**Mesa, Arizona Real Estate** Mesa Arizona Realtor

I've been doing a lot of searches for homes recently, and I'm noticing a trend. I am noticing that many of the listings sold by the homeowners are competing with the short sales and bank owned properties. I send them all to my buyers so they can see how comparable each are, but hopefully this means things are settling down a bit.

I came across a great graph available on our MLS which has been prepared by Mike Orr, of the Cromford Report - awesome. I'm sharing it here.

I enjoy seeing where the percentage of homes are purchased, and I think buyers and sellers will find it useful.

Visiting our local Farmer’s markets in the Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona valley is something I enjoy doing on a regular basis. I thought it would be useful for my readers if I provided a list of the Farmers’ Markets in the Southeast Valley including Mesa, Chandler, Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Ahwatukee and Casa Grande.

Where possible, I’ve included any website information as well as time and dates of the Farmers’ Markets.

• Downtown Chandler Farmers Market – Open on Thursdays fron 3–6 p.m. Located at the southwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue.
• Farmers Market at Solera Community Center – open from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of the Month from September-July. Located at 6360 South Mountain Boulevard, Chandler.
• Farmers Market at Trilogy-Power Ranch - open 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of the Month from September-July. Located at 4369 East Village Parkway, Gilbert
• Agritopia Farm Stand – open from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays from November – May. Located at 3000 East Ray Road Gilbert.
• Mesa Community Farmers Market – open 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Fridays. Located at the Rendezvous Center, 263 North Center Street, Mesa
• McDonald Street Farmers Market – open 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays from October 24–May 1. Located at the northeastern corner of Main Street and MacDonald, Mesa
• Ahwatukee Farmers Market – open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays from October-April and May-September. Located at 4700 East Warner Road, Phoenix
• Farm at South Mountain – open 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays October through May 16. Located at 6106 South 32^nd Street, Phoenix
• Market on Mill – open 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Thursdays. Located at 730 South Mill Avenue, Tempe

• Casa Grande Farmers Market – open 8 a.m. – noon on Tuesdays. Located at the Christian Church of Casa Grande parking lot, 1510 North Casa Grande Avenue, in Casa Grande.

Hopefully this list will be useful in assisting our winter visitors to find these farmers' markets.

Since I had not yet availed myself of the opportunity to travel on our Light Rail from Mesa to Phoenix, hubby and I decided to take another day trip! On November 11, Veterans' Day, we boarded the Light Rail in Mesa at Dobson and Main. I love to take day trips to better appreciate the beautiful Phoenix Valley. I wanted to stop by the Tempe Farmers Market, walk along Mill Avenue in Tempe, and enjoy the sights of downtown Phoenix all of the way to the end of the line and back.

The price of an all-day ticket is very reasonable - I am thinking for both of us - $3.50. We purchased our tickets at Safeway in East Mesa. There were very few people traveling, and we enjoyed seeing the ongoing Veterans' Day parades in Tempe and in Central Phoenix. It was so cool! The trip took about 30-40 minutes to the end of the line at the Metro Center - 19th Avenue. We changed trains and headed back!

Since I grew up in Phoenix, I loved traveling through downtown Phoenix and being able to see how "modern" Phoenix has become. The Light Rail route is so nicely designed and maintained, there is a feeling that I could get off at any of the stations and feel "safe." We passed by a Phoenix icon, The Westward Ho, a skyscraper hotel located on Central Avenue built in 1928 - famous in the "day" and the tallest building in Phoenix until the year 1960. Anyone who has seen Alfred Hitchcock's movie, Pschyo, will remember that it was filmed in downtown Phoenix in 1960 though the hotel in the scenes was the Jefferson Hotel.

[As a child, my mom would drop us off in downtown Phoenix to watch movies, and we got in for a quarter.] ;-)

Then, there's my high school, Phoenix Union, located in downtown Phoenix along Van Buren - which has been torn down now; however, the memories are still very fresh of the "good old days"! Very nostalgic for me. The City has certainly "grown" up.

There is more to this story - I'll share photos of Mill Avenue, where we ate, and more photos in another post.

Now that the weather has cooled down, my husband and I decided to check out our Mesa Farmers’ Market Saturday morning - checking out farmers' markets is one of my favorite things to do. Mesa is also celebrating its Old West Days Festival yesterday (November 7) and today (November 8).

Shoot outs at the Mesa Old West Days

There were shootouts, people dressed in their “old west” garb, and plenty of food. Rides on the train for little ones, jewelry booths, and a wide assortment of opportunities to purchase goodies or just walk and enjoy the music and the sights.

Winter visitors are back!! These events continue until May when visitors return to their cooler climates. There are plenty of these Farmers’ Markets, festivals, craft shows, and celebrations going on all winter.

 Farmers' Market and Mesa Celebration of Old West Days

It was a balmy 78 degrees yesterday morning around  11:30, and we stopped by and tried out the homemade tamales. LOVE tamales! We purchased six, and will be having them for dinner soon. The Tamale Store is located in north Phoenix, but you can call and order your tamales, or go online at www.thetamalestore.com, and pick them up at the farmers’ markets in town. I do recommend them.

The McDonald Street Market is located in the center of Old Mesa at McDonald and Main. I’ve included a link to their website which provides dates, times, and other useful information for those who like to keep up on the local news.  So - all of you wanting to find things to do this winter, just stop by now and again for an update to the "happenings" in Mesa, Arizona!!

What I did this summer! Catchy title doncha think? I actually took some time “away” from blogging, commenting, and working in real estate “24-7” and enjoyed some down time and alone time with my husband in Show Low, Arizona, a wonderful little town located in the White Mountains just north and east of Mesa, Arizona 140 miles.

I thought I would share just "some" of the things I chose to do during my down time, along with some photos: I learned to knit, played golf, ate, rested, lounged on the porch and read, read, read.

Some sights of interest along our way to Show Low! We pass through Superior, Miami, and Globe, mining towns in eastern Arizona. Then, as we head north to Show Low, we pass through the Salt River Canyon which is an amazing drive and has spectacularly beautiful scenic views.. As a child, I recall driving that area with a HUGE amount of trepidation....now, the roads are wider, passing lanes, etc.

There are many, many wonderful places to visit in Arizona. I've shared many photographs and tours in the past, and will continue to do so.

As described in Wikepedia: "Show Low is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It lies on the Mogollon Rim in east central Arizona, at an elevation of 6,400 feet (1,951 m). The city was established in 1870 and incorporated in 1953. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 11,763.[1]

“According to the legend, the city was named after a marathon poker game between C.E. Cooley and Marion Clark. The two men decided there was not enough room for both of them in their settlement. The two men agreed to let a game of cards decide who was to move. According to the tale, Clark said, "If you can show low, you win." Cooley turned up the deuce of clubs (the lowest possible card) and replied, "Show low it is." The stakes were a 100,000 acre (400 km²) ranch. Show Low's main street is named "Deuce of Clubs" in remembrance.

In 2002, a large forest fire, the Rodeo-Chediski fire, threatened the city and forced an evacuation. The city is near extensive forests, and in normal times is a popular recreational area."

Yes, I’m a huge fan of Arizona and, especially, those places I can visit easily from my home base in Mesa, Arizona.