Two Thirds of November 2009 down One Third To Go

We seem to have turned a corner.  Maybe,  No I’m kidding we have turned a corner.  But, this road to recovery is more like a Mountain road than one that is stretched out in the desert.

Not a long gradual incline, no, instead it twist and turns, sometimes it dips before it climbs again.

But right now it is climbing at a pretty steep pace while declining at an equally steep pace.  How is this possible?

Because it is a road going on two different directions at the same time.

The Number of Transactions UP

Last November we were in full economic meltdown.  Not only was the economy in meltdown but wallets were in lock down.  Everyone was afraid to spend what little they had left in perceived savings.

While the unemployment rate is over 10% Wall street is back above 10,000 point on the DOW.   Investors and those who have saved for this type of economy are now in the market.  November of 2008 we had 654 closed residential transactions for the month.  Through Nov. 20 this year (with 10 more days to go) we have 628 already recorded.  There is little doubt we will see way more than last Nov.  We could see over 1000 closed transactions for the month.

The Average and Median Sale Price DOWN

The numbers are up but with 36% of the transactions being Short Sales and REO there is downward pressure on the sales prices.  We are seeing the lowest Average and Median Sales prices we have seen in some time.

The 100K and Under Market is Drying UP

A couple of months ago you could find quite a few properties in the sub 100K level that weren’t Short Sales or REO properties.  Not any more.  Now the Sub 100K marketplace has pretty empty shelves.  There are a few Short Sales or REO’s with no appliances, holes in the walls and lots of physical damage available close to the 100K price point.  But a buyer could easily put another 50K into one of these homes to make them “livable”.

The Luxury Market is Stagnant

As of this writing the Average Sale Price is $184,825 and the Median is $160,500.  We saw a Median in the $157,000 range earlier this year.  But the Average Sale Price hasn’t been this low since December 2003.  What does this mean?  The high end market is becalmed.  “Dead” is another way of putting it.  Tucson currently has 8.27 YEARS of inventory above the 1 million dollar price point.  For October 2009 there were 298 homes above 1 million dollars, 3 sold in October and 2 are pending for November.

That’s our snapshot.  In a couple of weeks we will have the November numbers and be headed into the final week of 2009.  Stay Tuned.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Much of the savings in the US is Perceived Savings

It used to be when people saved money they put it in a “savings” account and there it would gradually build a little interest and the savings would grow.  There were also Certificates of Deposit, and Bonds, and a few other saving vehicles in which one could put their money and gradually see their “Savings” increase.

Then enter “Investment Savings”.  These are more in the line of what I’m talking about as Perceived Savings.  While the money put into this type of an account is real.  The actual value of the account is not known till the money is taken out of the account.  As long as it is in the account it has no “Real” value.  But we treat it in our minds as if it does.  We think of it as our “Savings”.  But it really is just Perceived as Savings.

Last year when we saw the economy meltdown.  A lot of the Perceived Saving disappeared.  Perceived Wealth turned into Perceived Poverty.

Granted before FDIC the same could happen to savings in a Bank.  But the reason for FDIC is so those dollars in savings are real dollars and guaranteed.  We might not gain much in that kind of a savings account, but we won’t loose money in it.

Why Investment Savings?

Because, while the risks are greater in this kind of an account so are the returns.  (At least that’s the idea).  There is a funny think about this type of an account that is a lot like gambling.  I mean,  we remember the gains in the account on good days and while we suffer through those down days, we tend to forget them quickly.

I’ve observed a few people at the Blackjack Table (I’ve never played myself)  I’ve seen some take $20 and turn it into over $1000.  But before the night was over they needed a ride back to their hotel.  The $1000 was gone along with the original $20.  Did they win a $1000 at Blackjack?  Yes, they did.  Did they loose more than a $1000 at Blackjack?  Yes, they did.

Investment accounts these days are like a wild roller coaster ride.  Up huge one day and down huge the next couple.  Of course if you know when to get out and when to get back in you can make a good return on your “investment”.  However, there are few who can do that consistently.

But back to my main point.  Those invested dollars aren’t real dollars.  Yet we “Plan” our economic future and strategy for the future based on a calculation of future returns in those investment accounts.  The end result for many in the past 5 years, Perceived Savings ended up being Real Poverty.

As long as the perception of the economy was that it was humming along and everyone was making money we were all pretty convince everything would work out in the end.  That no longer holds true.

Investment Savings are Looking Up

Those 401K accounts of 2007 that became 101K accounts last year are mostly back to 201 or 301K accounts for many.  And a sense of Perceived Savings is returning.  Remember, as long as the money is in the account it isn’t really there until we take it out.

Perceived Savings can, and often does lead to misconceptions of our true personal economic situation.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

The absorption rate for Tucson held just under the 6 month mark for October. Now we will see what the next couple of months will bring.

If we remove Green Valley from the mix it comes in at 5.75 months of inventory.  Not sure why Green Valley is in the 13 areas of Tucson in the first place.  But it is.  I might consider removing that area for next year.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

The stats are out for October and the closed transactions for the month were strong.  I’ve asked around about the impact of the First Time home buyer tax credit, but no one tracks this data.  Not the MLS and not our brokerage.  From our experience we know of no one using this tax credit who is a “true” first time home buyer.

I think the reduced inventory, reduced sale price and increased confidence in the economy is driving more buyers into the Tucson market.  Last year during the fall snowbird buying season the economy was in such turmoil and talk of a Great Depression loomed everywhere.  The end result everyone sat on large purchases and expenditures.  The running joke was “Since my 401K is now a 101K I can’t afford to buy a home right now even if I wanted to.”

But a year down the road and the outlook isn’t quite as bleak.  These sales were all recorded before the extended and expanded Tax Credit.

Month over Month

The number of active listings jumped up by a couple hundred in October.  This is a bit of a surprise but even more so when considered against new listings for October 2008.  There were more homes put on the market this October than last.  However,  The closed transactions were much healthier than last year with a recorded 59 more this year than last.

But that’s not the whole story.  Because those transactions are continuing to come in.  There were 1021 for the report, but 1046 are currently in the system.  This means the actual number increased over September by 84 not 59.  These additional transactions made the difference between 6 months inventory and just under 6 months inventory.  A significant difference? No, but why do they post gas as $2.29.999 cents instead of $.230, get the point.

Active and New listings have increased.  This to in rather normal due to the number of people wanting to have their homes on the market for the snowbirds coming to Tucson to look for a new winter (second) home.  And there are those looking to make this their permanent home soon.

Year over Year

Compared to October 08 it is a mixed bag of information.  For Buyers it is pretty much all Good.  For sellers, it isn’t as bad as it might seem.

For Buyers, lower prices, but fewer homes to chose from.  Better interest rates than last year and for first time home buyers up to $8,000 tax credit.  For those buying a primary residence up to $6,500 tax credit.  Active listing increased so you have more to choice.  But be aware, these figures for Average and Median sale price includes a whopping 42% of Short Sale and REO transactions.  Remove these transactions from the data and the Average and Median prices jump up considerably.  Don’t expect to buy a move in ready home in these price ranges.

For Sellers, unless you are in a neighborhood or subdivision with massive Short sale and REO properties you are facing a more realistic pricing situation now than in the past.  Your home never was “worth” what it would have sold for in the past 3 years.  Those were inflated figures,  And the home owners that borrowed against that false equity are the ones in Short Sale and REO now.  Reality is a tough pill to swallow, but if you have owned your home from more than 5 years you should still be able to turn a profit on the sale of your home.

Moving up you will find prices more affordable and probably with a lower interest rate than you were paying before.  Downsizing, you will have some money to put in the bank, because you can buy more home for less now than you could in the past few years.

Sellers are usually buyers also.  Don’t get greedy on the sell side and loose sight of the opportunities you now have on the buy side.  Sometimes we can’t let go of those false high prices of a few years ago.  Do yourself a favor, let go.  Need help doing so, get an appraisal yourself.  It will give you a sense of where your home should be priced in today’s market and provide a basis to potential buyers for your asking price.

For the complete October Statistics report you can find it in the sidebar under Documents.  It is PDF and you can download and save a copy.

If you don’t want to look for it in the sidebar.  Well, here you go: Tucson MLS Statistics Report October 2009

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

This weekend of this festival came before I knew it and I didn’t have a post prepared for this years event.  Then this morning I decided to attend some of the event.  Specifically I wanted to hear the “Brothers” from Australia.  I read in the paper they were performing 4 sessions during the two day event.  This morning I went to the website for the festival and found it a nightmare to navigate and try and find schedules and quick information.  Thus this post.

The Scottish Highland Games

Where:  Rillito Park near River and First

The games run both today and tomorrow.  This schedule I did find rather easily.  Here is the direct link to the Scottish Highland Games 2009.

Fees to attend the Festival and Games

This also wasn’t easily located.  You have to scroll down on this page to find the fee schedule.

In brief:

Parking $2

Entrance for Adults $12  with a can good for the food bank $10

For a complete breakdown of age groups fees check the page mentioned above and scroll down.

Music Schedule for Celtic Festival

This one I couldn’t find at all.  It listed who but not when.  Therefore I decided even at this late date to write this post for those looking online for information on what music will be on stage when. Since it is already Noon, I’ll skip the acts already over.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Tucson Firefighters Chili Cook-off

Quick Flickr Slide Show from Today

The firefighters chili cook-off is going on today from 10 am to 10 pm.  It is now about 4 pm.  I was there  from 11:30 to 1 pm.  Talk about a Rocking place.  It was a blast.  I got quite a few photos to post to flickr for everyone to see in a couple of days.  But it isn’t too late to head down there for a lot of fun and loud music which I’m sure you will love.

The food is great and the Firefighters are really putting on a great show.  The booths are every bit as good as last year and the costumes are “Totally Shameless”.

It is held at El Presideo park behind the Pima Country Courthouse.  Grab some cash and ear plugs and join in on the fun this evening.  It isn’t too late.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Tucson MLS 1022 Closed Residential Transactions for October 2009

The number of closed residential transactions for October far exceeded anyone’s expectations.  In October of 2008 there were 846 closed transactions;  in October of 2007 884.  There were no high expectations the number would go above 900 this year.  But as the week progressed the sales blew right through the 900 mark.

Tucson MLS Data Pull

The data was pulled this morning for the October Statistics report.  As usual we expect there to be some late sales entered into the system.  This is pretty common even at $250 a pop.  The number of late entries have slowed since the fine was imposed for missing the deadline to have transactions entered, but it still amounts to between 10 and 20 sales per month.  Yes, that is enough to make a statistical difference.

The number of Short sales and REO transactions make up just over 42% of the total transactions for the month.  This removes even more of these homes from the active inventory.

Tucson Market Trend Indicators

I’ll be looking to see what the number of active listings are going into November.  I’m also interested in the Absorption rate for the various areas of Tucson.  I know it is getting hard to find exactly what buyers are looking for. (I’m not just talking price either)  The number of homes on the market has declined significantly this year.

The fact of a falling inventory seems to have been lost in the media.  It has focused instead on foreclosures and the lack of new construction.  The number of homes available for purchase and move in have been reduced to a point not seen in several years.

The last thing I want to see which is the other indicator of the direction of the market is the number of Pending contracts going into November.

Positive Signs for Tucson Real Estate Market

There are a lot of positive signs in this market and if I were a builder I’d be thinking strongly about getting some new homes ready for purchase.  It looks like there will be buyers in the market going into 2010 and there aren’t a lot of homes ready for them to purchase.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

We had two days of Winter in October.  It got down to 34 degrees one night this past week.  I think it was a little colder than that on our patio.  Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.

I was saying to everyone yesterday (When it was 75 degrees) “We had two days of winter in Tucson and now it’s over.”

Then today it jumped up to 85 so far, but it might make it up to 86 before the afternoon is over.

What about the rest of the week.

Oh, it’s going to be in the mid 80’s all week.

Are the Snowbirds coming to Tucson?

No, they are already here.  How do we know.  There are tell tale signs of the arrival of snowbirds in Tucson.

1. Traffic around town doubles
2. Out of state license plates are everywhere
3. Restaurants are happy again
4. RV Parks are filling up all over town
5. Second home buyers are back in the market
6. Golf courses are filling up

Those are a few of the ways we know the snowbirds are back in Tucson.

Why so early?

There are a couple of reasons:

• The weather has turned cold and two things drive snowbirds to Tucson  cold weather and snow
• This is an off year for elections.

Many people will stay home to vote on elections.  But this year, many either don’t have local elections or they were able to vote absentee.

The weather is Wonderful in Tucson

Every year I say the same thing when it gets to be November.  “This is why we live in Tucson”.  The next 8 months are going to be great.  Shorts, sandals and outdoor eating will fill the schedules and lots of good grilling smells will fill the air.

Tucson Golf Homes

I did mention that golf courses start filling up this time of year.  It is true.  And to make the search easier for those wanting to buy a home on or near a golf course I’ve put together a new set of searches to make it “EASY” to search for golf homes in Tucson.  I’ll be writing some more about this tomorrow, but for those wanting a sneak peek, here is the link to Tucson Golf Homes.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

You might think it a little strange for a site about Tucson and Tucson real estate to suggest an email clients. It isn’t as strange as you might think. Here’s why!

Searching from Your Own Home

Most people today start their search for a Tucson Home on the internet. It is easy to set up searches and have the results of those searches dropped right into your email account. But one thing we notice over and over again on an almost daily basis.

Some of the email services bounce back the emails as undeliverable for one reason or another. Why? Most often it is because they have software in place which uses the logic “If a certain number of emails are coming through our service from the same email address it must be spam”.

I can understand this if there are hundreds of thousands of the same email going out.  But that isn’t the case from the Tucson MLS or our own IDX emails to those of you searching.  Yet sites like AOL and Hotmail often block your subscription emails for listings.  You ask for them but your email provider has determined them to be spam and simply refuse delivery.  They don’t put them in a spam folder for you to decide, they refuse delivery.

You never know the email was sent.  This Doesn’t Happen With Gmail

Can you Send More Photos

One of the things clients often ask during the home shopping process is for more photos than are available from the Tucson MLS.  We go out to the home and take all the additional photos requested.  Want to see if the kitchen cabinets have pull-outs.  [Snap]  What does the laundry room look like? [Snap]  What does the side yard look like? [Snap].  Now we can size those photos down smaller.  But you want to see big pictures.  And we often are sending more than 20 photos.  With Gmail you can get those large photos zipped into a single file and sent easily to you.

You found your home now it is time for Docs to go by email

Once you have decided to make an offer on a home the documents begin to flow.  This is usually by email.  Offers/Counter Offers, addendums, BINSR, BINSR Response, Clue Reports, Estimates, etc.

There are a lot of documents to be scanned and emailed.  But wait there is more.  Some of these documents when scanned and placed in a PDF are more than 10 megabytes in size.  Many email accounts limit the size of an email to 10 megabytes.  This means they can’t be sent to you by email.  This Doesn’t Happen With Gmail.  Gmail doesn’t have a small file attachment limit on an email.  We have never had an email with docs attached kick back (be rejected) from a gmail account.

Gmail is Free

Gmail is free.  And you can have as many gmail accounts as you want.  You can open your gmail in any browser.  You can get gmail sent to your cell phone or blackberry if your provider/device has a gmail app.

We have the Gmail Notifier on our computers, it is a little envelope that lets us know as soon as an email arrives.  I keep Gmail on one of my browser tabs all the time.

GTalk,  I also use the gtalk which is a quick instant messenger type service built right into gmail.  I have this on my blackberry as well and makes it easy to stay in touch with people that have a quick question or just want to talk.

More than one Email Account  Send them to Gmail

I have a couple of gmail accounts and a couple that aren’t gmail at all.  But I never have to remember to go to those accounts.  Instead I have those emails from non-gmail accounts sent (POP) to my gmail account.  They come in and are identified from where they came right into my Gmail account. All my email in one place.

Gmail Make the Home Buying Process Simpler

When we see the email address is Gmail we always breath a sigh of relief.  We know emails, documents, and all communications done by email will be smooth and easy.  No “I didn’t get that email” message will be coming in.  No “Mail Delivery” notification will be received when we send out docs or photos.

Don’t have a gmail account?  Want to get one?  Here’s where you go to sign up.

Need a Google Account Sign in Here  Get a Google Account

Have a Google Account but not an email account  Get Gmail Account

There are few things that make life really easier and are free.  Gmail for me is one of those things.  Once you get started using a Gmail account you will wonder what took you so long.  Custom Themes, Auto Signature, etc.  There are a lot of great features and ways to customize your Gmail account.

Make the home buying process simpler with a Gmail email account.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

The sun isn’t up yet on this side of Tucson.  It is funny how a few mountains can effect the time the sunlight hits the land around us.  My Dad lives on the other side of Tucson a few miles away.  His view of the East and sunrise isn’t blocked by mountains.  He sees the early morning light at least 45 minutes before we do on this side of town.

The weather is cool now but not cold.  Most nights we can sleep with the door open and the fan brings in the cool night air.  Morning temperature right now is around 54 degrees.  The highs this next week will be in the mid 80’s.

We can wear shorts and sandals during the day and even a long sleeve shirt if we want.  The humidity is down around the 10 percent mark.

This is called “Fat Paper Day” around our house.  Sometimes the days run together.  But we can center our compass again on the morning the fat paper arrives in the driveway.

Putting on our Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts and heading out to McDonalds to read the paper, share stories we find and see how many of the puzzles we can solve is centering.  (Some times we wear our Incredibles Shirts, the kids love them).

This is our favorite time of year in Tucson.  If you want to see amazing sunrise and sunsets.  If being warm and only seeing snow on the mountains and not in your driveway sounds appealing, come on down.  There’s plenty of sunshine and warmth to go around, here in Tucson.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Tucson is located in the desert Southwest where the air is crisp and clean most of the year. When fall arrives the humidity from Monsoon Season drops and the heat cools to a moderate temperature.

The sunsets are amazing here many evenings.  But I’ll be honest in summer when it is over 100 degrees outside at sunset, I’m not outside to watch it.  I sometimes see the red shadows cast on the Catalina Mountains to the East and know it was a “Good One”.

Now that fall has arrived, it is wonderful to be able to sit outside on a patio and watch the sun go down over the mountains.

The other night we got a special treat.  The sun had set about 15 minutes before the moon.  While the sky was still blaze orange the fingernail moon slipped beneath the horizon.  I was fortunate to have camera and tripod with me at the time.

Till the sun set I hadn’t even noticed the moon in the sky.  The sunlight was so bright the slip of the moon wasn’t obvious.  Then there it was following the sun over the mountains.

Hope you enjoy it.  Have a great weekend (what’s left of it).

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Looking for a day trip to take this weekend?  Check out Globe, AZ.

Globe, AZ is one of those launching points for us. We live in Oro Valley on the Northwest side of Tucson. Getting to Globe is pretty simple. Take Oracle Rd which is AZ State Route 77 to Globe. It is about 80 miles away and there is a lot of pretty country between Tucson and Globe.

There is a lot to see around town. Here are a few of the sites. Take the day and drive the streets around town, not just the main roads. Old downtown has some amazing architecture. The old Bank building with marble facade that is now a nail saloon; makes you wonder.

The centennial clock is worth a look as is the train depot across the parking lot. For contrast the church across the street has old and new buildings. And who could leave out the tepee.

For a great meal try Jerry’s on State Route 60. I had “the sink” try it.

Just out of Globe on 70 there is the Apache Gold Casino, and the airport there has some old planes, (well almost planes) The dirt road at the end of the airport runway will take you for a long long adventure in the desert. (No sports cars). Don’t venture to far in there, no maps or street signs either and you won’t go far before there is no cell service either.

Globe is a great place for a day trip and a good launching point for many destinations out of Tucson in the higher elevations and cooler temps.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

With the September Absorption Rate report we close out the third quarter of 2009.  Tucson has seen a considerable drop in inventory over the last year.  When you factor in the number of homes on the market that are REO or in Short Sale the number of Residential Resale properties ready to move in has dropped to a very low level.

REO and Short Sales 43% of Closed Transactions

The number of homes sold in July that were REO and Short Sales were about 16% of the total.  Now in September it was 414 out of 962 closed transactions bringing it to just over 43%.  We are hearing from buyers coming in to the market in the next few weeks looking for more “bargains” and they are finding that even when not looking for a bargain the number of homes matching what they are looking are a handful not compared to lots of options before.  The store shelves aren’t as full of choices as they used to be and what is there often isn’t what anyone wants.

The number of people with the skills or the pockets to bring an REO up to the standard of a home you want to live in are few.  It can end up costing more to renovate these homes than to buy one that has been well maintained and is “move in ready”.

Our market in Tucson reminds me of the old Fram filter commercial where the guy says “You can pay me now or pay me later”  Translated to housing, some homes with a bargain purchase price aren’t a bargain at all.

Tucson Absorption Rates for September 2009

I think the area that caught my eye as I was putting this together was the South.  With a total of 385 available properties and 100 sold in September it means there is 2.85 months of inventory in that area.  That’s not a lot to chose from.

When you put together your price range, number of bedrooms, baths, acres, location, garage spaces and style of home the availability of properties drops off rather rapidly.  Sometimes we used to be able to show 100 homes matching these criteria.  These days it can be as few as 2 or 3 depending on what it is the buyer is looking for.

We are holding pretty steady at the 6 months of inventory for overall areas in Tucson.  Now we push on into the Fourth Quarter and begin to wonder if there will be a housing shortage by the end of the year.  Time will tell.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

September 2009 was a sigh of relief for the Tucson real estate market.  Why?  History.  It brought a close to the third quarter of 2009 and there doesn’t seem to be a chicken little in town this year yelling the sky is falling.  The market is far from perfect, but it isn’t collapsing.

It held it’s own against last month with only 18 fewer closed transactions.  It held it’s ground on last year with just 3 fewer.    But wait, wasn’t last year a total collapse of the market and we didn’t even close as many as last year?  I”m glad you asked that question.  Once again History.

• Year     Aug.     Sept.   Diff
• 2005    1807     1474     333
• 2006    1414     1095     319
• 2007    1084       769     315
• 2008      923       965    + 42
• 2009      980       962    – 18

The trend from Aug to Sept over the past 5 years tends to show a big drop from Aug to Sept.  last year was an exception as was this year.  But also not the 57 additional sales in Aug 09 over 08 with only 18 fewer transaction in Sept. 09  Thus the sigh of relief for the market in general.

Let’s Do the Numbers

Pending contracts are holding nicely on into October.  This is our predictor for a couple of months into the future.  Active listings keep creeping down even thought he number of new listing crept down.  Average Sale price dropped another $2,871 as the number of short sales and REO properties increased in percentage again this month over last. Of the 962 closed transactions there were 85 Short Sales and 329 REO Properties.

Year Over Year

These number speak for themselves.  We know the market is stabilizing.  The number of pending contracts combined with the falling inventory and number of new listings is a plus.  The falling average and median sale price is a plus if you are on the buying side of the equation.  But not as big a minus on the selling side as you might think for the resale market.  Yes, there are exceptions.  But most residential resales in market ready condition are doing quite well price wise even in this market.  Are they getting 2007 prices?  NO, but everyone says that market was a bubble and unrealistic.  So why do we compare today’s sale prices with an unrealistic past.  Expectations always seem to run counter to reality.

The Third Quarter Closed

Finally a few more numbers you might be interested in.  Third quarter over First

• Total unit sales are up 39.48%
• Total sales volume us up 34.52%
• Average Active listings down 19.99%
• Pending Contracts up 4.63% and over 09/08 up 59.45%

We are headed into one of our buying season with a greatly reduced available inventory in some areas.  It will be an interesting Forth quarter.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

One of the things we have been trying to do this year is take more day trips out of Tucson to find other interesting places in Arizona. Especially places in summer when it is over 100 degrees in Tucson.  Places where the temps aren’t in the triple digits, usually at higher elevations and there are things called “Trees” there.

But the trips aren’t just limited to the Summer months.  As the Fall progresses we’ll try and take trips to the mountains where the fall colors turn with some drama because there are “Trees”. (Notice a theme here?)

Some of the recent ventures have even been outside of Arizona, but within an 8 hr. drive from Tucson.

We have one planned for tomorrow and Wednesday.  We are heading up to Hannagan’s meadow, on to Pinetop and Show Low before coming back to Tucson late Wednesday evening.  The plan is to take a lot of photos of the trip and post them here along with the information about the route and what we found along the way. (at least that’s the plan)

Tucson in the Fall

Once the heat breaks there are a lot of things to do around town on the weekends.  This coming weekend is no exception.  Briefly here are  a couple of things:

SAHBA Home and Garden show Fall 2009

The SAHBA Home and Garden show October 9 – 11 at the Tucson Convention Center  There are discount tickets for this event all over Tucson, (Try Fry’s) There is one on the website for the show as well.

Patagonia Fall Festival 2009

The Patagonia Fall Festival October 9 – 11 at Patagonia, AZ  (Wow now who is buried in Grant’s tomb)

The weather is windy, but cooler.  Looks like it will be a great week here in Tucson.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

When it is 106 outside I don’t even think about Oktoberfest.  But on Mt. Lemmon, they can’t wait each year for October to get here so they start Oktoberfest in the middle of September.

I admitted last year I was late to getting to this.  I’ll chalk it up to all the hot weather we have had this year.  But there are still plenty of Brats to be eaten and sauerkraut  to be smelled on the mountain.

The Celebration will continue to day as the third weekend of Oktoberfest comes to a close.

Next weekend will be the last of the four weekends that make up Mt Lemmon Oktoberfest.

Information is sketchy at best for this years events.  It goes till 5 pm.  There is a fee for getting on the mountain and a $4 parking fee (so I’ve heard).

The weather is cool and it will certainly feel like a German Oktoberfest right here in the Arizona Southwest.

If you can’t make it up the mountain today.  Put it on your calendar for next weekend as it will be the last for this year.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Tucson Oktoberfest is on

No matter how you spell it Octoberfest or Oktoberfest it is going on this weekend.

October 1-4 are the dates for the event here in Tucson at Hi Corbett field.  Full details are at their website tucsonoktoberfest.com

Admission: Adults $3  Children under 12 FREE

Times:

Thur. 5 – 10 pm.
Fri. Noon – 11 pm.
Sat. 10 am – 11 pm.
Sun. Noon – 6 pm.

Check out their website for event schedule and food for each day.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Aerospace & AZ Days

is the formal name for this event.  Most call it “The Tucson Air Show”.  Searching for it by that name will probably turn up little results beyond this post.  The dates are set.  A quick visit to the DM Air Force Base site will find one image with the dates on it.

I know a lot of us have been waiting and waiting and waiting for this event to return to Tucson.  I wish I had more details on the event itself.  As they become available I’ll post them here.

Anyone finding out updated details please let me know so I can post them here.  At least we know there will be one this year (2010)

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

Tucson Monsoon Season is over for 2009

That’s about it.

Tucson September Home Sales Drop

The numbers for September dropped by about 100 over last September and about a 10o over August.  The number or REO / Short Sales increased to about 43% of the overall sales in September.  While August had a good number of pending contracts it seems lenders have been slacking on getting docs and paperwork done so some of these are being pushed into the 4th quarter and October.  (anecdotal data)

September does tend to be one of the slower months of the year for Tucson real estate.  We are rapping up a long hot summer.  We had 75 days of over 100 degrees this season.  That’s a lot of heat with very little rain to go with it.  School has begun meaning most families have made their moves for the year.  It is too hot and early for the snowbirds to be coming in to look for their new nest.  I think we will have a strong second home market this season.  Last year there was a lot of fear over those nest eggs and many sat on them instead of investing in a second nest in Tucson.

It probably turned out to be a good wait.  They can get more bang for their nest egg buck this year than last.

October 1 bring new Regs

October is like fruit basket upset when it comes to lender/mortgage regulations.  A whole bunch of new regs go into effect today and it will take some time to figure out what effect these are going to have on the housing market.  My suspicion, getting ready for these is part of what slowed things down in September.  Government is very good at some hind sight and closing the door after the horse is out, or in this case we could say turning on the sprinklers after the house has burned.

Consumer Confidence Index

Since the media reporting on Government indicators can’t report the movements of the turtles till they move the information we receive is usually out of date before we get it.  Kind of funny in the world of instant communication.  It seems the recent reports are on old news of a lack of consumer confidence just as many are returning to buying Motor Homes and other items which are not considered necessities.  These sales are reported rather quickly and fly in the face of the older data about the slowing of consumer confidence.  Only Wall Street in their own bubble of existence seems to react to these turtle data streams with the exuberance of a school of fish fleeing from a shark in their midst.

Welcome to the Forth Quarter of 2009

Personally I’m glad to see it come.  The first three quarters have been a challenge.  The forth will have its own challenges but more rewards are slipping into the mainstream and while it probably will be a rough Christmas for retailers (Christmas are you kidding me, it isn’t even Halloween yet) it looks like the corner is turning slowly.  So here we go.   By the way, it is only supposed to be 89 degrees today and cooler tomorrow,   I’m so ready for the forth quarter.  Our best weather of the year is arriving and the celebrating is about to begin.  Come on down to Tucson.

Post from: Tucson Real Estate

It has been a busy time here at the Tucson Real Estate blog the past couple of weeks.  I’m in the process of building the “Easy Button”.  Behind that button will be “The Easy Searches”.

The easy button means you don’t have to filll in anything about size, price, location, you click the easy buttons to automated searches already setup with criteria.

The first of the easy button searches are already built for Tucson and Oro Valley Town homes and Condos.

You can check it out.  Many more Easy Button searches are being build and I’ll let you know when the whole system of Easy Button Searches is complete.

It isn’t easy building an Easy Button.  But it is worth it.  Don’t you think?

Post from: Tucson Real Estate