jv

Most expensive home sales in Phoenix. Arizona Foothills Magazine reports that its top home sales for the week  — 4.9.18 – 4.15.18 — totaled over $33 million — a JUMP of $3 million from the previous week. Among home features mentioned in this installment (and, just for fun, their frat house corresponding equivalents): A guest house with a full kitchen (wherever there’s a fork), a game room with a wet bar (the area with the beer-soaked foosball table), and 14ft ceilings, (Not a feature, but a vision, and usually accompanied by the thought “Man, I think I drank too much.”) http://bit.ly/2qNtvJu

Four projects to keep an eye on in downtown Phoenix. “This month multiple projects were presented at community meetings, and if proposals for these properties are passed the downtown community can expect to see new food, housing, and faces in the neighborhood, and some changes from old favorites.” In Downtown Devil. http://bit.ly/2HMspVL

[SLIDESHOW] Phoenix Razing: 9 buildings that deserve demolition. Nine buildings so “ugly” that Phoenix New Times cultural critic Robrt L. Pela is “certain” that “no one would miss” them “should they be knocked over tomorrow.” Tap on for this captioned, 13-image, “eyesore” slideshow. http://bit.ly/2HQWMKA

GCU: Lope and change. “Having tripled its campus footprint and grown its student body twentyfold, Grand Canyon University is now setting its sights on another goal: Respect from the higher education community – along with a giant tax break.” PHOENIX magazine. http://bit.ly/2HNaKgz

Mesa to sink $10 million into Elliot Road expansion for tech corridor.“The major infrastructure investment comes as leaders hope the once-deserted stretch of desert will turn into a hub for technology companies.” Mesa Councilman Kevin Thompson: ”I see it a lot like Price Road corridor (in Chandler) or like Silicon Valley, once you build it, the others will come…” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2qOjWsZ 

San Tan Valley area plan could be adopted by year’s end. “[The plan] seeks to strengthen community and broaden economic opportunity while improving transportation and healthy living…” Info on how the plan squares with the question of San Tan Valley incorporation, plus an image mashup detailing the plan’s “development options for the future of San Tan Valley” — in San Tan Valley Sentinel. http://bit.ly/2HgIVQK

What is in Queen Creek’s lawsuit? “On April 12, 2018, the Queen Creek Town Council voted unanimously to file a lawsuit to challenge the filing of the petitions for incorporation of San Tan Valley… SanTanValley.com was able to get a copy of the lawsuit filed” — and here it is: http://bit.ly/2HClsZW

Ducey signs bill extending tax incentives for Rio Nuevo. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Tucson), “overwhelmingly passed” by both chambers, and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey, HB 2456 extends “tax incentives to 2035.” A bit more on the bill and its economic impact in Arizona Business Daily. http://bit.ly/2F3vi1x

Farm Bill cuts nearly $500 million from rural development programs over next ten years. And Tom O’Halleran isn’t happy about it. The District 1 Congressman conveys his “disappointment in the unprecedented partisanship of the Farm Bill and the cuts it makes to rural communities struggling to rebuild their economy following the recession” — in the Globe Miami Times. http://bit.ly/2F4Fxme

Pollster: Majority in Pinal would approve bond to protect open spaces. “A slight majority of Pinal County voters appears inclined to support a $50 million bond issue [at a cost of $23/year per household], to protect open spaces… [BOS] Chairman Todd House said it seems to be ‘an opportune time’ for implementing the county’s Open Space and Trails Master Plan. But Supervisor Anthony Smith said a bond issue hardly seems like the best option.” The story in Casa Grande Dispatch. http://bit.ly/2JZXfuG

Meck addresses Buckeye’s progress at State of the City. “Nikola Motor Company, Aldi and Hilton Home2 Suites were just some of the highlights touted by Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck at the city’s 2018 State of the City address.” West Valley View has coverage of the address, which “came just weeks after Meck underwent an emergency procedure to clear a blocked artery.” http://bit.ly/2HByJlf

Avondale council reviews proposed FY 18-19 budget. Thanks to increased revenue, the City of Avondale is proposing an 11 percent increase in its budget — or “$24.5 million more than last year.” West Valley View reports that budgetary spending will “focus on” capital projects, parks, and new employee positions, which Avondale Mayor Kenneth Weise says “are important to keeping city employees happy.” http://bit.ly/2qSo8sT 

Valley’s best Kentucky Derby party at Turf Paradise coming fast, May 5th – http://bit.ly/2HdWjW8

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

SCHOOL’S OUT? – Teachers vote to walk out of ‘starving’ schools. Wearing red T-shirts blazoned with slogans threatening, “I DON’T WANT TO WALK OUT. But I will,” and citing “crumbling,” “starving,” “stuffed,” and at other times “empty” classrooms, leaders for Red for Ed announced Thursday night that “78 percent of the 57,000 voting educators supported the walkout.” Can you “think of a word that rhymes” in all this? We can’t. Coverage of this “no more teachers” announcement in Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2vrRfrm

No link between school district administration costs, teacher pay. “A ‘messaging guide’ by the State Policy Network, a network of conservative think tanks, that aims to discredit the nationwide movement to increase teacher pay urges conservatives and anti-union activists to turn the conversation to how ‘red tape and bureaucracy’ and ‘administrative bloat’ suppresses teacher pay.” Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. http://bit.ly/2HQ2MU6

Ducey gun bill advances on narrow committee vote. “A Senate panel voted 4-3 on April 19 to allow judges to force some people to surrender their weapons – but only after a multi-step process that supporters say will protect due process rights. But SB1519 has what foes say is a glaring loophole.” A Capitol Media Services/Howard Fischer report in Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2qM8a3j

Crossing a different border: California’s cost of living pushes people to move to Arizona [VIDEO]. “According to the North American Moving Services, in 2017, California was one of the top five leading states in the U.S. for people moving out of the state. Arizona is the top state for inbound moves, with 60 percent of people moving to Arizona last year.” Factors driving this Cali adios and “Arizona, Here I Come!” in Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2qL00rU