Title: 'SPRING STIMULUS' PACKAGE IN ARIZONA
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'SPRING STIMULUS' PACKAGE ENCOURAGES VISITORS AND LOCALS ALIKE TO RELISH GREATER PHOENIX'S PEAK TOURIST SEASON
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PHOENIX, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Taking a cue from the federal government, the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau has put together a stimulus package designed to help visitors -- and locals -- take advantage of unseasonably low prices at several of metropolitan Phoenix's hotels, resorts and restaurants.
From now through April 30, visitors who log on to the Greater Phoenix CVB's "Spring Stimulus" page at www.visitphoenix.com/springstimulus can find room rates as low as $36 and resort packages that include free night stays and golf rounds. Meanwhile, local fine-dining establishments are offering dinner-for-two specials for less than $50 and three-course meals for as little as $25.
"Just because the economy is in a funk doesn't mean you have to be," said Kevin Kamenzind, senior vice president of sales and marketing at the Greater Phoenix CVB. "That's our message to visitors, and especially locals. Those of us who are lucky enough to live in Arizona can save money on spring getaways and stimulate the local economy by enjoying the beauty in our own backyard."
Spring is the peak season for tourism in America's sunniest metropolis, and that typically translates into peak room rates. But as part of the Spring Stimulus program some hotels and resorts are advertising summer-like rates for springtime dates.
The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa is offering rooms for $179, a rate reminiscent of summer weekend specials at the famed resort. Other Phoenix-area resorts are advertising next-night discounts. Guests who book two nights at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa can stay the third night for free, and those who pay a regular rate for one night at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa get the next night for half off.
Golf-loving guests can book a studio suite at the Legacy Golf Resort for $99 and get a 20 percent discount on greens fees, or enjoy a complimentary round with a $199 stay at Arizona Grand Resort.
Hotels and resorts are also tossing in summer-style dining and beverage credits. The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass' package includes a $25 food credit and complimentary breakfast for two, and the Embassy Suites Phoenix Biltmore is giving guests a $50 credit to Omaha Steakhouse plus a coupon book packed with $750 in savings at area Westcor malls.
Foodies looking for a spring break in Greater Phoenix can log onto to www.visitphoenix.com/springstimulus to find out about specials on both fine cuisine ($35 for a three-course prix fixe menu at Roy's Desert Ridge) and midweek wine (half-price bottles on "Wine Down Wednesday" at 1130 Restaurant).
"It's not enough to remind residents how important tourism is to Arizona's economy; we also want to illustrate the value of the visitor experience here and provide incentives for taking advantage of it," Kamenzind said.
"If you're thinking about coming in for spring training, or you're a local who has friends and family who are contemplating to visit, we want you to know that, even in this economy, a Phoenix getaway is incredibly accessible. The desert always provides a gorgeous spring; now our hotels, resorts and restaurants are providing the stimulus."
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SOURCE Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau
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Title: ARIZONA CACTUS LEAGUE
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Spring stadiums continue to bloom in Arizona desert!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Whoever dubbed it the Cactus League, while not exactly overextending the imagination, can now be credited with great foresight.
Like a saguaro that hasn't tasted water in months, spring training in Arizona continues to grow while everything around it suffers from a global economy gone dry as desert dirt. This year the Cactus League adds two teams relocated from Florida, including the exalted and long-coveted Los Angeles Dodgers, and boosts its exhibition schedule from 172 games to a whopping 245.
“We call it the 'spring-training stimulus package' for Arizona,” said Robert Brinton, Cactus League president. “We may break spring-training records that might stand forever, or at least for many, many, many years.”
Brinton, also executive director of the Mesa (Ariz.) Convention and Visitors Bureau, quickly noted his own forecast was likewise stating the obvious. To better facilitate the return of the World Baseball Classic, whose semifinal rounds are at Petco Park and finals are at Dodger Stadium, spring training has been extended by a week.
While business parks across the country are shutting down, ballparks costing tens of millions of dollars are popping up in the sandy sprawl west of Phoenix. As it was, the Cactus League was a thriving concern, drawing 1.31 million fans last year.
Having departed Tucson for Florida's Grapefruit League in 1993, the Cleveland Indians are returning to Arizona with the construction of a new facility just off Interstate 10 in Goodyear. And after years of trying to wiggle their way out of legendary (and ancient) Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., the Dodgers are tenants of spiffy new Glendale digs they'll share with the Chicago White Sox, who are moving from Tucson and making life easier for snowbirds migrating from the Windy City.
From a sheer baseball standpoint, the arrival of the Dodgers also means that every team in both West Divisions can now be found in the Cactus League. The (then New York) Giants, along with the Indians, were the first to set up camp in Arizona in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The other members of the modern NL West – Padres, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks – have been Cactus League members since the days they were born.
Even with the expanded schedule, the Dodgers and Padres play each other only twice in Arizona, at Peoria on March 3 and again at Glendale on March 29.
“From our standpoint, it's good to have a chance to see where (the Dodgers) stand throughout the spring, especially since we open with four games against them,” Padres General Manager Kevin Towers said. “We have scouts in Florida, but when the Dodgers were back there, there still was a bit of the unknown about them. Now we can gauge where they're at as we approach the season, things like how they're lining up their rotation.”
From a logistical standpoint, those still clinging to the notion of spring training as the idyllic escape might want to stand out of the way, lest they get run over by hordes of Angelenos who have waited decades to see the Boys in Blue play games in March.
“I think there's been pent-up demand for Dodger spring training, probably since the team moved to Los Angeles and continued to train in Florida,” Brinton said. “Over the last several years, they've attempted to move, and now they've finally got it worked out. People are going to love the fact that they've got the Dodgers just a quick drive or quicker flight to the Valley to see them. I expect to see that 13,000-seat stadium filled on many, many occasions.”
The Dodgers' spring ballpark, Camelback Ranch, is the largest in the Cactus League. The wonder is whether the Dodgers can usurp the popularity of the Chicago Cubs, who last year led the majors in spring-training attendance, attracting 183,000 to exhibitions at HoHoKam Park in Mesa.
Seemingly every year, major league baseball breaks its own attendance records, regular season and spring. The Cactus and Grapefruit leagues combined for attendance in 2008 of 3,692,125, up roughly 271,000 over the previous spring. Last year's average crowd of 8,026 broke a mark (7,709) that had stood since 1994.
Then again, tickets for flights and spring-training games cost money, and that's in much shorter supply than a year ago. Early indicators are that Cactus League ticket sales, with the exception of a few teams, generally are even or behind the 2008 pace.
“I'd imagine (the economy) will have an effect,” Towers said. “Spring training's a luxury for a lot of people. To be able to take three days off work and go watch baseball that might be a little more difficult for people these days.”
The downturn in the economy has resulted in lowered rates for Phoenix-area accommodations. The number of rooms is still lacking around the West Valley, however, even though the area has seen a boom in sports facilities and development. (More than a million people, incidentally, now live west of the north-south Black Canyon Freeway that divides Phoenix.)
Indeed, the Dodgers are looking into the possibility of building their own hotel and conference center as part of their spring-training complex in Glendale, which also serves as locale of the new facilities that house the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.
Weather willing – and rainouts are far less likely to happen in Arizona than Florida – Brinton estimates that the extra week of Cactus League play will bring an extra $30 million into the Valley of the Sun.
“I still think it's going to be a banner year,” Brinton said, “but it's almost certain that we're going to see some people who don't come because of the economy, and some of those who do come will not spend as much. From what we can tell, sports travel is fairly recession-resistant, but I won't call it recession-proof.”
When the Padres relocated from remote Yuma to Peoria in 1994, they were one of just eight major league teams in the Cactus League. When they reported a decade ago as defending National League champions – divested of virtually every star except Tony Gwynn and rookie outfielder Garth Brooks – they were one of 10 Arizona-based teams.
The number's now up to 14, and when the Cincinnati Reds relocate to make the Goodyear complex an all-Ohio arrangement next year, the majors will be split in half between Arizona and Florida.
Proximity to their own cities and fan base make the Grapefruit League more attractive to teams from the other divisions and major population centers of the East Coast. But it's the proximity of spring training sites – give or take a traffic jam, all of the Phoenix-based sites are less than an hour drive from each other, a rarity among Florida camps – that makes Arizona more appealing to clubs.
“It's concentrated,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre told the East Valley Tribune last year. “It makes more sense, because if you want to get work done in spring training, the less time you spend on the road, the better off you are going to be. That's the biggest issue of spring training. It's not who you play but how much work you can get done.”
As he spoke, the Dodgers were in Arizona to play seven exhibitions before before joining the Padres on their excursion to China. Each game was a sellout.
“Based on those games, I'm sure they'll do very well,” said J.P. de la Montaigne, community-service director for the City of Peoria and former president of the Cactus League. “All the other stadium complexes are excited when the Dodgers come play there. There's a great novelty factor there.”
Geographically, the Padres and Dodgers are the closest teams between division members in either the NL West or AL West. Heretofore separated by virtually an entire country in spring training, their camps in Arizona will be 10-15 minutes apart.
Long, long gone are the days when the Padres and Mariners moved into Peoria and couldn't see much of anything for miles around. When pitchers and catchers report this week there will be seven teams in the quadrant west of I-17 and north of I-10.
“At one time, we were like the team way out west,” Towers said. “Now we're right in the heart of things.”
With barely any room left for that saguaro.
Chris Jenkins (Contact)
Title: B) Corriente
Content:
Corriente
a new luxury mid-rise project by Starpointe Communities
announces the opening of their new models homes
Each model was designed by award-winning (CONFIRM) Schick Design Group and showcases the floor plans in multiple styles, each tailored to a specific taste. Many homes at Corriente are designed with a unique use of 45 degree angles, offering spacious rooms and beautiful views from the moment you enter. Plant shelves, art niches, and fireplaces also offer interesting architectural details.
Starpointe Communities doesn’t believe that condo living should translate to uninspired rectangle rooms, low ceilings and mundane features and finishes. Standard features at Corriente include slab granite countertops, custom wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, crown molding, natural gas fireplaces, mounted flat-screen TV’s, vessel bowl sinks in master bathrooms, and soaking bathtubs. Amenities include a resort-style heated pool and spa, fully equipped fitness center, barbeque areas, and designer-furnished Clubhouse. Corriente’s standard features, amenities, and unparalleled location make it hands-down the best value in Scottsdale.
The opening of the Corriente models has been highly anticipated. “In this real estate market, buyers like to see, walk through, touch, and experience a home before making a purchasing decision,” says Rob Lyles, Starpointe Partner. “We are so pleased with the Corriente project and know that our buyers will be thrilled with what they see.”
Home prices range from the $300’s to the mid-$600’s.
For more information on Corriente contact The Paradis Team – Gilles at 480-209-2057 or Susan at 480-231-4812.
Title: Financial & Planning Topics from Keats Connelly
Content:
Fall 2009 E-Update Newsletter
Please take a moment to view our Fall 2009 E-Update Newsletter containing the following financial and other planning topics:
Featured Articles:
§ Widows and Widowers of U.S. Citizens under U.S. Immigration Rules
§ Investing in Foreign Securities and Currency
§ Gifting to Grandchildren in Canada - a Win/Win Proposition
§ The Border Guide Forum
§ KCA Social Media Marketing (SMM) Sites
§ Green Tip$
§ Tax Timeline
For complete details, please click on http://www.keatsconnelly.com/publications.aspx, then select the Fall 2009 E-Update Newsletter.
Title: The Overlook
Content:
What’s HOT with Canadian investors and winter visitors? The Overlook! We have sold a number of condos in this community since November to our Canadian friends. Let us tell you about what you can expect in this beautiful area.
Nestled just below the McDowell Mountains is the paradise you have been looking for. A community with all the extras you would expect in this sought-after Scottsdale location. The dramatic clubhouse features a state of the art exercise facility, library, catering kitchen and gaming area that is second to none. With a capacity of 105 people, this will be where you will hold your private parties and impress your guests! Santa Fe architecture is just the icing on the cake for this impeccably designed community- one you will be proud to call home. There are several homes for resale in this condo community that was built in 2006/2007 with a number of different floor plans to choose from including condominiums at 1500-1800 square feet, many with two car garages, and the dramatic duplex units boasting up to 2400 square feet of pure luxury, many with 3 car garages. Current home prices in this beautiful community range from $395,000 for 1550 square feet to $695,000 for 2200 square feet.
Call us today for more information at 480-209-2057 or 480-231-4812 or e-mail us for a quick response.
Title: WARREN BUFFET: BUY WHEN OTHERS ARE FEARFUL
Content:
Real estate: Buffet, Gretzky and buying when others are fearful
February 24, 2009
Others didn't buy because they were worried about their jobs, and we will see unemployment moving up this year. And some other folks didn't buy a home because they heard in the national news about home prices dropping and did not want to buy a home that was going to lose value as soon as they bought it.
But people are going to start buying homes now because it's becoming too good a deal not to do so.
I just read a great article by the famous investor, Warren Buffett. It was titled, "Buy American. I am."
In it, he stated that a simple rule dictates his buying of stocks, companies and real estate. "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."
He admits that fear now is widespread, gripping even seasoned investors. And that fear makes us sell stocks and hold on to cash, or hold off buying anything.
Then he observed, "In waiting for the comfort of good news, they are ignoring the great hockey player, Wayne Gretzky's advice: 'I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.'"
So while everyone is selling, Warren Buffett is buying.
With real estate, it is the same principle. Buy when everyone is fearful.
Real estate investors and savvy homeowners have been doing that all year. Home prices went down and they started buying property. One of my clients just bought two homes in Phoenix at steep discounts, is renting them out, will sell them a few years from now and make a killing.
The places where home prices got hurt the worst — like Nevada, Arizona, California, and Florida — are now witnessing huge increases in house sales as savvy people are buying homes.
We didn't see the home prices drop as sharply here as it did out West. Fond du Lac home median price fell about 4.5 percent last year … with some price bands such as homes between $100,000 and 140,000 doing quite well; and other price bands, such as homes over $300,000, seeing a much bigger drop.
But there are a lot of homes for sale in our market right now, meaning you have a fabulous selection. Most of the sellers have decreased their prices already, so they have been responding to the market realities and there are a lot of deals.
And now mortgage rates are averaging around 5 percent rather than the 6 percent we saw just a few months ago. You can buy a lot of home for a lot less right now. I just bought the last vacant lot on Lake Winnebago because it was too good a deal to pass up. Our building company, Winfield Homes, will build a house on the lake and someone is going to get a great home at a great price.
So be like Wayne Gretzky. Skate to where the puck is going to be. If you buy now, before the home prices start moving up, you won't miss what is clearly shaping up as the greatest real estate buying opportunity in 70 years.
