American Idol Auditions in Glendale AZ July 25 at Jobing Arena

American Idol Auditions in Glendale AZ July 25 at Jobing Arena

A little more than a year after the Valley's Jordin Sparks took home the 2007 American Idol crown, the talent show will return to Sparks' hometown of Glendale when it holds auditions July 25 at Jobing.com Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave.

It will be the show's first time hosting auditions in Arizona.

Show producers report that they've seen great talent emerge from the Valley - including Valley native Brooke White, who cracked the show's top five this year - prompting their decision to hold auditions here.

Men and women 16 to 28 years old as of July 15 who can legally work in the U.S. are eligible to try out. Some restrictions apply. Auditions start July 17 in San Francisco and will continue on to six other cities. Auditioners typically must show up a day in advance to get a required wristband.
'American Idol' Audition Do's and Don'ts:

Ditch The Costumes, Dude-Sung Celine CoversUnless you're just looking for screen time, leave the face paint, original songs and sack of nail clippings at home.

C'mon people! After six seasons, we get that the first few weeks of "American Idol" auditions are supposed to be a parade of freaks mixed in with a few potential gems just to keep it interesting. We know it's too late for this season's group of musical circus geeks, but if the first two audition episodes are any indication, some of you are in dire need of a refresher course on the do's and don'ts of "Idol" tryouts before we even start thinking about season eight.

Do: Tell the producers a great backstory that might land you one of those "down on the farm" segments where we see you frolicking with your son/daughter/pets/tractor. The sadder, the better.

Don't: Have your backstory be tied to a bag of nail clippings, your "Star Wars" fetish, a stalker routine, an ability to make funny noises or a "wacky" original song about abstinence. Speaking of chastity, though never-been-kissed virgin Bruce Dickson and his lock-and-key necklace told a tale so bizarrely endearing the striking Writers Guild of America should investigate whether he had some help with it, we recommend a little less sharing next time.

Do: Try to stand out in front of the judges by wearing something interesting, (slightly) provocative, flattering or, failing that, bland enough that it doesn't distract them from your singing.

Don't: Shop at the costume shop, paint your face, wear a Cowell-esque top that exposes enough of your chest that Simon and Randy lose their focus, attach anything resembling tin foil to your body or have your shirt signed by your "supporters." And, for the love of God, if you can't see your feet, don't wear a Princess Leia costume, even if you are manscaped. Nobody needs to see that.

Do: Pick a song that fits your voice and doesn't make it seem like you're trying out for "Best Celebrity Impersonators." (Hey, if the strike goes on long enough, it might show up on your TiVo queue!)

Don't: And we can't stress this enough, don't sing a song by a woman if you're a dude. We don't care how great you think Celine or Kelly are, the minute you start that tune you will automatically lose Simon and come off looking like a gender-confused contestant on a Logo reality show, whether you're gay, straight or floating somewhere in the guyliner-assisted middle. There are plenty of great songs sung by men for male contestants to choose from — just ask William Hung. OK, maybe not.

Do: Stand out and be humble. Believe it or not, you can do this by just being yourself — especially, it seems, if you are a cute, bubbly blonde with a growly voice or a cute, bubbly black girl with just the right amount of sass.

Don't: Talk back to the judges and come off like someone who might be lurking behind a garbage can waiting for Simon to get into his limo later that night. Yes, you'll get screen time, but nobody will take you seriously for the rest of your life (especially if your heart is set on "actressing"), and you will undoubtedly be dragged out a few more times over the season in clip shows that will portray you as the lunatic that you are.

Do: Wow the judges with your awesome range and strong vocals.

Don't: Tell them people have said you sound like Whitney/Mariah/Celine/Kelly, because 10 times out of 10, they're wrong and you're wrong and Simon's just gonna rip you a new one. And one more thing: Even if your cute-as-a-button model husband says you sound like a superstar, don't make him say it again in front of the judges if it's clearly not true because, once again, Simon's going to make the drive home more awkward than a Paula Abdul QVC appearance.

Do: Be comfortable in your own skin, even if it means snapping your fingers, bopping your head or making a hand gesture or two. The easier it is for you to move around and look the three judges in the eyes, the easier it will be to do it in front of an audience that's larger than the populations of Chile and Cambodia combined.

Don't: Breakdance, practice shadowboxing, flap your wings, stare at the floor, wriggle like you're giving birth to a 15-pound bag of sand, or, as we learned last season, pretend to be a large, caged cat.

Do: Prepare more than one song, preferably in a different genre. Occasionally, the judges want to hear an extra ditty before they dole out a Golden Ticket. If you only rehearsed "Another One Bites the Dust" and Paula asks for some Sinatra, don't be shocked when you end up another one gone, another one gone ...

Don't: Sing an unrequested second song. If the Idol Trinity agrees that you stink, bursting into a new tune isn't going to change any minds. You're just prolonging the pain. Plus, "Idol" producers love having fun in the editing room, so even if you didn't cut off Simon's critique with a second song-and-dance routine, that's exactly how it will be portrayed by the time it hits airwaves, and you'll ultimately look insolent, desperate and/or unstable.

And, if you're going to ignore all these suggestions and just be your freak-flag-flying self — which, after all, is what really makes us all tune in this early anyway — take a page from the book of 44-year-old Renaldo "You Are My Brother" Lapuz. The strange little man in the silver-and-white cape chewed up 11 minutes with his space-case anthem of brotherhood, which slowly evolved from typical Hung-esque time killer to a strangely great piece of TV that allowed the judges to let their hair down and indulge in some of the same goofball antics they are used to rolling their eyes at.

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West Valley Home Resales Rise As Prices Are Slashed

West Valley Home Resales Rise As Prices Are Slashed

Home sellers in the West Valley have slashed their asking prices up to 30 percent since February, and the price cuts are spurring sales in Surprise, El Mirage and Goodyear, according to a report from Arizona State University.

Though home resale activity has dropped in Glendale, Peoria and Avondale, it is only because fewer homes are for sale in those communities, since they have more established economies and infrastructures and less housing turnover, said Jay Butler, director of realty studies at ASU's Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness.

The ASU report measured the Valley's home resale activity from February to March. The school is expected to release April sales figures later this month.

In the West Valley, resale figures show that home values in the newest West Valley communities are still correcting, where as values in the more established municipalities closer to metro Phoenix have become more stable, Butler said.

"You really got two sets of communities: Glendale and Peoria are older, more mature communities. And then, there are the new ones under development like Surprise, El Mirage to some degree, and Goodyear . . . those are the ones that really got hit hard (by the housing slowdown)," he said.

The steep price drops in those newer communities have revived buyer interest, however.

Butler said that investors are once again purchasing homes in those areas, as are new snowbirds.

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Liquid Phoenix Urban-living Style a Contender

Liquid urban-living style a contender

Waterfront property in the Valley used to be a punch line - the thing we were all going to get when The Big One struck and California fell into the sea.

But with the advent of the urban-living trend, real-estate buyers with the desire and the cash can make the punch line a reality and live the luxe life on the water.

On the banks of the canal

The star of the waterfront living trend, the Scottsdale waterfront project, barely has any waterfront to speak of - but customers still can't resist. Situated on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads, this two-building condominium complex will overlook the canal that runs past the intersection. Part of the construction plans includes beautifying the canal banks for Scottsdale waterfront residents and the general public.

"We consider the canal bank an amenity - a great amenity that's never been used," says Geoffrey Edmunds, president of Geoffrey Edmunds and Associates, a joint-venture partner in the project with Opus West. "The entire canal bank will be landscaped, and it will provide open space and walking areas for the residents and people who live in the city of Scottsdale."

When complete (sometime in 2007), the Scottsdale waterfront will comprise 198 condominiums ranging in price from approximately $500,000 to $3.5 million. Square footage starts around 1,200 square feet for condos on the lower floors, while the 13th floor penthouses occupy almost 5,000 square feet each. More than 90 percent of the properties sold in the first eight months they were on the market.

One couple already waiting to move into their Scottsdale waterfront condo is Harvey and Fran Friedman of Phoenix. The Friedmans moved here from Cleveland more than 25 years ago and have owned homes in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Three years ago, they moved into Esplanade Place, the granddaddy of Valley urban-living projects, located at Camelback Road and 24th Street in Phoenix. Esplanade Place is also an Edmunds project, and through the grapevine, the couple heard about the new development long befroe construction started.

"We got involved with (the Scottsdale waterfront) when it was still in the early stages," explains Harvey Friedman. "There had been a lot of discussion about it for years and years, and it piqued our interest.
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More than the waterfront aspect, the Friedmans were attracted to the location of the project, which is right near Scottsdale Fashion Square and the Fifth Avenue and Old Town areas.

"The location is excellent," Harvey Friedman says. "You've got all you need to do, and a lot of it's within walking distance, which is what we really enjoy." The Friedmans expect to move in around April 2007.

Lakeside living

Buyers who want a little more water in their waterfront are snapping up space in urban-living projects on Tempe Town Lake in north Tempe. The perimeter of the manmade body of water is filling up fast with condos, the first of which was Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside, created by SunCor Development Co.

Buyers will soon start moving into Edgewater's 40 units, which sell for $390,000 to $2.15 million and range in size from approximately 1,100 to 3,100 square feet. SunCor broke ground last month on Bridgeview, the second of the four planned Hayden Ferry Lakeside condo towers. Bridge-view has a large percentage of its 104 units still available. Prices start in the low $400,000 range and run up to around $5.5 million; square footage ranges from 1,100 to 5,000 square feet.

On the other side of the lake and closer to Rural Road is Northshore Condominiums, a WestStone Communities urban-living project that broke ground in December 2005.

The 134 units are 95 percent sold out, which doesn't surprise Marilyn Pfaff, WestStone marketing director. She says that the lakefront location was a factor in "100 percent" of sales.

"So many people are attracted by what's going on around the lake," she says. "They don't want to be one of those people who drive by in five years and wish they would have bought. They got in now, and they're smart."

Northshore, when complete, will be built in a U-shape around a central courtyard with pools and fountains. The "U" will face the lake, allowing for the maximum number of lakefront views. Other units will overlook Arizona State University's Karsten Golf Course across Rural Road. All but two units are equipped with outdoor fireplaces on the balconies, "so you can sit out on your balcony with a glass of wine and look out over the lake," Pfaff says.

Other upcoming Tempe Town Lake urban-living projects include the Regatta Pointe Condominiums on Rio Salado Parkway, one section of which will offer lake views, and the Mondrian @ Tempe Town Lake apartments.

WestStone is also planning another condo tower next to Northshore, a high-rise with 190 units and a sky lounge, which should break ground in the fourth quarter of 2006.

"It's all about the location," Pfaff says of the lakefront building boom. "It's all about trying to be close to whatever lake we have in the desert. So much is happening around that lake, and I know that all of the great property seems to be spoken for. There's big plans for it all."

Buyers and sellers

Water or no water, the people buying into lakefront urban living are generally the same customers purchasing in similar landlocked projects.

"One is the investor, two is the empty-nester and three is a bachelor or a young executive," says Evan Katz, a member of the Katz Group of Realty Executives.

Edmunds says, "The most important single ingredient is the change in lifestyle for people." The bulk of future Scottsdale waterfront residents are "people between the ages of 50 and 70 who are looking for a new lifestyle that allows them to lock and leave, and not have to maintain a large single-family home on a large lot. So we get a lot of buyers from North Scottsdale and Paradise Valley who are moving out of their single-family home and moving into the urban lifestyle."

That description fits the Friedmans perfectly. "We bought a condo in Califronia a few years ago, and we decided we liked that kind of living," Fran Friedman says. "It was easy because we travel a lot; we just lock the door and go."

In other urban-living communities such as Northshore, the main buyer is the young professional, a fact that may partially be attributed to the lower price points.

The young professionals "really love Tempe and the lake and the lifestyle," Pfaff says. "It's a great mix - you've got what's going on in Tempe, and you're close to Scottsdale."

The best news for waterfront property owners may come when it's time to sell, Katz says.

"I think the waterfront environment - that feeling of being on the water - is a very unique thing here in the Valley. I think in the long term the waterfront properties, the ones facing the water, will probably resell better than others. You can compare it to a golf-course lot; anything that is unique always will deliver a premium, especially on resale."

That may be, but the Friedmans aren't looking to sell their waterfront property any time soon.

"We're a good year, 14 months away from moving in, and the excitement and anticipation starts to grow as it gets closer and closer," Harvey Friedman says. And after moving day finally arrives, "We're going to be there for a while."

for her part, Fran is looking forward to decorating the new place.

"That's the best part," she says.
Source: Jewish News

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Phoenix Area Horse Property. Phoenix Horse Proety Realtor

Phoenix Area Horse Property. Phoenix Horse Proety Realtor

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Urban-Retirement On The Horizon

Valley urban-retirement communities on the rise
Avenir Group is planning 3 projects in city centers

The latest breed of retirement community departs from the master-planned, golf-course and recreation-center variety made popular across Arizona and California by the entrepreneur Del Webb.

Seeking to lure a surge of affluent baby boomers accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life, urban-retirement high-rises began sprouting near cultural and retail cores in metro areas like Chicago and Seattle. The units, which often mirror luxury hotels, typically cost around $3,000 a month and include meal plans, shuttle buses and cleaning services.

A company out of Canada is bringing a variation of the concept to the Valley and is hoping to sell retirees on the ultra-hip lifestyle. advertisement

So far, projects are planned in Scottsdale, Surprise and Chandler.

British Columbia-based Avenir Group, which has built five urban-retirement projects in metro Vancouver, is building the Arté at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Via Linda in Scottsdale; the Diamond at Parkview Place and Paradise Lane in Surprise; and potentially the Palms at Pecos Road and Pennington Drive in Chandler, a project that is still pending city-staff review.

At about four stories high, Avenir's Valley projects are not the same sleek high-rise towers that their market competitors, such as Medford, Ore.-based Pacific Retirement Services, offer. That company built a 12-story retirement high-rise called Mirabella in downtown Seattle and will soon break ground on a 30-story project in Portland.

However, Avenir's suburban-urban hybrids do promise a similar lifestyle because they place retirees in the center, rather than outside of, their city's biggest attractions, said Jason Gurash, an operations manager for Avenir Group.

In Surprise for example, the Diamond will rise in the city's future downtown, walking distance from its spring-training stadium and a soon-to-be 17-acre strip of main-street-style shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.

In Chandler, the Palms would be a three-mile shuttle ride to the city's popular art walk and downtown boutiques and restaurants.

But Avenir's more traditional competitors wonder if retirees would open their wallets for a semi-metropolitan unit when they could potentially buy a larger home in some of the resort-style communities slightly farther out.

Competition

Del Webb, the company behind about 100 country-club-style retirement communities nationwide, went "urban" in Arizona when it built Fireside at Desert Ridge next to the Desert Ridge Marketplace open-air mall in Phoenix. However that community, unlike Avenir's developments, went on sale to all ages, not just retirees.

"We do a lot of surveying of what (baby boomers) are looking for, it is actually more desirable to be . . . on the outside of town rather than the inside of town," said Jacque Petroulakis, a spokeswoman for Pulte Homes and Del Webb communities. "People come to Arizona, they select Arizona for the outdoor activities. Those are not amenities that are easily combined into one community in a high-rise environment . . . People that come here want to get outside of the hustle and bustle of the core, and it could be because they've been there, done that," she said.

Petroulakis added that she believes retirees' money can also stretch farther on the fringes. In Del Webb's Sun City Festival in Buckeye, homes start in the mid-$100,000s.

At Avenir's future Diamond in Surprise, which is about a 15-minute drive from Sun City Festival, rents would range from $2,500 to $3,000. Suites are also planned for residents that might need extra space for a personal assistant.

Personal style

When it comes to choosing between a rural or urban-retirement option, Gurash said a decision depends on a retiree's personal style. But for those on the fence, he said convenience might push someone who is undecided over the edge.

"We try to create five-star hotels and we believe that location is key," he said.

Retiree Sue Archibald lives in an urban Avenir community in White Rock, Canada. The suburb of Vancouver is also a seaside vacation destination with unique boardwalk-style shops and restaurants, Archibald said.

If you ask Petroulakis, retirees such as Archibald prove that housing options for those just entering retirement will only increase.

Erin Zlomek
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 21, 2008 12:00 AM

Phoenix Median Homes Booming. Find Phoenix Homes At Great Prices

Median prices of Valley homes are all over the map

The housing market's troubles are showing up in many neighborhood home prices, but not all.

Home sales are pretty much down across the board, but prices were flat or even up in one-fourth of Valley ZIP codes last year, according to The Arizona Republic's Valley Home Values Survey.

Most of the areas that posted increases in values were closer in and more centrally located, while affordable, new-home communities farther out continued to see the biggest declines in prices.

• The north-central Phoenix neighborhood ZIP code 85021, peppered with historic homes, posted a 16 percent increase in its median price during 2007.

• Condominium prices in the west Phoenix ZIP code 85037, which is at the junction of the Loop 101 and Interstate 10, climbed 21 percent. This area is also south of Glendale's sports stadium hub and the new Westgate shopping center.

• The central Ahwatukee ZIP code 85042 saw home prices climb 9 percent.

• None of the ZIP codes in Tempe, surrounded by other communities, fell by double digits. The median condo price in ZIP code 85281 climbed almost 11 percent.

Home builders continued to drop prices in fringe neighborhoods, which worked to pull down those communities' overall median price.

• The north-Phoenix ZIP code 85050 saw a 22 percent drop in its median price because the area's new-home prices plummeted 47 percent. Builders were cutting prices but also constructing smaller homes.

• In Pinal County, the Queen Creek ZIP code 85242 posted metro Phoenix's second-biggest overall drop: 20.2 percent. The area's median new-home price fell by almost 22 percent.

• Home values in the Buckeye ZIP code 85296 were down 18 percent overall, while the area's median new-home price dropped 15 percent.

Neighborhoods farther out with higher-end housing developments are an exception to the fringe trend.

• The median home price in the Mesa ZIP code 85207 climbed 17.7 percent, to $365,000.

• The median price in north Scottsdale's 85262 ZIP code, home to high-end golf developments, increased almost 7 percent, to $1.1 million.

Some areas are correcting from zealous prices increases.

• Glendale's 85305 ZIP code posted a 23 percent drop in its median home price. But the area, home to the Arizona Cardinals' University of Phoenix Stadium, the Coyotes' Jobbing.com Arena and Westgate, saw resale prices climb 27 percent jump in 2006 and a huge 71 percent increase in 2005.

• In Phoenix's Camelback Corridor/Biltmore area ZIP code 85016, condo prices fell 29 percent.

"The bottom of the housing market may occur in 2008 or 2009, but a full recovery will probably take three to five years," said Elliott Pollack, an Arizona economist and real-estate investor. "This slowdown ends when housing prices stabilize."

Catherine Reagor and Ryan Konig The Arizona Republic Mar. 15, 2008 06:16 PM

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