Blog

Scottsdale Businesses: Desert Storage Opening New Airpark Location

April 21, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Desert Storage’s New Scottsdale Airpark Location –

Desert Storage’s newest facility is now open in the Scottsdale Airpark (Acoma/Scottsdale Road.) Desert Storage has eleven locations in and around Scottsdale and this one will be a great fit for residents and businesses who live and operate near and around the Airpark and Kierland areas.

Want to take a tour? Desert Storage will be hosting a Grand Opening Party on Wednesday, April 27th, from 4:30-6:30PM. Highlights include free food and wine tasting as well as local radio station giveaways. Special incentives will also be offered.

Desert Storage is a great option for individuals as well as businesses. Over time, it is easy to accumulate things like furniture, keepsakes, files and inventory, but maybe they are not used or needed as often. Rather than getting rid of everything or live with the clutter, a storage unit provides the perfect solution.

Desert Storage Offerings:

– Storage Space – There are four different size options for storage space, ranging from small to extra large. Every unit is air-conditioned and heated as well as individually alarmed. All of the units have drive-in access that is air-conditioned and some of the largest units even have drive-up access. The smallest units start at 5X5 (25 square feet) and the largest unit comes in at 12X40 (480 square feet.)

– Wine Storage – Wine storage is a great option for homeowners who do not have or want to maintain a large wine cellar. And, it provides peace of mind for seasonal residents who may not be able to monitor their collections from a distance. There is dual refrigeration and humidity control as well as a back-up generator to ensure optimal temperatures are maintained. And, if you receive wine shipments, Desert Storage is happy to accept the wine on your behalf. The smallest units can accommodate up to 50 cases and the largest units can handle up to 810 cases.

– RV/Boat Storage – If you own an RV or boat and do not have large lot or your HOA prohibits them, this is great option. Desert Storage offers covered spaces with a wide drive aisle for easy access. These spaces are located behind controlled access gates and customers will have access to electrical service and a sanitary dump station with water.

MORE INFORMATION:
Desert Storage
7301 E Acoma Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(480) 386-9004
Website

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

April 18, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– March 2016 Scottsdale Housing Market Video –

March 2016 – Video

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

Active Listings

This image shows the number of homes for sale in Scottsdale.

Inventory was largely the same between the end of February 2016 and March 2016. But if you look at the change between the end of March 2015 and March 2016, the number of homes for sale was up 7%.

Median Listing Price

The median list price is a popular statistic used when looking at real estate performance. The median shows the exact middle of home prices. Half of all homes are priced higher and half of all homes are priced lower.

In March 2016, the median list price came in at $830,000. This is up quite a bit from March 2015’s median list price. which was $779,000. This jump in median list price when looking at the same time period in the year prior is something we are seeing frequently.

Days on Market

The days on market measurement captures the average number of days a home is on the market before it sells. A high days on market indicates less demand and conversely, low days on market indicates stronger demand.

In March 2016, the average was 100 days, which is a 9% decrease over March 2015.

Median Sales Price for Scottsdale Homes

Now we will take a look at the median sales price in March 2016. It came in at $477,000.

This is up slightly from March 2015’s $469,500, but is down when you look at February 2016’s $518,000 median sales price.

Number of Homes Sold

This final section looks at how many homes sold over time.

This first image is looking at home sales year-over-year. As you can see, sales were up 2% over March 2015.

This second image looks at home sales compared to the previous month. Sales were up an impressive 46% between February and March. This is a seasonal swing we see during the high season.

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.

Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – March 2016

April 14, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

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

The luxury condo market in Scottsdale and Phoenix had an average sales month. What was exciting is that we ended the month with an additional four units pending sale.

The purpose of this report is to review the performance of the local luxury condo market. We are including all units that are listed for over $1 million.

ACTIVE LISTINGS AT THE END OF MARCH

Inventory was down two unit to 45 by the end of March. Of the 45, 28 were in Scottsdale and 17 were in Phoenix.

At $2,950,000, the highest priced unit on the market has held this position for many months. It is a unique offering as it is a completely gutted 8,500 square foot space that encompasses the entire top floor of a commercial building in Downtown Scottsdale.

Conversely, the lowest priced unit on the market came in at $1,000,000 and is a carryover from last month. This 2,346 square foot unit with two bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms is found in the Fairway Lodge (8 Biltmore) community in Phoenix.

PENDING LUXURY CONDO SALES IN SCOTTSDALE AND PHOENIX

At the end of the month, we had an incredible thirteen pending sales, up from the eight pending sales we had at the end of the previous month. Nine of the thirteen condos are currently under construction and most of them have been in pending status for many months.

Scottsdale Pending Sales

Scottsdale ended the month with four pending sales. One was a carryover and there were three new contracts in March.
The carryover has been under construction for a while in the Envy Residences community. It has two bedrooms, 1,995 square feet and was on the market for $1,075,000.
Two pendings came on the Kierland Plaza Lofts community. The lower priced unit was listed for $1,295,000 and has 2,054 square feet, two bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms. The other may be the largest condo sale we see in 2016. This penthouse condo was listed for $3,250,000 and has three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and 3,567 square feet.
The final pending sale in Scottsdale is in the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences. It had been on the market for $1,695,000 and has two bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and 2,227 square feet.

Phoenix Pending Sales

Six of the thirteen pendings can be found in the Two Biltmore Estates community. Asking prices for these three bedroom homes range from $1,750,000 to $3,178,0100 and square footage ranges from 3,000 to 4,877.
There were two pending sales in Portland on the Park. One that has been pending for a while has two bedrooms, three bathrooms and 2,105 square feet. Its list price was $1,031,500. The second pending sale is a three bedroom, three bathroom, 2,486 square foot unit. It was listed for $1,235,500.
The final pending sale in Phoenix was in Fairway Lodge (8 Biltmore.) This condo was listed for $1,325,000 and comes with three bedrooms, three and one-half bathrooms and 3,033 square feet.

LUXURY CONDO SALES FOR MARCH 2016

There was a single sale in March and it took place in Scottsdale.

The sale was in the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences community. It had two bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and 2,265 square feet. It had been on the market for 146 days and was listed for $1,375,000. It sold for $1,250,000.

March was an average month for the luxury condo market in Phoenix and Scottsdale. The bright spot was the addition of so many pending sales to the pipeline, even though a couple of them will not be closing for a while.

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 4/1/2016 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 March 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

Scottsdale AZ Single Family Home Sales – March 2016

April 11, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Home Sales in March 2016 –

March was a very solid month for home sales in Scottsdale. Pendings were also up, along with inventory.

SCOTTSDALE HOME SALES ACTIVITY – MARCH 2016

Below is a chart that shows three components of sales activity and how they performed over the past twelve months. These components are:

– Single-family homes for sale are depicted by the red line.*
– Pending home sales are depicted by the green line.*
– Home Sales are depicted by the purple line.

MARCH 2016 RESULTS

Scottsdale Homes for Sale: Inventory continued its rise in March, although the rate of homes coming onto the market slowed to 1.4% between the end of February and the end of March. This is the highest we have seen this figure in the past 12 months.
Pending Homes Sales in Scottsdale: Pending sales were up 9.3% over February to 366. This is a very healthy number and is the second highest we have seen for pendings in the past year.
Scottsdale Home Sales: The number of homes sold jumped an incredible 46.9% over February to 470 sales. This is a reflection of Scottsdale being the high season, where we see sales increase every year.

The next section looks at a couple of other things related to home sales activity in Scottsdale:

The upper chart shows how each of the components performed relative to the prior month. As I alluded to above, all three saw increases, with home sales coming in with an impressive 46.9% jump.

The lower chart compares asking prices for the homes compared to the prices they sold for. So in March, homes on average sold for 95.3% of list price. Looking at this another way, buyers on average saw a 4.7% discount off of list prices in March.

March was an excellent month for Scottsdale home sales. New inventory coming onto the market slowed, pending sales were up almost 10% and home sales were excellent. Based on this month’s performance, April should be another solid month.

Search Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale

*Figures for active homes for sale and pending sales are based on the numbers at the end of the month.

Disclaimer: Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 4/1/2016 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 March 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 © 2016 Heather Tawes Nelson | Joyce Tawes

Estancia in Scottsdale – 2015 Home Sales Recap

April 8, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

One of Scottsdale’s most elegant golf communities is found in Estancia. The guard-gated community was developed on 640 acres and enjoys spectacular Pinnacle Peak, mountain and city light views.

ABOUT THE ESTANCIA GOLF COMMUNITY IN NORTH SCOTTSDALE

Estancia is home to some of the highest priced luxury homes in Scottsdale. These expertly crafted homes showcase elegant design and top-of-the-line finishes. The community itself is nestled into the Troon North and Pinnacle Peak areas and the rolling terrain and hills allow for some amazing desert views.

The Estancia Golf Club is a major draw for homeowners, but you are not required to join the Estancia Club when purchasing a home in Estancia. The 18-hole award-winning golf course was designed by Tom Fazio and delights golfers of all skill levels. There are 325 memberships available in Estancia and they are currently being sold on a market-priced basis.

The clubhouse is elegant and personal at the same time. In the clubhouse, you will find a pro shop, locker rooms, a fitness center, swimming pool and more. For dining, casual or more forma options are available.

ESTANCIA HOMES FOR SALE

As of March 30, 2016, there were thirty-three homes on the market with prices ranging from $1,195,000 for a La Scala home close to the clubhouse to $7,995,000 for a 9,315 square foot estate.

ESTANCIA’S 2015 HOME SALES ACTIVITY

Below is a quarter-by-quarter overview of home sales in Estancia. Sales over the course of the year were more or less level. This is interesting, because we usually see a spike in sales in Q2 and Q2 was Estancia’s poorest performing quarter in 2015.

And while is it quite common to spot trends over time with things like average sales price and average price per square foot, that is not the case here. The relatively few sales per quarter make these figures vary quite a bit.

SEARCH ESTANCIA HOMES CURRENTLY FOR SALE

Below is a selection of homes on the market in Estancia.

To see all of the homes for sale, please click on this link: Estancia Homes for Sale

Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 3/30/2016 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at home sale activity in the golf community of Estancia in Scottsdale, Arizona. This blog represents the opinion of the author. No warranties implied or expressed.
Copyright © 2016 Heather Tawes Nelson

Where to Eat in Scottsdale: Eddie Merlot’s Lounge

April 5, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Eddie Merlot’s Lounge – North Scottsdale Dining –

Last month, I wrote about our first visit to the new Eddie Merlot’s restaurant which had opened its first Arizona location in North Scottsdale. Last week, we decided to try out the lounge for dinner this time.

Eddie Merlot’s large lounge consists of a bar with lots of additional table seating. We went mid-week around 6:30 and the lounge was bustling with activity and quite full, but we were able to be seated right away. Since it was a nice evening, we elected to sit on the patio.

When dining in the lounge, you have the option to order off of the regular menu, the lounge menu or a combination of both, which is what we did.

The lounge menu consists of several options with smaller portion sizes and some more casual, but high-quality offerings. There is a snack section, a burger and slider section and a small plates section.

We decided to try a variety of items from the lounge menu and supplement them with some items from the dinner menu. We started with the House-Made Potato Chips, which did not last very long and can also be ordered with blue cheese crumbles, and the Sesame Calamari. The Sesame Calamari was prepared tempura-style and came with three dipping sauces. It was served in an edible rice bowl, which our non-calamari eating companion and appreciated and sampled. We also ordered the The Merlot Iceberg Salad, which was a wedge salad that came with pickled onions, eggs, bacon, tomatoes and more.

For our entrees, we all opted for small plates from the lounge menu. Two of us had the Tuna Nicoise, which was a play on a traditional Nicoise. Seared tuna, fried onion strings, olives, tomato and egg came placed on a bed of spinach dressed with an excellent tarragon vinaigrette. The final dish we ordered was the Vegetarian Gnocchi. The freshly-prepared gnocchi was paired with spinach and mushrooms and was placed on a sweet corn beurre blanc. Both of the small plates we sampled were excellent.

If you are looking for an excellent meal with a lot of flexibility on the offerings, you should definitely visit the lounge at Eddie Merlot’s.

More Information:
Eddie Merlot’s
23143 N Scottsdale Rd,
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
– In the Silverstone shopping plaza
Phone:(480) 699-0480
Website
The lounge opens daily at 4PM

New Scottsdale Condo Developments: Sage Scottsdale

April 2, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Sage Scottsdale – Luxury Condos in Downtown Scottsdale –

Sage Scottsdale is one of Scottsdale’s newer condo developments. Located in Downtown Scottsdale off of Chaparral, the six acre, amenity-laden community itself is located on a quiet street that overlooks the waterfront canal. They have just released the final building of new units and there are some resale opportunities as well.

SAGE CONDOMINIUM OFFERINGS

Sage Scottsdale Living Room With its most recent launch of new units, Sage Scottsdale is offering four fourplans. They range from two bedrooms, two bathroom units coming in at 1,375 square feet to three bedroom, two bathroom units with 1,659 square feet. The two other floorplans are two bedrooms with dens and 1,487 to 1,550 square feet.

All of these well-appointed units offer a great room design and come with hardwood floors, granite countertops and Dacor appliances. The bathrooms are also elegant with the master featuring Carrera marble counters and a soaking tub and shower. Each unit also has its own balcony or patio.

Sage Scottsdale Master Bathroom As of March 216, prices for these new units start at $449,000 for the smallest unit and go up to $680,000 for a top floor three bedroom unit with Camelback Mountain views and an oversized patio.

Monthly Homeowners’ Association (HOA) dues for the new units are based on the specific unit and can range anywhere from $385-470 per month.

On the resale side, you a two bedroom, two bathroom, 1,639 square foot condo on the ground floor is on the market for $419,000.

Units come with one or two parking spaces located in the controlled underground lot.

SAGE CONDOMINIUM AMENITIES AND LIFESTYLE

Sage Scottsdale condos The lifestyle at Sage is luxurious and comfortable. Residents have access to an elegant 3,400 square foot clubhouse and library lounge. There is a lovely waterfront pool and spa with ample seating and cabana offerings.

Cook and dine al fresco at one of the outdoor grills and seating areas.

One of the key highlights of Sage is its location. Access the waterfront path and stroll a few blocks to the heart of Downtown Scottsdale, Scottsdale Fashion Square or the Scottsdale Waterfront shopping and dining district.

SEARCH SAGE SCOTTSDALE LUXURY CONDOS FOR SALE

Below is a selection of Sage Scottsdale condos currently on the market.

Or, click here to see all of the Sage Scottsdale condos for sale.

QUESTIONS ABOUT SAGE SCOTTSDALE?

If you have any questions about Sage Scottsdale or want to know more, we are happy to help. Simply call/text Joyce at 480-209-7843 or email us.

Where to Eat in Scottsdale: Egg N’ Joe

March 28, 2016 By Heather Tawes Nelson

– Egg N’ Joe – Breakfast and Lunch in North Scottsdale –

I had a chance to visit a recent entrant into the Scottsdale breakfast and lunch scene last week. The restaurant, Egg N’ Joe is a new concept from the Elmer’s Restaurants family based out of the northwest and is the first of four planned locations in the Phoenix area.

It opened in the newly developed Silverstone shopping and dining development on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Pinnacle Peak Road and faces Pinnacle Peak. (This development is also home to a large Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store and Eddie Merlot’s.)

Egg N’ Joe is a casual and modern breakfast and lunch diner. The interior is open and bright with lots of of color. And, there is an enclosed patio off to the side of restaurant for folks who want to enjoy their meals outdoors.

On the day I visited, I was doing takeout lunch, but what little time I had interacting with the staff indicates that service is friendly and efficient. When I entered, I was greeted promptly and when I mentioned I was there to pick up my order, the employee was on top of it and I was taken care of and out the door in two minutes or less.

For breakfast, you will find a large number of offerings that range from skillets, to omelets, to benedicts and crepes and waffles. What looks really tasty are their German pancakes where the pancake takes up the entire plate, which you can then top with butter, powdered sugar and lemon or pick from a variety of fruit toppings.

For lunch, they have a good selection of sandwiches, burgers, salads and soups as well as combination dishes. We ended up ordering the Cobb Salad and the Mesquite-Grilled Chicken Tortilla Salad. The tortilla salad comes served in a tortilla shell and since we were doing takeout, I said they could skip it. But, they assured me they would be able to include it. When we got the salads home, they had wrapped it perfectly and it was all in one piece. Nice work! Both of the salads were great and the vegetables and toppings were very fresh.

Even though I only had limited experience with Egg N’ Joe, I enjoyed the food and ambiance and it is a place that I plan to visit again.

More Information:
Egg N’ Joe at Silverstone
23271 N Scottsdale Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone: (480) 265-9968
Hours: 6:30am – 2:30pm
Open Daily