Scottsdale AZ Real Estate & Lifestyle

Live Better in Scottsdale - eXp Realty

Heather Tawes Nelson

Things to Do in Scottsdale AZ: Queen Creek Peach Festival at Schnepf Farms

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The "Back 40" amusement park at Schepf Farms Peach FestivalLooking for something to do next weekend in the Scottsdale AZ area? Head on down to the final weekend of the Queen Creek Peach Festival 2011. The Queen Creek Peach Festival is an annual event that is held at Schenpf Farms, a great family-owned and operated working farm. The second and final weekend, May 21-22, of the Peach Festival will be taking place. The best part is that admission is free.

The gates open at 7:30AM for early birds and those hoping to beat the heat. You can head out to the orchard to pick as many peaches as you can carry and being back for payment. Or, if you want to just enjoy the peaches without the work, head over to the Peach Pancake breakfast and lunch which runs from 7:30AM to 2PM both days. Or, if you are getting a later start, burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches will be served between 11AM and 4PM.

Petting Zoo at Schnepf Farms Peach Festival 2011In addition to these food items, there is a General  Store that sells freshly-baked peach pies, cinnamon buns and other food and gift items. There are ample shaded picnic tables where you can sit and enjoy the food as well as the periodic live music. Various vendors are sprinkled throughout the area selling everything from children’s clothes to food items.

 

If you have little ones with you, there are many activities for them. There is a playground, a petting zoo with a lot of friendly goats, a hay bale maze and a farm animal area. And, from 10AM to 2PM, there is an amusement park for them as well. The “Back 40” has a rollercoaster, a honeybee ride, a huge slide, plane rides and more. You can buy individual rides for $3 each or simply buy a wristband for $10 that covers unlimited rides. In addition to all of this, there is a fun train that takes you all over the property and through the orchard. The train is $3 per person as well, unless you have the wristband and you are then covered.

Other events include:
Celebrity Chef Demo – 10AM both days
Peach Pit Spit and Pie Eating Contest – 1PM both days

We had the chance to attend and really had a good time. My recommendation would be to arrive early as many people want to experience such a fun event. Regardless, there was still plenty of room and lots of ways to have a great time.

 

Schnepf Farms Peach Festival 2011

More Information:
Queen Creek Peach Festival at Schnepf Farms
24810 South Rittenhouse Road
Queen Creek, Arizona 85242
Information Line: (480) 987-3100
www.peachfestival.net

Where to Eat in Scottsdale AZ: Al Hamra Indian Cuisine

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Al Hamra Indian Restaurant North Scottsdale AZ 85255My wish for an Indian restaurant in North Scottsdale was granted a few months ago when Al Hamra opened its doors. Located in the shopping center on the Northeast corner of Pima and Pinnacle Peak Roads, (the same complex at Mastro‘s), Al Hamra is tucked back into the center right near some of the other restaurants.

I have had the opportunity to dine there two times and have enjoyed the food very much both times. The Papadum was a nice way to kick off the meal. From there, we had the Samosas. The samosas at Al Hamra are much lighter than I have had elsewhere, without the heavy dough to weigh them down. In addition, the potatoes inside are diced more finely than I have seen, which is great because you avoid big bites of potato while getting more flavor. As an added bonus, they are served with chickpeas in a nice, savory sauce.

Papadum at Al Hamra Indian Restaurant North Scottsdale AZ
Papadum at Al Hamra in Scottsdale

We had the chance to try two of the Naan on our visits. The onion naan was good, but I really enjoyed the garlic naan. In both cases, the naan was served fresh and warm.

On the entree side, we ended up having the same entrees both times since we liked them so much the first time. The Chicken Tikka Masala is excellent. You are able to make it as spicy or non-spicy as you want it. We did a “7” the first time and there was definitely some heat. The second time, we did not specify and it was nice and flavorful, but did not have the same heat intensity.

Our other entree was the Chana Masala, which is a chickpea dish with garlic, ginger and spices. It too, was delicious twice over and you can also ask for a spicier or less spicy version.

The service during both of our visits was friendly and attentive. There is a large dining area with bar as well as patio seating. A full bar and limited wine list are available.

If you are craving some great Indian food or just want to try something different, definitely stop by Al Hamra in North Scottsdale.

 

More Information:
Al Hamra – Indian and Pakistani Cuisine
8900 E Pinnacle Peak Rd,  Suite E1
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
– NE Corner of Pima and Pinnacle Peak Roads
Phone : 480-538-9200
Al Hamra Scottsdale Website

Open Daily for Dinner from 4PM to 10PM

 

Scottsdale AZ Luxury Home Market – April 2011

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These are the April 2011 results for the Scottsdale AZ luxury home market.  The analysis  covers the last 12 months of  home sales activity and includes Scottsdale luxury homes on the market, pending sales and the number of Scottsdale luxury home sales on a month-by-month basis.  For the purposes of this report, I am considering the luxury home market as homes for sale with asking prices in excess of $1 million.

– April 2011 –

Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,000,000 – $1,499,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: There were 248 homes on the market in this price point at the end of April. This number has been decreasing monthly since October of 2010.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Thirty-four homes were pending at the end of April. This is the highest this has been since May of 2010. This is also way ahead of the 12 month average of 24 pending sales.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: There were 29 homes sales in April in this price segment. This is the second highest this figure has been in the last 12 months. This also surpasses the 12 month average of 20 home sales per month.
–Sales Price to Listed Price: 92.7% – This is the highest this figure has been in the last several months, but is in line with what we typically see. On average, buyers received 7.3% off of list price in April.

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales $1 million to $1.5 million April 2011

Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,500,000 – $1,999,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: At the end of April, there were 163 homes on the market in this price point. This number has been hovering in the 160 range since August of 2010. However, it is still below the 12 month average of 171 homes on the market.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Seventeen homes were pending sale at the end of the month. This is the highest we have seen this figure since June of 2010. The 12 month average for this price point is 13 pending sales.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold:  Only 6 homes sold in April, which is only one home sale off of the 12 month average. However, there were 13 sales in March, so April was quite a bit lower.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 83.4% – This is the second lowest this figure has been in the last 12 months. On average, buyers enjoyed a 16.6% discount off of asking price.

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales $1.5 million to $2 million April 2011

Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $2,000,000 – $2,999,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: 145 homes were on the market at the end of April in the $2 to $3 million range. This is the fourth month in a row that this figure has declined and it is below the 12 month average of 157 homes.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Eight homes were pending sale at the end of the month. This is down from the 11 we saw in March, but is still on track with the 12 month average of 8.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Ten homes sold in the $2 million range in April. This is the highest this figure has been since June of 2010 and is double of what we saw on March. The 12 month average is 6 home sales.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 91.9% -This is another month where we saw a smaller discount off of asking price. This figure has been in the 90%’s two months in a row now.

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales $1.5 million to $2 million April 2011

 

Scottsdale Homes Priced $3,000,000+
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: There were 106 homes on the market for over $3 million at the end of April. This is up one over March, but is still below the 12 month average of 113 active homes.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Six homes were pending at the end of the month. This is the highest we have seen this figure since November of 2010. The 12 month average is 5.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold:  Three homes sold in April in this price range. This is down one from March’s 4, but is still on pace with the 12 month average of 3 home sales.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 83.8% – This is a pretty typical number for this price segment.

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales over $3 million April 2011
April 2011 was another decent month for Scottsdale luxury home sales. For the most part, inventory was down or leveled out. Pending sales were up in most cases as were home sales. Sales price to list price was holding in some segments, but we saw larger discounts in other price segments. Going off of the pending figures, we should see some good sales activity in May for many of these price segments.

To see the detailed data behind this report, please visit my Scottsdale luxury real estate market reports page and click on the “Scottsdale Market Trends” report.

Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 5/1/2011 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 © 2011 Heather Tawes Nelson

Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – April 2011

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Here are the  final numbers for April 2011 for the Phoenix and Scottsdale luxury condo market. For the purposes of this report, I am defining the luxury condo market as condos for sale with an asking price over $1 million.

The same pending sale that has been reported on over the last couple of months was still pending at the end of April. The unit in question is at  The Residences at 2211 Camelback in Phoenix and has three bedrooms, three and one-half bathrooms, and is 4,000 square feet. The asking price was $1,100,000. One other unit went pending in April in the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences complex in Downtown Scottsdale. It was a three bedroom, three and one-half bathroom,  3,860 square foot home that was listed for $2,599,000.

There was a single luxury condo sale in April. The sale was for a home at Esplanade Place in the Biltmore area of Phoenix. This condo had three bedrooms, three bathrooms and came in at 3,350 square feet. The asking price on this unit was $1,599,000 and it ultimately sold for $1,400,000 after only being on the market for 42 days.
Scottsdale Phoenix Luxury Condos for Sale April 2011

April was a decent month for luxury condo sales in Scottsdale and Phoenix. We did see one sale turn and close pretty quickly. We also have two pending luxury condo sales in the pipeline. One has been in the process since February, so hopefully it will close in May.

Learn More About Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos
Search Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos for Sale

Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 5/1/2010 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at resale luxury condos in Scottsdale and Phoenix 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.
Copyright © 2011  Heather Tawes Nelson

 

 

Scottsdale AZ Single-Family Homes for Sale – April 2011

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Here are the results for Scottsdale home sales for  April 2011. This report covers the past 12 months of activity for Scottsdale single-family homes. The information has been divided into three categories – Scottsdale homes for sale, pending home sales and Scottsdale homes sold in April.

Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale April 2011 Chart

 

Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale April 2011 Percent Change

April 2011 Highlights for Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale:

  • Active Scottsdale Homes for Sale: Active homes on the market fell again in April to 2,167 at the end of the month. Inventory has been decreasing month-over-month since the beginning of the year.  The 12 month average is 2,556.
  • Pending Homes Sales in Scottsdale: Pending sales activity was up again to 616. This is the highest it has been since May of 2010 and is over 100 pending sales ahead of the 12 month average of 512.
  • Scottsdale Homes Sold: Home sales saw another jump (11.1%) over March to 481. This is the highest we have seen in the last 12 months and it is higher than any month’s sales I have seen since I started tracking these figures in September of 2007. The 12 month average for home sales is 379.
  • Sales Price to List Price: 93.7% – This is pretty standard. For the last 12 months, this figure has been tracking in the 92%-93% range.

April 2011 was an excellent month for Scottsdale Arizona home sales. Sales were the highest we have seen in several years, inventory continues to decrease and pending sales we also up again. And, based on the pending sales figures, it seems that May 2011 will be a good sales month as well.

Search Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale

Disclaimer: Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 5/1/2011 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. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes.
Copyright © 2011 Heather Tawes Nelson

Spring in Scottsdale AZ – Saguaro Cactus in Bloom

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Saguaro Cactus Flowers Spring in North Scottsdale AZIt is that wonderful time of year again when the Sonoran Desert, of which Scottsdale is a part of, begins to bloom. Wildflowers sprout up everywhere and all of the unassuming desert plants that have been quietly waiting all year, sprout the loveliest flowers in bright colors. When the colors contrast with Arizona’s bright blue sky, the result is simply beautiful.

BLOOMING SAGUARO – When people picture Arizona, one of the most common things that comes to mind is the distinctive saguaro cactus, easily identifiable by its multiple arms pointing in every direction. On this particular saguaro, each and every arm of this towering cactus in North Scottsdale is abloom. Incidentally, the lovely white Saguaro blossom is Arizona’s State Wildflower. They can also bloom in yellow, but white is the most common color seen. The flowers tend to bloom at night, which means Scottsdale residents wake up to a seasonal, beautiful display of cactus flowers.

The blooming season for saguaros is April through June and during that time, many animals including bees, mourning doves and bats, help with the pollination efforts. Once the short-lived flowers have come and gone, they develop into a red fruit that is full of seeds and is a favorite of many local birds and other desert dwellers.

ABOUT THE SAGUARO CACTUS– The saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert and can only be found in Arizona, parts of Northern Mexico and a very small area in California. Saguaros tend to grow very slowly and it can take upwards of 70 years for one of the side arms to grow. Some of these cacti can live to 150 years. The tallest known saguaro is located in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, Scottsdale and many other towns, and it comes in at over 45 feet tall.

Because the saguaro is such an important part of the Sonoran Desert landscape, many protective measures have been put into place to insure their survival. If you happen to be driving around a new development in Scottsdale and see a large cluster of saguaros right next to each other, they are saguaros that were relocated for the development and will be replanted as soon as the development is complete. From what I understand, they have to be planted in the exact same orientation in which they originally grew when they are replanted in order to thrive again.

If you have a chance to visit Scottsdale or the Sonoran Desert in the Spring, be sure to look for the impressive saguaros in bloom.

Scottsdale Zip Code 85266 Home Sales By Type Q1 2011 – Includes Foreclosures & Short Sales

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Here is Scottsdale zip code’s 85266 home sales report for Q1 2011. This analysis looks at how home sales activity in 85266 was distributed between the three categories of home sales – “regular” sales, short sales and foreclosures.

85266 is a newer zip code end encompasses the western portion of North Scottsdale.   85266 enjoys lovely terrain highlighted by mountain views, hilly portions and wonderful valley views. 85266 is also home to several leading golf communities like Whisper Rock, The Boulders and Terravita.

Here is how the three categories of home sales can be defined:
– Non-Distressed Sales – These are “regular” or “traditional” sales of homes. The buyer and seller negotiate with each other throughout the transaction. There is no third-party approval required.
– Short Sales – Short sales occur when a homeowner is trying to sell the home for  less than what is owed to the lienholder(s).  Since the seller will be coming up “short” the approval of the lienholders (also referred to frequently as the “lender(s)”) is required.
– Foreclosures – Foreclosures are properties that have been auctioned off via a foreclosure sale. You may also see them called “Lender-Owned,” “REO'” homes or “Bank-Owned” homes.

Overall Findings for the Scottsdale Zip Code 85266 Home Sales Market for Q1 2011 – Data as of April 1, 2011
• Active Scottsdale 85266 Homes For Sale: Almost all of the homes on the market (89%) at the end of Q1 2011 were “regular” home sales. The small remainder was made up of short sales (8%) and lender-owned homes (3%).
• 85266 Pending Homes for Sale: Pending sales saw regular home sales take a much smaller share. The percentage of pending home sales in 85266 at the end of Q1 was 54%. Short sales, which were only 8% of the inventory comprised 31% of the pending sales and foreclosures, with only 3% of the inventory, comprised 15% of pending sales. These two examples illustrate the popularity of distressed home sales like short sales and foreclosures.
• 2010 Scottsdale 85266 Home Sales: Regular homes sold in Q1 were 69% of all sales. Short sales came in next with 18% and foreclosures had 13% of the market.
• 85266 Home Prices: Average prices for home sales in Q1 in the three categories were pretty even. We usually see the regular sales have a quite a bit average sales price. In this case it came in just ahead of short sales. Short sales came in next highest followed by foreclosures at around $100K on average lower than the other two categories. However, if you look at average price per square foot for the sales, you see the typical pattern we have been seeing – regular sales have the highest average price per square foot followed by short sales and then foreclosures.
•Discounts Off of List Price: Discounts off of asking in Q1 were pretty typical to what we have seen historically. Buyers of regular homes got an average of 9% off of asking. Short sale buyers got an average of 5% off of list price and lender-owned buyers got an average of 4% off of asking.

Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale Zip Code 85266 Q1 2011 Short Sales Foreclosures

 

To see this information for the City of Scottsdale AZ, please visit these previous reports:
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2010
 View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2009

Disclaimer: Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 4/1/2011 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family resale homes for  sale and sales in Scottsdale AZ zip code 85266 for Q1 2011. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Copyright © 2011 Heather Tawes Nelson

Scottsdale Zip Code 85262 Home Sales By Type Q1 2011 – Includes Foreclosures & Short Sales

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Here are the home sales results for  the first quarter of 2011 for Scottsdale’s 85262 zip code. I wanted to take a look at how 85262 specifically performed over the first few months of 2011.

 

Scottsdale Arizona’s 85262 zip code is the zip code that covers homes in the farthest north section of North Scottsdale. 85262 is home to many beautiful, upscale communities and because its elevation is higher than most of the greater Phoenix Valley, there are some amazing views. Another bonus is that temperatures can often be a few degrees cooler than the lower parts of the Valley. In 85262, there are some top golf communities like Desert Mountain, Troon North, Legend Trail and Estancia.

 

Here are the three categories I broke 85262’s home sales activity into. They are defined as follows:
– Non-Distressed Sales – These are “regular” or “traditional” sales of homes. The buyer and seller work with each other throughout the transaction.
– Short Sales – Short sales are where the seller is trying to sell the home for less than is owed to the lienholder(s). Due to this, short sales require the approval of the lienholders (also referred to frequently as the “lender(s)”).
– Foreclosures – Foreclosures are homes that have gone through the foreclosure process and have gone back to the lender. You may also see them  referred to as “Lender-Owned,” “REO'” homes or “Bank-Owned” homes.

 

Overall Findings for the Scottsdale Zip Code 85262 Home Sales Market for Q1 2011 – Data as of April 1, 2011
  • Active Scottsdale 85262 Homes For Sale: “Regular” homes on the market made up the vast majority of inventory at the end of Q1 2011 with 87%. The small percentage left over was comprised of short sales (8%) and foreclosures (5%.)
  • 85262 Pending Homes for Sale: Regular home sales lost quite a bit of their dominance when you look at pending sales. In this case, they were 58% of pendings. Close to half of the pending inventory (42%) was attributed to short sales (20%) and lender-owned homes (22%.) Here is a great illustration of the demand you see for foreclosure homes. While foreclosures only made up 5% of the for sale inventory, they accounted for 22% of the pending inventory. You can see a similar story for short sales as well.
  • 2010 Scottsdale 85262 Home Sales: Regular home sales made up just over half of Q1 2011 home sales in 85262. Foreclosures made up one third of the sales and short sales came in at 16%.
  • 85262 Home Prices: We more or less almost always see regular sales with the highest average sales price, but this may be the most pronounced variance I have seen. Average sales price for regular home sales was almost double that of short sales and foreclosures. Generally, short sales have the next highest average sales price, but for Q1 2011, foreclosures actually come in slightly higher. However, when you look at the difference in average square footage of homes sold and average price per square foot, you see that foreclosures did have the lowest relative prices.
  • Discounts Off of List Price: We generally see about a 10% discount off of asking price for regular sales. In this case it was 11%. Short sales and foreclosures typically come in at the 5% range. However for Q1 2011 in 85262, short sales closed with a larger than typical discount of 9% off of list price. On the other end of the spectrum, foreclosure purchasers only saw a 2% discount off of asking price. It will be interesting to see where these figures come in for Q2 2011.
Scottsdale AZ Zip Code 85262 Homes Sales short sales foreclosures Q1 2011

 

To see this information for the City of Scottsdale AZ, please visit these previous reports:
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2010
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2009
Disclaimer: Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 4/1/2011 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family resale homes for  sale and sales in Scottsdale AZ zip code 85262 for Q1 2011. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Copyright © 2011 Heather Tawes Nelson
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