Our very own matriarch of historic preservation and president of the Encanto Citizens Association, G.G. George has written a book that you will be able to get signed at an up-coming Get Your PHX event.

As a founder of the Association, G.G. fought in the 1970s to stop the Papago Freeway from impacting central Phoenix neighborhoods. She initiated the movement to have the Encanto-Palmcroft neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

G.G.’s Co-Author, Leigh Conrad, is the former manager of the Arizona history collection at Scottsdale Public Library. She served five years on the Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission and assisted the Coronado Neighborhood Association with its application for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Encanto-Palmcroft neighborhood in central Phoenix was created in the twilight of the “City Beautiful Movement,” a philosophy that supported beautiful surroundings to promote moral and social order. Palmcroft was developed in 1927 by prominent Phoenix booster Dwight B. Heard and William G. Hartranft, father of the parks system. Encanto, “The Enchanting,” was founded by Lloyd C. Lakin and George T. Peter in 1928. These custom Period Revival homes were styled as bucolic refuges from the bustle of downtown when the city limits ended at McDowell Road. Even into the 21st century, this neighborhood maintains its integrity and significance due to the participation of residents who realize its historic importance.

For more information please call 602-252-3151.

Book signing schedule:

Saturday, May 17 – Barnes and Noble, Metrocenter Mall, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, May 18–Antiques on Central, 5037 N. Central-Uptown Plaza, 1 – 3 p.m.

This month Get Your PHX is checking out Phoenix Theatre’s newly renovated space on McDowell and Central Ave. Join us for exclusive access to the VIP lounge with our very own private bar and expansive view of the sculpture garden below. 

In addition, Phoenix Theatre is also giving Get Your PHX an exclusive $10 discount on tickets to see either Les Miserables or Avenue Q performing that same night, Thursday, May 22nd. Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to take advantage of this offer before it’s sold out!

The discount can be redeemed when purchasing tickets online at http://www.phoenixtheatre.com/ with the promo code: GETYOURPHX, or by calling the Box Office 602.254.2151 (Open Monday – Friday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.)

TO BE CLEAR: The Get Your PHX event is free. If you would like to take advantage of this special offer for the productions, please purchase your tickets either online or over the phone.

Recent expansions have transformed the theater into a multistory venue with a soaring glass atrium, Black Box Theater, additional rehearsal spaces, and deluxe full bar and lounge areas. 

The new Hormel Black Box Theater is entirely unique because both the stage and the seating are flexible enabling each director and creative team to adjust how they want the audience to view their show. 

If you guessed that Hormel was the canned ham company, you are right! They generously donated funding to construct the new Black Box Theater, featuring Avenue Q.

Over its 93 seasons, the theater has featured numerous fantastic shows and even jumpstarted the career of one very notable director… Steven Spielberg!

Growing up in Scottsdale, Steven Spielberg was an unknown trying to break into the industry and looking for his big shot. Phoenix Theatre recognized great things were in store for the young Spielberg and agreed to screen his very first film. Obviously they are great at spotting talent! 

Spielberg has never forgotten his roots and has made numerous trips to visit the Phoenix Theatre every since. Most recently he stopped in to visit after renovations were completed a few months ago.

We’re very thankful and thrilled to have this one-of-a-kind experience with Phoenix Theatre to share with our friends and neighbors. Don’t forget to RSVP below!

FREE EVENT + Special Optional Discount
What: May Get Your PHX: Phoenix Theatre
When: May 22nd, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Phoenix Theatre: 100 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85004

We hosted our Quarterly Market Update on April 22nd with the help of Jeannie Bolger of Nova Home Loans and our friends at Old Republic Title, featuring Tina Tamboer of the Cromford Report.

Here is what we learned:

1) The seller’s advantage, which has been dropping for a while, has started to manifest concessions for the buyer (some closing cost and price concessions).

2)  Overall sales volume is down 26% Year over Year for March, but that reduction is from distressed properties going away. The number of “normal” sales has stayed almost exactly the same as last year.

3) Average prices are still going up because the market share of sales has shifted away from distressed sales and more towards normal sales, which generally have a higher price per square foot. In other words, more sales in the luxury market have a higher impact on average sales per square foot than they do on the median sales price trend line.

4) Normal active listings are sitting longer in MLS because investors have left for the most part because:

a. First-time and “Boomerang” buyers often don’t have the cash reserves to fix up a property

b. These consumers often purchase a smaller property in good condition at a higher $/SF over a bargain larger home for the same price that needs work. In other words, the days of listing a property without having done improvements first are gone. Buyers expect nice properties, rather than distressed properties. 

5) Homes in historic neighborhoods are still commanding higher prices as more people want to live in CenPho and downtown.

 This is a market in shift. If you need some help figuring out the best strategy to buy or sell, please contact me at ken@getyourphx.com or 602-456-9388.

Cromford Indx and Concessions

Loss of Distressed Properties -2014