Dru Bloomfield's Scottsdale Arizona Real Estate Blog

September Market Update - Scottsdale, Arizona

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:05:10 -0500

It feels like the real estate market has been in a static place for most of the summer, and then mid-August, my phone and email started going crazy. Buyers were asking questions and seriously ready to buy homes.

This month's market action reports (from Altos Research) show that my experience is in alignment with the rest of the Scottsdale real estate market. Altos has a proprietary formula, called the Market Action Index, which they use to monitor the market. If the figure is above 30, it's a seller's market. Below 30 is a buyers' market.

Scottsdale has been hovering in the 9-16 range for most of the summer, from mid-March through the end of July. Beginning in August the market action started taking off, most significantly in the first quadrant of housing, which is the highest 25% priced homes on the market. You can see that there's significant improvement for all price ranges, with the lowest 25% of homes on the market leading the pack.

From both these charts and personal experience, I know that in South Scottsdale, the entry level of the market is doing much better, espescially in the past couple of weeks. There are not many houses available in the lower price ranges, and homes in good condition, priced well, are selling quickly. Two weeks ago, one of my clients lost out on a house with multiple offers. The house was on the market three days. Excellent condition. Priced very well. Yesterday, we waited in our car to view a home just on the market. Another agent was already there showing it. At another house, we had to schedule our showing appointment around two other potential buyers.

The chart above represents market activity for entry level homes in the four most southern Scottsdale zip codes, 85257, 85251, 85250, 85258. As you can see, entry level homes in 85257 (southernmost Scottsdale) and 85258 (McCormick Ranch) are seeing significant improvement, and we are approaching a much more balanced market in these areas.

Looking a bit more closely at the entry level home market in 85257, you can see that market activity has jumped as median home listing prices have dropped. Three bedroom, 2 bath homes are now listed in this area under $200,000. First time home owners and investors are in the market.

We are approaching our fall months, where in years past, we experience our second busiest home selling season of the year. From the looks of things, I'd suggest that we are positioned for a great market for home buyers, where interest rates and home prices are still low. It's important to know that as the number of homes for sale continues to drop, selection will become more limited, and there will be more competition for homes that are priced well for their condition and location. This competition will determine where the bottom of the market is. If you are a buyer, thinking about a purchase, please talk to your lender to see what loan programs are available, so you are ready to make your offer when you find a home.

I do believe that this fall will be much more active, and that we'll be seeing continued improvement in the Scottsdale real estate market. For a real-time real estate update in your Scottsdale zip code, check out the up-to-date market reports using the links below.

Scottsdale, Arizona 85257

Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

Scottsdale, Arizona 85250

Scottsdale, Arizona 85258

Scottsdale, Arizona 85254

Scottsdale, Arizona 85260

Scottsdale, Arizona 85259

Scottsdale, Arizona 85255

Scottsdale, Arizona 85266

Scottsdale, Arizona 85262

For a more detailed view of current real estate action in the the city, see the Scottsdale Real Estate Market Report.

Not sure where the zip code boundaries are? Scottsdale Zip Code Map

Stay tuned.

Free Summer Concert Series at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:12:19 -0500

The 2008 summer concert series started last night at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, on the southeast corner of Indian Bend and Scottsdale Roads. We walked down to the park and spent some time listening to 60 North play a mix of R&B and pop tunes, while enjoying the perfect weather. The lawns were filled with families and food, while kids were crowding the stage wanting their turn to dance in the spotlight.

Arrive early, and bring a blanket or chair. Overflow parking is in the shopping center to the north.

Concerts run every Sunday, through mid-July, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

The Rest of the Line-up:

May 18: Groove Merchants (Big City sound with hot horn section)
May 25: Mogollon (High energy country)
June 1: The Hamptons (Early Rock n' Roll to today's hits)
June 8: Rock Lobster (Retro 80's)
June 15: Furious George (Current rock tunes with classics)
June 22: North (Mix of Classic rock and contemporary hits)
June 29: Affinity (Party/Swing/Variety)
July 6: CC Rider Express (Retro 80's)
July 13: Aaron Nelson Project (Variety Pop Rock)

Like to Play Tennis? Looking for a Vacation Home?

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:54:09 -0500

Looking for a Scottsdale Vacation Home?

Location: Villages

Easy living in this ground and single level home. Open living areas with fireplace and covered patio to enjoy Arizona year-round! Master bedroom and bath include large walk-in closet. Easy access kitchen with eat-in breakfast area and dining off of the living room. Outdoor storage area, as well. Community amenities include heated pool and spa, tennis courts and green grassy grounds. Great location with easy access to freeway, shopping and restaurants.

Information

Contact Information

Dru Bloomfield

480-513-7012

Pricing

Asking Price: $225,000.00

Homeowner Dues: $186/monthly

Property Location

9420 E Purdue Ave #115
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Features

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1.75

Parking: 1 Carport

Year Built: 1993

Subdivision: The Villages

Located on Floor #: 1

School District: Scottsdale Unified

Square Footage: 1252

Agent Name: Dru Bloomfield

Broker: John Hall & Associates

MLS #: 259882

Attributes

Appliances

Range/Oven

Washer/Dryer

Sink Disposal

Interior Amenities

Fireplace

Building Amenities

Patio

Swimming Pool

Guest Parking

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

VFLYER ID: 1584822

Photo Gallery

Breakfast Nook

Dining Area

Kitchen

Living

Living Room with Fireplace

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Bedroom 2

Community Pool

Common Areas

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

VFLYER ID: 1584822

McCormick Ranch Golf Course

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:02:00 -0500

I live on McCormick Ranch Golf course and feel just a bit spoiled waking up to these beautiful views each morning.

Here's a Flickr photo set of the golf course, so you can see more of photos of the course. Also you can subscribe to this photo set, so you will be updated as I add more pictures of this centrally located public course.

For more information about the specifics of playing on the centrally located public course, your can visit the McCormick Ranch Golf Club site.

Phoenix Metro - Real Estate Reports and Economic Forecasts

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:56:21 -0500

Recently, one of my neighbors asked for my perspective on the Phoenix area real estate market. He's has a strong economics background, so I knew that he'd want more than just my perspective and experience, so I shared the following three web sites with him.

If you are into historical reports, market trend, and forecasting, I think you might really enjoy them.

R.L. Brown - housing reports, market analysis, and forecasts
Elliott D. Polack & Company - recent speeches from this site are a quick and easy way to get a snapshot view of what going on.
ASU Polytechnic Realty Studies - real estate studies for various aspects of the housing industry

Scottsdale Real Estate Report - By Zip Code

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:36:23 -0500

Here are the Altos Research real estate market updates for all Scottsdale zip codes. These freshly updated reports are in a one page executive summary format. If you'd like the more detailed report for your zip code, please call or email me.

This week's update:

85262 - Listing prices have been increasing, as have days on market. Inventory has decreased.

85266 - Listing prices have increased. Days on market increased. Inventory increased.

85255 - Median list price is steady. Days on market increased. Inventory tightening.

85260 - Listings prices plateaued. Days on market down. Inventory up.

85254 - List price trending down. Days on market and inventory are steady.

85259 - Listing prices holding steady. Days on market and inventory are increasing.

85258 - Listing prices up in past couple weeks. Days on market up. Inventory down.

85250 - List prices trending downward. Days on market increasing. Inventory tightening.

85251 - Listing prices trending upward. Days on market decreasing. Inventory decreasing.

85257 - List prices trending down. Days on market decreasing. Inventory decreasing.

South Scottsdale is looking very interesting. Keep an eye on the trends.

Scottsdale Technology Symposium - April 25th

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:58:57 -0500

After seeing all the great photos from the Arizona Real Estate Blogging Network, I'm reminded to share that the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS is hosting a Technology Symposium, and you are invited to attend.

Date: April 25, 2008

Time: Continental Breakfast: 8 am
Symposium and Break-outs: 8:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Chaparral Suites Ballroom,
5001 N. Scottsdale Road (Ballroom access off Chaparral Road)

Special Guest Speaker: Keith T. Garner, Managing Director
Center for REALTOR® Technology, National Association of REALTORS®

Break-out Session Topics and Speakers include:

FlexMLS - with a demo of the new system coming on-line in late July

Sheila Strunk, 2008 SAAR MLS Committee Chairperson, Realty Executives, http://www.greathomesaz.com
Barb Hoffman, ARMLS Support Services Director, http://www.newarmls.com/
Troy Feeken, FBS Data Systems - flexmls®Web, http://flexmls.com/

Lead Generation Systems - What are they? Costs? Are they effective?

D. Patrick Lewis, John Hall & Associates - http://activerain.com/blogs/dplewis
John Wake, HomeSmart - http://www.homesalenews.com/
Irene Hammond, John Hall & Associates - http://www.arizona-active-adult-community.com/
Amy Geddes, Clareity Security - http://www.clareitysecurity.com/

Blogging

Keith Garner, Managing Director, NAR Center for REALTOR® Technology, http://blog.realtors.org/crt
Steve Belt, Realty Executives, http://www.realphoenixliving.com/
Dru Bloomfield, John Hall & Associates, http://athomeinscottsdale.com/
Jay Thompson, Thompson Realty, http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/

Websites

James Archer, Operations Director - Forty Agency, http://www.fortyagency.com/
Aaron Post, Business Director - Forty Agency, http://www.fortyagency.com/
Ron LaMee, AAR Vice President Information Services, http://www.aaronline.com

Hope you can join us.

Enjoy Arizona Life .. In This McCormick Ranch Home

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:30:46 -0500

Enjoy Arizona Life .. In This McCormick Ranch Home

Location: McCormick Ranch - Suggs Ranch

This McCormick Ranch home offers excellent location, with easy access to schools, parks, restaurants, and shopping.Nestled in the Suggs Subdivision of McCormick Ranch, this home features an open floor plan with vaulted ceiling and lots of light which flows from the marble floored entry to family room - overlooking pool with patio access. Travertine floors throughout the kitchen and traffic areas. East facing breakfast room overlooks one of two fountains, and creates a wonderful space to start the day. Spacious master suite with pool and patio access. Large master bath, with sizable walk-in closet. Sparkling pool, palm and citrus trees, and room to enjoy the beautiful outdoor living style of spring in Arizona.

Information

Contact Information

Dru Bloomfield

480-513-7012

Contact Reply Form

Forward to a Friend

View Other Flyers

Pricing

Asking Price: $619,000.00

Property Location

8580 E San Felipe Dr
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
View Map

Links

At Home In Scottsdale

Features

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Year Built: 1986

Subdivision: McCormick Ranch

Garage Size: 2

School District: Scottsdale Unified School District

Square Footage: 2485

Agent Name: Dru Bloomfield

Broker: John Hall & Assoc

MLS #: 2946458

Attributes

Appliances

Range/Oven

Full Refrigerator

Washer/Dryer

Dishwasher

Sink Disposal

Microwave

Interior Amenities

Fireplace

Vaulted Ceilings

Flooring Partial Update 2006

Heat/Cool Partial Update 2004

Exterior Amenities

Patio

Fenced Yard

Swimming Pool

Roof Partial Update 2008

Photo Gallery

View as Slideshow View Photo Gallery (5 Photos)

Equal Housing Opportunity

VFLYER ID: 1536602

30 Year Mortgage Rates

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:16:35 -0600

Jay Thompson, The Phoenix Real Estate Guy, just posted several excellent charts with 30 year mortgage rates. Good info to share with your clients, plus he gives permission to link.

Arizona's Homebuyer's Bill of Rights

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:11:31 -0600

Earlier this week, at the State of the State Address, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano announced a Homebuyer's Bill of Right, which is now available and gives home buyers information about roads, water, police and fire services, and more. You can find a copy of the Homebuyer's Bill of Rights at the Arizona Department of Real Estate web site.

In some ways, this Bill of Rights is very similar to the Arizona Buyer's Advisory, a resource that I share with all home buyers to use as a research tool when buying a home. However, the new document has many more links for the whole state of Arizona, and gives buyers even more data to make a smart, informed home buying decision. It's worth checking out.

Remodeled Northeast Phoenix 4 bedroom Home - $225,000

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:29:26 -0600

Excellent Paradise Valley Oasis Remodel

Location: Paradise Valley Oasis

Excellent remodel. You must come check out this attention to detail. For the price, you will not find a more updated home in the area. Kitchen has newer maple cabinets, white appliances, and parquet flooring. Room for eat-in bistro table too! Baths have both been updated completely and are CLEAN! Newer carpet throughout with tile in the main traffic areas. Super large (9x10) inside laundry room just off the kitchen with room for crafts or storage. Pebbletec diving depth pool out back with an easy maintenance backyard.

Information

Contact Information

Dru Bloomfield

480-513-7012

Pricing

Asking Price: $225,000.00

Property Location

14257 N 37th Wy
Phoenix, AZ 85032
View Map

Links

Virtual Tour

Property Website

For More Information

Features

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 1.75

Parking: Garage

Year Built: 1974

Subdivision: Paradise Valley Oasis

Garage Size: 1

School District: Paradise Valley Unified

Square Footage: 1492

Agent Name: Dru Bloomfield

Broker: John Hall & Assoc

MLS #: 2895874

Attributes

Appliances

Range/Oven

Full Refrigerator

Washer/Dryer

Dishwasher

Sink Disposal

Microwave

Interior Amenities

Baths Updated 2005

Flooring Partial Update 2003

Kitchen Updated 2005

Plumbing Updated 2007

Exterior Amenities

Patio

Fenced Yard

Swimming Pool

Grass Lawn

Photo Gallery

View as Slideshow View Photo Gallery (11 Photos)

Equal Housing Opportunity

VFLYER ID: 1410135

Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge - Linking Arizona and Nevada

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:22:27 -0600

Highway 93, the road to Vegas, is heavily traveled and has been undergoing lots of renovation and upgrading it to make it safer. Many sections are now 4 lanes, and it's a smooth traveling road for the most part. Based on its history of fatal accidents, this is a welcome relief!

I drove to Vegas for the National Association of Realtors conference this week, and made the trip from Scottsdale to Vegas in about 5-5 1/2 hours. On the way back, I had some extra time, so I decided to stop and take a look at the new bypass bridge that's being built across the gorge at Hoover Dam.

In my mind, the Hoover Dam is already a wonder of the world. Reading through some of the history of its construction brings me a sense of hardship and commitment to some one's vision of the future. The bridge that is being built across gives me that same sense. The span is huge.

I was the first person to the Hoover Dam visitor center Thursday, it was quiet, and a couple of staff people were available, so I could ask some questions. They have a model set up in the visitor viewing area, but other than the Q&A and the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge web site that they referred me to, they really aren't set up to answer people's questions.

What I learned was that the Hoover Dam Bypass bridge will be the 4th longest span in the world. That the contractors suffered a major setback when a windstorm knocked over their huge scaffolding. And that the bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

While I love progress, part of the trip to Vegas has always been the slow crawl over the dam bridge, checking out dam and watching the tourists. For some reason, I look forward to it. At the same time, my sister reminded me how much nicer it will be for tourists who no longer have to fight traffic to cross roads and get around the "national park".

I was trying to calculate how much time it would save having the bridge in place. No more security checkpoint on each end. No more 15 mph crawl down and back up. And a straight 4-lane beeline shoot across the gorge. Maybe that's a 15-30 minute decrease in trip time, depending on the time of day and year.

It's quite amazing to see in person. The 2,000 foot span that will connect the two sides together will be started next year. It will be quite an amazing engineering feat.

The links below will take you to the project web site photo album and give you an even better sense of the scope and progress of the project, plus a bird's eye view..

Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge - Project Overview Photo

Artist's Rendering of the Bridge

Construction View from Above

More Construction Photos

I Have a Home Buyer! Do You Have Scottsdale Home to Sell?

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:22:56 -0600

I just wrote the wildest letter that I am mailing out to 44 home owners in the Scottsdale Country Club East community. Not wild for the content, but amazing to be writing it at this particular time in history, where headlines are more focused on what's wrong with real estate, rather than what's right. Having scoured the typical means of finding a home for my clients, I've now resorted to mailing the following letter in hand-addressed envelopes. I hope my phone to rings, at least a couple times. My clients are patient people, but they have been looking for a while. It's time to find them a home!

Dear <Potential Seller>,

I am working with a buyer who would like to purchase a 3 bedroom home in Scottsdale Country Club!
In these interesting times, it's quite unusual for a real estate agent to be writing a letter such as this, but my clients are ready to sell their current home in McCormick Ranch and move into a home on Scottsdale Country Club golf course, with less exterior maintenance. They do not need to sell their home to purchase and are cash buyers.
The buyers' requirements include three full bedrooms, no pool, and a view. If you are interested in selling your home at this time, I will need to make a short appointment to determine if your home and floor plan might work for their needs.
Thank you for your consideration and assistance in this home search for my clients. My mobile number is 602-524-3128, and my email is dru(at)click2az.com. If you are represented by a real estate agent, please have your agent call me directly, otherwise, I look forward to hearing from you soon to discuss the potential of selling your home to a ready, willing, able, and very interested buyer.
Sincerely,
Dru Bloomfield, REALTOR®, MS, MBA, CRS, GRI, ABR
e-Pro Certified Internet Specialist

I've personally received home buyer interest letters before, but it's been quite a few years. With housing inventory at an all time high here in the Phoenix Metro area, we still have highly desirable neighborhoods where buyers are waiting for homes to come on the market. Just another example of how localized real estate markets are!

Community Open House Attracts 115 Scottsdale Buyers

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:07:21 -0600

The National Open House community event held in McDowell Mountain Ranch was a rousing success for REALTORS who sell Scottsdale real estate. Many Scottsdale real estate agents banded together to advertise and host seventy houses open from noon to five Sunday, November 4th. For all our efforts, we attracted 115 potential Scottsdale home buyers who stopped into the central booth set up by Carol Dillon, a McDowell Mountain Ranch REALTOR and organizer of the massive open house. Many thanks to Caffe Portabello who let us take over their parking lot on a Sunday afternoon.

Carol coordinated a full page ad in the local newspaper focusing on the McDowell Mountain Ranch community. Then, she created an open house list organized by price range and then mapped out the properties so buyers could easily visit homes in their target price range. While traffic varied, quite a few agents reported meeting and greeting potential buyers continuously for the five hour period, reminiscent of times past.

Here are a couple of the updates that Carol received, so far:

"I wanted to thank you for putting this event together. Speaking from my own experience, I think it was a huge success. I had no less than 16 come through my house, all looking for that size home/price range. Typical open house days I could have 5-7. I'm all in favor of doing this again next month, if you are interested."
"I wanted to say thank you to you and everyone involved in this past weekend's Open House program. I had 20 people come through my listing in 100-Hills! One couple may have some interest. Thanks for all your effort."
"We had six groups through and the last group actually said "I will have my realtor call you" because they liked the house and the model so much. She sounded like she had been through many homes targeting the area and she liked ours."
"I registered 17 groups, and there was probably another three that slipped in and out when I had too many people at one time, so let's call it a round 20. Approximately five were neighbors or my clients who popped in to check out the home or get the scoop on what was happening.Three were REALTORS who were previewing property / learning MMR because the event made it easy to do so. Approximately 50% came as a result of the advertisement. Typical comment was "I've always heard about MMR, but never knew anything about it, so we thought we would check it out".

Thanks to Patrick Mahoney for creating the National Open House Day, and to Paul Slaybaugh for getting the word out.

Sellers Getting Great Publicity - Thank you, Internet!

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:47:05 -0500

I'm an Internet marketer... that's how I advertise and sell homes. I still do a bit of traditional advertising, but since 80% of the buyers are looking on-line, I spend well over 80% of my time and resources advertising my listings on the Internet.

Suddenly, I have been getting great press coverage, and both reporters found me on the Internet.

The first newscast focused more on the general market, and the second interview just released really focuses on some of the ways that tech-savvy real estate agents market homes. The local paper published an article, Valley Realtor says Internet is key to home sales, where I've had a chance to share just a little about my high-tech marketing strategies.

Sellers really need to understand that buyers are on-line, and that homes must be actively marketed on the Internet in today's market.

National Open House Day in McDowell Mountain Ranch

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:14:01 -0500

Join us this coming Sunday for National Open House Day, being celebrated in McDowell Mountain Ranch. With over 80 homes open for buyer viewing, this event is the first of its kind in the community.

Visitors are being directed to the Desert Canyon Commercial Center on 105^th St. & McDowell Mountain Ranch Road) where you will receive a list of open houses, with price and location, to help you decide which homes to preview.

The Sunday Arizona Republic will have a full page ad with more information about the specific open houses and the McDowell Mountain Ranch community.

Date: Sunday, November 4th, 2007

Time: 12-5 p.m.

Refreshments will be served at many of the homes.

Come join us and see all that McDowell Mountain Ranch has to offer.

Scottsdale Schools - Special Education Resources

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:57:06 -0500

I have a son with special needs, who's been "almost 16" for 11 months! He's been in the Scottsdale Unified School District since he was 3, which makes me somewhat of an expert in the services and resources available to children in need of Special Education living in and moving to the Scottsdale area. As a founding member of the original SEPAC (Special Education Parents Advisory Council), I've been involved with communicating with and supporting other parents in their quest for special education information and services for over ten years.

Our group was re-invented three years ago, and we have become a resource to more than the parents of children in Special Education in the Scottsdale school district (10% of the school population, about 3000 students). We have formed a collaborative relationship with the Scottsdale school district's Special Education Department and many of the other resources that are available for children with special needs around the valley. Our monthly meetings bring in Scottsdale school district leaders, special education experts, and other service providers from around the Phoenix area.

Our next monthly meeting will be Wednesday, October 23rd, at the Mohave District Complex, starting at 6:30 p.m.

This month we have two local psychologists joining us to speak about the "Effects that Disability has on Family Function: Tactics to Survive and Thrive".

The panel discussion is free of charge and childcare will be provided by local high school students.

For the location and map to our meeting location, as well as a calendar of our meetings for the 2007-2008 school year, visit the SEPACS web site.

To keep updated on current events, related to special education, adapted recreation, and much, much more, you can also subscribe to our blog.

And as always, please contact me if you have any questions about special education in Scottsdale, I'm here to help.

Blog Marketing Strategy - Diva Style

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:26:36 -0500

I was reading the Diva Marketing Blog last night and found a couple excellent, excellent posts.

Toby Bloomberg has a much more traditional business consulting background that I've seen in many of the blogs I've read so far. Her business philosophies provide an excellent structure to consider when building your blog.

In The Diva Marketing Blog Approach To Blog Strategy, the typical reasons that people blog, including building relationships and enhancing search engine placement are included. The Diva outlines an excellent strategy for defining your audience, your voice, your objectives, and your results. Answering these types of questions for your business will save you a tremendous amount of time, and help clarify what and why you are blogging.

However, what I really resonated with was the concept called The Trinity of Blogs, comprised of honesty, transparency, and passion. If you stop and think about it, the blogs that seem to rise above the rest, really do encompass all of these aspects, and in fact, are the emotional reasons that readers keep coming back for more.

The second article, Blog Report Card, has an excellent set of questions to grade your blog that range from strategy (what's the purpose?) to structure and style (is it easy to read?) to credibility (would you recommend it?). It's a helpful tool for evaluating your blog and keeping it on track.

YouTube Listing Video Gets TV Coverage in Phoenix

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:56:03 -0500

Yesterday, I received a call from a reporter at the local CBS station, asking if I'd be willing to talk on camera about how I was marketing homes on YouTube. She'd found one of my listings (one that had actually already sold), and wanted to do a report for the evening news on innovative real estate marketing techniques.

I told her I had other listings (and one in particular) that I could showcase very easily. My clients were motivated, and I've been marketing the home both traditionally and all over the Internet. They had decluttered, super-cleaned, and staged their home, and the photos, slide shows, and video showed very well. And the sellers were thrilled when I approached them about being interviewed for TV, and having their home featured on the news.

The reporter (Omadelle Nelson) and her camera man arrived at the seller's home just as the sun set yesterday and were able to get film of the sun setting on the McDowell Mountains that provided a majestic backdrop. After all the preliminary small talk, my clients sat on their family room couch and answered questions about the market.

"Are you moving locally?"
"Why did you choose your agent?"
"What if your house doesn't sell in a year?"

The sellers were incredibly relaxed and came across wonderfully on camera.

Then, we moved into the living room, where Omadelle asked me a number of questions about using technology to market homes, and gave me a chance to talk about combining "hi-tech" methods, along with the more traditional routes (flyers, postcards, newspaper). I shared how use technology to market homes with still photos, slide shows, virtual tours, streaming video (uploaded to YouTube!), blogging, and on-line distribution of home listing information.

I also expressed my opinion that photos and videos must be enticing to the potential buyer and not give them a reason to reject a home. Omadelle confirmed that when she was buying a home that she did indeed discard home possibilities, based solely on the photo presentation.

And, we talked about the market and why my business has not been as impacted by the real estate market slowdown. I told her that my theory was that my Internet marketing focus had helped me tremendously, as it establishes credibility with my clients, helps buyers find homes, and gives seller a much wider audience in selling their property. My clients had already told Omadelle that they selected me to list their home because of my technical expertise and ability to creatively tap into the Internet buyer market.

I asked Omadelle if they would be able to post the home's web site somewhere in the newscast, and she reminded me that this was a news program, not advertising. Guess what! The home's web site, posted under my for sale sign was shown, and the YouTube intro with the home's address were included.

View the recorded TV broadcast.

Slowdown in Scottsdale? Where?

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:49:30 -0500

Something is just not adding up here.

I read the papers and listen to the news occasionally, and keep hearing a story of gloom and doom.

Yesterday, my son and I took a walk in our neighborhood, and all we saw was construction, construction, and more construction.

View Larger Map

The red flags on the map show all the activity that we encountered in our 3.5 mile loop.

The first major project we encountered was the Indian Bend Wash Bridge on Indian Bend Road, halfway between Scottsdale and Hayden Roads. When we have our monsoons or heavier winter rains, this wash holds the runoff from the northeast valley and floods, making the road impassable. This two year project will put a 4-lane bridge and pedestrian walkway on this heavily traveled road that now connects to the 101 freeway.

Then, across the road on the south side on Indian Bend Rd, we could see the Starpointe Corriente condo-style community that is well under way, and will have great view from it's vantage point. First residents are expected to start moving in by the end of the year.

After a quick stop at Starbuck's, on the northeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Indian Bend (just across the street from the McCormick-Stillman Train Park), we headed north.

The Starpoint Artesia community is being build on the site of the Radison Hotel. Sales are scheduled to start later this year. This is a mixed-use communitycombining retail, penthouses, brownstones, townhomes, lush gardens, and gated security. After watching the razing of the hotel, it's been exciting to watch this new community take shape.

Heading north to McCormick Ranch Parkway, we see the final stages of the demolition of the waterfall entrance to McCormick Ranch. This project has been in the works for well over a year and you can read more about the plans in a conversation that I had with Garth Saager, Executive Director of the McCormick Ranch Property Owners' Association, when I paid him an impromptu visit this past week. The drawing I saw in his office show that in a short time we will have a new and very strikingly beautiful entrance as a gateway to McCormick Ranch.

I'm well aware that we are in a slower time of development and construction across the nation. With the record number of homes for sale, buyers are taking their time and sellers are getting an education, here in Scottsdale, too. At the same time, it's pretty easy to be optimistic, when the weather is warm and sunny, the traffic is getting heavier as the winter visitors return, and there's the steady hum of construction in the background indicating that life is moving on and progress is being made.

Scottsdale Parent Council Meeting - Way Beyond Google

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:27:48 -0500

Parents in the Scottsdale school district are very active in working with teachers and the administration to create an active and progressive environment of learning. One of the most (if not the most) influential groups is the Scottsdale Parent Council (SPC), which brings parent representatives together from each school in the district once a month.

Scottsdale Parent Council Meeting
Tuesday, October 23rd, 9:30 am
SUSD Education Center
3811 N. 44th St.
The Scottsdale Parent Council invites you to a presentation by
Sharon Ewers, SUSD lead librarian and
Linda Schallan, from Scottsdale Public Library.
Way Beyond Google
Join us as these 21st-century librarians show us a variety of reliable, free online resources that are perfect for student research projects.
Sharon Ewers is an informed and animated presenter with lots of new information to share with you. Linda Schallan will join Sharon and present information about the public library and the wealth of information there.
As always, Dr. Baracy will join us for an informal chat with an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Scottsdale Parent Council
c/o SUSD Education Center
3811 N 44th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85018

Calling All Future Builders and Developers

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:02:33 -0500

Here's a great chance for kids to play and learn at the same time.

The Scottsdale's Community Design Studio is holding the 11th Annual "Build the Fun" Lego Event, where up to 100 children, ages 7-12 will get to experience community building. Using over 20,000 Legos, the kids will each construct a building. After the buildings are completed, all the kids will gather in one area, where they will build a city out of their buildings.

Date: November 3, 2007

Time: 10 a.m. - noon

Location: Granite Reef Senior Center, 1700 N. Granite Reef Rd., Scottsdale

Registration is required by Wednesday, October 24th. Forms can be found on-line or by calling 480-312-2206.

What's the Phoenix Economy look like today?

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:48:28 -0500

Elliott D. Pollack and Company provides some of the most extensive and easily understandable economic data for Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area. Some day, I'd like to hear the dialog that accompanies their comprehensive PowerPoint presentations. I just reviewed the latest CEO/CFO presentation posted on their web site, and find that it's a message of subdued (long-term) optimism.

I strongly encourage you to go to the original presentation and go through the charts. The PowerPoint reports read very quickly and paint a comprehensive picture of where we stand as a state and as a metropolitan area.

From a U.S. perspective, job growth, business spending, and low interest rates continue to fuel the economy, while housing costs, inflation, and consumer spending are not.
Per 2006 statistics, Arizona was #1 in job growth (% change) and #1 in population change. Year to date 2007, we are #4.
Phoenix-Mesa continue to rank as the #1 employment growth area when compared. While industries are declining (e.g. construction, manufacturing) and slowing (e.g. retail, financial), the majority of industries (60%) are growing.
Key point: The local economy is expected to outperform the nation as a whole, but housing needs to be watched.

One the most interesting statistics was related to the number of homes in foreclosure. With one million occupied homes in the Phoenix Metro area, only 1%, or just over 10,000 homes, are in foreclosure. From what I've read in the press, I just assumed that this number was much higher.

Pollack estimates the recovery of the housing market to begin in 2008 / 2009, with a full recovery taking 3-5 years. And, the report includes a caveat that if people considering a move to Arizona cannot sell their home, population growth in Arizona will slow.

All in all, the report indicates that the conditions mentioned are short-term, and that our long-term economic outlook is positive.

September Market Report - Central Scottsdale

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:39:06 -0500

Prices in the Central Scottsdale area (Indian Bend Road north to Shea), have been interesting to watch over the past year. While the number of homes sold has dropped off significantly in the recent months, part of that change is due to the cyclical nature of sales in the area. Prices in central Scottsdale have remained strong, and at this point, do not give any indication of dropping off. At the same time, when pricing a home for re-sale, it's important to look at more specifically at the surrounding neighborhoods to determine the trends for your particular area, as well as to gauge your motivation to sell and your patience with the selling process.

(Click on graph for greater detail.)

September Home Sale Specifics

The twenty-five single family homes sold in Central Scottsdale during September ranged in price from $419,900 to $1,500,000. Homes currently on the market in this central area have a wide price range which currently extends from $260,000 to $6,000,000.

Single Family Homes	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Square Ft
Low	$419,000	3	2	2100
High	$1,500,000	3	2.5	3200

Seven town / patio homes sold central Scottsdale during September also. Sales prices ranged from $225,900 to $595,000. Prices for patio and town homes for sale, as of today, in this same area, range from $165,900 to $1.7M.

Town & Patio Homes	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Square Ft
Low	$225,000	2	2	950
High	$595,000	3	2.5	2900

The ten condos sold ranged in price from $145,000 to $370,000. Condos currently on the market range from 147,500 to $659,000.

Condos	Price	Bedrooms	Baths	Square Ft
Low	$145,000	1	1	755
High	$370,000	2	2	1500

Visual Comparison of Home Type Price Ranges

(Click on graph for greater detail.)

For additional detail, you can click on either chart above, or contact me directly.

New MLS system comin' to town - Web 2.0 style

Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (John Hall & Associates) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:18:11 -0500

(drum roll) The final vendor selection for the new MLS vendor in the Phoenix Metro area was announced this past week.

Read on:

The Announcement of the FlexMLS - "The Big News" by on 10/5/07 by Michael Wurzer (wild applause)

The Announcement of The Phoenix Real Estate Technology Exchange also by Michael Wurzer on 10/8/07

... a new blog to monitor, support, create, discuss the implementation of this long awaited announcement

The Phoenix Real Estate Technology Exchange - brainchild of Gregg Swann, first post on 10/5/07

And, already FBS is asking for input -- "What's different about Phoenix real estate?"

What do you think?

Based on the many spirited discussions that we have had in the Scottsdale Area Association MLS Committee meetings over the past couple of years, there are lots of great ideas out there. Let's get them on the table!