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The first build-to-rent (BTR) community approved in town, Pillar at Fountain Hills, previously known as The Havenly Fountain Hills, sold in February for $68.3 million with the intention of freeing up resources to build similar projects around Arizona and beyond.

Sold by the Scottsdale-based home builder, Keystone Homes, the 147-unit, single-family, detached home community behind the Bashas’ shopping center is now owned and managed by Washington-based real estate company, Private Portfolio Group, under the brand Pillar Communities.

When the transaction closed, monthly rental rates at The Havenly Fountain Hills ranged from $2,090 for a 722-square-foot, one-bedroom unit to $3,570 for a 1,612-square-foot, three-bedroom unit, according to reporting by Angela Gonzales of the Phoenix Business Journal. The luxury rental community was 92% occupied at the time of the sale.

The Havenly Fountain Hills was Keystone’s first BTR project and Fountain Hills presented an optimal location for the first-of-its-kind luxury community.

“Our desire was a quality project offering beautiful homes, a sense of community within it and connection to the area, that would be well received by the local community as well as future residents,” Keystone’s Marketing Manager, Gena Zestrijan said. “The town was terrific to work with, they were open-minded and supportive of what our vision was.”

According to Zestrijan, there was quite a bit of interest in the ownership of the year-old BTR community and Keystone was pleased to choose Private Portfolio Group as the new owners, “as they seem to view their residents like we do, not just customers,” Zestrijan added. “They have a long view on ownership and management with 5-10 year run and they show a great, long-standing record in the industry.”

Breaking ground

Keystone’s goal of selling the community was to free up financial and physical capital for other Havenly Communities under development in Gilbert, Apache Junction, Prescott and Santa Fe, N.M., Keystone’s first project outside of Arizona.

The BTR community was previously managed by Global Real Estate Service Firm, Cushman & Wakefield. Once the sale was finalized, Pillar Communities took over both ownership and property management of the community.

Remington Thorn is the current community manager at Pillar Fountain Hills who provided hard-hat tours during the nascent stage of Havenly. Previously employed by Cushman & Wakefield, Thorn and Assistant Manager, Joyce Corley were both acquired and promoted by Pillar Communities through the sale of Havenly.

As of Friday, March 24, new messaging has gone out across social media notifying current and potential residents of the new ownership.

Resort lifestyle

When Christine Daryll Leonor was looking for housing in the spring of 2022, she was not ready to purchase a home. She toured Havenly and was drawn to its safe atmosphere and upgraded rental experience.

Leonor moved into Havenly on April 8, 2022, initially leasing a one-bedroom unit, but with her family moving into town, she decided to transition into a three-bedroom unit last month.

“I like the fact that there is no one living below or on top of me,” she said. “I like how it’s built like a home.”

Leonor enjoys living in the quiet community and walking her two-year-old Siberian Husky named Nala.

If the community ever offers an option to purchase, Leonor said given the location and amenities, she will be first in line to buy.

“Nala loves it because there’s a lot of space to walk around and go bananas,” she said.

According to the National Apartment Association, the Greater Phoenix market leads the nation in the number of BTR homes, encompassing more than 6,400 units in 2022. Zestrijan of Keystone Homes says Fountain Hills is special to the company because it is the location of its first BTR project since the company was established in 1989.

“Fountain Hills will always hold a bright spot in our hearts,” Zestrijan said.

Now in its third year, The long-awaited Fountain Hills Peach Market returns to Fountain Hills this month. The market begins on Saturday, Aug. 26, and runs for six consecutive weeks, ending Saturday, Sept. 30. The hours are from 8 to 11:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the local Tractor Supply, 17130 E. Shea Blvd.

According to the Peach Market Coordinator, Betsy Hess, the peaches come from farms in the mountains of Utah and are picked ripened off the tree.

“Peaches are a favorite fruit for many people because of the versatility of the fruit,” Hess said. “Not only can you eat it immediately, but so many love to can and freeze them. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to use peaches like peach pies, cobblers, danishes, jams and peach cakes. Or use your over-ripe peaches for frozen smoothies and ice cream. Cooked peaches also make a great companion for more savory dishes, especially when they’re combined with chicken or pork.”

A peachy summer

During the six weeks, a variety of peaches will be available for purchase at the Peach Market, all of which are sweet and freestone (fruit that falls right off the pit).

Weeks one and two (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2) will feature July Flame Peaches, a medium yellow fruit good for eating, canning and freezing.

Week three (Sept. 9) will feature July Flame and Diamond Princess Peaches, the latter of which is a red peach, good for canning.

Week four (Sept. 16) will feature Angelus Peaches and Lemon Alberta Peaches. According to Hess, the Angelus Peach is the sweetest peach. They are large, lighter in color and great for eating and canning, whereas Lemon Alberta Peaches are used mainly for canning and freezing because of their lighter skin.

Week five (Sept. 23) will feature Angelus Peaches and Summer Lady Peaches. Summer Ladies are a medium-red peach also good for eating and canning.

Week six (Sept. 30) will feature O’Henry Peaches, a large, dark purple or pale orange peach, great for eating, canning and freezing.

Along with peaches, there will be Beefsteak and Roma tomatoes for sale each week. During the month of September, pears and a variety of other fruit will be available for purchase.

Vendor list

A total of 17 vendors will join the Fountain Hills Peach Market. These include Noble Bread, Desirable Desserts, Paws Choose Us, Prickly Pear Teas, Wiki-licious Donuts, High Heels & Vegetable Peels, The Tamale Store, The Candy Queen, Sahara Turkish Coffee, Avocado Products, Black Orchard Farms, Mobile Mini Pizzeria. MT9 Ranch, Earth Sugar, Paris Rendez Vous, Sweet Trends, North Star Halibut and Cookie Karma.

Food Trucks will offer breakfast and lunch each week.

As a special event on Saturday, Sept 23, Children’s Entrepreneur Market will present local children who will show off and sell their wares and talents through experiential learning. A total of 30 “kidpreneurs” will sell their own products and the community is invited to come out and show their support.

Hess encourages shoppers to bring their recycled bags to the Fountain Hills Peach Market and empty egg cartons to MT9 Ranch. For questions or more information, call or text Betsy Hess at 480-227-6113 or Tractor Supply at 480-837-2060. For more information about the Children’s Entrepreneur Market, visit childrensentrepreneurmarket.com.

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28

Where: Fountain Park, 12925 N. Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills

More Information: balletaz.org

Fountain Park12925 N. Saguaro Blvd.Fountain Hills, AZ View larger map

Special to Independent Newsmedia

Ballet Arizona’s annual Ballet Under the Stars performances, presented by the Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation, is returning to Fountain Hills.

The series appears at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 at Fountain Park, 12925 N. Saguaro Blvd.

Stops also include Glendale, Goodyear and Phoenix.

Guests can bring chairs, blankets and picnics to experience the beauty of dance in outdoor parks across the Valley. The evening features a fully-staged live performance by the professional company dancers of Ballet Arizona, including Juan Gabriel’s “Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez” and George Balanchine’s “The Four Temperaments.”

“We are thrilled to kick off our 38th season with Ballet Under the Stars,” Artistic Director Ib Andersen shared in a news release. “This beloved annual tradition helps us give back to the Arizona community with a unique outdoor experience allowing friends and families to be immersed in the world of ballet.”

Productions include a professional stage, lighting and costumes. Indulge in local food trucks with space for picnicking.

Ballet Under the Stars also showcases premiere performances choreographed by local school students through the Class Act program. Each year, Ballet Arizona’s professional dancers provide a three-week dance training class for students in four different elementary schools across the Valley. The culminating highlight of their work is delivered as a performance as part of Ballet Under the Stars.

This educational program is provided to students tuition free and is funded by Joan Benjamin and Laurence Cherkis.

Ballet Under the Stars would not be possible without community sponsors including The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation, the city of Phoenix Office of Arts + Culture, town of Fountain Hills, city of Glendale, Stoker Ostler, APS, Grand Canyon University, Estrella, Sticker Mule and Desert Diamond Casino.

Fountain Hills is recognized nationally as a desirable location for winter visitors, much like the neighboring communities of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. Many visitors come for the weather and beautiful surroundings. Others may come for the vicinity of world-class golf courses and seasonal events like Spring Training, Waste Management Open, or other major sporting events that the Phoenix metro often hosts. Thanks mainly to the short-term lodging market, the community has experienced substantial growth due to the increased use of online hosting platforms.

The Town of Fountain Hills has adopted new regulations to protect neighborhood investments, housing values, and community safety. The updated rules go into effect on Feb. 1, 2023. For information and resources on the steps needed to comply with rental home property ownership, go on the Town of Foutain Hills website at www.fountainhillsaz.gov/Rentals.

The goal of the updated regulations is to ensure that property owners are: responsible for their property and tenants to protect the quiet enjoyment of our neighborhoods; reduce impacts on neighbors; make visitor stays pleasant for guests and neighbors alike; decrease or eliminate unruly behavior, and support the responsive hosts and property owners.

The ordinance generally describes and defines definitions and processes for property owners. These include permit requirements, emergency contact information, prohibited uses, neighborhood notification before the rental of a unit/home, advertising requirements, posting on the property, insurance, background checks, permit suspension, enhanced penalties, appeal process, judicial relief, and severability. Additionally, there is a provision to allow the Town to inspect properties to ensure compliance with the ordinance or any provision of Town building, fire, or zoning codes.

The Arizona Department of Revenue administers the transaction privilege tax for the Town of Fountain Hills; property owners must report and pay their Town of Fountain Hills transaction privilege tax to the Department of Revenue. Taxes can be included in the overall price or charged to the renter as a separate line item. If a property management company is being used, the property owner still needs to file their tax license with the Department of Revenue.

All rental properties are subject to tax regardless of the number of rental units owned. Property owners must be licensed and pay tax if leasing or renting real property located within the Town of Fountain Hills. In addition, all residential properties used as a rental in the Town of Fountain Hills must be registered with Maricopa County at https://preview.mcassessor.maricopa.gov/page/residential_property/forms as a rental.

The Town of Fountain Hills is interested in pursuing all rental properties for compliance. The Town will gladly research the location and verify all tax and licensing requirements are met. To report a rental property for licensing compliance, please email the Town at [email protected].

In addition to the standard 2.9% tax, residential rentals of less than 30 days are subject to an additional 4% transient tax (Hotel/Motel Classification) for the Town and 7.27% for the County. “Transient” means any person who, for any period less than thirty (30) consecutive days, either at their own expense or at the expense of another obtains lodging or uses any lodging space for which a charge is made on accommodation or use of lodging space.

July 26, 2023

Experience AZ

According to the 2023 Summer Stargazing Index, Arizona is home to six of the 17 best stargazing destinations in the U.S.

Fountain Hills is a community proud of its iconic fountain, beautiful scenery, and small-town charm and for being recognized as the world's 17th International Dark Sky Community. Now, the community can celebrate being one of the Top 20 Stargazing Destinations in the country.

DEEPER DIVE: 15 must-see places for an Arizona road trip

HomeToGo, an online vacation rental marketplace, released its 2023 Summer Stargazing Index, which ranked the top 17 stargazing destinations in the U.S. Fountain Hills is number 16 on the list.

"Fountain Hills continues to be recognized as one of the very best places on this planet to gaze up at the others!" said Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey.

To come up with the ranking, HomeToGo analyzed various factors, including average cloud cover and population density, to indicate how secluded an area is and the accessibility of affordable accommodations. Additionally, it even considered and evaluated many different International Dark Sky Places (IDSP), which are considered top spots for stargazing thanks to their low light pollution.

Take a look at the complete ranking of the top U.S. destinations for stargazing:

1. Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado2. Dripping Springs, Arizona3. Harmony, Florida4. Flagstaff, Arizona5. Sedona, Arizona6 (tied). Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation, Arizona6 (tied). Beverly Shores, Indiana8. Fort Davis, Texas9. Dripping Springs-Wimberley, Texas10. Torrey, Utah11. Horseshoe Bay, Texas12. Lost Creek, Texas13. Borrego Springs, California14. Village of Oak Creek, Arizona15. Homer Glen, Illinois16. Fountain Hills, Arizona17. Ketchum, Idaho

"It’s great, and well-deserved, to have Fountain Hills be recognized as one of the top star gazing locations on the planet,” said Joe Bill, President, International Dark Sky Discovery Center. “As a dark sky oasis in the Valley of the Sun and the Town’s prestigious designation as the 17th International Dark Sky Community in the world, Fountain HIlls is the perfect location for the planned, nonprofit 23,000 sq. ft. International Dark Sky Discovery Center."

To learn more about Fountain Hills dark skies, visit www.fhdarksky.com and check out the planned International Dark Sky Discovery Center at www.darkskycenter.org.