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Selling Your Scottsdale Home: What is Home Staging?

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Guest post by Robyn Randall, ASID

– Why Should I Stage My Scottsdale Home for Sale? –

Staged Room by realestagingIf you are a homeowner considering selling your home, often times the most difficult part is making the spaces in your home as appealing as possible to the widest range of prospective buyers. One way to accomplish this is to have your home professionally staged.

What is Home Staging?
Staging is when a given space is professionally prepared using limited funds, practical creativity and professional expertise to best highlight and show the architectural elements, space and features. The goal is for the home to become infinitely more attractive to potential buyers, which translates in to a quicker sale for more money. Staging is a small investment by the home seller that can really pay off.

Frequently, I am asked to stage Scottsdale area homes for resale. Sometimes it is more about removing and redesigning the furnishings you already have and sometimes it is about adding things to enhance a room.

Most importantly, the key is to depersonalize the home, which makes it easier for potential buyers to emotionally imagine themselves living in that space.

Most importantly, the key is to depersonalize the home, which makes it easier for potential buyers to emotionally imagine themselves living in that space.

Or, we often see cases where a home seller has taken their existing furnishings with them to the new residence, leaving an empty shell. In that case, the staging professional can provide furnishings and accents in key rooms and areas so that prospective buyers can see what the home’s potential is.

If there is any area of the home that is challenging, it can be a deterrent to a buyer. So sometimes it’s best to address that challenge head on. For example, if you have a small bedroom which has limited space for anything more than a twin bed, perhaps you could portray that room as a den instead. Your staging professional will be able to help you with creative workarounds in these cases.

There are many companies whose sole business is to stage the home for a fee. Fees can vary greatly and it’s best to do your homework ahead of time.

My best advice is that if you’re going to pay a professional to help you stage your home, make sure the finished product accomplishes your goal to make the space livable and inviting to prospective buyers.

Creative Commons image courtesy of realestaging

Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – October 2013

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– Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – October 2013 –

Scottsdale Luxury Condo poolWhat an amazing month for the Scottsdale and Phoenix luxury condo market. The month of October posted the highest number of sales I can remember seeing, and the month alone exceeded all of the sales made in Q1 2013.

For the purposes of this report, any condo unit listed for sale with an asking price of $1 million or above, is considered a luxury condo.

ACTIVE LISTINGS AT THE END OF OCTOBER

Inventory moved up a little by the end of October to 28 luxury condos for sale. Of these, sixteen were located in Scottsdale and the remaining 12 were located in Phoenix.

The most expensive condo for sale remains the elegant penthouse unit at the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences in downtown Scottsdale. This penthouse has two bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and 3,3,63 square feet. The asking price is $3,695,000.

The least expensive condo for sale at the end of the month was a penthouse unit on top of the Hotel Valley Ho in Old Town Scottsdale. This unit has two bedrooms, two and three-quarters bathrooms and 1,786 square feet. The asking price is $1,175,000.

 

PENDING LUXURY CONDO SALES IN SCOTTSDALE AND PHOENIX

As the month of October came to a close, there were two pending sales and both were located in Scottsdale.

The first was located at the Scottsdale Waterfront Residences. It had been listed for $1,299,000 and had two bedrooms and a den, two and one-half bathrooms and 2,227 square feet.

The second luxury condo was at the Kierland Plaza Lofts. It had been listed for $1,689,000 and had three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 2,802 square feet.

LUXURY CONDO SALES FOR OCTOBER

There were eight luxury condo sales in October, which well exceeds the 1-3 sales you may see in any given month. Five of these sales were in Scottsdale and the other three were in Phoenix.

Scottsdale’s October luxury condo sales include:

  • Optima Camelview – The list price on this three bedroom, two bathroom condo with 2,469 square feet was $1,100,000. It ended up selling for $1,000,000.>
  • The Landmark (Kierland) -There were two sales in Landmark for over $1 million in October. The first was a three bedroom, two and one-half bathroom unit with 2,630 square feet. It ended up selling for $1,005,000, off a little from the $1,050,000 asking price.
  • The Landmark (Kierland) – The other Landmark sale was for a 2,591 square foot, three bedroom, 2.75 bathroom unit. It has been listed for $1,199,000 and ultimately sold for $1,100,000.
  • Optima Camelview – A second sale took place in Optima Camelview and this was a 3,680 square foot condo with four bedrooms and three and one-half bathrooms. It was on the market for $1,495,000 and sold for $1,380,000.
  • Scottsdale Waterfront Residences – The final Scottsdale sale in October was for a 2,469 square foot unit with two bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms. This unit sold for its asking price of $1,600,000.

The three luxury condo sales in Phoenix were as follows:

  • The two pending sales at Two Biltmore Estates ended up closing in October. These were new build units and both closed well over asking. This is most likely due to builder upgrades the owners requested that pushed the prices above list. The first one was a 3,860 square foot unit with three bedrooms and four bathrooms. The asking price had been $1,798,000 and it closed for $1,900,095. The second unit had 3,860 square feet, four bedrooms, and four and one-half bathrooms. It had been listed for $1,878,000 and it sold for $2,139,840.
  • The final Phoenix sale was a rare unit from downtown Phoenix’s Orpheum Lofts. It had 2,777 square feet, two bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms. The asking price had been $1,495,000 and it ultimately sold for $1,374,900.

 

Phoenix Scottsdale Luxury Condos October 2013

Overall, October was an excellent month for the Phoenix and Scottsdale luxury condo market. Sales were very high and there were two pending sales to carry us into the month of November. Inventory was up modestly, unlike Scottsdale’s single family home market, where inventory has been spiking upward recently.

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 11/1/2013 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 October 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 © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Scottsdale Events: The 2013 Scottsdale Polo Party

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– Scottsdale Events – The 2013 Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower –

Scottsdale Polo Party Cars 2013We attended our second Scottsdale Polo Party last weekend and it was even better than last year! Take the excitement of watching polo matches, couple it with luxury cars and Arabian horses, then add some food and drink and shopping – and you have the perfect event.

Throughout the year, events had been scheduled to promote the “Polo  Party”and get everyone excited. One of the differences I saw this year was the opportunity to have a tailgate party and bring your cars right up to the side of the playing fields. There were private corporate boxes and several spectator stands in place that I hadn’t noticed last year. And, as a true indicator of the support being put behind the show is that this year, it was called The Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower… An apt description.

Upon entering the event, Maserati cars were in abundance!  We had to go a bit further to see the very impressive Ferrari’s.  And to the right of the walkway, there were many vintage cars, including a Cadillac convertible that must have been 12 feet long! (How did I ever learn to parallel park in those days??)

We strolled outside the arena area and enjoyed taking a close look at the cars on display courtesy of the Porsche Club. Several years and models were on show and the proud owners were around to discuss their cars as well as show them off.

Scottsdale Polo Match 2013

I also noted a larger number of participants in the the private tents that offered jewelry, art, boots and information on Polo Clubs for children and adults. The Scottsdale Convention and Visitors’ Bureau was also there handing out valuable information on Scottsdale and all that it has to offer.

The longest lines I saw were for the food booths, always popular at an event like this as the food goes so well with the very, very cold beer being served to adults. And, they didn’t forget the kiddos as they had soft drinks and other items just for them to enjoy.

The Arabian Horse Show is coming  on February 13, 2014 to WestWorld and there was a group of owners and their horses showing off their beautiful animals adjacent to the event field.  The riders brought their horses out for the attendees to see and even posed with folks for pictures.

Now – on to the reason for the show – the polo matches. We watched the match between The University of Virginia team and the Work to Ride Program team. Polo has been played at the University of Virginia for more than 50 years and the team attracts young, talented players from all over the country.

The Work to Ride Program team is out of Philadelphia.  The program was founded in 1994 by Lezlie Hiner and is dedicated to teaching polo to inner city youth. It has been extremely successful and has made history with their first African-American polo team in the nation in 1999.  In 2011 it was the first African American team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. We watched them compete last year and it was great to see them again.

2013 Scottsdale Polo Party Attendees

As always, the Arizona Polo Club was out in full force encouraging people to try out the sport and advertising their upcoming polo matches and events. I even saw a set of child sized polo mallets and balls. It’s never too early to get youngsters excited about the sport.

The growth of this event in one year has been amazing.  Last year, there were about 9,000 people and this year it grew to over 12,400. Top notch sponsors, outstanding polo events for everyone to enjoy, auto displays, private tents and tailgate parties all add up to an event rapidly becoming “the event of the year” for Scottsdale.

I am always intrigued by the fashions worn by the attendees. This year I noted more and more young people dressing in sports jackets, the ladies in dresses and large hats and one group of polo enthusiasts even donned “horse head” masks.  All in good fun.

Next year should be even more exciting. It is slated to take place October 24-25, 2014 and will overlap with the United States Polo Association’s Annual Meeting, which will bring even more global enthusiasts to the event.

Scottsdale AZ Single-Family Home Sales – October 2013

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– Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Home Sales in October 2013 –

October was another lukewarm month for Scottsdale home sales activity and inventory continues to rise.

SCOTTSDALE HOME SALES ACTIVITY – OCTOBER 2013
The chart below will give you a visual representation of how home sale activity in Scottsdale has been performing.

– Homes for sale are shown in red.* 
– Pending home sales are shown in green.*
– October Home Sales are shown in purple.

OCTOBER 2013 RESULTS

  • Active Scottsdale Homes for Sale:  There was another large  jump in inventory (19.7%)  in October and we ended the month with 1,925 homes on the market. We have not seen inventory this high since May of 2011. As would be expected, this well exceeds the 12 month average of 1,535 homes for sale. Part of this is due to sellers getting their homes on the market in anticipation of the high season and I imagine that now a lot of homeowners who were previously underwater are now in a position to sell.
  • Pending Homes Sales in Scottsdale: Pending sales dipped very slightly to 298. We have not seen a number this low since February of 2009. Typically, in October, this number comes in in the 400’s. I do believe that uncertainty surrounding the government shutdown during the first part of the month had an impact on this figure and I hope to see this number rebound in November.
  • Scottsdale Homes Sold: A total of 326 homes sold over the month. This was better than anticipated as we went into October with only 300 pending sales. However, this number is still well behind the 12 month average of 431 home sales.

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales October 2013

 

Below are two additional charts related to Scottsdale home sales.

The first is a look at how things have changed month over month for the last 12 months. As you can see inventory has been increasing quite a bit since August, while pending sales and home sales have been dropping off.

The second section looks at how much of a discount, on average, buyers have been getting off of list price. In October, we saw a slightly larger discount of 4.8% for homebuyers.

Scottsdale Home Sales Rates October 2013

October 2013 was a lackluster month for Scottsdale home sales, although sales were higher than I had anticipated based on September’s figures. Pendings were low again, but this was most likely impacted by the government shutdown and the uncertainty it caused.  Inventory is quite high again, going back to 2011 levels.

Search Scottsdale AZ Homes for Sale

Disclaimer: Homes for sale and pending home sales figures reflect the number of homes in that status at the end of the month. Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of  11/1/2013 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 October 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

Things to Do In Scottsdale AZ: Visit the George “Doc” Cavalliere Park

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Scottsdale park art Greasewood Flat
– Scottsdale knows how to build parks: The George “Doc” Cavalliere Park at Greasewood Flat –

One of our favorite fun places to visit for good food and drink is Greasewood Flat. (Greasewood Flat is closed for now.)  It’s located off Alma School Road in North Scottsdale across the road from the Four Seasons Resort.  Follow the dirt road and to the parking lots , including special “parking places” for horses. Once you enter, you will find wooden tables and benches, big open fire pits and lots of good music and good times.

Greasewood Flat was opened by George R. Cavalliere, a true cowboy, in 1975. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 93 and is still missed by all his friends. In his honor, the City of Scottsdale built and dedicated a park to him in 2012. It is adjacent to his property and there are several lookouts within the park trails that give you a panoramic view of Pinnacle Peak and Greasewood Flat.  There are houses and hotels built all around the area now, but it’s still easy to visualize how rough that terrain must have been when he settled here in the 1950’s.

Aptly named the George “Doc” Cavalliere Park, it is designed with trails, grassy areas, basketball courts and a shaded playground area for children. There is ample parking and, again, there is parking for the horses as this trail is shared by hikers, horses and bikes. They even thought about our “best friends” and installed a water fountain for dogs.

Playground Greasewood Flat Scottsdale AZ

The design of the park area is true desert.  There are three large rusted iron walls that are majestic to view as you walk into the park. The retaining walls of the buildings and play areas are the classic rocks stacked within iron cages.  This is something you see throughout this area and it allows the walls to blend in with its surroundings.

The benches are poured concrete with iron arms and are scattered throughout the park to provide areas to sit and rest, or just gather for conversation.  The basketball courts are lighted and amazingly big to accommodate large groups of children. It invites you to come and play.

Just within the entrance is a cement walled area that works well for toddlers who want to play in the sand. As a bonus, it keeps them contained and safe so Moms and Dads can sit on the cement walls and watch them.

Last but not least, the large shaded area with special rubberized mats houses an array of climbing and playing equipment for children of all ages.  Again, there is lots of seating for the Moms and Dads while their little ones enjoy the equipment.  Or, they can run all over the grassy area next to the playground, which is also walled to keep the little ones within sight.
Park seating at Cavalliere Park North Scottsdale

I don’t know who designed the park (I plan to find out), but they managed to establish a park area for all ages that can be enjoyed for many years to come.

You can reach the park by turning east off of Alma School Road at the Fire Station. It ‘s well marked with a sign and stays open until at least 10:00 PM every night.

More Information:
George “Doc” Cavalliere Park
27775 N. Alma School Parkway
Scottsdale, AZ 85262

Scottsdale Zip Code 85262 Home Sales By Type Q3 2013 – Includes Foreclosures & Short Sales

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Desert Mountain 85262 Homes– Scottsdale’s 85262 Zip Code Real Estate Update for the First Three Quarters of 2013- 

Scottsdale zip code 85262 is one of the most desirable areas to live in Scottsdale. Located in the far northeast section of Scottsdale, 85262 is characterized by rolling hills and mountains. It enjoys a higher elevation which equates to some phenomenal valley views and slightly lower temperatures in the warmer months.

Some of Scottsdale’s top golf communities are located in 85262. Among them are Estancia, Troon North, Legend Trail, Mirabel and Desert Mountain.

Housing options in 85262 run the gamut. Homebuyers looking for smaller condos,  townhomes or patio homes have ample choices. Or, there are many lovely and elegant larger homes and estates available for sale.

Here is an overview of home sales information in 85262. It covers Q3 sales activity as well as summary data for the first three quarters of the year. This data has been broken into three sales types and they are defined below:

–  Non-Distressed Sales – These are the typical home sales you consider as “normal” or “regular” sales.

– Short Sales – Here, the home is worth less than what is owed on it and has to be sold “short” of the amount borrowed. In this case, third party approval is required for the sale to close. Short sales fall into the distress sale category.

– Foreclosures – Foreclosures are also part of the distress sale category. These homes have now reverted to the lienholder and the former homeowner no longer is involved. These are also referred to as “Lender-Owned,”  “REOs,‘” or “Bank-Owned” homes.

 

Scottsdale Zip Code 85262 Home Sales for Q3 2013 – Data as of October 1, 2013

  • Active Scottsdale 85262 Homes For Sale: Almost every home on the market (95%) in 85262 at the end of Q3 was a regular sale. Only 15 homes fell into the distressed category.
  • 85262 Pending Homes for Sale: However, you see short sales have a much larger impact when looking at the pending sales. Almost 20% of pending sales were short sales.
  • Q3 2013 Scottsdale 85262 Home Sales: Regular sales regained some ground when you look at the closed sales. They came in with 83%. What is interesting to note is that distress sales only accounted for 4% of homes for sale, but were 13% of all Q3 home sales.
  • 85262 Home Prices:  As would be expected, regular home sales had the highest average sales price and average price per square foot. Then, normally, you would see short sales come in next. However in Q3 in 85262, foreclosures had a much higher average sales price and price per square foot than short sales.
  • Days on Market: This was interesting as well. Normally, reular sales have the shortest days on market followed by foreclosures then short sales. In this case, non-distressed sales came in at 183 days, almost as long as short sales’ 187 days. This swing was due to one home closing that had been on the market for 1,994 days.
  • Discounts Off of List Price: Buyers of regular homes saw an average of 5% off of asking prices. Short sales were close behind with 4% average of of list and foreclosure buyers only saw an average discount of 1%.

Scottsdale Zip 85262 Home Sales Q3 2013

 

Scottsdale Zip Code 85262 – 2013 Homes Sales Year-to-Date
Looking over the first three quarters of 2013, 85262’s sales patterns were very similar to Scottsdale’s at large. It had a decent Q1, sales spiked in Q2 and then tapered off again in Q3. Additionally, the sales by sales type has stayed pretty stable throughout the year.

Scottsdale 85262 Home Sales Q1 Q2 Q3 2013 85262


Scottsdale Zip Code 85262 – 2012 Home Sales by Quarter
This is the sales by type data for 85262 for 2012. By the end of the year, 80% of all home sales were regular sales.

In comparison, for 2013, this number has climbed to 88%, showing the impact of the lower number of distress sales on the market.

85262 Quarterly 2012

 

 

Click Here to Search for Homes in Scottsdale’s 85262 Zip Code

Disclaimer:  Due to rounding issues, not all columns will add up to 100%. Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 10/1/2013 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 Q3 2013. 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 © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

Things to Do in Scottsdale AZ: Halloween Events 2013

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– Scottsdale Halloween Events 2013 –

Mac Donalds Ranch Halloween 2013 ScottsdaleSo Halloween is just around the corner and to celebrate, many places in and around Scottsdale are hosting some fun events over the next several days.

Here is a partial list of some of the places where you can have some Halloween fun:

  • Mac Donald’s Ranch Pumpkin Patch – This one is my favorite to visit and I have written about it before. Mac Donald’s Ranch in North Scottsdale goes all out every year with its Pumpkin Patch and activities. Once you are in, you can take a hay ride, or the new train ride, out to the pumpkins and select your favorite(s). There are also pony rides for the little ones, a hay bale maze, panning for gold, a petting zoo, games, arts and crafts and more. There are also ample places to take family Fall photos. It is open daily through October 31st and is $10 per person, with children under 1 getting in free.
  • Malloween at Desert Ridge Marketplace (Phoenix)- Tomorrow, October 26th, is Malloween at Desert Ridge. Between 3 adn 6 PM, Radio Disney will be doing a Halloween performance on the stage and families can trick or treat from store to store.
  •  City of Scottsdale’s Fall Festival – Another event taking place tomorrow (October 26th) is the City of Scottsdale’s Fall Festival. This free event runs from 5-10PM and will take place at the South Eldorado Ballfield on Miller Road. There will be games, a pumpkin carving contest, costume contests and so much more fun for the whole family.
  • Artisan Market’s Thriller on the Bridge – This year, the kickoff to the Artisan Market is taking place on Halloween. To celebrate, they are hosting a Thriller on the Bridge event. There will be a scavenger hunt, face painting, live entertainment, costume contests and of course the artisans will be spookily decorating their booths.
  • Howl-O-Ween at the Phoenix Zoo – Today and tomorrow is the annual Howl-o-Ween event at the Phoenix Zoo. From 6:30PM to 10:30 PM both nights, there will be tons of fun and frights going on.

These are just a few of the many Halloween and Fall events going on in and around Scottsdale this year. Enjoy!

Scottsdale AZ Q3 2013 Home Sales By Type – Includes Foreclosures & Short Sales

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– Scottsdale Third Quarter 2013 Home Sales By Type – Foreclosure & Short Sale Data Included –

Below is an analysis of home sales activity in Scottsdale, Arizona, for Q3 2013 as well as the first three quarters of the year.

This information has been classified into three sales types. The definitions for these categories are below:

– Non-Distressed Sales – These are “typical” or “regular” home sales.
– Short Sales – These occur when the homeowner owes more on the home than it is worth. In order for it to sell the lender (or lienholder) needs to approve the terms of the sale in order for it to go through. Short sales are considered a distress sale type.
– Foreclosures – Also known as “Lender-Owned,”  “REO” and/or “Bank-Owned,” these are the homes that have been through the foreclosure process. This is also a distress sale type.

Overall Findings for the Q3 2013 Scottsdale Single-Family Home Market – Data As of October 1, 2013

  • Scottsdale Homes for Sale: Virtually all of the homes on the market in Scottsdale are now regular sales. Only 3% fall into the short sale or foreclosure sales types.
  • Scottsdale Pending Home Sales: As we typically see, the impact of the distress sales is evident in the pending figures. Now, they represent 18% of the inventory. This shows that there is still quite a lot of demand for short sales and foreclosures, even though they are only a small part of the market.
  • Q3 2013 Scottsdale Home Sales: Again, regular sales comprised the majority (92%) of home sales in Q3. Short sales were next with 5% and foreclosures were 3%.
  • Home Prices: Non-distressed homes had the highest average sales prices and price per square foot, as we would expect to see. Normally short sales come next, but in Q3, foreclosures actually had the higher average sales prices.
  • Days on Market: Foreclosures sold the most quickly in Q3, where we usually see regular sales with the lowest figure here.
  • Discounts Off of List Price: Discounts off of asking price were harder to come by in the third quarter. On average, there was only a 4% discount off of asking price for regular home sales. And, there was none or very little with short sales and foreclosures.

Scottsdale Home Sales by Type Q3 2013

 

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales Through Q3 2013
Here is a quarterly snapshot of sales for 2013.

As you can see, the impact of distress sales has been shrinking as the year has progressed. In Q1, distress sales made up 15% of all sales. By the end of Q3, they were only 8%.

Scottsdale Home Sales Data 2013

 

Scottsdale AZ Home Sales for Full-Year 2012
To see how 2013 is tracking compared to 2012, I have included 2012 sales by quarter.

As I was just referencing above, you can really see how distress sale activity has been tapering off over time. In Q1 2012, 35% of all sales were either short sales or foreclosure sales, compared to 8% in Q3 2013. It is quite remarkable to see how much has changed in 18 months.

Scottsdale Home Sales by Sales Type 2012

 

If you would like more detail, see the links below for previous reports on Scottsdale home sales:
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for Q2 2013 
View Scottsdale Home Sales by Type for 2012

Disclaimer: Due to rounding issues, not all columns will add up to a perfect 100%.  Data and information were pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 10/1/2013 and can change at any time. Active listing and pending sale data is where those figures were at the end of Q3.  The analysis looks at single-family resale homes for sale and sales in Scottsdale AZ on a quarterly basis. 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 © 2013 Heather Tawes Nelson

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