IN THE NEWS!

The first article,$1 billion Asante project aims to house 40,000 , from the Arizona Republic, reports that A new 3,600-acre master-planned community, including a 1 million-square-foot shopping center, soon will spring from desert land in the far Northwest Valley. Asante will be built along Grand Avenue in Surprise, just west of the future Loop 303 freeway. It eventually will be home to new schools, fire stations, parks and 14,000 homes with a variety of housing types. When completed, more than 40,000 residents will live at Asante, only one of various new master-planned communities being planned or built in Surprise. The first phase of the project, which will begin in early 2007, calls for a $15 million regional wastewater treatment plant and about 2,500 homes. They will range from 1,100 to 4,000 square feet, and will cost between $200,000 and $800,000.
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The second article, Boom trends, from the Arizona Republic, reports that the fastest-growing segment of the housing market is made up of people age 50-plus, including empty nesters, pre-retirees, baby boomers and older buyers. People 55 or older bought nearly one-fifth of the 1.1 million new homes sold in the country in 2003, according to the National Association of Realtors. Builders are designing product to fit this growing trend of older buyers, including second home communities, active adult master planned communities, home features and designs to accommodate the elderly, and smaller homes for those looking to downsize. The article gives a good list of all the trends in this niche, which is expected to continue as more boomers come on line.

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