Layne Varney
The summer high temperatures had a delayed start this year. However, once the temperatures jumped, we all felt it. With the quick rise into the triple digits, it is a good reminder to stay cool and hydrated. The SunBird clubhouse is maintained at comfortable temperatures and offers many relaxing, recreational, and social opportunities. Take a dip in the swimming pool, enjoy a game of billiards, relax with a book in the library, help with a puzzle, get a workout in the Fitness Room, or watch television with friends. Look in this month’s edition of the SunBird News or visit SunBird’s website for information on the many social events hosted at the clubhouse. And don’t forget, for a great meal or cool beverage, let us do the serving in the Horizon Room restaurant.
As the summer temperatures have risen, so has the real estate market in SunBird. Throughout the country and across Arizona, the housing market experienced a slowdown and period of stagnation over the past several years. The years 2015 through 2019 were considered a healthy period of expansion and growth in the Phoenix area. The years 2020 and 2021 were marked by the pandemic housing boom, during which Arizona had one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation. From 2022 through 2024, the market experienced a sharp decline as interest rates increased. The years 2025 and 2026 have reflected stabilization and gradual recovery. Current projections for the next two years indicate a modest increase in home sales activity.
SunBird has recorded 50 home sales within the community this year as of May, averaging approximately 13 sales per month over the past three months. The housing market in SunBird continues to be active and strong. As new residents join our community, let’s all welcome our new neighbors and help them feel at home in SunBird.
The common area trees have all been pruned, lifted, and thinned. SunBird’s common areas contain more than 400 trees, including mesquite, palo verde, acacia, and several other varieties. Maintaining an open canopy and keeping trees properly trimmed helps them better withstand monsoon storms and high winds. In addition, the community has more than 200 palm trees that are currently being trimmed, with seed pods being removed. The palm trees around the clubhouse and swimming pool were trimmed earlier to avoid this additional debris and will be trimmed again this month.
Due to the extreme heat and below-average rainfall over the past several years, many mature saguaro cacti throughout Arizona have been stressed, collapsed, and fallen. Across the desert, many of these iconic cacti have not survived these harsh conditions. Unfortunately, SunBird has also experienced the loss of several large saguaro cacti in the common areas.
A fully mature saguaro can weigh several thousand pounds, making removal a difficult and time-consuming process, especially because of the large number of sharp spines. Our maintenance crews work carefully to safely remove fallen cacti and keep the common areas clean and safe for residents.
Recently, it has come to our attention that some residents have reported issues with contractors performing work for them. Door-to-door solicitation is not permitted in SunBird. If a salesperson knocks on your door, rings your doorbell, or leaves a business card or flyer at your property, they are already in violation of SunBird rules.
Before hiring a contractor, please consider the following tips:
* Verify the contractor’s license through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website.
* Obtain bids from at least three different contractors for the project.
* If something sounds too good to be true or is priced significantly lower than other bids, proceed with caution.
* Request references from recent jobs the contractor has completed, preferably within SunBird.
* Contact the homeowners to learn about their experience and, with permission, visit the property to inspect the quality of the work.
* Always have a clear, written, and signed contract that outlines the scope of work, materials to be used, start and completion dates, total project cost, payment schedule, and final inspection process.
* Be cautious about making cash payments.
Please remember that work performed on the exterior of a property—including landscaping, roofing, painting, windows, doors, and similar improvements—requires ACC approval before work begins. If you have any questions, please contact the SunBird office.
We appreciate the hard-working and dedicated employees at SunBird. This time of year, we are especially grateful for our landscape and facility maintenance crews who work outdoors each day in the extreme summer heat while caring for the community’s landscaping, painting, maintenance, and improvement projects. Their work is often physically demanding, dirty, and exhausting, yet they continue to serve our community with professionalism and dedication.
A friendly wave, smile, or simple “thank you” can go a long way in letting them know their efforts are appreciated and valued. SunBird is a great place to live because of its people, and we are fortunate to have employees who work so hard to help make our community the fun place it is.