Scottsdale AZ Real Estate & Lifestyle

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Heather Tawes Nelson

Things to See in Scottsdale: The Soleri Bridge and Plaza

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Soleri Bridge Plaza Scottsdale AZ– Things to See in Scottsdale: The Soleri Bridge and Plaza-

If you are down at the Scottsdale Waterfront, you will certainly come across a beautifully crafted, but functional art installation called the Soleri Bridge and Plaza. The bridge connects downtown Scottsdale with Old Town Scottsdale.

The bridge and plaza were designed by Paolo Soleri, a well-known and award-winning Italian architect who settled in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley in the 1950’s.

Paolo Soleri’s background is fascinating and varied. He got his architectural education in Italy and then came to the United States to do a fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright. He returned to Italy where developed some of his trademark design items like bronze and ceramic windbells and siltcast structures. In the mid-1950’s, he returned to Arizona and settled in Scottsdale.Soleri Bridge north entrance Scottsdale AZ

One of his most significant contributions is his concept of “Arcology“ which blends architecture and ecology. This concept what drove the development of the Arcosanti community. The construction of Arcosanti began in 1970 about 70 miles outside of Phoenix. The vision for Arcosanti was a town of 5,000 people that combined a dense population base sharing and maximizing resources while having plenty of access to the natural world. Building is still taking place at Arcosanti and many students and visitors come to stay and explore the fascinating, conceptual town.

In 2008, the design for the Soleri Bridge and Plaza was approved and it debuted in 2010, when Soleri was 91. What makes this bridge so special is that Soleri had been designing bridges for over 60 years and winning awards for those designs, but this is the first bridge of his that was actually constructed.

The bridge itself is a 130 foot long, cable stay bridge. Two 64 foot pylons anchor one end with two other shorter pylons in the plaza area. Soleri’s aesthetic is represented by the fact that the bridge pylons act as a solar calendar. The 6 inch gap between them allows for a shaft of light to change with the time of day and virtually every day during the solar noon period, a shadow is cast. On the summer solstice, there is no shadow and on the winter solstice, you will find the longest shadow of the year.Soleri bells Scottsdale AZ

The adjoining plaza is 22,000 square feet and features siltcast structures, such as the large carved decorated panels, each weighing 3,500 pounds. In addition to the panels, you will also see some of Soleri’s iconic bells. The Goldwater Bell assembly, created in 1969, decorates the plaza area and highlights some of his best work.

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Upscale Home Remodeling Projects to Do in 2013?

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Home Remodel Projects 2013-Get the Most Value for Your Upscale Arizona Home Remodeling Project-

Every year, Remodeling puts out a Cost vs. Value report that takes a look at the cost of various remodeling projects and the resulting cost that is recouped at resale. The Remodeling 2012-13 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) report has been published and includes lots of great information for homeowners looking to get the most value out of home projects.

Remodeling has not only taken this data and segmented it by region and by city, but they have also broken out the information out by whether the project was a midrange one or an upscale one.

For the purposes of this post, I looked at the various upscale remodeling projects in the Mountain Region, (which includes Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Albuquerque and more,) to see where homeowners can expect the largest impact.

2012-2013 Highlights for Upscale Projects in the Mountain Region:

  • According to the Cost vs. Value Report, garage door replacement had one of the highest percentage of costs recouped at 68.3%
  • Another area where there were high recoup costs was window replacement. That came in in the 66.0% to 68.4% range depending on what types of windows were used.
  • By creating a “grand entrance,” a homeowner could expect to recoup 58.1% of their costs.
  • It is well known that homebuyers are very interested in kitchens and bathrooms. According to the Cost vs. Value report, a major kitchen remodel (in excess of $100K) could expect to see 59.7% of costs recouped. And for bathrooms? A significant bathroom remodel (in excess of $48K) could expect costs recouped at 56.7%.

Overall, there is some really interesting information included in this report. It is a good guide for homeowners to consult as they consider any major and/or minor home remodeling projects.

Note: If you would like to see the data specifically for Phoenix, you will need to register with Remodeling and then you be able to download the report.
Report Data: © 2012 Hanley Wood, LLC. Complete data from the Remodeling 2012–13 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This blog represents the opinion of the author. No warranties implied or expressed.
Copyright © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Things to Do in Scottsdale: According to Good Morning America and Travelzoo

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McDowell Sonoran Traiil and Education Scottsdale AZ– Things to Do in Scottsdale AZ: Good Morning America and Travelzoo’s List–

Earlier this month, Good Morning America worked with Travelzoo on a feature about things to do and experience in Scottsdale, Arizona. The resulting list had a nice mix of popular things as well as some not quite as well-known suggestions.

Here are some of the highlights:

  • Explore the extensive and creative wine selections at the Terroir Wine Bar and Kazimierz.
  • See Scottsdale from on high, via a helicopter tour or hot air balloon ride.
  • Although these next ones were mentioned of for the younger set, I think they can apply to all ages. And, three of my favorite Scottsdale places made the list. The first is the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park, which is a magical and fun place for train aficionados both young and old. The second was the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, whose goal is to care for and rehabilitate desert wildlife. You can schedule a tour of the facilities and see these fascinating animals up close. The final recommendation was the McDowell Sonoran Nature Preserve with its miles of trails and educational opportunities for all levels.
  • North Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) made the list as well. This one of a kind complex features musical instruments from all over the world. You can learn about them, play some of them and there is a long list of performances you can attend.
  • For day trips, Sedona and Flagstaff made the list.
  • The next recommendation is one I have not tried yet, but am now planning to. Take the Apache Trail and explore the town of Tortilla Flat, the Lost Dutchman State Park and the Tonto National Monument.MIM Phoenix AZ
  • The North Scottsdale gem of Greasewood Flat made the list. Greasewood Flat is tucked away, fun, affordable and promises a great afternoon or evening of casual fun while enjoying the outdoors.
  • The final tip was to visit Scottsdale in the summertime to take advantage of amazing hotel and resort rates as well as many of the other specials local businesses run during that time. Yes, it does get hot her during the summer, but generally, it is nothing a dip in the pool cannot take care of.

Click here to see Good Morning America’s Travelzoo List

 

Scottsdale Golf Communities – 2012 Real Estate Sales

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Stunning Views at DC Ranch's Silverleaf Community in Scottsdale AZ– Scottsdale Golf Communities – 2012 Real Estate Sales Report–

Below is a chart I put together that looks at sales performance by golf community in 2012. I selected a large number of North Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree communities and compared them on things like average sales price, average price per square foot and so on.

The most affordable communities to purchase homes in were both located in Cave Creek. They were Tatum Ranch and Dove Valley Ranch. The 2012 average sales price was in the $250-$290K range for these two. These communities also enjoyed the lowest average cumulative days on market as demand was high for these types of homes.

On the higher end, Estancia and Silverleaf both were standouts in 2012. Both came in with average sales prices in excess of $2 million. Estancia had the highest average price per square foot of all of the communities with $453.19. Silverleaf was next with $365.40 average price per square foot.

Other Items of Note:

  • In general, as the prices of the homes increase, so does the average cumulative days on market as there are fewer buyers for these types of properties.
  • Another thing is we tend to see more price flexibility in the communities with higher priced homes. However, regardless of price point, when a good home comes onto the market and is priced correctly, we see those homes sell more quickly.
  • Desert Highlands was home to the highest priced sale in 2012. An estate sold for $8,200,000.
  • The community of Grayhawk, which comes in somewhere around the middle in terms of average sales price, saw homes sell quite quickly in 2012. The average days on market was 82, illustrating what a desirable community it is.
  • Desert Mountain had the highest average days on market with 417. I would base this on the fact that Desert Mountain had quite a few trophy properties that ended up selling in 2012.

Scottsdale AZ Golf Community 2012 Home Sales

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Disclaimer: * Days on market is cumulative days on market. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 3/11/2013 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family resale  home sales in Scottsdale AZ in 2012.Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. This post represents the opinion of the author. No warranties express or implied.
Copyright © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Scottsdale AZ Luxury Home Market – February 2013

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Luxury Golf Home in Scottsdale AZ– Scottsdale AZ Luxury Home Market Performance for February 2013 –

Below are the luxury home sales results for Scottsdale for the month of February 2013. This report looks at homes with asking prices of $1 million or more  and has been divided in to four price bands to give additional detail at the various price points.

Each price band has the following information:
Active – The number of homes on the market at the end of the month.
Pending – The number of pending home sales at the end of the month.
Sold – How many homes sold during the month of February.

– February 2013 –
Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,000,000 – $1,499,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market:  Inventory was level between January and February. Only one additional home came onto the marker. However, this figure is still quite a bit ahead of the 12 month average of 181 homes.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Pending sales saw another nice jump in February to 25. This is ahead of the 12 month average of 22 and indicates that the Spring selling season is underway.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Twenty homes sold in February, which was an improvement over January. And based on pending numbers, this should increase again in March.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 93.3% – This has been trending in the 93% range for the last few months.

 Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale between 1 and 1.5 million February 2013


Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,500,000 – $1,999,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: Inventory continues to increase in this price segment. At the end of February, there were 148 homes on the market, ahead of the 12 month average of 122.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: We saw another nice increase in pending sales in February to 15. This will ideally continue to increase.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: There were 15 home sales in February. This is the highest we have seen this figure in the last year.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 91.7% – This is pretty on par with what we have been seeing for this segment.

Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale between 1.5 and 2 million February 2013


Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $2,000,000 – $2,999,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: We saw inventory increase about 3.7% over January to 112.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Pending home sales doubled over January to 10. This is well ahead of the 12 month average and the highest we have seen in the past 12 months.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Seven homes sold in February, over three times of what we saw in January.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 93.8% – This is the highest we have seen in several months.

Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale between 2 and 3 million February 2013

Scottsdale Homes Priced $3,000,000+
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market:  Inventory is at the highest level we have seen in the last year.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: There were three pending home sales at the end of the month, putting it just ahead of the 12 month average.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold:  Two homes sold in February.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 92.3% – This is the second highest we have seen this ratio in the last year.

Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale Over 3 million February 2013

 

The month of February 2013 was a good one for the luxury home market in Scottsdale. Pending and actual sales gained a lot of ground over a quieter January and show promise that March will be another good month.

To see more detailed data behind this report, please visit my Scottsdale Luxury Home Market Reports page and click on the “Scottsdale Market Trends” downloadable report.

Search Scottsdale Luxury Homes for Sale

 

Disclaimer: Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 3/1/2013 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family luxury resale homes in Scottsdale AZ over the last 12 months. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. This blog represents the opinion of the author. No warranties implied or expressed.
Copyright © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – February 2013

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Optima Camelview Luxury Condos in Scottsdale Arizona– Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – February 2013 –

February was a quiet month for the Phoenix and Scottsdale luxury condo market. For the purposes of this report, I consider the luxury condo market as condos listed for sale with prices in excess of $1 million.

The chart below looks at condo sales activity during the month of February. The first column looks at summary data and then activity for each city is presented.

Scottsdale Phoenix Luxury Condos for Sale February 2013

ACTIVE LISTINGS & PENDING LUXURY CONDO SALES IN SCOTTSDALE AND PHOENIX

The least expensive luxury condo for sale at the end of February was a loft at the Hotel Valley Ho’s Tower Residence in Scottsdale. This unit comes with all of the amenities of the Hotel Valley Ho and has two bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms. The asking price was $1,029,000.

The most expensive unit was listed for $2,650,000 and could be found at Esplanade Place in the heart of Phoenix’s Biltmore area. This 4,286 square foot condo has three bedrooms, four bathrooms and is on the 10th floor.

There were no pending sales of luxury condos at the end of February.


FEBRUARY  2013 LUXURY CONDO SALES IN SCOTTSDALE AND PHOENIX
Two luxury condos sold in February and they were both in Scottsdale.

The first sale was at Kierland Plaza Lofts.  The unit had two bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and 2,047 square feet. It was located on the 7th floor. The list price was  $1,145,000 and it sold for $1,132500.

The second sale was an incredible unit at the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences. It had been listed for $3,500,000 and sold for $3,200,000. This luxurious unit had two bedrooms, four bathrooms, 3,751 square feet and was only on the market for 75 days, which is impressive at this price point.

February was a slower month for the luxury condo market in Scottsdale and Phoenix. Inventory was up slightly, which is good news as there are not too many units on the market. The two sales were also positive. However, not having any pending sales in the pipeline at the end of the month could mean March sales will be low or none will occur.

Learn More About Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos
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Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 3/1/2013 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at resale luxury condos in Scottsdale and Phoenix over the past 12 months. Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.  There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. This post represents the opinion of the author. No warranties express or implied.
Copyright © 2013  Heather Tawes Nelson

Scottsdale AZ Single-Family Home Sales – February 2013

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– Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale and Home Sales in February 2013 –

These are the February 2013 results for Scottsdale Arizona home sales. This report also covers homes on the market as well as pending home sales.
SCOTTSDALE HOME SALES ACTIVITY FOR FEBRUARY 2013
There are three sales categories being tracked:
– Homes for sale at the end of February are shown in red.
– Pending sales are shown in green. Again, it depicts how many home sales were pending at the end of February.
– Home Sales for the month are shown in purple.

FEBRUARY 2013 RESULTS

  • Active Scottsdale Homes for Sale: Inventory was up slightly (1.1%) in February to 1,574. This is where we were about this time last year.
  • Pending Homes Sales in Scottsdale: Pending home sales saw a nice jump to 490 by the end of the month. This is the highest we have seen it since last summer.
  • Scottsdale Homes Sold: Sales were up in February due to increased pendings in January. 390 homes sold last month, which brings us back to about where we were before the dip in January.

 

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales Inventory February 2013

 

This next chart has two components. The first part looks at how things have changed on a month over month basis. Of note, both pending sales and home sales both saw an increase of over 17% in February.

The second part is where we look at the average sales price of homes compared with the average listing price. This figure has been in the 95% range for many months now. What that means is that, on average, buyers received a discount of almost 5% off of the asking price.

 

Scottsdale Home Sales Discounts February 2013
In summary, February was a good month for Scottsdale home sales. As anticipated, things started to pick up on the pending and sales side. It was good to see inventory increase, but there is still a lot of demand out there that may be being held back by reduced inventory, especially at the lower price points.

Search Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale

Disclaimer: Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 3/1/2013 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family resale homes for sale and home sales in Scottsdale AZ over the last 12 months. information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. This post represents the opinion of the author. No warranties express or implied.
Copyright © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Silverleaf Scottsdale AZ – 2012 Real Estate Report

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85255 Luxury Home Sales Scottsdale– Silverleaf Scottsdale – 2012 Real Estate Report –

Silverleaf is one of Scottsdale’s most elegant communities. Located in the greater community of DC Ranch, Silverleaf is a guard-gated enclave of smaller neighborhoods and expansive estates. Some of Scottsdale’s most expensive real estate is found within Silverleaf, nestled into the rolling hills of the McDowell Mountains.

Silverleaf is also home to The Silverleaf Club, a top-of-the line golf club and spa. No detail has been overlooked at The Silverleaf Club and members enjoy the extensive amenities it has to offer, including a 50,000 square foot clubhouse and an 18-hole Tom Weiskopf golf course.

SILVERLEAF HOMES FOR SALE AS OF MARCH 1, 2013

At the beginning of March there were 46 homes for sale in Silverleaf.

The most expensive home on the market was a home with over 20,000 square feet. Listed for $24,500,000, this home has six bedrooms, fourteen bathrooms and spans two lots. It overlooks the course and has five indoor/outdoor cooking areas, eight garages, and expansive pool and much more.

The lowest priced home was $1,195,000 for an elegant townhome located adjacent to Ethel’s Garden. This townhome has three bedrooms, three and one-half bathrooms and is 3,096 square feet.

Silverleaf Scottssdale homes for sale pending sales 2013


2012 SILVERLEAF HOME SALES
Home sales in Silverleaf in 2012 were steady for three quarters and saw a huge spike in Q2. In fact, over half of Silverleaf’s home sales in 2012 took place in Q2.

Although average sales price stayed pretty level and average price per square foot jumped around a bit, we did see that buyers, on average, received less of a discount off of asking price as the year progressed.

The highest priced home sale in 2012 in Silverleaf was a four bedroom, five and one-half bathroom with 8,417 square feet. It had wonderful views, a pool and overlooked the golf course. The list price was $4,890,000 and it sold for above asking at $4,900,000.

The lowest priced home sale in 2012 was for a townhome with 2,653 square feet. It had three bedrooms and three and one-half bathrooms. The asking price had been $925,000 and it sold for $910,000.

2012 real estate sales Silverleaf Scottsdale AZ

 

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Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 3/1/2013 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at residential single family home sales activity in Silverleaf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. This blog represents the opinion of the author. No warranties implied or expressed.
Copyright © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

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