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Luxury Real Estate
Frank Aazami’s Featured Listing: Hidden Gem at Hidden Canyon
Written by David M. Brown
Discover the many joys of Southwest desert living at Hidden Canyon in the award-winning Las Sendas community of north Mesa. Should the lower-level flexspace be added, 6,000 square feet of man cave, wet bar, theater, craft room, living room and a lift to drop down your cars from above?
Designed and to be built by Micela Properties, this 9,299-square-foot Modernterranean custom offers exclusivity, gated entry, privacy, luxury finishes and smart home amenities. With the saguaro-rich Tonto National Forest immediately behind it, no one will build between you and the mountains; they are yours to enjoy for as long as you choose.
Luigi Micela’s year-and-a-half site preparation on the 1.12-acre cul-de-sac parcel has created an expansive footprint and an entertainer’s-style layout, beginning with a private drive ascending to a spacious auto courtyard and a four-car garage which is temperature-controlled, overheight and extended length. A guest quarters with a kitchenette and dedicated entrance is here as well. Passing the courtyard water feature and through the foyer, you experience the remainder of this magnificent residence.
The single-level floor plan also has a secluded master retreat, three additional ensuite bedrooms, six bathrooms, exercise and sitting rooms and a lounge. Throughout, walls of glass provide the indoor/outdoor living experience that makes the Arizona desert so desirable to raise a family, entertain and enjoy retirement.
When your home is built, you’ll also have unobstructed city lights views as far as downtown Phoenix from the backyard, which features a negative edge pool and spa, a fully equipped outdoor kitchen with a built-in barbecue and a spiral staircase to a rooftop view deck. If you wish, add a 6,203-square-foot high-ceilinged lower level with a stairway and elevator and another vehicle elevator to a four-car man cave, game room, kitchen, wine cellar and an enclosed patio with direct exterior light from the first level and the roof.
“Luigi has already created a drainage system for the lower level, so if you do choose that option, you will not need a sump pump, which sometimes stops people from adding a basement to a home,” says Frank Aazami, RLSIR Brand Ambassador, principal of the Private Client Group at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Scottsdale. “Everything is in place if you opt to move forward with the additional square footage.”
“The home is designed in a way where the backyard is ultra-private from the both neighbors,” says David Arustamian, associate broker at the Private Client Group. “Additionally the pad is built up higher than both surrounding properties. And, there’s a breeze on the parcel that allows the backyard to be more useable, especially in the summer.”
Aazami adds: “Luigi has built some of the most significant luxury homes in Las Sendas, with the largest square footage and highest level finishes. The attention to quality throughout simply stands out from other builders.”
Micela has completed more than 200 projects in the Phoenix metropolitan area, focusing on homes from 4,000–20,000 square feet priced from $1 million to $15 million, Arustamian adds.
The master suite has a sitting area, two large walk-in closets, and the master bath double sinks, separate toilet rooms a shower and separate tub. The luxury kitchen includes a walk-in butler’s pantry, kitchen island, multiple ovens, built-in microwave, gas cook top and a gas stub for the range, dishwasher and disposal, refrigerator and a reverse osmosis system and soft water loop. Adjacent is a breakfast room and a formal dining area with a water feature in the courtyard.
Included are connections to Salt River Project electricity, Mesa water and sewer, Century Link telephone and internet and Southwest Gas; a gas hookup for the dryer is standard. The dryer and washer are included. The home is pre-wired for surround sound. And, a tankless water heater system will be installed. Additional energy-savings components are dual-pane, low-e windows and multi-zone heating/cooling. Fire sprinklers are also standard. Among the many luxury finishes are marble accents and stone and wood floors.
The lush Sonoran Desert gets cool, even cold, at night. So, the home has two fireplaces, including a two-way between the living room and the patio. A firepit is also included.
“It’s so quiet. You don’t have anyone in their back yard staring at you,” Micela says of the final lot his company owns in Hidden Canyon, the northernmost and most luxurious section of Las Sendas. “I actually designed it for myself, so the home caters to my personal lifestyle. I considered living here.”
Growing up in south Jersey, he learned homebuilding from his dad, who worked in nearby Philadelphia. He has been a Mesa-area resident since 1999, when he studied at, and wrestled for, ASU. “Custom homebuilding can get frustrating, but I love creating stuff and putting ideas together.”
Design/build ensures quality control in all components of the home. “My employees and I are involved in every detail, from layout to design, the finishes, window treatments, even the swimming pool. We are totally hands-on,” he says.
Micela personally oversees all phases required to design and construct his builds, Arustamian explains. “Luigi hand-picked trusted subcontractors, many of which have been working on his team for years on each project. This well-respected team creates your customized woodwork, stone, masonry, landscaping, pool, spas and more with the highest quality of construction.”
Another favorable characteristic of the home is that it flexes with your lifestyle. For instance, to accommodate aging in place, there are no interior steps. And, you control separate parts of the home for air-conditioning and other systems. “If you don’t have the whole family in town, or are empty-nesters, you don’t have to have all of the areas up and running,” he explains. “You can stay in the master’s section and close off the children’s areas or the basement.”
One of the East Valley’s most sought-after communities, Las Sendas offers a variety of community facilities such as a clubhouse/recreation room, tennis courts, community pool and spa, golf course and workout facility. The fine Mesa Unified School District serves the area, with Las Sendas Elementary, Fremont Junior High, Red Mountain High and Eagleridge Enrichment Program. Private schools are nearby. Sky Harbor International Airport and Gateway Airport are also close.
Aazami: “Location on a national forest, exalted luxury and serenity for you, your family and friends: The Hidden Canyon home offers its new owner the best of the great Southwest lifestyle. Come, find the joys.”
This magnificent custom home, 7646 East Hidden Canyon Street, is offered at $6,995,000 for a remarkable $752 per square foot. The builder plans to move forward with the basement option, at an adjusted price, if a buyer of the one-level home is not immediately available.
For more information or to schedule a personal tour, contact Frank Aazami, 480.266.0240, frank@PCGagents.com, PCGagents.com or text “SIRFAAZAMI” to 87778. A mobile download link for your Android, iPhone or iPad is available: Preview global listings anytime, anywhere, in 18 languages at app.sir.com/sirfrankaazami. Also see PrivateClientGroupAGENTS.com.
FEATURED | AZ Foothills Magazine | Rocking D Ranch
Read the publication HERE.
Cionne McCarthy & Frank Aazami’s Featured Listing The Rocking D Ranch, Phoenix: A Thoroughbred for Horses and Cars
By David M. Brown
Rocking D Ranch rocks: an urban ranch estate just two miles from the world-famous Arizona Biltmore Waldorf Astoria.
Featuring superb views of Piestewa Peak and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the luxury equestrian campus occupies five former citrus-grove acres, with six irrigated pastures and two accesses to its highly desirable North Central Avenue community and State Route 51.
“This remarkable property beautifully combines acreage, extensive luxury square footage, serenity, views and a convenient urban setting,” says Frank Aazami, principal of the Private Client Group, Russ Lyon | Sotheby’s International Realty in Scottsdale.
Owned by longtime neighborhood resident and equestrian, Ken Dickey, the secluded horse property comprises two adjacent luxury homes of 6,900 and 3,700 square feet; a 14-stall barn and five covered turn-outs, which can easily become a car barn for as many as 60 collectibles; a 300-foot-by-150-foot ring with synthetic riding surface; and an efficient, economical infrastructure, including three 15,000-gallon underground storage tanks for irrigation and dust control.
“This is a one-of-a kind world-class luxury equestrian estate at a cachet location in the heart of Phoenix,” says Cionne McCarthy, Listing Agent | Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Scottsdale.
“Sequestered in a lesser-known Phoenix enclave but minutes from the famous Waldorf Astoria Biltmore Hotel & golf course, downtown cultural, sporting events and easily accessible to Valley freeways. Shopping is nearby, too, at stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, as are the restaurants of the Camelback Corridor, and it’s uber close to the Sky Harbor International Airport,” she adds. “Rocking D Ranch will provide its new owners with the ultimate equestrian lifestyle in a location that makes it uniquely spectacular.”
Two Luxury Homes
The estate expresses the history, arts and culture of Phoenix, the Southwest and various Native American nations. The Dickey family has lived in the area for more than a half century; Ken grew up in the house three doors away.
In 1950, a federal judge built the main house, where Ken lives; he planted many of the old-growth organic orchard. In the 1980s, a contractor purchased the home and grounds; he and his wife added to and renovated the original square footage and converted the property for horses.
In 2007, Valley arts leader, philanthropist and family matriarch, Alice Josephine ‘AJ’ Fleet Dickey, purchased the ranch. The Texas native had a passion for riding horses and competed as a young woman on the Texas show circuit. That equestrian love continues with Ken and his siblings and Alice’s grandchildren.
She and Ken remodeled and added on to the home and built the adjacent two-bedroom home, where she lived until her unexpected passing last August. These improvements, including the world-class barn, were completed in 2008.
“Everyone in the Valley either knew or knew of Alice Dickey and the great work she did in for our museums and for our arts institutions such as the Heard Museum, the Scottsdale Artists School and the Phoenix Seminary,” says Aazami. “Cionne and I are proud to be representing this distinguished property –– not only because of the extraordinary real estate it is but also because of her family’s legacy to our community.”
The two-level home occupied by Ken has four bedrooms and an attached three-car garage. Outside is a sport court and a motor court for additional cars or those for guests. Upstairs is a north-facing master suite, including a closet with large built-ins and a bathroom suite remodeled two years ago, finished with contemporary-look marble.
On the first level is a home gym, an executive office with a two-way fireplace to the dining room; this opens to a patio/courtyard. The kitchen has upgraded appliances including a gas and electric range, double ovens and a butcher-block island.
Both homes are superbly detailed. In the main house, for example, are thick flagstone kickboards and baseboards and concrete floors. And, the adjacent two-bedroom-plus study home has high ceilings and exposed beams, skylights, clerestory windows and, in the powder room, stained glass reclaimed from the Dickey family’s 1940s house in Houston.
“In my 39 years in luxury real estate, I have rarely seen such attention to the details in these two homes, which beautifully showcase fine furniture and art,” says McCarthy. “They are two estate homes that live like art galleries.”
Both homes, in fact, have displayed many sculptures, artworks and books owned by AJ. Many of these have been promised to the Heard Museum, the nearby world-famous venue dedicated to sustaining the art and culture of indigenous peoples. Some artwork and furniture will be offered on a separate bill, notes Aazami.
Native art was her life; great-grandfather John F. Brown was the last principal chief of the Seminole Nation, Oklahoma. A Heard Museum wing honors her name and dedication as a lifetime Board of Trustees member.
Connecting the homes is an elegant loggia, garden, koi pond, waterfall and meeting space. “My mother often entertained to benefit the Heard and other institutions,” says Ken, “and together the two homes and the courtyard space between them provided diverse spaces for these events.”
Show-Stopping Barn and Grounds
Because of his extensive equestrian knowledge, Ken designed the $1.5-million stables constructed by Bob Hamilton, widely respected for his luxe private horse barns and arenas. “It’s more than equal to any luxury barn in Arizona, and the adjacent arena can host any horse event imaginable,” says McCarthy.
Working that ring daily is Ken’s childhood friend, Lisa Jacquin, two-time Olympian and silver medalist, champion jumper and the youngest person ever inducted into the Jumping Hall of Fame, he explains. She trains and exercises the horses and manages the equestrian operations, which includes horse boarding and grooming. Among the amenities is synthetic ground developed for jumpers, grandfathered arena lighting and water cannons at the corners for dust control.
Also on staff are two caretakers. “Their continuing services could be negotiated with the new owner,” says Ken.
The barn includes five paddocks, with room for an additional 12; tack room; a kitchen/office with bathroom; a feed supply, wash and laundry room; and two matching caretakers’ apartments with kitchenettes and bathrooms.
Among many components are a fly-control system; rubber flooring; misters; Wi-Fi; cameras; automatic shades on the west side; electric heating and cooling; a dedicated commercial-grade fire-suppression system for the barn; concrete bays for gravel storage; solar water heating for the barn. In addition, both houses has been coyote proofed with 10-foot walls. A treadmill and a theraplate (for stimulating equine circulation) are available as separate sales.
Utilities and infrastructure are upgraded.
The property has a 2-inch dedicated water line and a 12-inch irrigation line. Rocking D Ranch carries SRP flood irrigation rights and also has an auto watering system. This provides dust control for the arena, water for horse maintenance and the extensive flora on the property, such as 14 citrus species including fig, key lime and Meyer lemon.
In 2019, the family consolidated new electric service on one meter, rated at 600 amps. A natural-gas-powered emergency generating system is large enough to power the entire property.
“The ranch is large, luxurious and cost-efficient to run for both water and electricity,” McCarthy says. For example, Ken estimates that irrigation water is $800 annually.
Three vehicles are included with the property: a 6410 John Deere tractor with accessory attachments; an electric golf cart; and a solar-powered diesel fuel trailer with 500 gallons of fuel capacity.
The site accommodates all deliveries. ”The largest semi allowed on the road can get all the way into and turn around on the property, front to back,” says Ken.
To further control flies, manure is removed weekly in 60 city of Phoenix garbage cans; this service costs just $5 a month per can to collect.
Finally, other livestock are permitted, including cows and goats.
“Rocking D Ranch is an equestrian’s dream, an extended family’s dream, an entertainer’s dream, a car lover’s dream,” says Aazami. “It’s a luxury ranch estate that’s blue ribbon in anyone’s arena.”
This unique horse/car property is offered at $6,500,000. A virtual tour is at www.tourfactory.com/2789097 and additional images are at http://tfv.co/dp2789097. To arrange a walk-through, contact Frank Aazami and Cionne McCarthy at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Real Estate. McCarthy is at 602.619.4550, Cionne.McCarthy@russlyon.com and Cionne.com. Connect with Aazami, RLSIR Brand Ambassador, 480.266.0240, frank@PCGagents.com, PCGagents.com and text “SIRFAAZAMI” to 87778. Aazami has a new mobile download link for Android, iPhone, or iPad: app.sir.com/sirfrankaazami.
All photos courtesy AZing Imaging
SOLD | North Scottsdale 12 Acre Parcel in Bellasera
Frank Aazami and Chey Castro are thrilled for their Seller’s quick closing on this special and rare 12 acre parcel that was LISTED AND SOLD in 13 days for $1,145,000 on 7/15/19.
Incredible and extremely RARE 12 Acre parcel opportunity in prime North Scottsdale location! This unique parcel is located on a cul-de-sac, and surrounded by NOAS land inside the Guard Gated community of Bellasera, yet is not governed by CC&R’s or HOA, and affords horse privileges. Enjoy vast and completely unobstructed views to the North and the South on this elevated parcel, perched higher than any other residential lot on the mountain. Owned by the same family for over 40 years, this exceptional parcel offers tremendous privacy and Seller claims flat areas to nestle home or a compound. See Motion VIDEO.
Frank Aazami is a MARKET EXPERT in Scottsdale. For a current market snapshot, or if you are interested in calling Scottsdale home, please reach out to Frank at 480-266-0240, or frank@pcgagents.com.
SOLD | Canyon Heights Hilltop Estate
Frank Aazami and Chey Castro are excited to celebrate their client’s closing on their new Canyon Heights residence that closed 7/15/19 for $526/SF.
Your very own hilltop estate. Boasting over 10,000 amazing Sq/Ft of luxury. Perched mountainside on OVER 13 ACRES, this fabulous masterpiece is architecturally stunning. 360 degrees of breathtaking views. Located in the posh gated community of Canyon Heights. This majestic home defines luxury. Featuring lavish amenities including top of the line appliances, library, home theatre, butlers pantry, two laundry rooms, elevator, soaring ceilings attached guest suite, negative edge pool, oversized spa and separate 1,350 SqFt guest house. Imagine crossing over a desert wash via a suspended window lined walkway to enter the luxurious master suite complete w/exercise room, sauna, jetted tub, his & hers water closets w/ bidet, & much more!Private security gate at both entrance of community and home.
Frank Aazami is a Market Expert in Scottsdale and Canyon Heights. If you are curious for a current market snapshot, or would like to call Scottsdale home, please contact Frank at 480-266-0240, or frank@pcgagents.com
FEATURED | Phoenix Magazine THE GREAT 48! | May 2019
Our very own Frank Aazami was nominated and carefully selected and featured in the May 2019 edition of Phoenix Magazine as one of the most influential people living in the Valley today. Check out the feature and full article HERE.
THE SELLER
Frank Aazami, 52
REAL ESTATE AGENT, RUSS LYON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
You might be surprised to learn that Dignity Health’s “Human Kindness” marketing campaign moves Frank Aazami to tears. Why? Because Aazami is a stone-cold seller, brokering multimillion-dollar real estate deals for lunch. (In fact, in 2018 his team at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s sold the most expensive home listed on MLS in Arizona real estate history: $17.5 million, if you’re wondering). But that keen business acumen also happens to be wielded by a genuinely nice guy, local insiders agree, and Aazami says his out-of-the-box approach to buying and selling homes is firmly rooted in empathy. “I ask my clients a lot of questions,” he says. “I listen. I try to understand all of the moving parts in their world. And then I become an expert in the client’s needs. How do you be a doctor for the doctors, or a writer for the writers?”
FUN FACT
Speaks a bit of German and Farsi.
FEATURED | Financial Times May 18, 2019
To view these featured residences, please visit their domains. For more information, or to schedule a showing, please contact Frank Aazami at 480-266-0240, frank@pcgagents.com
Inman Article | Generational Wealth: Building Perennial Relationships
Generational wealth: how to become your client’s long-term partner
Building client connections that span family networks
No transaction in luxury real estate stands alone; every home purchase happens in the middle of a network that yields new opportunities. High-net-worth clients are likely to purchase and sell multiple properties, and their wealth is typically shared among immediate and extended family. Real estate professionals have the opportunity to engage with all of these stakeholders when working with a client throughout the years.
Frank Aazami, Founder of the Private Client Group at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, has experienced this long-term network firsthand. “Everything that we’re working on today is from what we had seeded years ago,” he explains. “Ten years ago, we worked with a family that was still growing. Now, the parents are empty nesters. We’re finding them a condo, and helping their kids purchase their first homes.”
The best way to ensure the prosperity and longevity of your business is to build connections that last a lifetime — or several lifetimes. But what exactly goes into making those generational relationships? Here are Aazami’s top three suggestions.
1. Establish the full picture and address it with expertise
Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Real estate entails so much more than purchasing a home. “It’s all about the investment,” says Aazami. Clients want to know that their investments are protected, and professional assistance throughout the process can provide peace of mind and asset security.
Be purposeful in learning everything you need to know: about your clients’ desires, their portfolio, and the wider real estate landscape. “If someone is hiring me for a service, I want to make sure I do that service well; and I can’t do it unless I understand the entire scope of their finances, their timelines, their likes, their lifestyle. All of it,” says Aazami. “That’s how I built my business — by just asking a lot more questions. I became an advisor, not a real estate agent.”
2. Propose creative solutions
Aazami established his credibility early on by becoming a problem-solver. “It was an agent referral that got me into the business and kept me in business. I would find multiple ways to make a deal work.”
Aazami had a client who was considering building a dream house on a lot that he owned but was reluctant to start because of the time and costs involved. Aazami took a holistic look at the client’s assets, funds, and future aspirations. He found an investor who would be interested in buying the client’s property, and who already owned a spec home similar to the one his client hoped to build. The investor happily purchased the lot, paying the balance in cash, and the client bought the spec home — living in an ideal $2.5 million dollar property when his original budget had been $1.5 million.
“Real estate agents take a listing, and they talk about the size, the features, the selling price,” says Aazami. “For me, it’s more than that. It’s understanding a client’s entire portfolio, their assets, what they want, and what they can afford, and using all that information to create something unexpected and wonderful for them.”
Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Affluent clients may not be in the market for a new confidant, but they do need someone with whom they can be comfortable sharing deeply personal information. Real estate agents for high-net-worth-clients need to be tactful in striking this balance, cultivating trust without crossing boundaries.
“Your perspective about every topic matters,” Aazami cautions. “Keep it as professional as possible, tailored to what you’re hired to do. Clients will be watching you along the way — everything you say, everything you do — especially now online, where all of it is transparent.”
Privacy and discretion are always critical with clients, and this is no less true for agents that navigate the relationship between parents and children. When it comes to partnering with a family long-term, Aazami is respectful of his client’s wishes regarding how much information they want to share with their children at any given point in their real estate journey. “We keep discussions as private as possible,” he says.
But as properties are gifted from one generation to the next, or passed along through a will, knowing the whole family is helpful. If you are the parents’ trusted advisor, it’s more likely the children will trust you too.
“This is something I just experienced recently. The family’s children were never in any of the meetings, but they saw me in and out with their parents. Then, later on, they came to me when it was time to talk about how money gets dispersed, where properties go, who’s in charge.” This well-deserved trust forms the foundations for long-term partnerships.
As a knowledgeable, present problem-solver, you can ensure that your partnerships with your clients are perennial. When they or their loved ones need an expert they can count on, they’ll naturally turn to you.
Frank Aazami
Frank Aazami is an entrepreneur with a proven ability in planning, negotiating, and growing investments. He is a member of the National Association of REALTORS© and Founder of the Private Client Group at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, which has navigated over a billion dollars’ worth of real estate sales in Arizona. Managing assets with pride by providing professionalism, market knowledge, quality print to web marketing has become the group’s primary passion. Aazami has earned the faith and trust of his clients and associates from around through the test of time. www.PCGSIR.com | 480-266-0240, frank@PCGAgents.com
About Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby’s auction house. Today, the company’s global footprint spans 990 offices located in 72 countries and territories worldwide, including 43 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby’s International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.
The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby’s International Realty Inc., both fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
