The Dealmaker is a daily note of the day’s top real estate stories served just in time for lunch. Bon Appetit! Subscribe here to receive the Dealmaker to your inbox
Maricopa County named fastest-growing county. “More people moved to Maricopa County than any other county in the nation last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released Thursday. This is the second year in a row that the county led in growth.” Get the numbers at AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2PiHEcW
Housing demand hot in Phoenix exurbs. New home buyers are seeking affordability and making a beeline for the exurbs to get it, Jim Belfiore, founder and president of Belfiore Real Estate Consulting, said at the company’s quarterly Phoenix Housing Market update. Callan Smith was there and has full coverage of yesterday’s event in RLGR. http://bit.ly/2GloI9g
Suns in planning stages for practice facility and Talking Stick Resort Arena renovations. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents the Phoenix Suns.) The “Suns hope to begin constructing a practice facility later this summer,” as part of the $230 million makeover of Talking Stick Resort Arena. And Suns players and top brass sound pretty pumped up about it. AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2PmwzYq
An Arizonan just made Fortune’s list of top 50 influential world leaders.Kudos! to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Apple CEO Tim Cooke on making “Fortune magazine’s list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders who ‘are transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same.’ ” But most of all, WAY TO GO to ASU President Michael Crow who also made the list! AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2UoBSY1
Opportunity Zones are open for business: 5 key features of the new guidance. “[I]nvestors have been excited about Opportunity Zones but slow to engage without clearer IRS guidance. Communities have been cautious because it could exacerbate displacement.” With new guidance, things just got much clearer — for “[i]nvestors AND communities.” Forbes. http://bit.ly/2Ivo8sS
Maracay debuts Deseo in Peoria. • 94 homesites • Five single-story floor plans • 2,695 to 4,354 sq. ft. • RV garage options • 77th Ave. and Pinnacle Peak • More on Deseo • In RED News. http://bit.ly/2VhXY3a
New design lowers heights of proposed apartments around former Tucson monastery. “The original design [for 255 apartments ‘around the former Benedictine Monastery’] sought buildings that would have been 88-, 55- and 44-feet tall.” How low does the updated design go? Find out and get up to speed on other project details in Arizona Daily Star. http://bit.ly/2vfmJyi
NO KIDDING!? –Tucson apartment complex illegally banned pregnant residents. “[I]f you are female and become pregnant while you are a resident of Sahara Apartments, you must vacate the apartment upon or prior to the birth of your child and pay any unpaid balance of your contract price.” That was in the lease agreement — no joke — that is, until AG Mark Brnovich laid down the law. KTAR. http://bit.ly/2UI5kgN
Supervisors OK south Pinal winery despite cross-county objections.“Pinal County [BoS] voted unanimously Wednesday to approve both a rezoning and a planned area development overlay for Golder Estate Vineyard.” The go-ahead came despite “objections” from folks “on the Pima side, who predicted their rural lifestyle would be disrupted by reckless drivers, crime, noise and other problems.” Flo Reminder. http://bit.ly/2DoZ3ff
Superior’s Magma Hotel lives again. “On the corner of Main Street and Magma Ave, the local landmark has been returned to her previous turn-of-the-century grandeur.” A bit of background on the hotel, a few fresh photos, and details on owner/developer Miguel Sfeir’s “nearly six-year restoration” — in Globe-Miami Times. http://bit.ly/2Itm44N
EPCOR attempting to control Johnson Utilities’ messages.“At the request of the ACC,” interim manager EPCOR is seeking to “review and approve all media messages and customer communications” after Johnson Utilities released messages “without EPCOR’s knowledge or approval.” STVS. http://bit.ly/2VcfwgU
Town of Paradise Valley named third safest in Arizona. PV brings home the bronze in the National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS) list of the top safest cities in Arizona for 2019. But it’s one Pinal County town that that grabs the gold! Find out where via the NCHSS link in PV Independent. http://bit.ly/2VUgviP
Douglas approves resolution supporting two port solution. “This action by the city council further shapes the two-port solution which will create a separate commercial trucking port approximately six miles west of the constricted existing port which vehicles, pedestrian and commercial trucking all funnel through.” Douglas Dispatch. http://bit.ly/2ZkFY7g
State jobless rate drops as construction boom continues. Construction added 2,800 hardhats in March, while overall unemployment dipped to 5.0 percent. But as Cap Media Services Howard Fischer reports, “Arizona also lost 900 jobs last month in wholesale and retail trade.” A closer look at the numbers in AZ Cap Times. http://bit.ly/2DroD3b
Will You Be At The Best Party On May 4th? http://bit.ly/2Dmk9uw
As a supplement to the Dealmaker, we thought you might enjoy these articles!
Click here for 2019 Arizona Legislative News
Arizona Public Service: State-regulated utility or ‘political machine’? Phoenix New Times staffer Elizabeth Whitman on how the “people running every Arizonan’s favorite utility, Arizona Public Service, are actually admirably creative political strategists, if playing dirty is your thing.” http://bit.ly/2Uu79sL
Mueller report sideshow led by former Arizona Diamondback. Or as the ACTUAL headline reads in Niels Lesniewski’s Roll Call piece: “What happened when I went to a baseball game instead of reading the Mueller report.” http://bit.ly/2GolcuK
Sacramento, St. Louis among leading candidates after MLS announces expansion to 30 teams. Currently, there are 27 teams. Add Sac and St. Louis and that makes 29. Could we see Phoenix Rising FC squeak in as team No. 30? Sports Illustrated. http://bit.ly/2KLAU8G
