The August 2009 Homes Sales Report for Maricopa County, AZ is in and the news is pretty good overall. The median sold price for single-family homes was $139,000, slightly higher than the $136,000 median sold price in July 2009. The median sold price for townhomes and condominiums was $105,000, which was also higher than the $96,600 from the previous month. Total sales of single-family homes were up almost 39% from the same time last year (6076 in August 2009 vs. 4377 in August 2008), townhomes and condo sales were up 66% (887 in August 2009 vs. 534 in August 2008) and manufactured home sales were up 20% (42 in August 2009 vs. 35 in August 2008). Pending sales almost doubled across the board in August 2009 compared to August 2008 as well, while active listings are down across the board. Is this a possible indication that Maricopa County is experiencing a steadying of the market? With total sales and median sold prices remaining steady or increasing in Maricopa County since April of this year, it's starting to look like it might possibly be leveling out some. Don't forget that the $8000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit expires on December 1, 2009. This means you must find a home, get loan approval and close escrow by November 30th to take advantage of this tax credit. So, contact me today so I can help you get that Phoenix home of your dreams at the best possible price now.
The Peoria Sports Complex is a hotbed of activity. Several sports programs will be available in Peoria AZ during the month of September. On September 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th, the Saturday and Sunday leagues for the Men's Adult Baseball League will participate in 8am and 10:30am games to be played on the practice fields. Team registration is required. For more information, please contact the Operations Office of the Peoria Sports Complex at 623-773-8700 or visit their website.
The Peoria Sports Complex is proud to host the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres for this year's instructional league baseball from September 17th through October 17th. All games are played on the practice fields weekdays at 12:30pm and weekends at 10am. These are absolutely FREE to the public, as well. Get on down to the Peoria Sports Complex as often as you like in the next month to take advantage of this great experience. For more info, please call 623-773-8700.
If you are considering becoming an umpire or just want to brush up on your skills, you may want to sign up for the Copper State Umpire Clinic on September 26th and 27th at 7:30am. For more info, please call Mark Hratko at 623-561-7790.
For those of you athletes out there, it appears that the Peoria Sports Complex is THE place to be in September.
There are several free events going on in Phoenix right now. Are you a Suns fan? Do you love to sing? Put those two passions together and head on down to the US Airways Center (201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ) today, September 9th, until 7pm to audition to sing the national anthem at one of the Suns home games during the 2009-2010 season. All ages are welcome. If you have a performance resume, you are encouraged to bring one. However, it is not mandatory to have one. If you have any questions, please call 602-514-8494.
For those artistic teens in the Phoenix area, the Phoenix Art Museum will be holding a FREE workshop at 6:30pm. Teens will be taught how to create a landscape using collage and watercolor techniques. For more info, please call 602-257-1222.
The Phoenix Art Museum is also hosting a screening of the documentary "A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Andy Warhol Factory" today at 7pm. This documentary tells the story of filmmaker Danny Williams, a member of the Andy Warhol Factory who disappeared in 1966. For more info, please call 602-257-1222.
The Poisoned Pen in Phoenix is holding a signing for William Kent Krueger, author of the Cork O'Connor series of books, "Iron Lake" and "Boundary Waters" tonight, September 9th, at 7pm. This signing is to herald in his latest Cork O'Connor book "Heaven's Keep". For more info, please call 480-947-2974.
For more info on the any FREE events available in the Phoenix area this week, please visit AZCentral.com's Things to Do section. There's something for everyone and all of it is absolutely FREE.
According to the Arizona Regional MLS's Home Sales Report for Maricopa County, the total amount of single-family homes sold in July 2009 increased 53.7%, with 7014 units sold in July 2009 and 4562 sold in July 2008. There is a positive trend for all other types of housing sold in Maricopa County as well. Condos and townhomes experienced a 67.1% increase from the previous year (594 units sold in July 2008 vs. 993 units sold in July 2009) and manufactured homes experienced a 68.7% increase from the previous year (32 units sold in July 2008 compared to 54 units sold in July 2009). Active listings have decreased by 35% for single-family homes, 17% for condos/townhomes and 17.5% for manufactured homes, indicating that excess inventory is being bought up. Pending sales figures are up across the board as well, with single-family homes showing an 85.5% increase, condos/townhomes showing a 92.2% increase and manufactured homes showing a 45% increase over the same time period as last year. This is good news for the real estate market. It means that excess inventories are being bought up, possibly indicating a stabilization in the marketplace.
While housing prices in Maricopa County real estate have remained significantly lower than the same time last year, the average sale and median prices have increase over the past several months. In fact, the drop in home prices in Phoenix is the second highest in the country, with only the Las Vegas housing prices dropping lower. The homes sales prices for Maricopa County since March of this year are:
March 2009
Average sale price: $168.085
Median sale price: $125,000
April 2009
Average sale price: $169,081
Median sale price: $124,900
May 2009
Average sale price: $175,601
Median sale price: $130,000
June 1009
Average sale price: $184,487
Median sale price: $137,000
July 2009
Average sale price: $190,284
Median sale price: $136,000
According to these figures, the average sale price and the median sale price seem to be increasing or holding pretty steady. Could this be a stabilization of the market we are experiencing in the Phoenix area? Only time will tell. The bottom line is that now is still a good time to buy. And, with the $8000 first-time buyer's credit expiring soon (Phoenix homes must be closed by December 1st, 2009), you can't afford to wait any longer to purchase your Phoenix dream home. Let me know what you're looking for and I'll be happy to help!
After being informed that their annual grant from the Arizona Arts Commission would be drastically reduced by a whopping 73% due to state budget cuts, Theater Works in Peoria decided to save itself from having to close its doors by converting two of its full-time staff to independent contractor status as well as reducing the amount of staff positions in the company. Since the non-profit Theater Works depends on government grants to fund approximately two-thirds of its budget, the 73% decrease represents a major deficit. However, the company is determined not to suffer the fate of the West Valley Art Museum, who will be temporarily closed in August, or Heard Museum West, who will be shutting its doors for good at the end of the year. Unlike these other two West Valley arts groups, Peoria's Theater Works has been experiencing an increase in ticket sales, despite the economic woes of the community. They vow to continue their workshops, classes and youth programs as well as continue performing on their main stage. In fact, their new season opens on August 28th with "Camelot" (continuing through September 13th) and the youth program will be performing "Oliver!" from September 24th to October 4th.
Non-profit organizations depend on grants as well as private donations. With the decrease in government grants, Theater Works needs help from Peoria citizens more than ever. They will be hosting their "Peoria After Dark" fundraiser on September 12th, featuring a special performance of "Camelot". All attendees will be able to enjoy food and other live entertainment following the play. Please come to Peoria and show them your support. For tickets, please call the box office at 623-815-7930 or visit the Theater Works website.
Associate Broker with Home Smart, Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer Representative, Graduate Realtor Institute. Serving Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, and the surrounding communities.
Foreclosures Canadian Buyers Why Buy Now?
I have been "Having a Ball" with real estate from day one. Negotiating the purchase or sale of property with an upbeat, win/win approach is one of the biggest advantages my clients receive. I have taken the extra time and effort required to earn various nationally recognized real estate designations. Those designations keep me up to date on the latest trends, laws, and marketing strategies. In addition, I have also earned my broker license (big difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker) by attending many hours of classes and passing the state exam concerning real estate laws and practices. What does all this mean to you? It means when I go to work on your behalf you can rest assured that I am not just a casual practitioner or part time real estate agent. I stay up to date on the latest market news and can provide you with the resources needed for a successful real estate transaction. If you're new to the area or just don't know who to call for a home loan, I can provide with a list of lenders that I have dealt with successfully over the years. I can put you in touch with home inspectors, roof inspectors, and various contractors for almost any type of work you need. When I work with you in buying or selling a home, I will be your resource center for anything relating to real estate.
Areas of Expertise
My area of expertise is in listening to your needs. If you're selling your house there are reasons for selling it. And those reasons will have a big impact on how we market the house for sale. Whether you're being relocated by your employer, wanting to upsize or downsize, or are acting on behalf of an ill or deceased family member, I will listen to what is motivating you to sell the house and I will market it accordingly.
Maybe you're a buyer that has specific needs. By listening to you when we talk about your dream home I will be able to pick up on your needs and do targeted searches for those needs. If you're a first time home buyer that is absolutely terrified of your very first purchase, I will walk you through the process step by step. But before we begin the home search I will explain to you in detail what to expect along the way. The more familiar you are with the process, the less scary it will be.
Thanks Larry for making this a painless process. We are very happy the house sold in a relatively short time in a market that is saturated.
Our thanks for taking us through the process in a very professional manner.
Hope Thomas
TMC HealthCare
Glendale, Az.
"Imagine, the worst down-market in a decade, Christmas week and I had to move. I found Larry while surfing online noting that he took advantage of the Internet and mass media in his marketing and, knowing that more than 98% of prospective buyers now use the Internet to search for a home, I decided to list with him; after all, I knew I'd need all the help I could get in this market.
Not one came those first two weeks!
I guess all the other Realtors decided to take a vacation because not even one Realtor previewed even though there were three active listings in the subdivision! Then in the second week of the new year, we got an offer for full price - minus their closing costs which I was happy to pay since they wanted to close in three weeks!
There were many things that I had inadvertently left undone in my rush to get home to Hawaii and I had to rely on Larry to take care of many details which he handled with efficiency, even taking care of UPS-ing packages that came for Christmas..
Thank you Larry, you deserve an award for Outstanding Service! Merle and I are fortunate to have found you! Be sure to look us up when you visit the islands, we'll give you da local-kine tour!
Aloha,
Richard and Merle Higashide
PS: Seriously, hire Larry to represent you; you will be glad you did!"
"...actually I should be thanking you for all your effort. When talking to other former home sellers, they were surprised at how much work you put into selling the house." Lawrence City of Tempe
"I want to express my thanks to you for making the house selling experience as relatively painless as possible. Even though it was our first experience selling, I know it could have been horrendous. We were so lucky to have you agree to sell our house and then to do such a thorough and professional job. All the extras you took the time to do (postcard mailings, advertising, etc.) were much appreciated - it was proof to me that you are serious, capable and really like what you do. I always felt comfortable and trustful and never worried about the process...I have told people about you and the great experience we had selling our home through you, and I will continue to do so. Thanks so much!"
Linda Pina
Phoenix College
"We consider ourselves to have been blessed that we had the opportunity to work with Larry in the purchase of our home. Ours was not a simple transition. However, Larry put us in touch with a lender that worked with us to smooth out all the rough spots. His professionalism, knowledge of the market, legal ramifications, and personal integrity made all the difference to us. His actions have earned him the right to be our friend and Realtor for life."
Jim Hart
Phoenix, AZ
Thanks for all the effort you have put into the sale of my house and even after the sale. You made it very easy for me and you have been a great help with it all. I was right in choosing you out of five Realtors for the sale of my house. I will recommend you to anyone I know. Thanks again, Luis
Luis Brulles
Glendale, AZ
It has been our distinct pleasure to again work with Larry recently in the sale of one of our rental properties. Larry's attention to detail, marketing expertise and professionalism in all aspects of this transaction only reinforced the fact that we were dealing with a true real estate professional.
As a former Arizona Real Estate Broker, I can only say that if I were looking for individuals to add to my team, I'd call Larry first.
Sincerely,
Kim H. Stern
Fountain Hills, AZ
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