Maracay Homes is pleased to offer this complimentary newsletter to homeowners, buyers, sellers, real estate professionals and friends of the company. We hope you find the information helpful such as tips for buying and selling a home, industry and market trends, home building news, exciting new products, community activities and more.

Just click on the Flex Design® button like the one to the left in each story to learn more at maracayhomes.com!

Selling your home is equal parts excitement and hard work. Fixing all of those little issues can add up. Industry experts recommend having your home inspected by a professional inspector before you list it.

Being proactive will let you get there first. Consider the benefits to a pre-listing inspection. The pre-listing inspection allows you to see your home through the eyes of a professional third-party that specializes in this area. Identifying any problems now allows you to make essential home repairs ahead of time so any defects don't become a problem during sale negotiations. A pre-listing inspection also allows more time to identify a qualified, reasonably priced contractor, or if you're handy, to make the repairs yourself. Perhaps most importantly, it will alert you to any safety issues before agents and their clients tour your home.

Being proactive may also alleviate homebuyer concerns and suspicions, helping to build trust between buyers and sellers.  Professional supporting documentation showing your pre-listing inspection, and any subsequent repairs, will likely make a positive impression on the prospective buyer, strengthening your position as the seller. Alabama-based company, Homefront Home Inspections, identifies the following opportunities as a result of a pre-listing inspection:

• Reduce likelihood that a buyer will walk away due to an unforeseen problem with the house.
• Increase chance that your home will sell faster and for a higher amount. 
• Reduce "11th-Hour" negotiations based on the inspector's findings. 
• Eliminate feelings of helplessness when an inspector raises an issue that could easily be solved with some notice.  
• Opportunity to resolve any differences of opinion about the house prior to listing.
• Proactive approach allows you to repair the conditions identified or reflect the repairs needed in the purchase price.  

Be sure to select an inspector that is certified and belongs to a professional organization. Talk to your Realtor about hiring a qualified inspector, or search for one online at FindanInspector.us. A quick search on the website reveals countless certified home inspectors in Arizona. You can also work with your Realtor to work through their network of licensed, qualified home inspectors, and answer any questions you may have about the process.

The Maracay Customer Care Commitment

Maracay Homes is committed to building homes with the highest quality standards.  Our quality assurance control processes include several best practices that are modeled by the homebuilding industry.  Did you know our expert team of construction superintendents and customer care professionals conduct four distinct inspections on your home throughout the building process? These inspections take place prior to the concrete pour, before drywall is installed, after cabinet install and about ten days prior to our pre-close inspection. A member of our team also meets with our buyers at the orientation. Our pledge to excellence is complemented by a series of warranties offered by Maracay Homes. We're committed to correcting any issues that may arise in that period as outlined in our warranties.

You can learn more about our commitment to quality construction by clicking here.

Maracay Homes is proud to introduce new models to some of Arizona's most popular locations.  All models demonstrate Maracay's trademark Flex Design® strategy, which provides an unprecedented level of choice in floor plans, design selections, standard features and options, as well as in buyers' selection of mortgage lenders, pool builders and landscape contractors. "Our research convincingly demonstrates the great value homebuyers place in being able to make choices to tailor their homes to fit their unique family dynamics, aesthetics and lifestyles," said Dave Bessey, president of Maracay Homes. "Thanks to our Flex Design strategy, we've achieved our vision of offering more choice than any other builder." Choices, not compromises, for the way you want to live. 

Maracay Celebrates the Re-Grand Opening of New Models at Stoneridge in Vistancia!

Join in the celebration as Maracay opens new models in the award winning master-planned community of Vistancia in Peoria.  Maracay offers some of the most affordable homes in this popular master-planned community with prices starting at $199,900.  Single and two story plans range from 1468 to 2347 square feet.  Our newest models feature spacious nine foot flat ceilings, garage extensions and choice of front yard landscaping packages among many other attractive features.  Other special touches include high-low shelving in secondary bedrooms, body sprayers in the master bath (per plan), overhead reading lights in master bedroom and kitchen pot and pan rollout shelves for ease and convenience.

At Vistancia, the best amenities are masterfully woven throughout an accessible, yet intimate living environment so residents enjoy an active lifestyle right at home.  From the beautiful community center and aquatic park, to golf set within tall native grasses, to brisk morning walks along the Discovery Trail, Vistancia offers everything you could ever ask for from a community. 

Design your home online at www.maracayhomes.com or contact 623-594-2800 for more information.

Maracay Homes Grand Opens Its Newest Community in Southeast Valley!

Maracay Homes is proud to introduce Stonefield Enclave at the southeast corner of Germann and Dobson Roads. Previously the Dugan Dairy, the 80-acre site is one of three Maracay Homes neighborhoods slated for this area.  Close to everything yet tucked away from everyday hustle and bustle. 

Starting at $359,000, Stonefield Enclave's seven Flex Design® floor plans offer semi-custom homebuilding options.  Flex Design® choices for each floor plan can adapt to any family's lifestyle and include up to eight bedrooms with an optional basement. These single-family homes range in size from approximately 1,671 to 3,384 square feet.

"The reaction from homebuyers and surrounding residents has been very enthusiastic," says Paula Fiore-Tibben, Sr. Sales Associate for Maracay's Stonefield Enclave. "Homebuyers love the convenient East Valley location coupled with our Flex Design® floor plans, which give homebuyers hundreds of choices in options for personalizing their home without the custom price."

For more information please visit www.maracayhomes.com or contact 480-726-3220. 

Innovative Basement Options and Personalized Designs Mark Debut of Maracay Homes' Entrada Bonita at Rancho Sahuarita!

Entrada Bonita is situated in the heart of Rancho Sahuarita, named the 11th Best-Selling Master-Planned Community in the nation by renowned real estate consulting firm Robert Charles Lesser and Company. Community planners have taken great care in preserving the pristine Sonoran desert setting and pecan groves.  Today, Arizona based builder, Maracay Homes, is offering homebuyers the same level of uniqueness and natural beauty at Entrada Bonita in Rancho Sahuarita, located just south of Tucson.

Homebuyers and their families can tour six spacious new model homes starting in the low $180's. Overall, 12 different floor plans are available, ranging from approximately 1,400 to as much as 3,384 square feet. Some plans include options for finished basements, which will delight homebuyers desiring a workshop, laundry room, media room or other amenities that match their active lifestyles. Maracay is the first production builder in the Tucson-area to offer finished basements, which can add as much as 1,145 additional square feet of living space.

Residents will cherish a host of amenities including an amphitheater, promenade, gazebos, three neighborhood parks and miles of paved jogging and biking trails that weave throughout the community.  Refresh and recharge in a fully equipped recreational center with fitness equipment or sail on the man-made lake located within the 15-acre park and Arizona's largest private splash park. Parents will appreciate the state-of-the-art educational facilities and broad array of local school enrichment programs. 

Entrada Bonita is located on Rancho Sahuarita Boulevard in Sahuarita. For more information, telephone 520.396.4192. Neighborhood maps and directions are available on the Maracay Homes Web site at www.maracayhomes.com.

Linda Cobb has faced all types of cleaning challenges. As a New York Times best-selling author and The Queen of Clean®, Linda is now a featured guest on more than 70 radio and television shows across the country. She's a regular on KTVK-TV's top-rated morning show "Good Morning Arizona" in Phoenix, and you can watch her on the DIY Network—"Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean®."

Maracay Homes asked The Queen to share some of her wisdom.

The Queen’s Easy Tile Tune-up

Keeping tile and grout clean doesn't have to mean a lot of back-breaking
work. In fact, this quick-clean tip can make it almost easy.

Make this simple home-made cleaner and use it as a handy spray
for cleaning tile and grout. This same cleanser is also very effective for removing
soap scum from bathroom surfaces.

Combine all the ingredients in a large container and shake well to mix. If desired, transfer to a labeled spray bottle. Do not use this in conjunction with chlorine bleach or where chlorine bleach has been used. Simply spray it on and then wipe with a damp sponge or cloth. No rinsing required.  As always, keep this cleaner, and all household cleaning supplies, out of reach for children and pets.

For more information please visit www.maracayhomes.com or call 480-970-6000

At Maracay Homes, we put safety first for our employees and contractors everyday. Home buyers are part of our extended family, and we want to ensure you and your family stay injury-free all year long.

With the heat of summer fast approaching, swimming is a favorite activity for kids of all ages. Did you know drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in homes with children under age 5 in Arizona? In addition, each year more than 2,000 young children are treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide for submersion injuries, such as brain damage.

You can keep safe around water and have fun, too. Supervision is the key to prevent child drownings. Barriers and pool covers also reduce the risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends parents install the following safety devices to prevent access and give parents time to locate a child before tragedy strikes:

• A fence or barrier at least 4 feet high with no footholds or handholds should surround the entire pool.  Keep the gate locked when parents are not personally there to supervise.
• Invest in alarms on house doors.
• Install a power safety cover to protect the pool when it is not in use.

In addition, the CPSC suggests parents and other caregivers learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Look for an American Red Cross center in your area that can assist in certification by clicking here.

For more information please visit www.maracayhomes.com or call 480-970-6000