Green Valley

EAT IN GREEN VALLEY…THEN BUY A HOME!

With so much of the financials dominating the news, why not change around the focus and emphasis a bit. Green Valley, Arizona is not only a very interesting and beautiful place to call home, but a quiet place to enjoy having a meal.

If you are on the budget side, there is of course our friendly neighborhood McDonalds or maybe our local Whopper. If you want to elevate a bit, try our hometown Arby’s or the newer Carl’s Jr. in the Super Wal Mart Center. I dare not forget the Taco Bell by the Desert Sky Cinemas.
Should someone want down home style cooking, there is Mama’s in the Continental Center…right around the corner from our office. Also, you might give Donna’s Diner a shot, they are right off Esperanza. And Before you find them you will run into the Arizona Family Restaurant.

For the more adventurous diner, there are three Mexican restaurants. First you have La Placita right off Esperanza. Next up is Manuel’s which is located on W. Duvall Road, near the Jim Click Ford dealership. And then you have Florentino’s next to Ashley furniture on Duvall Mine Road. A few doors down from Ashley’s is Solarus, which is a great steakhouse, salad and sandwich sit down restaurant. If you are looking for Italian, you may want to visit Ragazzi’s on Esperanza. Also, Florentino’s on Duval or Trivetti’s on Continental.

If you are visiting the recreation centers, the Coyote Grill at the San Igncaio Golf Club is great as well as the Grill at Canoa Ranch Golf Course. Please don’t forget the Grill at Quail Creek because they have great food also.

Well, you have notice I have neglected to mention Chinese food. One might choose China Vics in the Continental Center. You might also like China View off of Esperanza. Also, there is a Panda Restaurant in the Basha’s Shopping Center. And finally, top off your meal with a Dairy Queen at Duvall Mine Road or Kokopelli’s Gelato on Continental Road.

Now that you have had a relaxing meal here, give us a call and buy a home in Green Valley. Find us at our website: http://www.greenvalleyazsearch.com/

Green Valley

MARCH WINDS!

When March arrives it frequently brings the windy season along with it. I can remember when
I was a young boy and my parents would take me kiting. That brings back a lot of great memories. This year March seems to carry the quickly moving change theme in it’s wings. Unfortunately for most of us, the market does not seem to like the direction of the proposed changes. But, my oh my, how easily the real estate market can be impacted by proposed changes. One thing for sure, we need to see is the mortgage deduction to remain free from political compromising. In our free market system, if the home mortgage deduction is an accross the board principle that is available for everyone, then a mortgage deduction is a surety or a foundation for the concept that if you invest in a home, then you can surely deduct the amount of interest that you pay on your principal. Any investor would want to know that this tax deduction mechanism should remain immutable and irrevocable. This principle provides a strong fundamental incentive for people to invest in home ownership.

However, if a policy were to arise, that would state that certain people in a specified economic category would lose some or potentially all of their interest on principal, then….it would obviously follow that it would have very, very negative implications for the housing market and potential investors. In other words, NO ONE COULD BE ASSUSRED THAT THEIR INDIVIDUAL INCOME LEVEL MIGHT NOT SEE THEIR INTEREST DEDUCTABILITY IN PERIL! This is just one of the reasons for some of the continued doubt or lack of confidence in the housing market. Of course there are other factors. However, if you are looking for a place to settle down, and have cash or are qualified by a lender, then for you this is a great market! In the Green Valley, Arizona market, between 2007 and 2008 we had 1009 sales in our local MLS. Within the same time period of 2008 to date in 2009. we had 735 sales in our Green Valley MLS. Our downward direction is holding steady at about a 28% clip. The availability of new housing also provides a great opportunity for homebuyers to our area. We love this area and look forward to helping any of you that are looking for a great place to live! Visit us at our website: http://www.greenvalleyazsearch.com/

Green Valley

VALENTINE’S DAY MOMENTUM !!!

Of course we are coming up on Valentine’s Day. I do believe that it is
important to remember that special person or persons in our lives and
to make and effort to make them feel extra special. That is what is so
great about Valentine’s Day…it is a vehicle to accomplish that. Whether
it is flowers, perfume, candy, or some other type of present or nice
gesture, whatever that certain something is will almost certainly be very
well received. And that means for me, it will be well worth the effort. Yes,
I am actively working on my list!

But on a real estate note, and to be more specific in reference to our Green
Valley, Arizona market; it looks like Valentine’s Day is beginning to bring some
positive momentum to our area. Certainly, for those who are familiar with our
market, this time of year is termed our “season”(which means it is the most intensely
compressed time of the year for our area’s real estate sales activity). But, I do
believe the activity we are experiencing is greater than expected, considering everything
that is going on.

Our home sales numbers show that in a one year period between 2007 and 2008, 999 residential units were sold. While in the same corresponding one year period from 2008
until 2009, 758 units were sold. The active number of units available today is at 966,
which has become an average type figure for daily availability. I am thankful because I
do see well priced properties surprisingly moving at a rapid pace ; and I do not mean
just foreclosures or short sales. So that is a very good sign for our market. As you know,
you can not extrapolate real estate generalizations, in entirety, from one local market to
another. Local markets may have similar up and down trends in general, but are still site, location, and economically relative. We really enjoy this area, and if any of you or your clients are interested, please check out our website at: www.greenvalleyazsearch.com
or just give us a call.

Green Valley

GETTING THE BALL ROLLING AGAIN !!!

Well, I have to admit that in the last blog, I got a little overwhelmed and or frustrated by the seeming direction that our national socio economic reality was heading. But alas, now I am firmly and fitly optimistic and I am still hoping for some responsible decision making.

As far as our real estate market is concerned, I am surprised by how many “experts” there are in understanding this market. If these experts were that smart they would have warned us months and months ahead of time about what the situation really was. Yes, we can pump money into different areas of our economy, but that alone is not going to completely cure our ailments. We need to also take more or at least some responsible steps on a national level to manage effectively some of the relevant aspects.

The answer is more than just “wall street is greedy”! You have to look at the complete ineptness and failure of our national leadership to regulate the aspects of the investment world of which it was put in charge. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were allowed to puff up their profit pictures outrageously. Chris Dodd and Barney Frank completely failed to do anything about the serious problems that these institutions had and they knew about them since 2004. They certainly did not want to panic any of us because they refused to alert the public and just let the abuses continue and let us suffer, collectively, the consequences. Also, the banking industry was allowed to speculate in paper instead of sticking to the more tradtional aspects of conservative banking( repealing the Glass-Speigel act around 1994). I won’t even get into the bad debt and high risk agenda forced on banks by the Community Reinvestment Act. That entity needs to fade into history. Until some of these issues have been addressed in a real comprehensive manner overall economic housing growth will probably not be robust.

But does it mean that this real estate market and the whole economy will be horrible for years? I think only idiots would say that; because nobody knows how long it will take for everything to be “peachy keen”. But for right now, for all of you out there that are considering the purchase of a home…..now, is an exceptionally good time. We have mentioned before that housing prices in our great area are at or below replacement value. This means the intrinsic value for housing is very positive for buyers. How long will the prices stay suppressed? Of course I don’t know….but trying to time the market in real estate is like trying to time the Dow……sounds easy, but not that easily done, successfully that is!
We live in a fantastic area, and Arizona is the second fastest growing state at the moment. So, if you need any information about our area, visit our website: www.greenvalleyazsearch.com or just give us a call! We would love to work with you!

Green Valley

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR!!!

This time of year brings us to the point of being of wanting to be blindly optimistic about the general direction of our socio-economic reality. What else can you do? I am sure most of you are not happy about the bailouts, and the chorus of feed me, feed me…. from all the late to the party opportunity seekers. Many of us have been working ( wow, really working) and been sacrificing and saving. Or should I say SAVING AND SACRIFICING? We have been hoping to navigate through the economic rules and regulations in order to facilitate a successful retirement. Well, it looks as though the rules are going to change. Oh, I forot that was the mantra….change. It seems unbelievable to me that most people know that one law of physics
dictates that the only constant is change. So, to get caught up with an ambiguous and undetailed plan for change from a politician would bring ridicule instead of success. So change we will have if either of the two major candidates would win. It is all subjective, relative to the person defining what change will mean.
So that means, since things are changing, there is an opportunity for us to make some sound investments and positive times are possibly stright ahead. We live in a great area without most
of the natural disasters that face many of our citizens across the country. There are 953 homes on the market in our mls today. We had sold 772 homes in a one year period from 2008 to the present. While, from 2207 to 2208 in the same time period we sold 1013 homes. It looks like a
24% decline in sales. Considering that the inventory is leveling out, that is not too awful of a position to begin a slow climb. Many areas, of course, are in a lot more negative position. Arizona continues to be a sought after state for relocation. That is another positive factor. So,
I will do my part to remain solidly optimistic. Check out our site at: http://www.greenvalleyazsearch.com/ and give us some consideration if you are relocating. We would love to have you as neighbors.

Green Valley

IT’S TIME TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!

Since this is the most celebrated time of the year, I must try to count some of my blessings, especially when it comes to the world of real estate. When it looked like things might begin to stablilize in early October, here comes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Even with all the surprises they brought, they also have brought opportunity along with them. At least, it is obvious to me , that there is opportunity in that they need some regulation desparately and a sobering look at how they arrive at creating their loan programs. It is also a given that they need to massively tighten up their criterion for determining the eligibility of loan prospects. Along with constructive evaluation and redirection, the banks themselves need to get back to banking and forget the emphasis on the direction of speculation.
As realtors we are concerned about all the aspects of the home industry…not just sales, but sales that will tend to lead to the direction of responsible growth. In Green Valley, Arizona our MLS inventory is at 981 units avaiable on the market today. This has been very steady level for the last 2 months and that is a positive signal. In the calendar period from January 2nd of this year until the 10th of December, we have had 754 sales. In the same calendar period in 2007, we accomplished 961 sales in Green Valley. That translates to about a 22% decline from the 2007 period to the corresponding 2008 period. Considering the heighth and breadth of the revelations that have occcurred, that is not a terrible launching point. It is evolving into our busy season, and I look forward to more positive momentum in this area, hopefully making 2009 a great year for real estate. You can see all the homes on the market in our beautiful area on our website: www.greenvalleyazsearch.com. We are also looking forward to enjoying the rest of this year and hope all of you will do likewise.

Green Valley

THE 4TH QUARTER IS HERE, TURN UP THE HEAT!

We are thankful that the election season has come and gone….except for a few closely contested races. No matter who you chose, we are all faced with the prospect of moving forward. I have maintained that in order for the real estate market to really begin to see growth, we must first move past the election cycle. Now we can hopefully look forward to homebuyers beginning to formulate or finalize their plans when it comes to relocating, or purchasing a home. In our area prices are still the best for the buyer and with the corrections financially that have occurred, hopefully they will positively affect the availability of funds. It is also apparent that the general public has recognized that home buying is important just for providing residence …..not as a vehicle for careless speculation.

The Green Valley home sales market from November 2007 to November of 2008 stands at about 850 sales….while in the same period of November 2006 to November of 2007 stands at about 1000. That is about a sixteen or seventeen percent decline. Everyone knows how troubled the market has been. We do hope that this type of scenario never happens again. Green Valley, Arizona is a great destination spot for retirees; as we have a great many adult community activities here. When you add the abundant recreational possibilities paired with well priced housing, you have a hard combination to beat. And, if you like the big city amenities or activities or endless retail shopping, Tucson is about 20 minutes down the road. Of course, we have numerous restaurants, plenty of great grocery stores, a local Super Wal-Mart, a conveniently located movie theater, lots of shops and places to fill up the tank. The scenery and air quality here are always spectacular! Please visit us at our Green Valley Real Estate website or feel free to give us a holler.

Green Valley

HEADING TOWARDS PUMPKIN TIME!

Labor Day was great, and we hope all of you enjoyed the holiday. As Realtors we have to embrace the time we have for our clients as well as for our perspective clients. It is imperative that we use that precious commodity wisely. Everyone has heard about the finantial crisis that is looming over our heads as this article is being written We, as with most of you, indeed are hopeful for a possible solution that will not leave us in a more perilous position.

When it comes to our philosophy with our sellers, honesty is always the best choice. At this time in the real estate marketplace, we have to make sure that we make an effort to realistically help our sellers price thier homes accurately. It is so crucial now, that we use the competitive market to helping to arrive at an accurate comparable, as well as to decompress the time that we look back on previous sales instead of perhaps traditionally looking back a whole year. With the fluctuating rapidly, the accuracy lies in a smaller period of time to use in determining the correct value for marketing a property. Unfortunately for sellers, this of course means that the home selling price of 2 or 3 years ago will have little or no bearing for this market! This has been become a frequently encountered obstacle when consulting with new sellers. So we feel, if a seller will not acknowledge the realities of this market, we will not take the lisitng. The bottom line truth is: Only properly priced homes in this market will attract a buyer!

Now when it comes to working with our clients on the buying side, things are quite a bit more positive. For the buyers right now, they can expect to find some possibly “never again prices”. After a recent seminar, we were tuned into the underlying reasons that so many “new” homes are available. It is much better for a builder to continue to produce homes than to fold up their tents and go home. So that means that we can show potential buyers both new and resale homes and they can expect to find something that they will like either way. In the semiar we attended, it was brought out that the Green Valley, Arizona market has pretty much “leveled out” according to the 2 expert appraisers that spoke at the event. If any of you are interested in the Green Valley, Arizona marketplace, come and visit us on our website: www.greenvalleyazsearch.com….. and enjoy our new mls search!