Adam Tarr PC ABR,CDPE,RSPS,ePro, Assoc. Broker

The fabulous events just keep coming at Desert Ridge. Last weekend was the Jazz Festival and this coming Sunday is Uncorked & Unplugged benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

"Uncorked & Unplugged is a casual yet sophisticated evening under the stars celebrating the best in gourmet foods, fine wine and spirits, and live entertainment. Plan now to attend one of the Valley's premier fall events benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. Since its inception in 2004, attendance at Uncorked & Unplugged continues to grow and fundraising goals were surpassed due to the generosity of community members and local businesses. All proceeds are directly applied to youth development programs for the 16,000+ children and teens served by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. Your presence at Uncorked & Unplugged will continue to give children and teens in our community a safe, positive place to power their potential."

For more info check out http://www.uncorkedandunplugged.org/

Adam Tarr PC
Citywide Real Estate
Phoenix, AZ
480-236-7374
adam@weareazrealestate.com

There are 7 new Desert Ridge listings fresh to market this past week. Three are condos in Aviano,Toscana and Bella Monte and range from 1246 to 1843 sq. ft. sq. ft.,with 2 bedrooms or 2 + den and listed from $174,000 to $369,900. The other four are single family ranging from 1782 to 2348 sq.ft. and 3 or 4 beds (including two specs from DR Horton). Prices range from 200K to 367,496. If one of these or any other Desert Ridge home interests you, I'll be happy to assist you with your search. See the link below for all currently available homes in Desert Ridge.

There are now currently 94 active listings of homes for sale in Desert Ridge (including specs). In addition there are currently 93 properties under contract in Desert Ridge, showing the current strength in the market. These listings encompass all areas and styles within Desert Ridge. Desert Ridge includes condos, townhomes and single family detached homes from around 1000 square feet, to over 6000 square feet. These properties include clustered homes with smaller lots, to golf course lots providing a wide range of lifestyles within the vibrant community of Desert Ridge.

Currently, the listings range in price from $159,900 to almost $1.6 million and in size from approximately 1230 square feet to 6850 square feet. Desert Ridge also includes many basement floorplans, which is something hard to find in many parts of the Phoenix area.

You can see the currently active listings by following this link: Desert Ridge Homes for Sale.

As new listings come to market in Desert Ridge, new posts will reflect the market activities. If you are considering a purchase of a condo, townhome or single family home in Desert Ridge, please contact me to find out about my service guarantee and current market condtions.

Desert Ridge is a wonderful masterplanned community with "excelling" schools, convenient shopping, dining and entertainment and easy freeway access. To learn more, visit www.WeAreAZRealEstate.com

Adam Tarr PC
Citywide Real Estate
Phoenix, AZ 85050
480-236-7374
www.WeAreAZRealEstate.com

Are you looking to get out and do something different this weekend? There are all kinds of special events, and they will cover most budgets.

Last month I wrote about the Desert Ridge Jazz Festival. It started yesterday and runs through Sunday at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort . The Jazz Festival will be at the Sage Court and runs 4 days from Oct 13-16. Featured performers include George Benson, Peter White, Boney James, Richard Eliiot and many more!. Check out event details at http://sageconcerts.com/.

Are tacos your favorite food? Well, then you need to be at the Arizona Taco Festival at the Waterfront in Scottsdale. There are over 40 professional and amateur taco teams vying for $7500 in prize money. Taco servings will be available (for a couple bucks) from each team. Here are some of the details:

•VIP Tent
• Lucha Libre Wrestling
• Salty Senorita Main Bar Experience
• Boutique Tequila Expo with over 100 types of tequila
• Kids Zone with face painters, balloon sculptors, bouncy castles and more…
• Hot Chile Pepper Eating Contest
• Margarita Competition
• Celeb Chef Cooking Demos featuring: Food Network Star and elements Executive Chef-Beau Macmillan, Top Chef Winner and cookbook author Stephanie Izard, Alex Stratta from Alex and Stratta at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas and local restaurateur and chef Aaron May.
• Live Music by The Surfside IV and Elvis Before Noon

Saturday, October 15
10am - 7pm
$10 General Admission (Kids under 12 are FREE)
Click here for more information.

If tacos aren't your thing, but your hungry, check out TASTE. in Chandler. TASTE. Chandler's Culinary Food Festival is a gourmet food and wine tasting event that features Chandler's finest. TASTE. offers a unique opportunity to taste, savor, and enjoy the delicacies of the local eating establishments. The concepts created are to showcase the local business, restaurants and benefiting local charities.

Saturday, October 15
12pm - 6pm
$35 General Admission
Click here for more information

So, maybe you've gotten your fill of tacos or other delicacies, now how about something to wash it down with. Check out the Phoenix Oktoberfest! "Put on your Lederhosen or Dirndls and join in for this great Bavarian Festival… a traditional German “Volksfest” in the heart of Phoenix… a giant “Bier Garten” with buxom beer maidens serving Bavarian brews; Bavarian bands playing lively tunes and leading sing-alongs of old time drinking songs; mouth watering sausages and strudel; Bavarian dancing and lots of good old-fashioned fun at this authentic old-world family event! The “Festhallen” is for the young and the “young at heart”, whether you hail from Germany or central Phoenix. Sample traditional German foods and drinks, enjoy the music, and shop from a variety of authentic German products. Bring the family - there are lots of fun kid’s activities for their enjoyment."

Saturday, October 15
10am - 9pm
$5 General Admission (Children under 12 are FREE)
Click here for more information.

Arizona is the wild west, so why not experience it. Go to Glendale for the Wild Western Festival.The biggest and best family fun wild west event this side of... anywhere! Gunfights and stunt shows, American Indian dancers, trick horses, magic shows, and much, much more!

Friday, October 14 - Sunday, October 16
10am - 5pm
$10 General Admission
Click here for more information.

There's always lots to do, even without these special events.

Have a great weekend!

The Wall Street Journal recently did a piece on the remarkable numbers of Canadians looking to purchase property in the Phoenix area. Well it seems that everyone is now taking note of what we here in the Phoenix area, and the Canadians have long known; the Phoenix area is a fantastic location for a second home. But, it's not just second homes anymore. Due to the crash of the real estate market in the US, and specifically the Phoenix area, combined with a strong exchange rate between the Loonie (Canadian Dollar) and the US dollar, investors have been very active in the Phoenix area. The general media still speaks of doom and gloom in the overall real estate market, but, as I have said before, real estate is local, not national. What is happeing in other parts of the country isn't necessarily what is happening here. Nationally, Canadians made up 23 percent of all foreign buyers of real estate. I don't have the number for here in the Phoenix area, but I think it is safe to say that it is higher.

So what is the truth about the real estate market in Phoenix. If you talk to 10 different people you'll get 10 different answers. But here are some key points to keep in mind. Our current inventory levels are lower than what is considered a normal, balanced market. We experienced record sales numbers over the summer. Days on market is at or below that of a normal market. Most properties under $300K are getting multiple offers and buyers are complaing about having to put in offer after offer. So does that really sound like a buyers market?

Still, the media hype says that things are awful in Phoenix. Everything is on sale, come and get it. Well, despite what I said in the previous paragraph, properties are on sale. No it's not all doom and gloom right now, but yes Arizona is on sale. Prices are anywhere from 50-70% of what they were at the peak of the market and are on par with pricing in the late 1990's. THe general concensus from most of the real estate analysts is that we are in a period of stability. Nobody expects to see real gains in the short term. But if you look at how much investment is going on right now in the Phoenix area, by people with a long term outlook, how can you not think this is a good time to buy.

I work with Canadians on a regular basis including many real estate agents. They have always considered the Phoenix area a great place for a vacation home to get away from the cold and snow or rain. It's just that dollar parity and low prices have now opened the market up to a wider range of people. Many are looking for simple 2 bed condos or small single family homes, and it goes up to large custom homes. Our prices can't be found in Canada and the travel expenses are small in comparison. Investors are considering all types of properties.

So, what if you are a Canadian considering a purchase here? While there are many differences with regard to the purchase process here versus in Canada, it is actually quite simple. Many of the commonly asked questions are covered in a special section of my web site.

By the way, when I mention Phoenix, I mean the metro area, which spawls widely from end to end and includes Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Glibert,Chandler,Peoria, Glendale and more.

So, are you ready for a sale?

Adam Tarr, PC
Citywide Real Estate
Phoenix, AZ
480-236-7374
adam@WeAreAZRealEstate.com

Each year the Arizona Department of Education releases it's rankings of schools throughout Arizona. They have used a system of labels including: Excelling, Highly Performing, Performing Plus, Performing, Under Performing and Failing. The schools serving the Desert Ridge area have consistently achieved the Excelling status.

The ADE has just unveiled a new grading system for schools that will completely replace the old labels in 2013. They are now releasing the grades in both formats, and once again for the 2010 - 2011 school year,all of the Desert Ridge Schools; Desert Trails and Wildfire Elementary Schools, Explorer Middle School and Pinnacle High School achieved the Excelling ranking and they all received an "A" ranking under the new letter grade system. Desert Ridge is within the Paradise Valley Unified School District.

The new system now factors in improvement over time, not just test results and passing grades. For more information about school rankings across the state, and what the ranking systems mean, please check out the Arizona Department of Education.

Desert Ridge is a master planned community in NE Phoenix with a fabulous mix of condos, single family homes, shopping, dining and entertainment. It is located adjacent to both the 101 and 51 freeways for easy access to all that the Valley of the Sun has to offer.

For more information about Desert Ridge or homes in Desert Ridge, please feel free to visit my website at www.WeAreAZRealEstate.com

Sincerely,

Adam Tarr PC
Citywide Real Estate
Phoenix, AZ

480-236-7374
adam@WeAreAZRealEstate.com