THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING
Inside: Phoenix.Org Housing Guide INSIDE West Mesa Edition
THE SUNDAY
EAST VALLEY
TRIBUNE | MAY 20, 2018
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New Home Com
munities
Mom and dad are
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY
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on home financing
list for millennial s
Inside
hen it comes time seen comes in home, millennials to buy a with furniture,” “I have seen are relying on their younger buyers Ellis says. can buy the house, saying, assistance, including parents for financial but I can’t furnish ‘I house.’” the down payment help coming up with the and furnishing Beyond financial An Apartment it. List study found offer less tangible help, parents also 17.1 percent that of millennials parents tagging assistance, with many nationwide expect to receive along on house ing trips and Features hunttance from their down payment assisproviding advice parents. children. for their That figure is “For the ones Pool Tech Phoenix-metro, slightly lower in the I have worked where the kids are with, spective millennial 16 percent of prolooking for their Those programs advice,” Ellis says. homebuyers parents’ Leader Awards parental down payment assistance.expect Fund, the Home include the Chenoa That includes Ben Andrus, helping the Maricopa County in 5 Advantage in buyers decide branch manager first-time which home improveme Q Financial in and the HOME Gilbert, says he at On Home Loan Plus projects they can accomplish nt Program from younger buyers has seen Industrial themselves Arizona and which homes receiving down Development assistance from payment will require a Authority. professional renovation. Even if parents parents, though costly at a significantly are it In many higher rate than is not the down payment, not helping with past. they often contrib- pressuring cases, parents are the ones in the ute in other ways, their adult “What I am seeing says Christie children into Ahwatukee Ellis of home ownership. is some buyers ing advantage tak- ate broker , real estate agent and associMany millennials of with United Brokers grew ment assistance some of the down pay- Ellis Group. last housing crisis and up during the programs from Community Map counties,” Andrus cities and Tempeprimarily operates in Ahwatukee purchase are hesitant to says. and Chandler. , effects a home, because of the negative it had on their “Most of the financial family in the On Phoenix.o assistance I have past, rg/NewHo
Gilbert builder spec Millennials ializes in delivering craft homes See
BY SHERRY JACKSON
on page 2
PHOENIX.ORG NEW HOME COMMUNITIES 1 3 6
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me Dealmakers: Belfiore and Rose Featured Homes
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details into the home and to build raft homes in that has more a home heater, a features than a high hood is a little craft neighbor- home in a comparable neighboring community different than energy-eff imega-subdi the The cient natural in the East Valley. visions usually touted and company was founded in .” prides itself on 2010 gas sets Gilbert-bas And that’s exactly what ing furnace, its core focus of premier infill apart from the ed Porchlight Homes appealing locations, while find- d u a l - p a n e rest. also to entry-level The home developer buyers, Larsen windows and recently opened aid. “Our main competitor WaterSen se its newest craft isn’t the new home toilets in Gilbert on community, Eastpoint, ovatedbuilder down the street. It’s the ren- fixtures. and the southwest home. That’s our Power and Guadalupe corner of competition.” The two-story roads. The Porchlight homes neighborhood has 78 homesites gated start in the $280,000s,at Eastpoint will Homes three floor plans has with a price hard munity pool withand will feature a com- Threeto find for a new home in point built several Gilbert. barbecue grills ramada, restrooms and desert floor plans offer Spanish colonial, communities in the and pocket parksalong with greenspaces tions prairie and modern ranch eleva- but onlyValley Residence with 1,772 to with tot lots. 2,225 “At Porchlight, two Two is one we consider ourselves living space. Each home square feet of are active— (Courtesy Porchlight est Gilbert community,of three floor plans available a craft builder, Homes) will have a twocar garage, at Porchlight Eastpoint. focusing on smaller Homes’ newmunities and com- cabinetry, 9-foot ceilings, hardwood Eastpoint as infill locations,” granite countertop well as Lazy Larsen, vice said Ryan steel Day Manor s, stainless president of appliances, ceramic in Phoenix. Homes. “This Porchlight vate, tile and pri- Larsen said the company but is picky about enables us to fenced yards. has several other craft neighborho where they build. Energy Star features put more in each “Eastpoint ods home include a tankless water including a townhome in the works, infill location is a prime suburban community in Tempe and several in between two highly in the West Valley,
INSIDE
This Week
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Builder on page 2
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Mesa water polo club welcomes all PAGE 16 Sunday, June 17, 2018
An EV son gives his life for our country BY COLLEEN SPARKS Tribune Staff Writer
NEWS ............................. 7
Banner Health is planning to move into south Chandler..
COMMUNITY ......... 11 Army veteran helping fellow vets deal with PTSD.
BUSINESS ................ 13 There’s a changing of the guard at East Valley Partnership. ,
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handler is mourning the loss of a Hamilton High School graduate who was killed by enemy fire in Somalia, becoming the first Arizonan killed in combat since November 2016. Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Conrad, 26, died of injuries suffered June 8 during an operation in Somalia while he was supporting Operation Octave Shield, the Pentagon said. Sgt. Conrad had been assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Four U.S. service members were injured during the attacks. “He’s a hero. I can’t say that enough,” said his brother Jacob, 24, of Chandler. “He was selfless,” he added. “He always put out his best effort to make everyone happy. He was a people pleaser. He loved his family and he loved his friends.” Jacob, a Phoenix police officer, said Alex inSee
CONRAD on page 8
New financing plan proposed for $60M Mesa complex BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
DINING ..................... 17 Dad will be all smiles with this sandwich.
COMMUNITY.......... 11 BUSINESS.....................13 OPINION.................... 14 SPORTS........................ 16 CLASSIFIEDS.............. 21
(U.S. Ar,my)
Army Ataff Sgt, Alexander Conrad, a Mesa native who grew up in Chandler, was killed June 8 during an operation in Somalia, becoming the first Arizonan to die in co9mbat since November 2016.
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esa is hoping taxpayers kick the Mesa Plays sports complex across the goal line after a shift in financing placed the tax burden on out-of-town patrons for the much awaited, much debated $55 million facility. City officials last week acknowledged they are taking a risk that financial forecasts are correct and that Mesa Plays, with 24 fields, will become a magnet for large tournaments. The financing shift, orchestrated by City
Manager Chris Brady, leaves Mesa taxpayers responsible for paying off the $25 million cost of nine artificial turf fields reserved for community use, even though they also could be incorporated into a large tournament. But $30 million in excise bonds would be issued to pay for 15 fields reserved for tournaments. Sales tax revenues would be pledged in support of the bonds, but the biggest source of funds is a 1 percent increase in bed taxes paid by hotel and motel guests. Although excise bonds do not need approval from voters, advocates must convince voters to support two related ballot questions – the
bed tax increase and spending more than $1.5 million on a city project. “The community is going to have to endorse Mesa Plays. It’s thumbs up or thumbs down on both of these questions,’’ Brady said. Mesa Plays looks like the ultimate soccer facility that would draw lots of children and soccer moms. It also has been billed as a major economic development catalyst in northeast Mesa. “The folks who are coming from out of town are paying for this. That seems a lot cleaner See
BOND on page 4