The Costliest home sales Close in Phoenix Valley

The president of an Ohio company, the owner of a hotel/motel management company in Houston, a business development director of a financial services company in Chandler and a radiologist are among the buyers and sellers in this week's priciest home sales.

$7,000,000 - Cheryl L. Venarge of Akron, Ohio, as trustee of the Cheryl L. Venarge Trust, purchased a four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath, 9,275-square-foot home with pool originally built in 2003 on the northeast side of the Desert Mountain-Chiricahua Golf Course in Scottsdale. It features a music room, double office/media room, exercise center, wine cellar and home management system. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and fireplace, while the master bathroom has a separate shower and tub with jets and a sitting room. Cheryl's husband, Robert Venarge is president of APV Engineered Coatings in Akron. Included is a $325,000 deferred-equity golf membership. The home was sold by Archie H. Rambeau and Sheila Laree Rambeau, as trustees of the AHR Revocable Trust.

$6,500,000 - James M. Grisebaum and his wife, Kathleen, bought a new 11,000-square-foot home with pool on the southwest side of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. It features a paneled library, a large game/media room, deck with barbecue, bar and fireplace, plus a guesthouse. James Grisebaum is the owner of Olympia Enterprises, a hotel/motel management company in Houston. The home was built and sold by John R. McDade, president and director of J.R. McDade Co., a design, build and remodel company in Scottsdale.

$3,000,000 - Archie H. Rambeau and Sheila Laree Rambeau, as trustees of the AHR Revocable Trust, received a four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath, 4,359-square-foot home with pool originally built in 2002 on the fairway of the first hole of the Desert Mountain-Chiricahua Golf Course in Scottsdale as part of the payment for the home sold to Cheryl L. Venarge. The home also has guest quarters with separate entrance. Included is a $325,000 deferred-equity golf membership.

$2,575,000 - Trent R. Houg purchased a 6,512-square-foot home with pool originally built in 1990 in Paradise Valley, northeast of the Phoenician Golf Club. Trent Houg is director of business development at Moneylab LLC, a check-cashing and financial-services company in Chandler. The home was sold by MLT Properties LLC in Scottsdale, whose members are David and Melissa Mullard.

$2,537,009 - Dr. Eugene Oh and his wife, Yoon Jung Oh, bought a new home at Saguaro Estates west of the Desert Highlands Golf Club in Scottsdale. Eugene Oh is a physician specializing in diagnostic radiology. The home was sold by Toll Bros. Arizona Ltd. in Scottsdale.

The Largest Phoenix Homes Sales Close in the Past Week!

Each week the Arizona Republic posts the top 5 Home Sales in Dollar cost from the previous week. I have always used this as an unscientific barometer of what is happening in the market. Are the big deals still happening? Yes they are!

The majority owner of the Phoenix Suns, a publisher and a Scottsdale broker are among the buyer and seller of this week’s priciest homes in the Valley.

$3,650,000 – Timothy B. King Jr. and his wife, Joan paid cash for a five bedroom, 5½-bath, 7,545- square-foot homes with pool originally built in 2006 in Paradise Valley. Its features travertine flooring, a paneled office, and double-island kitchen with top appliances. The children’s wing has a large shared flex room. Included in a guest house with outside fireplace, in-ground trampoline and court. The house includes two master bedrooms, and both feature walk-in closets and a sitting room. The home was sold by Robert and Penny Sarver. Robert Sarver is majority owner of the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury. He is also chairman and CEO of Western Alliance Bancorp., a bank holding company and co-founder and executive director of Southwest Value Partners, a real estate investment company.

$3,500,000 – Michael J. Martin brought a four-bedroom, 4½-bath, 6,514-square-foot home built in 1989 on Arizona Biltmore Golf Course in Phoenix. It features as RV garage with an art studio. The master bedroom opens to the outside, with its own Jacuzzi and workout room. There is a large wine cooler, theater, plus den/office and media room, plus guest quarters. Michael Marin is owner of Macaw Publishing LLC. The home was sold by RLS Capital Inc., Demaree LLC, Michael Zerbib, BALJJ Holdings LLC and Jason Jenson.

$2,400,000 – Carolyn H. Gold of St. Louis, as trustee of the Carolyn H. Gold Revocable Trust, paid cash for a five-bedroom, nine bathroom 7,275-square-foot home with pool originally built in 2007 on the northeast side of Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale. Included is a one-bedroom pool house. The home was sold by Casa Buena Realty of Scottsdale.

$2,600,000 – Ricky Lee Cox and his wife, Judy, purchased a 8,000-square-foot home with pool originally built in 1986 south of the Tatum Ranch Golf Club in Cave Creek. The house features tumbled stone and distressed Spanish brick inside and out, a sport court, chipping/putting course and dog run. There are two full master baths, a theater and guest quarters. The home was sold by Yvette Molina.

$2,300,000 – Paul and Margaret Stein brought a four-bedroom, 5 ½-baths. 4,387-square-foot home with pool and spa originally built in 2005 on the south edge of the Country Club at DC Ranch Scottsdale. It features a kitchen with a 60-square-foot butcher-block island. Reclaimed oak floors and bricks hallways accentuate the first level. The home was sold by Robert H. Nathan and Carla J. Nathan, as trustees of the Robert H. Nathan and Carla J. Nathan Revocable Living Trust. Robert Nathan is a designated broker and managing member of R.H.Nathan & Co. LLC in Scottsdale.

DISCOVERY CENTER, GATEWAY TO THE MCDOWELLS

The Discovery center is planned on the land the city is buying from Toll Brothers, located at Thompson's Peak Parkway and Bell Road. It is just north of McDowell Mountain Ranch, east of
Wingate Ranch and south of Silverleaf. This is the piece of land the city is paying Toll Brothers some $82 million, when Toll paid some $60 million for this land and another bigger piece. They are building Wingate Ranch on the other piece. They basically got the land for Wingate Ranch for FREE, but are charging up to $1.5 million dollars for the production homes they are building on the site.
Ideas for the discovery center will be available for the public view and input. Please enjoy the article below from the AZ Republic.

Discovery center plan goes public
by Lesley Wright - Jun. 9, 2008 12:06 PMThe Arizona Republic
SCOTTSDALE - Scottsdale residents will get their first look this week at a consultant's study of the Desert Discovery Center proposed for the Gateway entrance to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Scottsdale officials matched private funds for the $73,000 study to survey residents and tourists and evaluate support and ideas for the center.
The initial idea first floated in 1998 but was pushed aside for economic reasons. It got new life last year when the city acquired 400 acres of land for the Gateway entrance into the preserve at Bell Road and Thompson Peak Parkway.

The $15-million Discover Center concept includes an interpretive center, a café, a concierge to coordinate hikes and horseback rides and two amphitheaters.
That is where agreement about the center ends.
Tourism officials, enthusiastic about the center's eco-tourism potential, would like to see a "wow factor," with high-tech exhibits such as a virtual recreation of a monsoon storm.
Environmentalists want the mountains to be the primary draw, with the discovery center serving as a low-key educational center.
Political tensions escalated recently when the non-profit McDowell Sonoran Conservancy proposed taking over management of the project from the city.