Tucson Kent's World: Arizona: Marana

The Town of Marana, Arizona is a progressive & dynamic entity in Southern Arizona.  Businesses such as: Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, Arizona Pistachio Company, Tucson Aeroservice Center, AZBlock 2000 and many others have located in Marana because of the friendly and progressive business climate, not to mention the great proximity to I-10 on both east & west sides.

The Town staff has put together a brochure for current and prospective businesses as a guide to services and who to talk to within the Development Services Department:  Download

To visit the DSC site for forms, contact info or other information, visit the Development Services section of the town website:  Marana

If you are interested in relocating or building a business in Marana, Arizona, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Just to the northwest of Tucson, the town of Marana is a small but growing & dynamic community.  Home to cotton fields, endless vistas, new homes starting in the low $100k range and $1+ million custom homes, the diversity of Marana is incredible. 

As the town grows, so does its ability to provide useful information on its website: Marana.com  Today I got an update from the town government, letting me know that they are now able to provide information about permits & parcel records online.  This is going to be a useful tool for me or any other person interested in homes in Marana, Arizona.

You can view information on any home in the Marana area by permit number, parcel number or address.  To do a permit search, just click on the "Online Permit Center" at the top of the left column on the Permits & Records page.  Marana is located in both Pima and Pinal Counties - which has made finding information challenging at times.  Kudos to the staff at Town Hall for making life a little simpler for interested parties!

Thank you!

To become a part of the Marana community, whether you are looking for acreage to build on, a home or a place to locate your business, it will be my pleasure to work with you to fulfill your real estate needs.

This is but one of the neighborhoods at the base of the Tortolita Mountains in the NW area of Tucson - commonly referred to as Oro Valley, although this particular subdivision is actually in the town of Marana.

Stunning views, highly rated schools and convenient location are hallmarks of this area.  If you are relocating to the Tucson area - please feel free to give me a call.

For all of your real estate needs:  commercial,
residential, investment or land.

Growing up on my family's farm near Las Cruces, New Mexico, cotton was a major factor in our lives.  It put food on our table, paid the mortgage on the land, provided my first job, a place to play...you name it, cotton was part of it.  My first trip to DisneyWorld was to a cotton convention, even my first trip to New York City, first Broadway play and first 7-course meal had a tie to cotton!

On the way to show a home in Marana today, I took the frontage road next to I-10 and saw the cotton modules on the side of the fields, ready to be taken to the gin.  A little bit of nostalgia washed over me...a little sadness and more than a dose of resignation to the fact that I won't see much cotton in Arizona anymore.

Farms like this one are being developed.  Just north of this field is the Gladden Farms  subdivision...on the other side of which is another cotton field, then the new Marana Municipal Center.  There isn't much money to be made raising cotton in America.  The price of cotton has not kept up with the cost of producing it at a highly mechanized and efficient rate.  Overseas, the cost of production is much less because of a greatly cheaper labor pool and fewer regulations.

Like it or not, things change and life neccessitates adaptation.  When I was a kid, the cotton picker machines would dump into a box-like trailer to be taken for ginning.  We had lots of fun climbing into the trailer, digging forts and throwing handfuls of the soft, puffy stuff at each other...all in the name of tromping it down to fit more in the trailer!  Now modules like this have replaced those trailers, hydraulically compressed into dense, loadable packages for more efficiency.  I'll bet the kids still find some way to have a little fun around cotton fields...that's what being a kid is all about.

King Cotton is becoming King Casa.  Some people will be bitter, others will point fingers and try to stop all development in the name of preservation, and still more won't care.  There are all sides to it, each with their own merits.  Change is like the river...you can harness it, you can channel it, divert it, shape it, try to manage it, but you can't stop it.

I like to think that we are an intelligent people who value our past while improving upon it.  Some developers are integrating their developments around working agricultural concerns, preserving farm heritage as an enhancement to the quality of life.  Perhaps that in itself will be the wave of the future...

Enchanting Vistas at Tangerine Crossing in Marana, Arizona

On Wednesday I got a phone call from a person in Florida, asking me about availability of a specific floor plan in a particular neighborhood in the Northwest area of the Tucson Metro (Oro Valley/Marana).  The name of the subdivision rang a bell, but a faint one..."need to get specifics here," common sense told me.

Having not been up in that area with homes in mind for a few months, the idea of driving over to see what was going on with new construction in general seemed like a good idea to make best use of the time.

Turns out, the subdivision in question is built out...a lot or two are available for custom building, but the specific floor plan my customer was asking for is gone like ice cream in August (unless there's one on the resale market).  Since she had expressed a real feeling for the area, I decided to explore with open eyes:  the last time I had looked at the opportunities here, it was in the early afternoon in the middle of summer...definitely not the most optimum time of year (or day!) to get out of the air conditioned environs of my vehicle & really take a good look.

What awaited me was the chance to enjoy the splendor of a Tucson sunset, with the backdrops of the Tortolita and Catalina Mountains showing their majesty with the light changes of the setting sun.

As most of you know from following this blog, enjoying nature's beauty is something that is rooted deep into my core.  Without taking time to drink in the special qualities of my surroundings, my soul feels neglected and I start to get cranky without realizing it.

Perhaps it was the mood I was in because of the spectacular sunset this day, maybe it is because I had no expectations on this trip to the area, but I saw the development with new eyes on Wednesday.  Chatting with the site agent, Angie Wild, about the development was relaxed and easy.  Neither one of us was too concerned with the list of specifics about each home, nor did we talk upgrade packages or decorative schemes...this was a time to see what The Development was like.  What makes IT different from the next chunk of tract homes?

Learning that this subdivision is surrounded by a boundary zone of natural vegetation 1000 feet wide, with state land its neighbor for a good portion of the perimeter notched itself into my brain - that's something you don't find all the time. 

Tile, granite, travertine...you can have those things anywhere, anytime...but a view and some open space are gifts of location.  Parks & playgrounds are standard fare, but to take pictures of the kids being kids with a stunning backdrop behind is special.

I don't know if I will ever represent someone who wants to buy a home in Tangerine Crossing, but hope so someday...the area makes me feel good, and being able to have a business reason to spend some more time up there is fine by me!

To view these in a larger format and other photos taken at Tangerine Crossing by the author, click HERE Downloading & printing is permissible for personal use.

Tiger Woods Wins Unprecedented 3rd World Match Play Championship

The juggernaut that goes by the name of Tiger Woods graced the fairways of Dove Mountain this week.  Coming away with a record 3rd Championship in the Accenture World Match Play series, he has won every event he has entered this year so far.  While people will undoubtedled ask him over and over again about the possibility of an undefeated season, it matters only to the statisticians, as he is proving yet again that he is the best player the game has ever produced.

Records fall like dominos in regular order as his career rolls along like a finely tuned machine.  Sometimes there are adjustments to be made, a tweak here, an improvement there...but even in his "off" years, Tiger Woods dominates his competition.

Take this year's Accenture World Match Play Championships at Dove Mountain:  struggling and behind in the first round, he cranks up his game to win 5 straight holes to move to the next match.  In the final pairing, he takes no mercy on this fine course or his opponent, Stuart Cink, winning by an awe inspiring score of 8 and 7.

When asked at the press conference about the possibility of going undefeated for the year, he grinned and replied, "I want to win every tournament.  That's why you enter them."  Tiger plays to win, and he does.  He practices to win, and he does.  Those who play to make the cut or place in the top 10 usually struggle along the way.  It is easy to talk about having a winning attitude, believing it in one's heart is another.

Hats off to you, Mr. Woods - it was a pleasure to have you in Tucson, playing at Dove Mountain.  You are an inspiration to many, myself included...(update) we hope to see you when your rehab is complete.

SAHBA, the Southern Arizona Homebuilder Association is hosting a Parade of Homes in Marana, AZ starting this coming Saturday.  The parade will feature 7 homes in the $1 million plus range in the Dove Mountain area of Marana, just north of Tucson.  Dove Mountain has been featured in recent news as the home of the newest Ritz-Carlton Resort, and will host the upcoming Accenture Match Play Championship Golf Tournament.

The parade will provide attendees an opportunity for the public to see a showcase of the latest in home styles, electronic systems, the latest in kitchen and bathroom luxuries, appliances, outdoor living and the pinnacle of high-end home features including disappearing walls.  Some of the homes utilize some green building techniques including carpet made from recyclable materials, water conservation techniques, solar panels and colored concrete floors.  Each home carries the EPA's Energy Star certification.

Homes will be open from 10 am to 5 each day of the event starting Saturday, February 2.  The parade will run until the 17th of February.  Admission is $12, seniors 50 & older $10, children 10 & younger are free.  Military personnel are half-price on Feb. 11, 55 & older will enjoy 2-for-1 admission on the 13th and Valentine's Day will be celebrated by offering $2 tickets with a canned food donation.  Special programs and events are planned, including a giveaway of SuperBowl Tickets on the opening day.

Builders are Bauer Homes, Casas Bonitas Development, Becklin Construction, Lathrem Homebuilders, JD Raney Construction, Washburn Custom Builders and Canatsey Building & Development.

For further information and a map:  click here