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Things to Do in Scottsdale – November 2016

October 30, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Scottsdale Events in November 2016 –

Now that we are well into Fall, more and more events are on tap in and around Scottsdale.

Cave Creek’s Wild West Days – November 2nd – November 6th – Head up to downtown Cave Creek for tons of events celebrating the wild west. There will be a parade, pig races, pie eating contests, Wild West “shootouts” and performances and so much more.
Carefree Art & Wine Festival – November 4th – 6th – One of our favorite events is back. Head up to Carefree’s Town Center and enjoy the over 165 artists while strolling and enjoying various wines.
Scottsdale Grand Prix – November 4th – 6th – Downtown Scottsdale will transform into the “Roaring 20’s” as it celebrates the 2nd Annual Scottsdale Grand Prix. 1920’s themed events all weekend for adults and kids. Sunday the vintage mini-race cars will take to the streets for a day of racing.
Dogs’ Day in the Garden at Desert Botanical Gardens – November 5th – Bring your pups to the Desert Botanical Gardens and enjoy a dog-themed day with vendors, treats, dog yoga and more.
Touch a Truck at the PV Mall – November 5th – This is an event your kids and grandkids will enjoy! The little ones will get a chance to get up close and personal
“Swing Fore Kids” at Grayhawk Golf Club – November 6th – Enjoy a day of golf, children’s events, a raffle, entertainment and more at the Grayhawk Golf Club. The highlight of the day is a shootout with professional PGA tour caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay. Proceeds benefit the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children.
Phoenix Home and Garden Home Tour – November 13th – This annual self-guided home tour is coming up again and features 5-6 homes. VIP tickets and regular tickets are available.
Slider Throwdown at Kierland Commons – November 13th – Sliders are the focus of this competition among many of the area’s top food trucks. There will also be a beer garden and proceeds benefit the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation. Live entertainment will be provided by Rock Lobster.
Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band – November 15th – Ringo Starr and fellow famous musicians will be in town to perform their greatest hits at the Celebrity Theater.
Cirque du Soliel’s Toruk – November 16th – 20th – The Talking Stick resort will be the home of Cirque du Soliel’s most recent show Toruk, which is based on the movie Avatar.
Festival of Trees – November 21st – 28th – This great event benefitting Phoenix Children’s’ Hospital will take place at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Professionally decorated trees and wreaths will be on display and are open for bids.
Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo – November 23rd – January 8th – Zoolights will be back at the end of November. This annual event, now in its 25th year, is a local favorite and the zoo comes alive each night with amazing light displays.

As always, this is just a partial list of what is going on in and around Scottsdale. Feel free to add any others in the comment section.

Desert Highlands Arizona Real Estate Update – Through Q3 2016

October 25, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

Desert Highlands Real Estate Report

Desert Highlands is one of the most established and popular private golf communities in Scottsdale. Home to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course, an award-winning tennis complex, a recently remodeled clubhouse and much more, Desert Highlands offers an incredible lifestyle.

There are over 500 homesites in Desert Highlands and a large variety of architectural styles are represented including contemporary, southwestern and Tuscan.

Here is an overview of the real estate market in Desert Highlands for the first three quarters of 2016.

Desert Highlands Homes for Sale as of 10/21/16

As of October 21st, there were 43 homes for sale in Desert Highlands.

The most expensive home for sale was listed for $4,750,000. This was for a Spanish Colonial custom estate with over 11,000 square feet on a few acres.

The least expensive home was priced at $714,900. This 2,718 square foot adobe home had three bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms.

Desert Highlands Home Sales – First Three Quarters of 2016

This next section covers Desert Highlands home sales over the first three quarters of the year.

While we usually see most of the activity in Q2, Q1 actually had the largest number of home sold. The first two quarters account for over 88% of sales year to date.

And looking at the three quarters, there are no real patterns jumping out with the exception of the average price per square foot increasing steadily throughout the year.

Search Desert Highlands Homes For Sale

Here is a selection of homes currently for sale in Desert Highlands. If you would like to search all Desert Highlands homes for sale, click here.

Questions?

Have questions about Desert Highlands or Desert Highlands real estate? We are happy to help. Simply email us or call/text Joyce at (480) 209-7843.

Disclaimer: Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 10/21/2016 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at resale condos, townhomes and single-family homes in Desert Highlands, AZ. 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 © 2016 Heather Tawes Nelson | Joyce Tawes

Brunch at Scottsdale’s Virtu Honest Craft

October 21, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Virtu Honest Craft in Scottsdale –

A while back, I had a chance to post about the great first meal I had at Virtu Honest Craft. Recently, I was able to try out their brunch offerings and had an equally wonderful experience.

If you are not familiar with Virtu Scottsdale, it is an award-winning restaurant within the Bespoke Inn Bed and Breakfast, located in Old Town Scottsdale. The restaurant has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation and was deemed as one of the Best New Restaurants by Esquire Magazine when in launched in 2013.

Virtu features indoor and patio dining and since it was such a beautiful morning, we chose to eat on the patio. The brunch menu has a good selection of traditional breakfast fare and lunch fare, all with a creative twist. The menu changes frequently, but you can expect to see crepes and/or pancakes, sandwiches, salads pasta options and more.

On that morning, we had three very different, but equally excellent meals.

The first was a Classic Crepe filled with gruyere and ham and topped with two eggs, mornay sauce and chives. It was delicious.
The second was a nice blend of sweet and savory – Lemon Ricotta Pancakes that came with a black pepper, grape marmalade, pistachios and whipped cream.
The final item came highly recommended and it was a Pork Ragu with a mascarpone polenta, fried eggs, a green salsa and toast.

All three items were amazing and we had fun sharing from each others’ plates.

In addition to the food menu, they have some fun brunch cocktails and wine.

If you have not had a chance to try Virtu yet, I highly recommend it. It is a true gem withing the great Scottsdale dining scene and every time we have been there, we have had an outstanding meal.

More Information:
Virtu Honest Craft
3701 North Marshall Way
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
– Brunch and Dinner served daily

FUN TIP: If you are visiting Scottsdale or have not been there yet, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is on the next block. You can make a day or evening of it!

Quick Video Update of the Scottsdale Real Estate Market – September 2016

October 17, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– September 2016 Scottsdale Housing Market Video –

September 2016 – Video

Here is a one minute video overview of the Scottsdale, Arizona real estate market for the month of September.

Active Listings

This first section is a representation of the number of homes for sale in Scottsdale at the end of the month.

Inventory was up 2% when compared to the same time last year. And, it was up 5% compared to the end of August.

Median Listing Price

This next chart covers the median list price of homes. The median list price is a good measurement to track as it represents the exact middle of home prices, with half being priced higher and half being priced lower.

September’s median list price came in right at $800,000. This is up a good amount from September 2015’s median asking price of $749K.

Days on Market

Days on Market (DOM) takes a look at how long it takes homes to sell. If the market is hot, you will see low days on market and conversely, if the market is slow, this number goes up.

In September, DOM clocked in at 105 days. This is up 14% over last September’s 92 days.

Median Sales Price for Scottsdale Homes

Now we will take a look at the median sales prices in Scottsdale. This is the same kind of measure as above, but this time we are looking at sales prices versus asking prices.

The median sales price in September came in at a healthy $493K, outperforming September 2015’s $478K and August 2016’s $460K.

Number of Homes Sold

Now we will take a look at home sales activity in Scottsdale. The top image shows this information comparing September 2015 and 2016 and the lower image shows the August to September 2016 information.

Sales in September were up 3% over the same time period in 2015.

However, after a strong August, we saw sales drop by 8% in September.

We hope that you found this video and commentary helpful as you gather more information to make smart informed real estate decisions.

For more Scottsdale real estate information or if you have any questions about the local area, feel free to contact Joyce at (480) 209-7843 or Joyce@LiveBetterinScottsdale.com.

Click to watch other videos on our Live Better in Scottsdale YouTube Channel

Disclaimer: Data deemed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.

Scottsdale AZ Luxury Home Market – September 2016

October 14, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Scottsdale AZ Luxury Home Market Performance for September 2016 –

September saw sales slow slightly in the under $2 million range, but home sales above that were stronger.

This report provides an overview of the sales activity in the Scottsdale luxury home market. All of the homes are priced a $1 million or more. And to show additional detail, this activity has been split into four price ranges.

Active – How many homes were for sale at the end of the month.
Pending – How many pending sales there were at the end of the month.
Sold – How many homes sold over the month.

– SEPTEMBER 2016 –

Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,000,000 – $1,499,999

– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: Inventory was up almost 10% over August. We typically see this stay somewhat level during the slower months, but it is still lower than the 12 month average.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Pending sales were up by one to 21 at the end of the month.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Home sales slipped 12% to 29, but this is still ahead of the 12 month average of 26.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 93.6% – On average, buyers saw a discount off of list price of 6.4%.

Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,500,000 – $1,999,999

– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: Inventory in this price point jumped over 20% between August and September, putting it close to the 12 month average of 193.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Pending sales fell by one to nine.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Sales fell to seven, which is the lowest we have seen since October of 2015.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 93.2% – On average, buyers saw a discount off of list price of 6.8%.

Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $2,000,000 – $2,999,999

– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: Inventory was up again in this price point, coming in at 140 at the end of September.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Pending sales dropped to the lowest level we have seen since January 2016. This will impact sales numbers in October.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Sales saw a huge jump to nine, tripling sales in August. This is also ahead of the 12 month average of eight.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 96.1% – On average, buyers saw a discount off of list price of 3.9%. This is much higher than it has been.

Scottsdale Homes Priced $3,000,000+

– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: Inventory increased almost 14% month over month. That is a large jump for this price point.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Pending sales came it at five, about what we would expect this time of year.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: There were four home sales, which is on par with the 12 month sales average.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 97.2% – On average, buyers saw a discount off of list price of 2.8%. This is also much higher than it usually it.

September was a decent month for luxury home sales in Scottsdale, particularly in the higher-priced segments.

If you would like additional detail on home sales activity, please visit our Scottsdale Luxury Home Market Reports page and click on the downloadable “Scottsdale Market Trends” 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 10/1/2016 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.

Carefree Arizona Real Estate Update – Through Q3 2016

October 11, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

Carefree Real Estate Report

Carefree, Arizona is a small, charming community north of Scottsdale. It has a wonderful downtown with lots of shopping, galleries, dining and entertainment. The Town Center is host to live music performances, a farmers’ market, wonderful holiday events and markets and some of the best Art and Wine Festivals around.

Carefree is predominantly single family homes, but around the town center, you will find some great condos and townhomes. Of note is the upcoming luxury condo community, Easy Street. The single-family homes can be found nestled within the rolling hills and boulder outcroppings that gave The Boulders Resort and community its name. Other homes are perched high on Black Mountain, enjoying unparalleled valley views.

Here is an overview of the real estate market in Carefree for the first three quarters of 2016.

Carefree Homes for Sale and Pending Sales – As of 10/7/16

As of October 7th, there were 123 homes for sale in Carefree. The least expensive home for sale was an 850 square foot leasehold cabin in Lower Camp Creek at $123,000.

The highest priced home on the market was a 9,887 square foot custom home in Cow Track Estates. It had five bedrooms and seven and one-half bathrooms. The list price was $3,895,000.

Pending sales ranged from $429,400 for a 1,880 square foot home to $1,050,000 for a 4,005 square foot custom home.

Carefree Home Sales – First Three Quarters of 2016

This next section covers Carefree home sales over the first three quarters of the year.

As is typically seen, sales hit their highest level in Q2. Usually, that carries over to Q3, but in Carefree’s case, it had a much stronger Q1.

Average sales price moved around from quarter to quarter, but the average price per square foot sold declined each quarter. Days on market also moved up each quarter.

Search Carefree Homes For Sale

Here is a selection of homes currently for sale in Carefree. If you would like to search all Carefree homes for sale, click here.

Questions?

Have questions about Carefree or Carefree real estate? We are happy to help. Simply email us or call/text Joyce at (480) 209-7843.

Disclaimer: Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 10/7/2016 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at resale condos, townhomes and single-family homes in Carefree, AZ. 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 © 2016 Heather Tawes Nelson | Joyce Tawes

Cave Creek Arizona Real Estate Update – Through Q3 2016

October 8, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

Cave Creek Real Estate Report

Cave Creek, Arizona is a wonderful community located to the north and west of Scottsdale.

Downtown Cave Creek is a fun, eclectic collection of restaurants, shops, boutiques and bars. Harold’s is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

There are many housing options in Cave Creek from condos and townhomes, to single-family homes in master planned communities like Tatum Ranch and Dove Valley Ranch, to standalone homes on acreage, many of them with horse set-ups.

Here is an overview of the real estate market in Cave Creek for the first three quarters of 2016.

Cave Creek Homes for Sale and Pending Sales – As of 10/1/16

As of October 1st, there were 285 single-family homes for sale in Cave Creek. The least expensive home for sale was a two bedroom, two bathroom home with 1,109 square feet in Tatum Ranch for $215,000.

The most expensive home on the market was a 10, 159 square foot Tuscan estate set upon 54 mountainous acres with outstanding views. The asking price was $6,749,995.

Pending sales prices ranged from $221,000 for a 1,190 square foot home to $2,195,000 for a 6,991 square foot custom home.

Cave Creek Home Sales – First Three Quarters of 2016

This next section covers Cave Creek home sales over the first three quarters of the year.

Sales were strongest in the second quarter, following the pattern we typically see. However, sales in Q3, were almost as strong.

Average sales price has stayed pretty level from quarter to quarter, but the average price per square foot has increased each time. We also saw sales price to list price increase each month, meaning on average, buyers are paying closer to full price.

Search Cave Creek Homes For Sale

Here is a selection of homes currently for sale in Cave Creek. If you would like to search all Cave Creek homes for sale, click here.

Questions?

Have questions about Cave Creek or Cave Creek real estate? We are happy to help. Simply email us or call/text Joyce at (480) 209-7843.

Disclaimer: Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 10/1/2016 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at resale condos, townhomes and single-family homes in Cave Creek, AZ. 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 © 2016 Heather Tawes Nelson | Joyce Tawes

Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – September 2016

October 5, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Luxury Condo Sales in Scottsdale and Phoenix – September 2016 –

September was another quiet month for Scottsdale and Phoenix’s luxury condo market sales activity.

This report looks at the real estate activity for luxury condos with price points at or above $1 million.

ACTIVE LISTINGS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER

Inventory was up 5 units to 40 at the end of September. Twenty-eight of the condos were located in Scottsdale luxury communities and the rest were located in Phoenix luxury communities.

The highest priced condo for sale remains the same. It is a Scottsdale Waterfront Residences penthouse with an asking price of $4,995,000. The home has three bedrooms, three and one-half bathrooms, 4,471 square feet and incredible views of the valley.

The lowest priced luxury condo for sale was listed for $1,000,000 even. This two bedroom, two bathroom, 1,904 square foot home is located in Phoenix’s Esplanade Place community.

PENDING LUXURY CONDO SALES IN SCOTTSDALE AND PHOENIX

Eight condos were under contract and pending sale at the end of September. Seven of these have been in pending status for months as they await completion.

Scottsdale Pending Sales

Envy Residences had two pending luxury sales The first one is a carryover and has two bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and 1,764 square feet. Its asking price was $1,100,000. The second unit is a new pending sale and it has 1,995 square feet, two bedrooms and 2.25 bathrooms. The price on this one was $1,075,000.

Phoenix Pending Sales

There were no changes to the pending sales in Phoenix.

Two Biltmore Estates had four pending sales of its three and four bedroom units. The square footage for these ranged between 3,950 to 4,877 and prices ranged from $2,148,000 to $3,178,000.
Portland on the Park also had the same two pending sales. The first was a two bedroom, three bathroom, 2,105 square foot unit priced at $1,031,500. The second was a three bedroom, three bathroom, 2,486 square foot unit priced at $1,235,500.

LUXURY CONDO SALES FOR SEPTEMBER 2016

No luxury condos sold during the month of September. While this time of year tends to be slower, we usually see at least one or two sales. Hopefully, things will improve in October.

Learn More About Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos

Search Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos for Sale

Disclaimer: Days on market figures are cumulative days on market. Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 10/1/2016 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 condo 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 © 2016 Heather Tawes Nelson | Joyce Tawes