Paradise Valley, AZ

The first home of its kind in Arizona to feature a so-called car bar — a car elevator leading to a basement car showroom, theater and bar — has sold for $5.1 million.

Scottsdale-based Cullum Homes built the home at 5641 E. Lincoln Drive in Paradise Valley in 2015 as a model home for a luxury lock-and-leave community he was developing called The Village at Mountain Shadows.

Because it was a model home, it also is the only home of the 40 single-family detached homes in the community that has a private gate to the community pool, said Scott Grigg of The Grigg's Group at Realty Executives who is exclusive agent for Cullum Homes.

According to records on file with the Maricopa County Assessor's Office, Cullum Homes sold that model home in 2018 to Martin and Joy White, a couple from Warren, Ohio.

They paid $3.6 million for the 6,306-square-foot home in September 2018, according to public records.

The malpractice attorney and his wife bought the model home completely furnished, Grigg said.

"His plan was to retire and spend his winters here in Arizona," Grigg said. "He continued to work. He was not using the home as much as he would have liked to. With the current market right now and lack of inventory, he saw it as a good time to get the home sold."

Click through the photo gallery below to see inside and outside the home:

Lisa Goldman at Launch Real Estate recently brought a buyer to the table, and the home was sold within 30 days off market, Grigg said.

"A lot of us top luxury brokers are networking with each other to really find properties that fit for our clients," Grigg said. "A lot of deals are made off market — private sales and word of mouth."

Rod Cullum, founder and CEO of Cullum Homes, said he also built another home with a car bar basement at The Village at Mountain Shadows.

"The car elevator goes down, and he has a Ferrari down in the basement," Cullum said. "But he has a wine cellar with the car sitting in the middle of the wine cellar."

He also built a car bar for one of his 33 custom golf estates he's building at Seven Desert Mountain in north Scottsdale for someone in the Nascar truck racing business.

"He has his championship trucks in his basement as he golfs and watches his TV," Cullum said.

Cullum has two more car bars in the works at The Phoenician, where he's building 51 luxury custom homes.

Cullum said he first introduced the car bar to set a new tone for the lock-and-leave lifestyle in Paradise Valley.

"People are willing to downsize; they're just not willing to give up their toys," Cullum said. "So we thought, what's going to be the pushback on the market? It's just having the lock-and-leave low maintenance — not a lot of yard work — yet still have room for toys and theaters and entertaining."

He started looking into the best way to achieve this concept.

"In this case, it was to put in a garage basement where you can display your cars, enjoy the party, have the theater and look over at your Bugatti or Ferrari," Cullum said.

These basement rooms also can be used for indoor golf centers, trophy rooms, and hobby rooms, Cullum said.

"The high end market supply is as low as it's ever been in my 37-year career," he said. "But it's being redefined."

These luxury homes that are getting traction from buyers are those that are estate homes or lock-and-leave homes that have special lifestyle features like car bars or indoor golf centers.

"We're building about 15 of these types of homes at a time," he said. "But it takes 1.5 to 2 years to get them done and put them on the market."

The build-to-suit market is very strong right now, Cullum said.

"We have to allocate our capacity," he said. "We have about 48 homes under construction right now. About half of those are sold and the other half are being built to sell."

His most expensive home will be a $75 million home to be built on 2.2 acres in Paradise Valley.

A 20,000-square-foot basement will include a bowling alley, indoor shooting range, golf simulator, casino room, recording studio and a movie theater with metaverse room. A 16,000-gallon, two-story aquarium will draw light into the basement.

PARADISE VALLEY, Arizona — A Paradise Valley city court said a driver that was caught speeding on a red light camera didn't show up at court and now has an arrest warrant.

The misdemeanor complaint form obtained by 12News says Robert Orona was recorded on the red light camera driving at 120 mph in Paradise Valley. The camera was located at Lincoln Drive and Tatum Boulevard.

The complaint alleges Orona broke reckless driving and excessive speed laws.

A summons for Orona was issued at the end of January for a Feb. 21 court date. The court says Orona did not show up and that is when the arrest warrant was issued.

Data from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that roadway fatalities have been gradually rising in Arizona over the last decade:

ADOT offers driving tips on its website to help keep people safe on the road.

"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.

ADOT's suggestions include:

Find more tips on the department's Driving Safety Homepage on ADOT's website here.

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said.

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Scottsdale-based luxury home developer, Silver Sky Development, is moving forward with plans for its new custom-home enclave, Silver Sky, in Paradise Valley at the base of Mummy Mountain.

The Silver Sky development, a 17-acre community that will feature 12 custom estate homes, was unanimously approved by the Town of Paradise Valley Planning Commission and will soon be presented to the town council for final consideration.

“We appreciate the town and neighbors for considering what we genuinely believe will become a treasured landmark in the fabric of this incredible and highly desirable community,” said Gordon Berry of Silver Sky Development.

“Staying true to the integrity of the land was foremost in our minds as we worked diligently to create an iconic destination with our goal of making the special Town of Paradise Valley proud.”

Silver Sky Development has also named its real estate team founding partners at RETSY - Forbes Global Properties: Chris Morrison, Shawna Warner, Babbi Gabel and Kirk Linehan.

“RETSY - Forbes Global Properties is excited to leverage Forbes’ global reach to introduce discerning buyers and real estate enthusiasts to Silver Sky’s innovative collection of showcase homes, as well as assist those who wish to create their own,” Morrison said.

The development area, nestled against Mummy Mountain on Coconino Road and Mockingbird Lane, offering views of the McDowells and Four Peaks, was once owned by the legendary Cheney “ranch” family and has sat untouched for more than 85 years.

Berry said the name “Silver Sky” is an ode to the amazing sunsets that can be seen from the mountain.

“Seeing the majestic mountain views and breathtaking sunsets, we can only imagine how Merle Cheney, the original landowner, must have felt on first site,” Berry said. “Bringing this special place to a select few to build their legacy is a promise we do not take lightly.”

If the project is approved by town council, Berry added that it will be built by “the most well-curated collection of hand picked award winning and world class architects, designers and builders of signature residences.”

For more information on Silver Sky, email info@silverskypv.com, call RETSY - Forbes Global Properties at 480-269-0210 or visit silverskypv.com.

After four years as Paradise Valley town manager, Jill Keimach has announced her plans to retire, effective May 12.

The Town Council was notified of her decision in mid-January, according to a press release. Keimach announced the departure publicly on Feb. 10.

“Jill has been a tremendous asset for our town, the town staff and for council in the face of some incredible challenges. Her guidance and strong leadership have benefited every member of our community,” said Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner in a prepared statement. “She has faced every obstacle head on, and, with a collaborative approach and great skill, humility and integrity, and has made the town a better place across the board for all our benefit. We are so grateful that Jill remains as committed as ever to the town, and with the time she has provided for a new hire and her work to ensure a successful and smooth transition, our town will go from strength to strength.”

Under Keimach’s leadership the town weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiated many key agreements benefiting the town, and worked on the issue of short-term rentals in Paradise Valley among other issues and challenges.

Keimach joined the Town of Paradise Valley in May 2019 as the town manager and has been responsible for working with staff to implement the policies adopted by the mayor and council. She also has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of all departments and staff within the town.

She joined Paradise Valley after serving as the city manager of both Alameda, California, and Moraga, California. Prior to that, she was the community development director for both Fremont, California, and El Cerrito, California.

“We have been incredibly privileged to have Jill’s guidance and expertise for the last four years,” said Vice Mayor Scott Moore in a prepared statement.

“Her contributions, often behind the scene, have helped to preserve the character and charm of our town. Jill’s calm demeanor and deep knowledge of the issues will be hard to replace.”

The town will be recruiting for a permanent town manager, and Keimach will continue working on specific projects for the town on a part-time basis.

“I have felt so privileged to have worked with such a supportive and impressive mayor and council and exceptional town staff. I will forever cherish my time in Paradise Valley and with the council’s full support, I am excited about continuing to assist Paradise Valley however needed in the future,” said Keimach. “This town has a wonderful future ahead. We have been able to enhance our organizational professionalism while also retaining the town’s character and beautiful aesthetic — and that is a great foundation to build on.”

Keimach has a master’s degree in city planning and bachelor's of architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. She is also a member of the International City/County Managers Association, American Institute of Certified Planners, and the American Institute of Architects.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

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Homeowners of luxury estates at The Palmeraie in Paradise Valley are frustrated with the stop-and-go construction pace of their new homes.

Construction is again on pause for the $2 billion, 122-acre luxury master-planned community — which includes the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley resort — because Five Star Development is entering the final phase of financing for the project.

"The lender transition process includes a short-term pause of the work to allow a clean transition," said Richard Frazee, director of construction at Five Star Development. "The lender will announce the loan closing within the next two weeks and then construction activity will resume."

But homeowners — who declined to comment for this article for fear of retribution — say construction has stalled too many times since they bought their properties several years ago when Five Star Development launched home sales. Many of them have been renting apartments, waiting for construction to be completed.

Construction is nearing completion for the first group of the 80 Ritz-Carlton Villas, and will be ready for occupancy starting this spring, Frazee said. Those condominiums are fully sold out except for one, which is priced at $6.1 million.

The Ritz-Carlton Estate Homes are under construction with more than half of the 32 single-family homes sold, Frazee said, with the first homes expected to be completed later this year. Available homes are priced from the high $8 millions.

Click through the gallery for a look at architectural renderings of the estate homes, villas and hotel:

Meanwhile, Frazee said he expects the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley resort to open by the end of the year. Group businesses have begun booking at the resort, while leisure bookings are expected to commence within the next few months.

He said the shopping and dining portion of the project is currently in the design board review approval process by the town of Paradise Valley and the city of Scottsdale.

Rome-based Fendi Private Residences also will begin sales this year for a boutique collection of 41 luxury condos averaging 3,500 square feet on the Scottsdale side of The Palmeraie.

The Palmeraie project had been plagued by nearly a year of litigation with the town of Paradise Valley regarding who was responsible for infrastructure costs. But they reached a settlement agreement in June 2021.

The litigation and the Covid-19 pandemic held up construction over the past few years, and F. Roberts Construction is the third general contractor named to lead construction of The Palmeraie.

The Business Journal visited the construction site in summer 2020. Click through the gallery below to see images.