Scottsdale Real Estate News & Lifestyle

Scottsdale Single-Family Luxury Home Market – July 2008

2008-08-05T22:30:00Z

In September of 2007, I started compiling data on the Scottsdale luxury home market broken into price ranges. (Note: The data is for single-family resale homes.) As of July 2008, we are seeing some mixed results. However, some promising trends have been emerging, with results varying depending on the price range.

- JULY 2008 -

Homes Priced Between $1,000,000 - $1,499,999
- Actives: There were 543 actives, which is lowest level we have seen since before we started tracking this information last September.
- Pendings: There were 38 pending homes, which is just below the average of 39 we have seen over the last 11 months.
- Sold: There were 24 sales in April, which is down from a high of 31 in June.
- Sales Price to Listed Price: 91.3%

Homes Priced Between $1,500,000 - $1,999,999
- Actives: There were 269 actives in July which is down 3.2% over June. The number of active homes for sale has been decreasing in this price segment since April when there were 321 actives.
- Pendings: There were 10 homes pending in July, down from 16 in June, a 38% decrease. The average pending figure for the last eleven months is 11.
- Sold: Ten homes sold in July which was a large jump from June’s 6, a 67% increase. However, the pending sales for July are down, so we can anticipate that the August sales number for this price segment will be impacted.
- Sales Price to Listed Price: 93.1%

Homes Priced Between $2,000,000 - $2,999,999
- Actives: There were 335 homes for sale in this price point in July. We have been seeing this number decrease since April, when there were 379 homes on the market in this price segment.
- Pendings: There were 8 homes pending, a 27% drop over June This figure is well below the average of 11 that we have been seeing for the last eleven months.
- Sold: There were 5 home sales, a sharp drop from the 10 sales in June and below the last eleven months’ average of 8 sales per month. .
- Sales Price to Listed Price: 91.7%.

Homes Priced $3,000,000+
- Actives: There were 277 homes for sale in this price point in July. The number of actives has been dropping steadily since the high of 341 in February. The last time we saw this number this low was around October of 2007.
- Pendings: There were 7 pending homes, a 40% increase from June’s 5.
- Sold: Only 2 homes sold in July which is half of the average of 4 sales per month over the last 11 months.
- Sales Price to Listed Price: 78.6%

As you can see, the results vary by price band. Active listings in all price points have been trending down which is good news. It indicates that some of the excess inventory is getting absorbed by the market. However, for the most part, sales and pending sales are down, with the $2,000,000-$2,999,999 price range being impacted the most significantly. Hopefully, we can continue the trend of decreased active listings and can turn things around from a sales and pending sales standpoint.

For more Scottsdale area market statistics, please visit my Real Estate Market Reports page and my Luxury Market Reports page.

Scottsdale Real Estate Market Performance for Single-Family Homes- Through July 2008

2008-08-04T21:46:00Z

Here are the most recent figures for the Scottsdale single-family home resale market. Sales dropped off a bit in July, but the number of active listings dropped again, which is good news.

Trend Analysis - Scottsdale Single-Family Homes - Resale
All Price Points
	2007				2008
	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Avg.
Active	3,761	3,876	3,950	3,743	4,154	4,254	4,304	4,249	4,063	3,941	3,872	4,015
Pending	251	150	235	191	262	287	312	349	364	338	327	279
Sold	177	236	168	190	187	227	246	270	300	321	286	237

Percent Change- Month Over Month
	2007				2008
	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.
Active	N/A	3.1%	1.9%	-5.2%	11.0%	2.4%	1.2%	-1.3%	-4.4%	-3.0%	-1.8%
Pending	N/A	-40.2%	56.7%	-18.7%	37.2%	9.5%	8.7%	11.9%	4.3%	-7.1%	-3.3%
Sold	N/A	33.3%	-28.8%	13.1%	-1.6%	21.4%	8.4%	9.8%	11.1%	7.0%	-10.9%
*Data Courtesy of the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS)*

July Highlights:

Active listings dropped again to 3,872, a 1.8% decrease over June. This figure has been dropping since March where it hit a high of 4,304 active listings. This is good news in that some of the excess inventory is getting absorbed by the market each month.
Pending sales were down again to 327, or -3.3% over June. This is the second month in a row we have seen this number decline, which will have an impact on August's sales numbers.
There were 286 homes sold in July, down from 321 in June. As I mentioned in June's performance report, the drop in pendings would most likely impact July's numbers.

Overall, July was a mixed month. It is very encouraging to see the active homes for sale inventory go down every month, but having the pendings and sales decrease puts a damper on the momentum Scottsdale had going for the last several months.

Grayhawk Golf Club Launches Channel on You Tube

2008-07-31T22:02:00Z

The Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona recently launched its own channel on You Tube. On the channel, you can find out all sorts of information specific to the Grayhawk Golf Club and even receive golf tips.

A sample of some of the videos includes:

Hole-by-hole walkthroughs
Golf Tips - Putting, Chipping, General Tips
Meet the employees- Selected employees describe their jobs at Grayhawk
A tour of Grayhawk Golf Club and the Clubhouse

This is a great way for someone to familiarize themselves with two of Scottsdale's premier golf courses that have been home to P.G.A. Tournaments and other high-profile events. And, even if you cannot make it to Grayhawk, you can put the golf tips to good use in your own hometown.

Click here to visit Grayhawk Golf Club's You Tube Channel.

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About Grayhawk: The Grayhawk Golf Club is nestled within the Grayhawk community in Scottsdale, Arizona. Grayhawk has two neighborhood areas to choose from. The guard-gated Retreat neighborhood is built around Grayhawk Golf Club's two courses, so homes are located in either the Talon Retreat or Raptor Retreat sections. Homes range from townhomes to custom single-family homes. The second area is called The Park. The Park is a wonderful family-oriented community of single-family homes and it was designed with large play areas and picnic areas that encourage both impromptu and pre-planned gatherings. For more information on Grayhawk homes for sale, please contact me.

Arizona Ranks Second in Distribution of “High-Impact Firms”

2008-07-29T01:19:00Z

The SBA Office of Advocacy recently released a report ranking Arizona number two with the second largest distribution of “High-Impact Firms.”

The report describes these “High-Impact Firms” as:
- Older - They average 25 years in business.
- Accountable for the majority of revenue and job growth in the private sector.
- They span all industries.
- They represent only 2-3% of all firms.
- Smaller - The vast majority of these firms have fewer than 20 employees.

Arizona ranked number 2 behind Alaska, with 7,463 high-impact firms, or 2.57% of all Arizona firms. When taken to the MSA level, Phoenix/Mesa ranks 3rd with 4,932 of Arizona’s 7,463 high-impact firms. Only Norfolk, Virginia and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina ranked higher.

To see the entire report, please visit http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs328tot.pdf.

What Is the State of the Mortgage Industry?

2008-07-27T23:43:00Z

I have a guest columnist for this post. Steve Smith of Eagle Home Mortgage in Scottsdale, Arizona put together an informative overview on what is going on with the mortgage industry during these volatile times.

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What Is the State of the Mortgage Industry?

There has been much written of late regarding the general state of the mortgage industry. There is no simple answer to this, but let me try and explain some of what has been going on and where we see the industry heading in the near future. Most of what I will be talking about is loans that are at or below $417,000.

There is no question the mortgage industry has gone through and is still experiencing major changes over the way business was done in the past three years. For those of us who have been in the business longer than 10 years, it is really “back to basics”. What that means is we are back to the three “C’s” - Credit, Capacity and Collateral.

The Three "C's"
Credit is self-explanatory in that you must have a demonstrated record of paying your bills on time with no derogatory credit. To get the best rate and terms, most lenders are looking for credit scores above 700. FHA loans are an exception to this and I will talk more about them later.

Capacity means the borrower can document their income is sufficient to not only maintain their current debts but also the new loan they are asking for. Down payment also falls into this category and has become more of an issue. With again the exception of FHA, most loans today require a minimum down payment of at least 5% and in most cases 10%. The borrower must show these funds are available along with sufficient reserves in case of some type of income interruption.

Collateral is the appraisal on the home they are purchasing. This really comes under tight scrutiny in a declining market such as the greater Phoenix area. We are seeing many lenders requiring either a second appraisal or a field review. Any type of discrepancy is often times resulting in a counteroffer for a lower loan amount.

Types of Loans Available
The vast majority of borrowers - well over 80% - can, and do, qualify for mortgages in today’s market. Contrary to what you read in the media, most borrowers do qualify and will have no problem getting a mortgage. The types of mortgages that have been discontinued or substantially revised are the more unusual type loans such as 100% financing, interest only adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), and stated income loans. Any number of variations of these types of loans have caused so much trouble in the industry with borrowers defaulting when they are either unable to make the payments or realize the property is worth substantially less than what they paid for it.

One of the bright spots in the mortgage industry today is the FHA loan. Through the end of 2008, the maximum loan amount for Maricopa County has been increased to $346,500. This means that ANYONE purchasing a primary residence can apply for 97% financing on their home. Not only can you get a higher loan amount, FHA is more forgiving on credit scores. Any credit score above 620 gets the best rates and terms available under FHA rates. The 30-year fixed FHA is one of the best deals in the market today. For those of you unfamiliar with fixed loans, "30-year fixed" simply means the loan has a fixed monthly payment with a guaranteed rate and will pay off at the end of 30 years.

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If you would like to contact Steve Smith from Eagle Home Mortgage to learn more about the mortgage industry and loan products, he can be reached at (888) 648-0783 or SSmith@eaglehomemortgage.com.

Treat Your Family to "Summer Splash" at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak

2008-07-21T20:58:00Z

The Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak in Phoenix is already well-known as a fun family resort with plenty of activities for parents and kids alike. To add to the fun, they have launched a "Summer Splash promotion that really packs in the savings.

In addition to a great room rate that includes a two-room suite, you also get complimentary access to the River Ranch pool complex complete with a lazy river, water slides, a kiddie pool and poolside activities, complimentary kid's meals at participating restaurants, free admission to the Friday Night Dive-In Movie, extended weekend pool hours and more. If you opt for the Resort Value Pack (an additional $2.25 per day), you will also get free access to the Mini-Golf course, free fitness center access, unlimited local phone calls and more.

Other amenities at the resort include tennis, multiple restaurants, an on-site ice cream parlor, shopping and a luxurious spa. For anyone who wants to escape from all of the activity at River Ranch, there are smaller pools located throughout the resort as well as an 'adults only' pool accessed via the Fitness Center and Spa.

Whether you are interested in visiting Phoenix with your family or you are a local family looking for a quick getaway, the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak is the perfect place to escape to.

The Summer Splash promotion runs through September 8, 2008. For more information, please contact the hotel directly at (602) 997-2626.

Greater Phoenix Luxury Condo Market Report – June 2008

2008-07-09T22:56:00Z

Here is a snapshot of what is going on in the luxury condo market in the greater Phoenix area. The statistics were pulled some statistics from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS).

At the end of June 2008, there were 89 condos for sale for $1 million or more throughout the valley. Forty-four of these condos were in Scottsdale, thirty-five of them were in Phoenix, and the balance, ten, were in Tempe. In June of 2008, five luxury condos sold and five were pending. All of the sales in June were in Scottsdale with four of the sales coming from the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences and the last sale coming from Optima Camelview. If we use 5 as an average monthly sales figure, there is an almost 19 month inventory of luxury condos for sale. May of 2008 was a stronger month saleswise with 8 sales. However, May had a lower average sales price of $1,752,937 and a lower cost per square foot of $618.10.

Here are is a quick look at the numbers in chart format:

Valleywide - June 2008
For Sale: 94
Pending: 5
Sold: 5
Average Sale Price: $1,924,000
Average Price/Sq. Ft. Sold: $742.86

Scottsdale – June 2008
For Sale: 44
Pending: 3
Sold: 5
Average Sale Price: $1,924,000
Average Price/Sq. Ft. Sold: $742.86
Communities: Optima Camelview
Scottsdale Waterfront

Phoenix – June 2008
For Sale: 35
Pending: 2
Sold: 0
Average Sale Price: N/A
Average Price/Sq. Ft. Sold: N/A
Communities: N/A

Tempe- June 2008
For Sale: 10
Pending: 0
Sold: 0
Average Sale Price: N/A
Average Price/Sq. Ft. Sold: N/A
Community: N/A

If you have any questions about the luxury condo market or would like to learn more about the communities mentioned above, please feel free to contact me.

Scottsdale Real Estate Market Performance for Single-Family Homes- Through June 2008

2008-07-02T21:10:00Z

The June 2008 numbers are in for the Scottsdale single-family home resale market and the news continues to be good. Once again, sales are up and listings are down.

Trend Analysis - Scottsdale Single-Family Homes - Resale
All Price Points
	2007				2008
	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Avg.
Active	3,761	3,876	3,950	3,743	4,154	4,254	4,304	4,249	4,063	3,941	4,030
Pending	251	150	235	191	262	287	312	349	364	338	274
Sold	177	236	168	190	187	227	246	270	300	321	232

Percent Change- Month Over Month
	2007				2008
	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.
Active	N/A	3.1%	1.9%	-5.2%	11.0%	2.4%	1.2%	-1.3%	-4.4%	-3.0%
Pending	N/A	-40.2%	56.7%	-18.7%	37.2%	9.5%	8.7%	11.9%	4.3%	-7.1%
Sold	N/A	33.3%	-28.8%	13.1%	-1.6%	21.4%	8.4%	9.8%	11.1%	7.0%
*Data Courtesy of the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS)*

Findings:

The number of active listings dropped below the 4,000 barrier to 3,941, a drop of 3% over May.
Pending sales are down slightly from May to 338 versus 364, a decrease of 7.1%. This is the first time pending sales have decreased month-over-month since December 2007.
Home sales were up to 321 in June, an increase of 7%. This continues a trend that started in January of this year.

June was another good month for Scottsdale and many of the trends that have been emerging, most notably a decrease in the number of active listings and an increase in home sales, have continued. The only cloud on the horizon is that pending sales have dipped which will most likely impact July's 'sold' numbers. Ideally, new sales activity will compensate for the lower number, but at this point, we will have to wait and see.

Heather Tawes Nelson Completes CRS Residential Real Estate Investment Course

2008-06-24T20:44:00Z

Earlier this month, Heather Tawes Nelson completed the specialized real estate investment course entitled "Creating Wealth through Residential Real Estate Investments" conducted by the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

The course covered the fundamentals of investment, taxes affecting real estate investment, and investment strategies to create wealth. During the two-day course, students learned how to effectively analyze residential real estate investment opportunities and apply wealth-building strategies.

"There are many opportunities for the small investor to invest successfully in real estate in Scottsdale and elsewhere in the Valley," said Tawes Nelson "and I have already begun to apply the procedures covered during this course in my work at Realty Executives Mountain View. And in this buyer's market, there are more opportunities than usual."

The course is one of the classes that can be taken by real estate agents who will eventually qualify for the coveted Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation. Certified Residential Specialist Courses are presented in various cities throughout the United States in conjunction with the COUNCIL OF RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS an affiliate of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® as part of its on-going program of promoting the professionalism of the residential sales associate.

$7.15 Million Sale in Scottsdale

2008-06-17T22:57:00Z

Earlier this month, an estate in Scottsdale sold for $7.15 million. The estate is located in Carefree Ranch, an exclusive community located in far North Scottsdale, adjacent to Desert Mountain. Known for its large parcels and astounding views, Carefree Ranch is quite impressive.

The Tuscan home was built in 2007 and encompasses 9,000 square feet with four bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The new homeowners are guaranteed privacy due to the estate being situated on a 12 acre lot. Panoramic views of the Valley can be enjoyed from the home as well as the outdoor entertainment areas.

This sale represents the eighth transaction this year where a home sold in Scottsdale for more than $5 million. The highest priced sale was for $8.2 million in March, with this sale being the second highest priced.