Gary and Claudia Scott - Scottsdale, AZ Real Estate

 The Cactus League is now in full "swing" as the professional and want-to-be professional baseball players descend on the Valley of the Sun to practice for the 2009 MLB season.  It is a fun time for all baseball lovers.  The stadiums are smaller, the players are closer to the fans, autographs are easier to obtain and there is an excitement in the air.

We traveled to Peoria Stadium, spring training home of the Seattle Mariners, for a game against our beloved Arizona Diamondbacks.  The weather was perfect, slightly overcast making it less bight and in the mid 70's.  Unfortunately the Diamondback's were on the short end of the stick losing 11 to 7 but the atmosphere and entertainment made the trip across town worth it!

The Mariner fans were very excited with their newest player Ken Griffey Jr who walked a couple of times, had a hit and scored twice. Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, the professionals from last year came through with several hits and batted in 5 of the 7 runs. We were introduced to recent signee infielder, Ryan Roberts who had 2 hits and a walk. It is always fun to get a look at some of the minor league prospects.  We were sitting toward left field and were impressed with Brandon Watson who made 2 spectacular catches.

All in all is was a fun day at the ball park and we are looking forward to the upcoming season!

The Cactus League Spring Treaining Facilities

Search for a home or condo in the Phoenix metro area

Now is an excellent time to enter the Scottsdale Real Estate market. The local market continues to be sluggish but is slowly showing signs of life. According to the MLS statistics, there was a total of 5,935 properties listed for sale in Scottsdale as of March 1, 2009 with a total of 410 properties in escrow from Feb 1—March 1st and 258 (4%) closed sales during the month of February.

The MLS sales for Scottsdale zip codes for February 2009 are:

Search for properties in these zip codes by selecting the MLS hyperlink below:

Scottsdale 85250

Scottsdale 85251

Scottsdale 85254

Scottsdale 85255

Scottsdale 85257

Scottsdale 85258

Scottsdale 85259

Scottsdale 85260

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AZ-real-estate-sales.com

The greater Phoenix metro area encompasses several cities that are right next door to each other and extend over 80 miles from east to west and 40 miles from north to south . The area is in Maricopa County which is the fourth largest county in terms of population size and the 14th largest in the continental United States, covering over 9,220 square miles. The metro area has grown rapidly over the past several years offering a wide variety of affordable housing and desirable climate.

In this ever changing market, where are we today? The current real estate market inventory is 50,052 properties listed for sale, 11,308 properties in the escrow process and 4,376 have sold (closed escrow) thus far in February 2009. The number of sales continues to increase and the inventory is being reduced. At this time last year there was 56,000+ properties listed for sale.

There are some excellent ‘deals’ to be had in this market. Houses have become affordable again. FHA loans with only 3.5% down payment are a great way to get in to a home. New home buyers also now have access for up to $8,000 tax credit. Combined with the historically low interest rates, now is a good time to test the market to see if you qualify for your dream of home ownership.

Below is a snapshot of the Scottsdale, Phoenix, North Phoenix and the Southeast Valley Housing market —
February 27, 2009
Select a hyperlink below to search the local MLS for properties in the city selected.

The just signed and sealed…a $787 Billion Stimulus Plan made up of tax cuts and spending programs aims at reviving the US economy! A first-time home buyer is one who has never owned a home or a person who has not owned a home in the three years prior to the qualifying purchase.

The new advantage for first-time home buyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November 2009 it that they may be eligible for the lower of an $8,000 or 10% of the value of the home tax credit! A tax credit is very different than a tax deduction – a tax credit is equivalent to money in your pocket, as opposed to a tax deduction which only reduces your taxable income. There are, however, some limitations: the tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years. The credit can be applied to purchases made from 1/01/09-12/01/09.

The stage is set. This tax credit incentive along with the large inventory of homes currently at 2004 bargain prices combined the historically low interest rates (The30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.04 percent this week, a drop from last week's 5.16 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year rate averaged 6.04 percent,) makes this a perfect time for first-time home buyers to get in to the real estate market and become home owners!

View the Scottsdale – Phoenix MLS for condos and townhomes

View the Scottsdale – Phoenix MLS for single family homes

The Scotts Sell Arizona

Toll free 866-464-2140

The desert is no place to be without water.........

So when the forecast calls for rain, we Phoenicians are ready to enjoy a cloudy rainy day.

With a high of 61 degrees seems cold to the ‘desert rats' who live here year round so we don our warmest coats and brave the weather. The average rainfall for the Phoenix / Scottsdale metro area is only 8.3 inches per year. Our local newscasters are always excited to be able to report rain as a deviation from our typical ‘bright and sunny' forecast.

The cloudy skies develop into sections of cotton white clouds adjacent to the gray ones with precipitation. The beauty is unending as the cloud formations continually change presenting an artistic masterpiece. From some rainy downpours & light hail to bright rays of sunshine the Valley of the Sun was thankful to receive water from the heavens today.

Wow, this is the forecast for the week-"Another storm system brings another round of showers on Monday and Tuesday, with even cooler weather. Highs will only make it into the mid to upper 50s on Wednesday." - better bundle up!

The beauty of winter in Scottsdale, Arizona . . . .

Want a winter retreat or possibly ready to become a 'desert rat'?

• Search the Scottsdale/Phoenix MLS for properties

Gary and Claudia Scott - your Scottsdale Arizona Realtors