Happy Fall Equinox

I have been in Tucson 21 years, and somehow I had never managed to see the petroglyphs near Picture Rocks Road.
Friday was the Autumn Equinox, and it was a very special day to make my first visit.
Archaeologists believe this spiral was made by Hohokam people about 1,000 years ago.

Only a few years ago, someone noticed that this spiral is a calendar marker. Around noon on the Summer Solstice, sunlight slips through the crack in the rock above the spiral, and a dagger of light points to the spiral. This marker doesn't work for the Equinox, so the Hohokam cleverly chipped away at a ledge to the upper right of the spiral to enable a dagger of light to point to the center of the spiral on the first day of spring and fall.
I got to see this at 11:07 AM on September 22.
Isn't that wonderful?

I also had an opportunity to walk a modern labyrinth at the Picture Rocks Redemptorist Retreat Center.
Do you know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze? Neither did I. A labyrinth has only one route. You can't get lost. A maze has dead ends.

The Tohono O'odham Man in the Maze represents Man's journey through life, from his start at the top of the labyrinth, sometimes getting close to death at the center, but then temporarily moving away from death. This labyrinth has one short dead end, below the center, where Man can look back on his life just before death.


I had a tile made for the foyer of Desert's Edge showing the Woman in the Maze. Notice she is wearing a dress. I was pleased to discover that my labyrinth does have that one dead end for reflection, just before the end.

600 E River Rd., Apt X

My newest listing is a terrific townhouse off River Road west of First Avenue. Here you'll find quality masonry construction in the toes of the Catalina Foothills.
Beehive fireplace has the southwestern ambiance you want. Plantation shutters add style. Wood floor in living room.
Carpet in bedrooms. Private little walled retreat off master bedroom. Two walk-in closets. Mountain view from the pool & spa. Ramada, gas grill & grassy lawn in the common area.
Convenient location between Tucson Mall and St Philip's Plaza. Close to miles of serenity along the beautiful Rillito River hiking and biking path.

Sold December 27, 2012 for $81,000.

Learning about Tumamoc Hill

I have been hiking up Tumamoc Hill for the past few months, and I love it! It's a 710 feet elevation change, and 1.5 miles each way. It's not the prettiest hike in Tucson, but it's a paved road with lots of people around to help if something untoward happens during the hike. Almost every day, I see something interesting. I am going to post some of my finds here.

Check out the Tumamoc blog. On the May 19, 2011 entry, you will see one of my fabulous clients, Moses Thompson, with his students from Manzo Elementary.

On October 12, I plan to go to the lecture at Tumamoc on Human Adaptions to Desert Ecosystems at 6 PM.

1540 S Desert Crest Drive

This terrific house is in the same subdivision as my beloved home, Desert's Edge. Both houses back up to the 65 acres of beautiful desert owned by the homeowner's association, of which I am president.
The big difference between my house and my newest listing is the renovation fun hasn't yet begun for the next owner of 1540 S Desert Crest Drive. This solid masonry home has three bedrooms and two baths, plus a carport, fireplace and large lot. No weird additions have been stuck onto it.
This location can't be beat. Adjacent to Starr Pass Resort in the fabulous Tucson Mountains, this is where the deer and the javelina play. Bobcats, coyotes and all sorts of reptiles and birds including road runners will be frequent visitors. The hiking and biking opportunities are terrific. Yet you're only 10 minutes from downtown.
Call me to learn about loan programs that will enable you to finance your renovation costs.
I sold this home for $60,000 on November 2, 2011. It's my second sale this year in Tucson Park West 3, and my fifth in this fabulous subdivision since I bought Desert's Edge in 2005.

The Tucson Association of Realtors has released the Residential Sales Statistics for August.

Let's hope the 10.5% decline in average sale price from July to August is a blip that will be corrected this month. Now at $155,000, the average sale price hasn't been this low since 2001.

FHA Loan Limits Will Decrease

FHA’s lending limit for Pima County is currently $316,250. Effective October 1, 2011, the new limit will be $271,050.

This is another way our government is making housing unaffordable. People getting a mortgage for more than $271,500 will need to make at least a 5% down payment, instead of the 3.5% down payment they can make with an FHA loan.

From a Loan Officer Extraordinaire

I work with many Realtors as a Loan Officer and Donna is one of my premiere referrals oulets. She takes great care to make sure her buyers know everything about the house they're buying. Recently, I've had occasion to refer sellers to her also. And NOT SURPRISINGLY, she was as great with Sellers as Buyers.... And she can handle a short sale from either position with great success. Glad you're there, Donna, you get 5 *****s in my Book!! Thanks,

Catherine Ellinwood
Fairway Independent Mortgage
Cell: 520-954-1907