Donna Reiner has written many articles over the years for the Arizona Republic and others about Phoenix history and memorials.  She is a regular contributor to our newsletter. This month, Donna tells us about the unique art that you can find at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Rush into Sky Harbor Airport, hope the lines are short to clear security quickly, and then find a seat while waiting for the plane to arrive. For many this is a common practice. But for some, there is the more leisurely and deliberate method of heading to Sky Harbor Airport so they can see the latest art on display and in the case of Terminal 4, the Art Museum.

Didn’t know there is a museum in the airport? Next time, you need to stop and enjoy what our airport has to offer in each terminal.

Previously, we covered the Paul Coze mural in Terminal 2, but let’s focus on portable art. That’s art that moves, and in the case of Sky Harbor Airport, sometimes from one terminal to another.

Terminal 2, originally called East Terminal to distinguish it from West Terminal (Terminal 1), was home to one of the first portable pieces in the Phoenix Airport Collection which now numbers close to 1,000 pieces.

Sometime after the opening dedication of East Terminal in May 1962, the Phoenix Art Museum placed a four-foot bronze sculpture on a long-term loan to the airport. “The Skirt” by Betti Richard had been donated to the art museum by Friends of the Museum for its opening dedication in November 1959. Records on why this particular sculpture was on loan to the airport do not seem to exist. In 1967, the Board of Trustees of the Phoenix Fine Arts Association gifted the sculpture to the City of Phoenix.

“The Skirt” was cast in a mold that was made from a clay sculpture and the artist had a special chemical mixture added to the bronze so it would have a brown patina. Ms. Richard entered the sculpture in the 43^rd Annual Exhibition of the Allied Artists of America in 1956 where it won a Gold Medal of Honor award which helps with dating the piece. The sculpture was strategically placed in front of the Terminal, but no photos seem to exist of it there, so no one is quite sure exactly where it was.

Being outside for years with our harsh weather and sprinklers (once there was grass in front of the terminal) caused a great deal of damage to this stunning figure. It gained a refurbished patina in 2005 courtesy of Arizona Bronze. Now she is on display inside Terminal 4 where you can enjoy this representation of women in general, poised in a sweeping dance gesture.

Our five great listings from last month are now down to one active and two closing this month.

It is clear that buyers are making a move before interest rates go up again.

See our listings page directly for more information.

Price Drop! 10018 E Indigo St., Mesa. 4br/3ba, 3,000sf. NOW $915,000

If you want space for all your toys, your garden and all your things, this roomy home and huge lot will be great for you.

The owners updated the flooring, the kitchen, the back yard and added a huge, four-bay garage. This is perfect for the auto enthusiast, or for all the toys.

That’s in addition to the three-car garage that is attached to the home! The additional garage bays are 30 feet deep and the entire garage is 50 feet wide with 8 foot tall doors.

You will be able to sit out on the back patio with amazing views of the mountains, with Usery Mountain Regional park almost out your back door. Whether you are all about indoor or outdoors, you will love this one!

Closing this Month. 387 N. 2nd Ave, #2G. 2br/2.5ba, 1,803sf.

You can enjoy a roomy condominium in a cozy HOA in this beautiful historic building, which was renovated from its original state about 20 years ago. In that renovation, the developer added many modern conveniences, including gated, covered and garage parking for all owners.

While everybody else drives around looking for a space to park, you can pull right in to your own secure garage downtown. You are steps away from live music, the weekly farmer’s market, shows, restaurants and all the things anyone is looking for in downtown living.

Plus, you get a beautiful full kitchen, 2.5 bathrooms and the kind of open living space you’ve been looking for.

Closing this month. 1107 W. Osborn Rd., #101. 1br/1ba, 849sf

This is a rare condo in Central Phoenix for under $230,000 from a motivated seller.

Since it was last purchased, the owner has completely remodeled the bathroom and has updated the kitchen to complement the historic features.

Walk around the grounds and you will see why people love living here. The trees are big and offer plenty of shade.

This particular condo is in the center of a beautiful breezeway, which feels like a green jungle, even in summer.

The pool is sparkling and just around the corner from your front door. See it before it’s gone!

Closed in November. 1107 W. Osborn Rd., #219. 2br/1.75ba, 1,108sf

This affordable gem has a balcony that over-looks the beautiful acreage at Nonpareil Condos, with a massive tree shading from the west.

Sit out on the balcony and enjoy your morning coffee or read the paper, er, kindle, er, smart phone.

Aw, you get the picture!

You’ll love the original 1950’s kitchen. Still functional and cut.

Shopping at Sprouts and Safeway is just around the corner, with easy access to all of the fun of Central Phoenix.

You will be hard-pressed to find a value like this so close to everything, including Phoenix College, which is directly to the south of this property.

Closed in November. 18427 N 36th Ln, Glendale 85308. 2br/2ba, 1,283sf

Our sellers on this property updated the flooring and paint.

It boasts a large master suite with sliding doors leading to the large covered patio. The patio will make a shady space for relaxing or gardening.

The yard is landscaped, irrigated, and includes a sliding RV gate for your fun toys. The two-car attached garage includes a plethora of additional storage cabinets, and a workbench to fix the aforementioned toys.

The home includes a newer roof and security shutters. It is close enough to the I-17 and the loop 101 to be convenient, but far enough away so that you can enjoy a quiet neighborhood.

I’m picking up mixed signals in the market right now. While I can’t explain what’s happening, I wanted to share it with you for your consideration.

On Saturday I showed properties around the valley and saw the first of the mixed signals. Of the four houses I showed, three of them had buyers either finishing up their appointment or waiting to look after our clients.

So, multiple potential buyers. I’ve not seen that since this time last year. One property had multiple offers prior to our showing.

Another property had the sellers son and nephew sitting around drinking beer in the living room and looking at their computers while we showed. Needless to say that did not go over well and gave a different sort of mixed signals: “I want to sell this out, but I really don’t want to appeal to anybody.”

Anywho….

While this represents an anecdotal experience, I’ve learned not to ignore things like this. However, the Cromford Report tells us that the number of buyers is dropping and, oddly, the number of listings.

“Here are the basics – the ARMLS numbers for December 1, 2022 compared with December 1, 2021 for all areas & types:

• Active Listings (excluding UCB & CCBS): 19,155 versus 6,825 last year – up 181% – but down 6.9% from 20,582 last month
• Pending Listings: 4,301 versus 7,830 last year – down 45.1% – and down 2.5% from 4,411 last month
• Monthly Sales: 4,909 versus 8,957 last year – down 45.2% – and down 9.5% from 5,425 last month
• Monthly Average Sales Price per Sq. Ft.: $272.34 versus $264.36 last year – up 3.0% – but down 1.6% from $276.79 last month
• Monthly Median Sales Price: $420,000 the same as last year – but down 3.7% from $436,000 last month

Demand not only remains weak, but it became even weaker during November with under contract listings down 3% from a month earlier and sales down a massive 45% from a year ago. After so many years with strong demand this feels very unusual and a little unnerving. This lack of demand is far worse for re-sale homes than it is for brand new homes, which are experiencing relatively brisk closings and little downward pressure in gross contract prices…

The big news since last month is that supply has changed direction and is now declining fairly rapidly. Almost 7% fewer active listings than a month ago means sellers have less competition.

Mortgage interest rates have stabilized and if they were to fall meaningfully, demand might recover once the new year is well underway. However, no-one can really predict the next interest rate move with any confidence.”

That previous point about the decrease in listings may indicate why I was seeing lines of people to look at homes. Hopefully the market will respond with more listings.