At Home In Scottsdale

Want to know what several of the local real estate experts have to say about our current market?

Today’s article at AZCentral.com, 3 experts sift through rubble of Valley market for signs of life, gives some insights, and shows that there’s not any one clear answer.  I think it’s worth the time to read, whether you are considering making a move, or not.

A couple of the quotes that confirm what I’m seeing:

Jay Butler: There’s no such thing as a national housing market. There’s no such thing as a Maricopa County housing market. It’s really what’s happening in your neighborhood. Some neighborhoods are holding up. There’s very little turnover, and people are very happy. . . . In others, you’re going to get foreclosures and sellers cutting prices to get out.

… and

R.L. Brown: It’s the best time to buy a house that we’ve seen in at least the last three years. Decide where you want to live, and then start focusing on that neighborhood. When you see the “for sale” signs start disappearing, it’s a clue that the area is in the process of recovery. Then prices in that neighborhood have probably bottomed out, and you’d better make your move.

My experience over that past three months is showing that some sellers are very in tuned to the market.  I had two listing appointments Saturday morning and in both cases, the owners were very close to where my analysis showed that a suggested listing price would be. 

However, other sellers still have a presumption that their house is better than any other in the neighborhood.  I represented a buyer last week, who walked away from a home purchase negotiation, because the non-local seller just did not see that her home was overpriced by 10%.  This buyer was savvy as to the market, nervous about buying in today’s market, but in a situation where it was the right time for her to make a purchase…. as long as she didn’t overpay.

The interview definitely covers a lot more ground, in regards to credit, recession, and remodeling. I do suggest at least scanning if you have any interest in our local real estate market.

Other related reading:

Experts Weigh in on Housing Market

Phoenix Real Estate: What do the numbers say?

McCormick Parkway Communities - Market Report 

This has been one of those weeks where I’ve had so much to write about in the world around me, that I feel like I’ve neglected to share much what’s going on in the world of Scottsdale real estate. 

I have a half written post on what constitutes a low-ball offer in today’s market.  I’m waiting for the Altos updates which come out tomorrow.  I am adding another assistant to my team, and I’ll have more to post on that soon, so I can introduce you to her. 

What has been most on my mind this week after taking care of my active clients and potential clients, is testing our new Flex Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  Those of us who have offered to test the system are working double time, setting up our Buyer Reports (home listing reports,) and completing our Comparative Market Analysis (CMA’s) twice, in both our existing and the new system, and then comparing for discrepancies.  It’s an exciting time, and we are very ready to have our new tool in place to help our real estate clients better, faster, and more completely. 

Sample search with our new system where I can identify an area on a map, such as above, where the blue area highlights McCormick Ranch north of Via de Ventura and south of Mountain View, east of Hayden and west of Pima.

So the answer is a definitive “No”.  I’ve not forgotten about Scottsdale real estate, not at all!   It’s just that in real estate (and blogging) much of the work takes place behind the scenes.  The good news is that often this background work serves to make me a better Realtor, so I can provide you better service.

My mom continues to inspire me.  She’ll be 80 next year, and she’s already told me that she wants a big party, something that she’s not every had.  She raised seven children, mostly as a single mother.  Times were tight, so I learned the value of the dollar.  She went back to graduate school and spent a year in an internship to increase her income, and I learned the value of education.  She retired and became a full-time volunteer, reading at the Center for the Blind and Dyslexic and being very active in her church.  Now, she travels a little bit more and reads to her heart’s content.  She’s stopped driving cross country and climbing up on her roof.

Mom, you taught me the importance of family, the value of hard work, and how to contribute to making the world a better place.  Thank you.

And now that I’m a mother, I see that it’s the toughest job I’ve ever had.  My son has taught me more about patience and responsibility that I thought possible.  His special needs have forced me to be present with him in the moment, and to be strategic in helping him to be as independent as possible as he grows.  I asked my mom once about when she stopped worrying about her children, and she told me, “It never goes away.  You always want the best for your kids.” 

Me, too.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Free summer concerts resume this Sunday evening, May 11th, at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, on the southeast corner of Indian Bend and Scottsdale Roads.  Concerts run every Sunday, through mid-July, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.  You’ll want to bring a blanket or chair.

The Line-up:

May 11: Raun Alosi and 60 North (A mix of soul, R&B, classic rock and pop)
May 18: Groove Merchants (Big City sound with hot horn section)
May 25: Mogollon (High energy country)
June 1: The Hamptons (Early Rock n’ Roll to today’s hits)
June 8: Rock Lobster (Retro 80’s)
June 15: Furious George (Current rock tunes with classics)
June 22: North (Mix of Classic rock and contemporary hits)
June 29: Affinity (Party/Swing/Variety)
July 6: CC Rider Express (Retro 80’s)
July 13: Aaron Nelson Project (Variety Pop Rock)

I was down at the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS® yesterday taking a Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) class, and stumbled across this info.

Did you know that the Scottsdale Area has…

• 200+ Golf Courses
• 125 Art Galleries
• 600+ Restaurants
• 67 Resorts & Hotels
• 25+ Day Spas
• 58 Miles of Bike Paths
• 330 Days of Sunshine Annually
• Miles of Equestrian Trails

To find out more about Scottsdale, you can visit:

Downtown Scottsdale

Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Scottsdale Golf

Or, you can contact me.  If you’re thinking about visiting the area, I’ll send you a Visitor’s Guide.  And, if you’re thinking about moving to Scottsdale, I can send you one of my complementary Relocation Packages.  Just drop me a line and let me know.

My mom was always organizing some big family event for Mother’s Day.  She didn’t want to lay around and be pampered.  She wanted to create another family memory, and the zoo was one of the destinations that seemed to make most of the kids happy.  With seven children, she preferred as little dissension among the ranks as possible, and for the cost to be affordable. 

This year Basha’s is sponsoring an extra little treat for the mom in your life.

May is for Moms at the Phoenix Zoo!

Bashas’ Mother’s Day at the Zoo May 11, 2008 Treat mom to a WILD Mother’s Day - moms get in FREE all day with one paid child admission! Plus, for the first 500 guests, enjoy Bashas’ complimentary continental breakfast in the Stone House Pavilion. Buffet opens at 9 a.m., however, quantities are limited so come early. Moms will also receive a flower while supplies last. Free admission lasts all day during regular Zoo hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. One free mom admission with one paid child admission. Click here to learn more.

The Phoenix METRO Light Rail project is rapidly becoming a reality, and we are all waiting to see just how successful it will be.  I have a client working on the project who shared this photo of the special lighting installed on the Tempe Town Lake bridge that will only light up as the train passes over the bridge.

Pretty cool!

WARNING:  Mother’s Day Gift Idea

photo credit: loosepunctuation

I use Google Alerts to keep track of happenings around Scottsdale, mostly about real estate, but in the past 24 hours, it seems that all the buzz is about the new Sprinkles Cupcakes that is opening up on the northeast corner of Camelback and Scottsdale Roads TODAY.

The announcement: 

Sprinkles Cupcakes Opens Tomorrow 

A review:

I just gorged on Sprinkles cupcakes

And did you know that people even blog about cupcakes:

Cupcakes Take the Cake

More than 52 Cupcakes

(If you’ve never visited a food blog, beware, the photos can create instant cravings.)

REMEMBER: Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 11th. 

Location: 4501 N. Scottsdale Road

Hours:  Monday-Saturday 9-7  Sunday 10-6

Here are the Altos Research real estate market updates for all Scottsdale zip codes. These freshly updated reports are in a one page executive summary format.  If you’d like the more detailed report for your zip code, please call or email me.

This week’s update:

South Scottsdale is looking very interesting.  Keep an eye on the trends.

The Arizona Republic posted two articles over the weekend, with some perspective from local Realtors (yes, I helped) on why now is a good time to buy.    Did you catch it?  If not, here’s a copy over the John Hall & Associates blog.

I missed it seeing the article, but one of the parents from my son’s Challenger Little League team brought a copy to the game Saturday afternoon.  Thank you, Brad Taft.