Bob Stahl

There are 705 homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch and the other neighborhoods in Phoenix zip code 85255. The North Scottsdale zip code 85255 is also home to the Troon Country Club, Desert Highlands Golf Club, Pinnacle Peak Country Club, DC Ranch, Grayhawk, Silverleaf, Ironwood Park, Pinnacle Peak Estates, Pinnacle Peak Heights, Pinnacle Paradise, Happy Valley Ranch, Pinnacle Peak Shadows, and Windsong neighborhoods. It’s one of my favorite North Scottsdale neighborhoods (in fact, it’s where I call home). So let’s get to know it a bit!

Homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch statistics

First, to the McDowell Mountain Ranch real estate market. With a median sales price of $530,000, homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch and other 85255 neighborhoods are definitely luxury homes. Not surprisingly, there aren’t a whole lot of bank-owned homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch, but there are some – and some short sales in McDowell Mountain Ranch as well.

Source: The Cromford Report

McDowell Mountain Ranch neighborhood schools

While “How’s the market of homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch?” is the first question my buyers ask, the second is often “How are the McDowell Mountain Ranch neighborhood schools?” Certainly living in a great school district makes sense for families with school-aged kids. But it also makes sense for people without kids – school districts can really affect the resale value of homes in McDowell Mountain Ranch (and everywhere else). Homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch are in the Scottsdale Unified School District, which is overall one of the best school districts in Arizona. The schools in the 85255 zip codes are listed in the table below, along with their most current ranking from GreatSchools.

Things to do in and around the McDowell Mountain Ranch neighborhood

Okay, so there are homes for sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch at a range of price points for a range of lifestyles (from condos to townhomes to starter single-family homes to luxury homes). Plus, the schools in the McDowell Mountain Ranch neighborhood are among the most highly ranked in Scottsdale. But even on top of all that, a plethora of places to play really round out the McDowell Mountain Ranch neighborhood. Check out:

• McDowell Mountain Regional Park – Nestled in the lower Verde River basin, the 21,099-acre park is a desert jewel in the northeast Valley. Elevations in the park rise to 3,000 feet along the western boundary at the base of the McDowell Mountains. Visitors enjoy a full program schedule, over 50 miles of multiuse trails, and spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
• Pinnacle Peak – Hiking might not be the first thing you think when you hear Scottsdale, but a hike on the Pinnacle Peak Trail could change that. Besides hiking, there's picnicking, birding, horseback riding and rock climbing (permitted for experienced climbers in three areas of the park only).
• Salt River Fields at Talking Stick – baseball spring training for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

As of today, there are 90 homes for sale in Desert Ridge. The Desert Ridge neighborhood in North Phoenix encompasses zip codes 85050 and 85054. It’s one of my favorite Phoenix neighborhoods (probably only second to my own, McDowell Mountain Ranch). So let’s get to know it a bit!

Homes for sale in Desert Ridge statistics

First, to the Desert Ridge real estate market. Homes for sale in Desert Ridge vary quite a bit – certainly between homes for sale in 85050 and homes for sale in 85054 and even within those zip codes. Among homes for sale in 85050, for example, 34 percent are bank-owned; among homes for sale in 85054 none are bank-owned. These bank-owned properties can often represent a huge value compared to the rest of the market, and can make a great buy for first-time home buyers.

Source: The Cromford Report

Source: The Cromford Report

Desert Ridge neighborhood schools

While “How’s the market of homes for sale in Desert Ridge?” is the first question my buyers ask, the second is often “How are the Desert Ridge neighborhood schools?” Certainly living in a great school district makes sense for families with school-aged kids. But it also makes sense for people without kids – school districts can really affect the resale value of homes in Desert Ridge (and everywhere else). Homes for sale in Desert Ridge are in the Paradise Valley Unified School District, which is overall one of the best school districts in Arizona. The schools in the 85050 and 85054 zip codes are listed in the table below, along with their most current ranking from GreatSchools.

Things to do in and around the Desert Ridge neighborhood

Okay, so there are homes for sale in Desert Ridge at a range of price points for a range of lifestyles (from condos to townhomes to starter single-family homes to luxury homes). Plus, the schools in the Desert Ridge neighborhood are among the most highly ranked in Phoenix. But even on top of all that, a plethora of places to play really round out the Desert Ridge neighborhood. Check out:

• Desert Ridge Marketplace – an outdoor mall with more than 100 retailer stores and restaurants, a Barnes & Noble, and an AMC movie theater. Plus a stage where they feature live music in the summer, and a couple of play areas where the local kiddos gather.
• Musical Instrument Museum – the name says it all
• Mayo Clinic – one of the best hospitals in the country, just down the street
• City North – a range of high-end shops, restaurants, and some great nightlife (Blue Martini seems to be hopping every night of the week). Plus, every third Sunday, there’s a farmers’ market where local businesses sell their wares.

S&P 500/Case-Shiller recently released its monthly home price report and the news for the Phoenix real estate market was decidedly gloomy. Just when we thought the real estate market was out in the sun for good, we’re back in the fog. Kind of reminds me of the weather we had here in Phoenix last week – the weekend before it was time to get out the swimsuit and hit the pool; last Saturday the mercury barely hit 55.

Okay, so let’s analyze what’s been going on in the Phoenix real estate market, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index released March 29, 2011 (and covering through January 2011).

Phoenix real estate market highlights

• Phoenix real estate prices fell 1.5% in January 2011 compared to December 2010. That was a smaller decline than in December, when Phoenix real estate prices were down 1.7% compared to November.
  
• Phoenix real estate prices are down year-over-year as well. In January, Phoenix real estate prices were down 9.1% over the previous year (that’s compared to 8.3% in December and 6.4% in November).
  

Phoenix Real Estate Market Home Prices in 2010/11

Source: S&P/Case-Shiller

The dotted line in the chart below is the trend line for Phoenix real estate prices since 1989 – it makes clear the fact that prices are rising over time, despite the real estate crash here. In other words, owning a Phoenix home is still a good investment.

Source: S&P/Case-Shiller

But there’s light ahead for Phoenix real estate

So what’s the take-home message? Recovery in the Phoenix real estate market has not yet taken hold. We’re still at risk for a double-dip. But some experts think that won’t happen. ASU professor Karl Guntermann, in fact, says that 2011 could be the turnaround year for the Phoenix real estate market. “With the state's economy gradually recovering and foreclosures apparently past their peak, there's a very good chance that 2011 will be a transition year in the housing market.”

What’s more, it is really important to remember that people move to Phoenix for many reasons other than the booming housing market. In fact, Kiplinger’s just listed Phoenix as one of the nation’s 11 “comeback cities.” According to the magazine, “It’s renewable energy that’s fueling growth in Phoenix. The growth in renewable energy creates jobs in construction, installation and manufacturing, as well as engineering, especially for professionals left hanging by a sluggish semiconductor sector. Aerospace, export industries and clean technologies are also gaining, while the lower cost of living in Arizona is attracting California entrepreneurs in social media and online businesses.”

Check out the blog on realtor.com

I was featured on REALTOR.com® again - they posted a blog I wrote called "If Home Prices are Down, Why is Consumer Confidence Up?" Go read the full post, but the gist was this:

The S&P/Case-Shiller numbers were released on Tuesday and there was some disappointing news. Home prices are down in the majority of U.S. cities. However, a consumer confidence report was also released on Tuesday which indicated that not onle is confidence up, but so is spending. If Home Prices are Down, Why is Consumer Confidence Up? Read the blog to learn my take.

Also - quickly - I just want to solicit questions of your own. If there are questions that you would like answered or a topic you want to hear more about, let me know. I'm happy to address your questions personally or via this blog.

Also, I'm here to help if you're buying or selling a home - or just want to chat about the real estate market. So contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Moving to Phoenix? Well, you're not alone. Data released last week from U-Haul International Inc. ranked Phoenix as the 14^th most popular moving destination in 2010. This is from their annual U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, "The 2010 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities," which showed Phoenix holding the No. 14 spot from 2009. Tucson ranked 28th, up one place from 2009.

The full list is included below. The data was compiled from more than 1.4 million U-Haul truck transactions last year, all for destinations representing travel of more than 50 miles and considers every city in the country, regardless of size.

Why are so many people moving to Phoenix? Simple. It's a great place to live. We have solid companies that are hiring (in fact, U-Haul International is headquartered here), our economy is competitive, and our lifestyle is a winner: sunny days year-round as well as so much to do including golf, swimming and hiking.

If you are considering moving to Phoenix, contact me. I'm happy to help you find a home in the area.

Many people are moving to Phoenix because of the great weather and many golf courses.

January - December 2010

1.	HOUSTON, Texas	26.	SAINT LOUIS, Mo.
2.	ORLANDO, Fla.	27.	VAN NUYS, Calif.
3.	LAS VEGAS, Nev.	28.	TUCSON, Ariz.
4.	CHICAGO, Ill.	29.	INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.
5.	PORTLAND, Ore.	30.	BALTIMORE, Md.
6.	SAN ANTONIO, Texas	31.	ATLANTA, Ga.
7.	AUSTIN, Texas	32.	PLANO, Texas
8.	BROOKLYN , N.Y.	33.	BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
9.	SACRAMENTO, Calif.	34.	LONG BEACH, Calif.
10.	KANSAS CITY, Mo.	35.	SAN JOSE, Calif.
11.	PHILADELPHIA, Pa.	36.	SEATTLE, Wash.
12.	NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.	37.	SALT LAKE CITY, Utah
13.	SAN DIEGO, Calif.	38.	FORT WORTH, Texas
14.	PHOENIX, Ariz.	39.	ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
15.	COLUMBUS, Ohio	40.	COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
16.	DALLAS, Texas	41.	WASHINGTON, D.C.
17.	LOS ANGELES, Calif.	42.	BOISE, Idaho
18.	QUEENS, N.Y.	43.	COLUMBIA, S.C.
19.	TAMPA, Fla.	44.	RALEIGH, N.C.
20.	JACKSONVILLE, Fla.	45.	MIAMI, Fla.
21.	MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.	46.	VICTORVILLE, Calf.
22.	SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.	47.	TULSA, Okla.
23.	CHARLOTTE, N.C.	48.	RENO, Nev.
24.	BRONX, N.Y.	49.	BAKERSFIELD, Calif.
25.	OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.	50.	OAKLAND, Calif.