The Dealmaker: 8/30/2018

Hybrid truck maker abandons Buckeye plans, opts for Coolidge. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Saint Holdings as the landowner.) Nikola Motor Co. approached Saint Holdings president and CEO Jackob Andersen after deciding it “wanted the plant to be functional earlier than it could have been in Buckeye.” PBJ has more on the move and Nikola’s plans for the new manufacturing plant, which is expected to be a “huge” boon to both Coolidge and Pinal County. (Subscriber Content). http://bit.ly/2wu1mKy

John McCain’s real-estate legacy in metro Phoenix and beyond. “Sen. John McCain was a trailblazer in many ways, including where he lived in metro Phoenix and his vision for the Valley’s growth.” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2MAYIN7

Taylor Morrison opens models at Las Brisas in Goodyear. It’s the debut of Taylor Morrison’s new Sterling, Sapphire, and Turquoise floorplans! Well, not today, but on Saturday, September 19th. In the meantime, AzBigMedia lays out details on each — plus info on other home features and community amenities — in this press-release sneak peek. http://bit.ly/2wqWW7a

Family-owned Camelot Homes’ journey to the gold (Nugget). An in-depth look into the history of “one of Arizona’s oldest family-owned home-building firms,” from its establishment in 1959 and the origins of the company name “Camelot,” to the recognition received “for its White Horse community in this year’s Gold Nugget awards.” In Builder. http://bit.ly/2N8I8Us

Home price cuts increase as inventory rises. And that’s great news for buyers, who “could finally catch a break,” right? Not so fast, as Realtor.com®  chief economist Dannielle Hale throws a bit of cold water on that notion: “While buyers are gaining leverage in some markets, we are still far from a true ‘buyer’s market.’ ” Tap to Builder to see how Phoenix fares for “Price Gains and Price Cuts in Largest 45 U.S. Metros.” http://bit.ly/2NxwCPh 

Child care costs approach monthly rent payments. “U.S. renters with children spend almost as much on child care [$1,385/mo.] as they spend on rent [$1,500/mo.]. according to a new HotPads® analysis, out Wednesday from Zillow.” How’s the rent vs. rearing data shake out for Phoenix? Find out in Builder. http://bit.ly/2LFKKUE

The outrageous perks of billionaire estates. “Developers and brokers are dangling keys and the sweetest eye-candy perks before house-hunting millionaires and billionaires, cajoling them to drop eight digits on outrageous mansions and penthouses.” Forbes. http://bit.ly/2C1bgbD

Jerry Colangelo becomes a game-changer in CRE. “Colangelo’s commitment to the Valley has transcended sports and he is shaping the community through commercial real estate. AZRE sat down with Colangelo to talk sports and real estate.” http://bit.ly/2PnHT5l

South Mountain Freeway progress drone flyover. First Take Aerial has produced TWO new awesome drone videos showcasing the construction progress being made on South Mountain Freeway — a flyover of the Salt River Segment (running time just under 3 minutes), and a glide above the I-10 Papago segment (just under 2 minutes). Watch BOTH in RLGR! http://bit.ly/2wuCbr6

Paradise Valley looks to build protections against ‘fugitive particulate matter.’ Some “neighbors of home-based businesses” have been “experiencing unwanted particulate matter, commonly referred to as dust, due to the parking of automobiles.” As a result, town officials are “working toward establishing an ordinance” to do something about it. The story in PV Independent. http://bit.ly/2NylYb2 

Town reports Florence meeting Strategic Plan goals. When it comes to “Community Vitality,” “Economic Prosperity,” “Leadership and Governance,” “Partnerships and Relationships” and “Transportation and Infrastructure” everything is right on track! Of particular note: The town remains active in “Johnson Utilities cases,” and staff is “developing a ‘request for proposals’ for a new redevelopment plan.” Flo Reminder. http://bit.ly/2wsQFYJ

10th Annual AZ DealMakers – January 11, 2019. Don’t miss out on the BIGGEST homebuilding industry event for real estate forecasting and analysis, featuring the best speakers in the industry and a mixer with the finest in AZ Real Estate! Includes an Overview on Housing provided by Jim Belfiore, President of Belfiore Real Estate Consulting. For the full list of ten keynote speakers & panelists plus registration info for the event titled Arizona Housing: Growth, Its Costs, Challenges & Opportunities, tap on! http://bit.ly/2LAvclq 

Don’t miss anything… follow multiple winner of the Arizona Republic’s tweet of the week contest, and Senior Partner at Rose Law Group and Director of RLG Renewable Energy Department, Court Rich. http://bit.ly/Court_RichTwitter 

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

Maricopa County voting issues continue to raise eyebrows of watchdogs.“Short-staffed contractors led to delayed openings Tuesday of 62 polling places in Maricopa County, and county supervisors refused to extend voting hours, leading to concerns for one watchdog group that some votes may not be counted.” Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2wwFbT6

Invest In Education income-tax measure knocked off November ballot by courts. “According to the [Arizona Supreme Court] ruling, the measure is off because its description ‘did not accurately represent the increased tax burden on the affected classes of taxpayers.’ ” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2C2Cw9J

Arizona high court affirms legality of Pima County’s no-bid deal with World View. “Pima County did nothing wrong when it did not seek bids for a site that ultimately became the World View high-altitude balloon launching site, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.”  So what does that now mean for Arizona counties when it comes to lease deals? Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer reports in Arizona Daily Star. http://bit.ly/2LFHau1

McCain as synonymous to Arizona as Grand Canyon, Ducey says.“Imagining Arizona without John McCain is like picturing Arizona without the Grand Canyon. It’s just not natural.” Gov. Doug Ducey was among the “close friends, family and colleagues” who “reminisced about Arizona’s senior senator and paid tribute to his life at a private memorial service in the rotunda of the old state Capitol building.” Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2MFBfuk 

Ticket sales, attendance dropping for college football. “Announced attendance dropped 3.2% in football’s top division last season, but schools’ ticket scans show even fewer fans in stands.” College sports officials say many factors are incenting fans to stay home. WSJ via RLGR.  (RELATED, from AZCentral: “Sun Devil Stadium renovation project: What they’ve torn down and rebuilt so far.”) http://bit.ly/2LLhLiE

Luminaries reveal their no-fail conversation starters. You’re at a party, seated next to Juju Chang. What is the “Nightline” anchor likely say to you to get the chit-chat ball rolling? The Salonniere checks in with Juju and a few of its other “favorite conversationalists to find out how they break the ice when seated next to a shy guest at a dinner party.” http://bit.ly/2LErSWg