The Dealmaker: 5/2/2018

Camelot Homes wins 2018 MAME Awards ‘Builder of the Year.’ In addition to winning the Grand Award of ‘Builder of the Year’ (the third time it has done so), Camelot received nine other honors at the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona’s recent awards ceremony. RED News. http://bit.ly/2HKnvrG

2 mixed-use options proposed in N. Phoenix. • On a 2.28-acres • North of Scottsdale and Kierland • A mix of ground floor retail with the POTENTIAL for hotel units and luxury condos above • A DMB Circle Road Partners’ project • Details along with rendering of a “design concept” (which one — Option A or B — we aren’t really sure), at AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2IaUqZG

Novel 53-unit multifamily planned in Chandler. “Unique” is how a staff memo describes Brighten Place, a project from New Village homes planned ”near the SWC of Ray and McQueen.” “Unique” because “the units will be one large building with 3, 4, 8, or 9 individual units connected,” creating “the appearance of individual single-family homes.” Further info and an Illustrated layout at AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2FBG8vV

Phoenix home market still tipping to sellers as price increases continue.<— “That’s according to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Index, detailing year-over-year price growth from March 2017 to March 2018.” A report overview along with analysts’ insight in Phoenix Business Journal. http://bit.ly/2jlbNJs

Maricopa home sales. Sales data for homes sold February 2016 through April 2018, from Acacia Crossings to Villages at Rancho El Dorado, in Rose Law Group Reporter (courtesy InMaricopa). http://bit.ly/2HNSF1o

Schools ripe for student housing investors. “Student housing developers aren’t branching out much, but instead are staying by larger universities they know can deliver” — including ASU, which is among the five schools cited in this REALTORMag report that “will open the most new beds in student housing by the start of the school year in the fall of 2018.” http://bit.ly/2jphMNr

Analysis: Pima, Yuma and Cochise counties have highest property tax rates in Arizona. With “256,396 single-family homes” valued at an estimated “$244,000” on average, and shelling out “an average tax amount of $2,535,” homeowners in Pima County hold the dubious distinction of paying the highest effective property tax rate in the state, at 1.04 percent. Get the county-by-county rundown in Arizona Business Daily. http://bit.ly/2HO1F6w

Residential building drags down construction numbers. “Some significant softness in private residential spending drove the Census Bureau’s estimated overall spending for the month down 1.7 percent… compared to a revised February estimate.” In its report on the construction spending, Mortgage News Daily calls the decline “a bit of a jolt.” —> http://bit.ly/2IaOkJ0  

Phoenix hides details of private deal to renovate Phoenix Suns arena, and Goldwater Institute seeks answers. The city denied a request seeking info regarding renos of the arena, citing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the Suns. But here’s the catch: Goldwater Institute says that Arizona’s public records act does not have an exemption for NDAs signed by the government with a private third party. Hmm. Read GI’s full news release in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2FDRFe2

PhoenixMart owner seeks zone change for CityGate complex. “Scottsdale-based AZ Sourcing, the parent company of PhoenixMart, is asking the [planning] commission to allow changes to the existing planned area development zoning of the old outlet center at Interstate 10 and Jimmie Kerr Boulevard.” More on this in Casa Grande Dispatch. http://bit.ly/2rgSPbb

Storage Solutions site expansion in Peoria. NSA Property Holdings’ proposed expansion for its facility at 16110 N. 75th Ave. is “‘approximately 1.93 acres (and) is comprised of two parcels of vacant land and is considered an infill condition.” AZBEX also reports that “there is no timeline yet as to when or if the project will move forward” due to “concerns about the recently imposed national steel tariffs.” http://bit.ly/2jlPAed

Sharon Morgan. Fountain Hills Town Council has voted to recognize former Mayor Sharon Morgan “by naming a portion of Avenue of the Fountains Plaza for her. Morgan was elected the town’s first female mayor in 1998 and served a total of four years after being re-elected in 2000.” Her accomplishments as mayor and more on the recognition in The Fountain Hills Times. http://bit.ly/2rhZVw7

Kentucky Derby party Saturday at Turf Paradise, Third Annual Stella Artois Derby DayClub – http://bit.ly/2Fu0tmM

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

Teachers call end to walkout. Headline says it all — or does it? — in Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2I4Evwd

CAP tries to end multi-state Colorado River feud. “Central Arizona Project officials took several steps to try to patch things up at their meeting Monday with Upper Basin officials… For one, they released a statement saying CAP officials regret past comments about their views on managing the over-allocated river… ”There’s more, in Arizona Daily Star. http://bit.ly/2rfgGYK

Scientists test device that can extract water from dry Arizona air. “Scientists from [MIT] and [UC] Berkeley… have created a solar-powered device that can extract water from the atmosphere at humidity as low as 10 percent.” One researcher from the project team calls the device’s impact “gigantic.” Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2KwiF38  

Senate gives tentative approval to watered down gun bill. “SB 1519… still allows police to ask a judge to have someone brought in for mental evaluation… But Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, took out language which also would have allowed family members, school administrators [and others] to go to court to seek… Severe Threat Orders of Protection.” Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, says the amendment “guts this bill.” A Capitol Media Services/Howard Fischer report in Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2joCwEI

Placing a sports bet a possible source of Arizona education funding.“Many states are considering legislation that would legalize sporting betting as they await [a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could ‘pave the way.’]. Sen. Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu) said he would support legalized sports gambling and thinks some of that money could go toward teachers’ salaries, a hot button issue in the state.” Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2KuyQOk

Jeff Bezos’ advice to Amazon employees: Don’t aim for work-life balance; it’s a circle. “Instead of viewing work and life as a balancing act, Bezos said that it’s more productive to view them as two integrated parts” — a “reciprocal” relationship, not “two competing time constraints.” Read/watch the full interview with Bezos via Business Insider. http://bit.ly/2KyvPwa

Parenting the Fortnite addict. “Every so often a game comes along that conquers the hearts, minds and thumbs of gamers everywhere. Fortnite: Battle Royale is the latest victor in this category… For parents bewildered by the sense that the game has swallowed their children, especially since the mobile phone version was released in late March, here’s some information that may help” — courtesy of psychologist and author Lisa Damour in the New York Times. http://bit.ly/2HHRjsM