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So I’m out here in San Diego taking a week or so off as a post-graduation celebration. I’m flipping through iPhoto looking at photos from the past year and realize I how much that I haven’t shared in my blog. This is a fun one…

Late last fall I discovered an unfinished contemporary house near Camelback Mountain near Paradise Valley. I was immediately curious about the home. Based on the weathered construction materials, the house’s exterior looked as if it hadn’t been touched in about a year.

After doing some research, I discovered that the home was in foreclosure and would go up for public auction late in the winter.  It appears as though the property was purchased at the top of the Real Estate bubble and the new owner decided to do an elaborate reconstruction to convert the traditional ranch home into a modern house. My guess is that he got discouraged with each month—he was pouring out tons of money during construction, all the while the housing market was crashing down around him. So he stopped making his payments and walked away. He left behind his half-finished dream. A dream that few people could understand.

Could this be my next house? I explored the property and made note of what was left to be finished. After running the numbers, I knew what price-point I’d have to get the house to make it a sound investment.

I was discouraged the week leading up to the auction when the bank released a very high starting bid for the property. It didn’t make sense for me to go to the auction if the bank was convinced it needed to make that much to make up for their loss.  I expected the home to go up on the block and not get any bids. Then a month later, the bank would adjust the price down and put it up for auction again. Maybe then I could pick it up?

Long story short: someone paid top-dollar for the home. I have no idea how the new owners could possibly finish the project as a strong investment. I wish them the best. Honestly, shortly after the first auction I got caught up in the business of graduate school and other investments. Although the dream never materialized, it was still a lot of fun.

I enjoyed spending snapping photos of cool houses and buildings here in North County San Diego over the past couple of weeks on our Christmas vacation. The first photos in the gallery below are snapped from a book I got from the Encinitas library. (The book is called the Not So Big Remodel, an edition of Sarah Susanka ubiquitous Not So Big series about home design.) The rest of the photos are from residential and commercial buildings I’ve seen around town. What does these buildings have in common? They all make me happy.

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This last photo is epic. I went shopping on December 22. I scored the most awesome parking space. Ever. There are 1000s of cars in this parking lot, and this parking space was closer to Crate and Barrel than the handicap space. I didn’t even know those spaces existed! I was so thankful that I took a photo to commemorate the event.

After Jack’s baptism we stopped by this unexpected find: a Starbucks boat house. This might be one of the most unique Starbucks I’ve ever seen.

Several years ago I spotted a “for sale by owner” sign in front of a cool modern home in Arcadia probably built in the early 1960s. The real estate market was white hot at the time, and I knew the home might get torn down to make room for a palace. This bothered me because the mid-century modern homes are the most visible and livable old homes in Phoenix. I called the homeowner and discovered that the house was in fact built by a well known Arizona architect (Beadle?) many years ago.  I also found out that the home was out of my price range, so if the home would be restored it would have to be done by someone with more money. Within a couple of months the home was sold and a construction fence soon went up.

The photos you are looking at below are of that old home became. It has some styling inspired by the mid-century modern homes, but doesn’t stay confined by the original home’s lines. It’s better looking and more livable than ever. (And now it’s definitely out of my price range.) I’m sharing the photos here on my blog mostly because I like looking at ‘em.

Candyce, Norah, and I spent Sunday in Downtown Phoenix and Central Phoenix. We started the morning at Palatte for breakfast. If you live in the Valley and you haven’t been there–then you are missing out. Great atmosphere, live music, and tasty food. And for what it’s worth, it’s the best place to people watch on a lazy weekend morning.

When I first moved to Phoenix in 2001, I was disappointed that Central Avenue was so boring and undeveloped. What good is a city if it doesn’t have a lively central corridor? Apparently city planners knew this was a problem too, and they cooked up the idea to build a Light Rail to connect Mesa, Tempe, and Phoenix. After four years of construction, the Rail is ready for passengers.

In the big picture, the Light Rail will do more for Phoenix than any of the three cities because it imports a young population of college students to an area of town desperate for residents. This solves the big problem every city faces when trying to revitalize it’s forgotten inner core–convincing people to move there when there’s nothing to do. Nobody wants to live in a place if there are no places to go out to eat or go shopping. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs won’t open up those cool spots if there are not enough residents.  How do you solve the stand-off? Pipe in the pretty, young, and smart from ASU’s Tempe campus. Brilliant!

You don’t have to look far to know that the Light Rail has is making a big difference, even a month before it’s first run. There are countless restaurants, bars, and boutiques that have cropped up along its path, especially along Central Avenue. We had to drive slow just to take it all in.

I never knew Central Phoenix had so many beautiful neighborhoods. You find a lot of the same charm and style of Arcadia. That is, the Arcadia of five years ago. Investors should take note. Not convinced? Postino is opening a second wine bar in the area.

The Roof is On Fire

I love it when a building I hate burns to the ground. Take for instance, 105. E. Roosevelt St. at the corner of 2nd Street in Downtown Phoenix. Before I explain my distaste for the building, take a look at an image from Google street view before the blaze…

A moronic structure that deserved to burn

Why do I despise this building? For one, it’s sitting on a prime corner lot on Roosevelt Row, a fun part of town where you can enjoy concerts, art galleries, and coffee with friends. The building has absolutely no connection to people who stroll through the neighborhood. There is no welcoming landscape, no door, no shade from the desert sun. It’s anti-human.

On the practical side, it is really stupid to have a roof/wall facing south. Those dark brown asphalt shingle tiles absorb every minute of the sun’s heat. My guess is that they have to run the Air Conditioning 10 months out of the year.

The good news is that the building has a habit of catching on fire this year.  Either a vigilante is determined to burn it down, or a disgruntled owner has been dropping matches on his way out of the office with hopes of cashing in on insurance. That’s up to the police to decide. I’m just happy it’s gone.

I’d be even more happy if Macayo’s restaurant on Central burned as well. I know the designer wanted to make it look like a Mayan temple or something, but what we got was a bizarre stairnstep concrete structure that looks like bleachers for a football field. Believe it or not, this image from Google maps actually makes it look better than it does in real life.

Even with dorky buildings from past generations here and there along Central Avenue, Phoenix is still looking good. It’s more livable and lively than its ever been.