The Dealmaker: 4/25/2018

EXCLUSIVE: City of Maricopa approves 776-acre development.(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents the property owner.) The Maricopa City Council last night unanimously approved a rezoning for the 776-acre Anderson Russell Planned Area Development. Anderson Russell is the first PAD that the city has approved under its new Zoning Ordinance — and becomes the largest community to be rezoned in Maricopa since before the economic downturn.” Full details in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2HqMl3z

One of two lawsuits against Pinal RTA dismissed. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents a coalition of property and business owners throughout Pinal County working to bring new transportation infrastructure to the county.) Good news for Pinal County, its residents, and its home builders… The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona has dropped its lawsuit over opposition to the voter-approved roadway tax that will allow Pinal County to build major roads.  Thank you HBACA! BOS Chairman Todd House calls the dismissed suit “a post-election attack by those who failed to convince voters to oppose the transportation tax at the election” — and he also expresses hope that the other suit goes away in similarfashion — in Casa Grande Dispatch. http://bit.ly/2Joo2Qq

Metro Phoenix new homes in crazy-high demand. “Communities are selling out faster; demand is much stronger, Jim Belfiore, President of Belfiore Real Estate Consulting, said before an audience of industry insiders at the quarterly Belfiore Phoenix Market Update.” Callan Smith was there and covers quite a bit of ground in his report on the event for Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2Fghe4T

Maracay Homes project notches prestigious innovative project award. The homebuilder’s Hawthorn Manor community in Chandler, with its 84 homes, each LEED Certified and “designed to use 30 to 50 percent less energy than typical homes,” has won the “Innovative Project, Residential award at the U.S. Green Building Council 2018 Arizona Leader Awards.” For more on USGBC’s Heavy Medals Award Ceremony and Maracay’s “huge achievement” tap to Scottsdale Independent. http://bit.ly/2HYIlV7

Scottsdale-based firm wins 6 awards in home builders’ competition. The awards for “Best Interior Merchandising for a Home Over $700,000 and Best Detached Product Design for a Home Over $700,000” go to [drum roll]… Toll Brothers Arizona! And the four other awards Toll Brothers took home from the Major Achievement in Merchandising Excellence competition? Find out in Scottsdale Independent. http://bit.ly/2FfUeTH

New home sales unfazed by spring snow and rising rates. After “grim reports” earlier in the year, new home sales “posted a solid gain in March, and revisions to the February data also resulted in a positive outcome…” And while the Northeast took a “nosedive,” the West was the best — by far. Get the national numbers and regional breakdown in Mortgage News Daily. http://bit.ly/2vNx07S

Case-Shiller Index accelerated in February. “Year-over-year prices measured by the National Index [which rose 6.3%] have increased continuously for the past 70 months.” Home prices in Seattle, Vegas, and San Fran have skyrocketed. What about Phoenix? Find out in Builder. http://bit.ly/2vQBCu6

ASU real estate development students put creativity to the test. At the upcoming 5th annual REIAC/Rockefeller Group Challenge, grad students from ASU’s Masters of Real Estate Development program will present a repurposing “development solution” for the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, a campus which could be called “unpurposed” now that ASU “is moving the school to downtown Phoenix.” AzBigMedia. http://bit.ly/2vKPmGws

Fry’s progressing at Houghton & 22nd Street Tucson. • A 96,000-sq. ft. Fry’s Marketplace • A Brentwood Developments project • Featuring 6,500- and 12,000- sq. ft. for other retail tenants • Touted as the first of its kind in Tucson • More in Real Estate Daily News. http://bit.ly/2qYaPqD

Coolidge Mayor gives State of City address. Mayor Jon Thompson: “I can tell you that we’re in better financial shape than we have been in many, many years…” Coolidge Examiner has highlights from the State of the City address, including the definitive answer to: “Will Mayor Thompson run for re-election?” http://bit.ly/2HssFMI

[VIDEO] Masses of tumbleweed bury homes out West. Could such craziness happen in Arizona? “Strong winds have blown masses of spiky tumbleweed into homeowners’ yards and streets across Southern California and Utah” — piled up to the second level on some homes! We’re betting this 40-second vid gives that realtor bobcat/snake thing we had a couple of weeks ago a run for its money! Wild stuff. WATCH here: http://bit.ly/2qYcoF7 

Almost Here, Kentucky Derby Party at Turf Paradise, May 5th – http://bit.ly/2HW1U0b

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

Lawmaker wants sales tax hike to pay for teacher raises. “Rep. Noel Campbell [R-Prescott] says a three-year, one-cent sales tax, on top of the existing 0.6-cent levy dedicated to education, would provide about $1 billion a year, more than enough money not only for pay for teachers and support staff but also help restore some of the cuts that have been made over the years in state aid to education.” A Capitol Media Services/Howard Fischer report in PinalCentral. http://bit.ly/2HqTdhr 

Lesko wins race for Franks’ House seat. Republican and former state senator Debbie Lesko “won by a closer-than-expected margin,” defeating “Democrat Hiral Tipirneni, a former emergency room doctor and first-time candidate.” Round 2? The Hill notes that it’s “possible that there can be another Lesko-Tipirneni match-up in the fall.” (RELATED: “Gerrymandering: Arizona  is a national model for fairness, but still faces criticism.”) http://bit.ly/2Jr0Ssu

Arizona Senate can’t change rules for replacing McCain. “Republicans who control the Arizona Senate were prevented [by Democrats] from ensuring that ailing Sen. John McCain’s seat isn’t on the November ballot if he leaves office.” Find out how the “emergency clause” would have changed the current law and access a link to the full piece of legislation, at  The Daily Journal. http://bit.ly/2r0vbP9

Federal judge orders Trump administration to continue DACA program and accept new applicants. “[A]rbitrary and capricious,” “virtually unexplained” and “unlawful” is how U.S. District Judge John Bates on Tuesday described “the government’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. However, he stayed his ruling for 90 days to give the Department of Homeland Security a chance to provide more solid reasoning for ending the program.” Washington Post. http://bit.ly/2JqX2j9