Special thanks to our hosts for our last Get Your PHX at the new Hance Dog Park, Noble Beast, a natural pet supply store on Camelback and 10th Street. We were so impressed by the work that the newly-formed Friends of Hance Dog Park have done to put in place a permanent support system for the park. We also want to recognize Short Leash Hot Dogs for sending out a truck just for this event.

Now, on to this year’s second annual Get Your PHX Family Thanksgiving. This year in the gardens!

Have y’all noticed all that work going on at the northwest corner of Indian School and Central  –all the art and garden plots that are going in? Well, that is being built for you. Did you know that? This is the PHX Renews project, created by Keep Phoenix Beautiful.

In addition to appreciating their use of “PHX” in their name, we were blown away by the size of this project. Check out the map. They call it a community garden. We think is is more of an urban community farm.

By the time this is finished, there will be hundreds of plots that you can rent FREE for your own garden, along with education and participation projects directed by more than a dozen community partners. See the image, far below.

Best of all, we get to spend and early Thanksgiving together there.

We will provide the lighting, heaters, tours of the gardens, information, some beverages and, of course, raffle prizes. Please bring your favorite dish and we will spend the evening together in a good old fashioned Thanksgiving pot luck!

Just to be clear, this event is NOT on Thanksgiving, but the week prior. So, we are not asking you to skip out on your annual Family gathering and gorge-fest. 

You are our Get Your PHX family, and we want to give thanks with YOU!

Other than Phoestivus, this will probably be our biggest event of the year. So, don’t miss it.

There will be updates on our Facebook invite page and the PHX Renews Facebook page, so please stay tuned. Please RSVP if you are certain you will make it. While we appreciate your support for our events, we really need an accurate count of who will attend.

Also, please be aware that there is no parking at the community garden. Please take light rail and enter the garden off of the Central and Indian School light rail station or park in the parking lot at Indian School Park from the Central Ave. entrance. 

 

 

 

They say their information comes from MLS, so what’s wrong with using Zillow.com, Trulia.com, and Realtor.com?

The answer: LOTS!

True. Their data does come from MLS.

BUT…

(and that’s a big ‘ole ‘but’, indeed)

1) It’s delayed

2) Their search results is severely limited compared to MLS.

About that delay, delay, delay…

When you’re a realtor, you’re required to make changes in your listing within a 24-hour to 48-hour period after something has changed with your listing . Say the property goes from ‘active’ to ‘listing’, ‘listing’ to ‘closed’, or what was the final closing price?, and for all that kind of stuff, the realtor must update the MLS listing.

Here’s how it works for websites/companies like those listed above:

That information I just mentioned gets sent to all the companies who have subscribed to the MLS; companies like the three we’ve listed above. They pay all of the different local realtor associations around the country (for example, to the Phoenix Association of Realtors MLS) a subscription fee to get access to the MLS. BUT… it’s significantly delayed. You see, all of the MLS information that gets sent out from MLS goes through an “IDX Repeater”. That information goes out 24 to 48 hours after MLS has been updated.

You may not see that the house you think is ‘active’, is actually ‘pending’. This is the first way in which websites like Zillow, Realtor, and Trulia are inaccurate.

I’ve talked to agents who said that Zillo.com shows a house as ‘active’, when in fact, it hasn’t been active in six months. So when these companies  pay all this money to local MLS services to get this data for the roughly 6000 houses that close every month, the data is late. Way late. Later in effect than perhaps 24-48 hours sounds.

Realtors have a fiduciary responsibility to our clients.

Realtors can’t give up all of the information from the MLS to these other companies because  it could put our clients at risk in some cases. Some information pertains to gaining access to the home or information that could influence a price if known broadly. That’s why there has to be a delay. That’s the first reason the information coming from those kinds of websites is inaccurate.

Next week we’ll talk about the second reason the information is inaccurate: Search capabilities. I’ll give you specific examples of how your search results affect you as a buyer or seller. Like simply delaying information for a couple days, there’s much more to ‘search’ than what these sites are telling you.

If you want to buy or sell, and care about getting your information the second it’s a fact, please give me a call at 602-456-9388 or email me at ken@getyourphx.com.

If you’ve been following my posts recently, you know I’ve taken to finding people I admire in CenPho and doing profiles of them. Nicole Gaskell came to a Get Your PHX event a few months ago and I learned about her inspiring story.

Nicole Gaskell lives in Central Phoenix and is the President & Executive Director of Alert Aware!, a non-profit organization she founded in 2011 which trains students from pre-school to high-school in self defense techniques, believing that every student should have an opportunity to learn self-defense tactics and awareness training.

Nicole has trained under many legends in the industry: people like Guro Dan Inosanto (student of the late Bruce Lee), Ajarn Surachai Sirisute (founder and President of the Thai Boxing Association of the USA), Erik Paulson (first American to win the Japan World Light-Heavy Weight Shooto Title), Sifu Francis Fong (one of the top Wing Chun instructors and martial artists in the world) and many others. How many self-defense techniques does she know? Jun Fan Gung Fu, Muay Thai Boxing, Western Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wing Chun, Shooto Wrestling. 

Alert Aware! works directly with schools and community organizations, providing self-defense and awareness training at all levels. Nicole’s passion for teaching, combined with her extensive background in martial arts is what led her and her colleagues to start Alert Aware! Their mission is to bring world-class training to kids where it’s more convenient—in their schools.

Nicole was raised in upstate New York, where she attended the Martial Arts Academy at the initiation of her mother as a child. She loved it so much she took classes almost every day until it became part of her lifestyle. After college at Niagara University, she took her Bachelor’s Degree in marketing and military science and joined the military and they took her to Germany for a few years.

In Germany, she was in the 72^nd Signal Command, where she used her marketing and project management expertise to organize concerts with bands like Aerosmith when they’d perform for the troops. 

I was really impressed with the way Nicole is integrating life lessons like these directly into our Phoenix schools and community.

If you want to buy or sell near a school or community organization where Nicole teachers, or just to buy or sell in Central Phoenix, please give me a call at 602-456-9388 or email me at ken@getyourphx.com.

Special thanks to the staff of The Vig Fillmore for hosting a HUGE Get Your PHX in September. Co-owner Tucker Woodbury made a special appearance to tell us about the massive renovations they undertook at The Vig Fillmore. General Manager Logan Purser and  Cesar Crampton put together a great show for us, with drink samples and food samples from  Executive Chef Jorge Gomez.

In October, we are celebrating something that has been a long time coming: a public Dog Park at Margaret T. Hance Park.  As the City’s first urban dog park, it was the subject of over two years’ extensive engagement by the central Phoenix community and AZ Dept. of Transportation regarding its location.

Through the process, a group of involved citizens formed, Friends of Hance Dog Park, to harness the community’s interest in the park, liaise with the government stakeholders and enhance the park for the users and neighbors.

Once construction began in May, Friends of HDP engaged the active support of the four historic neighborhood associations, local home owners, the Hance Park Conservancy and even the dog park’s construction contractor, Valley Rain, to make improvements to the City’s budgeted design.

In the few months leading up to the opening, Friends of HDP has implemented over $10,000 in improvements to the parks.  As ongoing stewards, Friends of HDP has “adopted” the dog park and is organizing monthly clean-up events.  Members of Friends of HDP will be on hand to discuss upcoming special events and activities, and how individuals can become involved.

We’ll have folks from the Parks department on hand to discuss the unique history and design of this park.  Designers included a gabion-style rock wall, which was built with the type of river rock that underlays the downtown area, as well as plexiglass panels and picnic tables orientation designed to integrate the park with the surrounding historic neighborhood.

The Hance Dog Park GYP is sponsored by Noble Beast, a natural pet supply store on Camelback and 10th Street. Locally-owned and operated since 2007, the shop specializes in personalized pet nutrition consultations and carries a variety of natural, organic and holistic foods for dogs, cats and chickens.

Noble Beast also carries a wide assortment of natural supplements and remedies, as well as treats, toys, beds and accessories.  Owners Alison and Marsha are proud to partner in the community and host animal rescue fundraisers, puppy play dates, educational lectures, doggie dental clinics, obedience classes and holiday events. Pets are always welcome at Noble Beast. Healthy nutrition at great prices!

The Dog Park Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 5 from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.  Regular park hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., every day unless closed for wet weather or maintenance.

Oh, and see below for more photos and don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook so our kind hosts can plan ahead.

Why does Phoenix still have such a shortage of properties?

As we learned from my previous posts on this series (part 1 and part 2) this inward migration from the east coast and midwest into Phoenix is one of the key reasons home prices will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. There’s a logical explanation for the shortage of properties.

Look first at the motivation for out-of-state companies to come here in the first place:

It started when California changed their tax code and started to tax the Internet retailers. So when those Internet retailers started coming into Phoenix, they began by taking up our warehouse spaces. At the same time the Arizona legislature restructured our tax codes so that we were more competitive with states like California, Texas, and New Mexico. ~ Tina Timboer, Cromford Report

Notice our standard of living here compared to other major cities. Those companies coming here don’t have to pay their employees as much money. Why pay them a six figure salary, when they can get the same middle class life out here, but for much less? You can get a 2,400 sq ft, four-bedroom, two bath home out here for very affordable prices. Compare us against New York, San Francisco, even Texas. Plus, GPEC (Greater Phoenix Economic Council) has just done a great job to attract those out of state businesses, too.

Will you join Phoenix Mayor Stanton and Shine Coffee in giving urban Phoenix more shade, a hip pocket park right off Central and Vernon?

Watch the Kickstarter Pocket Park video below and hear why Mayor Stanton, Kimber Lanning, Kirby Hoyt, Aaron Kimberlin, and myself are all supporting this pocket park and why you’ll want to join in this urban Phoenix success story.

The amazing landscape architect Kirby Hoyt is designing the park and is contributing his services for free. The fundraiser tally is below and updated in real time. It’s easy to think 10 days is like two weeks, but it’s much less: just a week and a half. Will you help them reach their goal and give Vernon Avenue a pocket park of shade, that it might inspire others in Phoenix to make pocket parks, too?

If you want to buy or sell, or you’d like to meet me at Shine Coffee for a cup a joe and a glimpse of the future pocket park made possible by your Kickstarter contribution, please give me a call at 602-456-9388 or email me at ken@getyourphx.com.

I’d like to introduce you to my friend Christy McClendon. She’s the VP of Programs for New Pathways for Youth, a non-profit organization located in the Garfield district of downtown Phoenix.

Christy is in charge of overall strategic and operational responsibility for the programs at New Pathways for Youth.  Her passion in the role comes from having been a child mentor for 8+ years. She understands the power of mentoring youth in need and the abundant opportunities to help them become their best self.

I believe that there are no bad kids.  Unfortunately, however, some youth have lesser opportunities than their more advantaged peers. Through mentoring, caring adults can transform lives by exposing youth to opportunities they  may not otherwise have to be successful in school and life.” ~ Christy McClendon

There’s over 100 Phoenix valley youth on waiting lists. They’re hoping and praying for adult mentors to enter their lives and guide them towards positive and bright futures. You remember what the years between 6^th grade and being a senior in High School were like, right? An adult like you being a consistent, dedicated, non-family member in their life can make all the difference. The flip side is also true: an energetic and wide-eyed youth looking to you for guidance and support as they make their way in the world can make a huge difference in your life as well.

 Join me on November 8^th, 2013 for the New Pathways for Youth Fundraising event: Date for a Cause, and help us raise $20,000 for this worthy cause. It will be a fun and informative evening dedicated to making a powerful impact on the future of Valley Youth, and your life as well! With programs for both elementary and high school students, wonderful youth of all ages are waiting to be matched with you. Please forward this invitation. I look forward to seeing you on Nov 8th.

Please visit the DATE FOR A CAUSE website to learn more

If you want to buy or sell your home, or ask me why I’m going to the New Pathways for Youth fundraiser on the 8th, please give me a call at 602-456-9388 or email me at ken@getyourphx.com

We’ve noticed a serious slow-down in buying and selling in the last three weeks.  The exuberance of the first and second quarter has given way to tightened inventory in the third quarter, while interest rates climb.

The problem is that the rise in interest rates has scared a lot of people, even though rates are still really low.

I want to share these three graphs with you. The first is the movement in the 30-yr fixed interest rate. See that shift upward over this year? Its really only one percentage point.
 You can see more here:

http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.htm
http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=lHz

So, why the shock? Its like the effect that a dollar increase in gas has on driving: it makes people pause and think about their future plans.

Check out the other two graphs from the Cromford Report, below. They are of the 3-month and 12-month moving averages for homes in the CenPho area, which make up the majority of the sales ($100k to $600k). See how the price per square foot continues to rise in CenPho?

By the way, the higher interest rates I believe mean less chance of a bubble, which was slim anyway.

So, here’s the challenge and the opportunity:

1) If you want to be located in the central valley, you are in competition with people for a small supply of homes. The interest rates will cause a pause, but people will realize that 5% is still really low and they will continue to buy.

2) The opportunity comes in those homes where the sellers listed too high thinking they could make take advantage of that exuberance (which they don’t realize is gone). 

3) If you are thinking to sell, keep an eye on interest rates, but don’t get wedded to them. The tight inventory will have more of an affect on sales success, but if they continue to rise, it could dampen the market.

Please let me know if you have other questions.  I can help you buy or sell your home. Please give me a call at 602-456-9388.

Ben Bethel, one of the most visionary hotel owners in the United States, has done it again. 

On the first weekend in September 20+ Phoenix artists will collide with The Clarendon Hotel to form ARTELPHX.

We’re turning The Clarendon Hotel and Spa into a living art exhibition with dozens of artists featuring performance art, building projections, a laser tunnel, dance, and the conversion of hotel rooms into art exhibits.  It’s going to be truly amazing.” ~ Ben Bethel, Owner+General Manager

Bethel knows a fair bit about innovative concepts like this. He’s been declared “America’s Most Innovative Hotelier” by Hotel Business and “One of ’10 to Watch’ ” by the International HotelWorld Conference. With preference given to artist pop-up art that includes innovative designs and multi-media installations, and with many featuring live performances, sound, and video, and exterior projections going into the mix, this is an event not to be missed.

And before you tell your friends about this great event, don’t forget to mention that in the next few weeks, The Clarendon is getting a new spa. Is this a big deal, you ask? It’s so sweet, this new spa, that Bethel is changing the Hotel’s name to The Clarendon Hotel and Spa.

The full-service spa features five treatment rooms, including three
treatment rooms large enough for romantic couples massages.  Guests
can elect to have their services performed in one of The Clarendon Hotel and Spa’s poolside cabanas, gorgeously located next to the 60 foot-wide, glass, water wall, or on the rooftop SkyDeck overlooking the city skyline and surrounding mountain ranges. Tod Miller, the founder of Beyond Massage Therapy, is their Spa Director. He’s been featured on “Shark Tank” and “The Doctors”, has competed in several dozen Triathlons and specializes in something called BodyWalking.  The Spa is open from 9am to 6pm daily, but all services are available 24 hours a day.

The final unveiling of the Artel Phx exhibit at The Clarendon Hotel and Spa is scheduled for…

When:

Exclusive V.I.P. Preview –
Thursday, Sept 5, 2013 – 7pm to 10pm

Public Unveiling –
Friday/Saturday, Sept 6 & 7, 2013 – 7pm to 10pm.

Where

401 W Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix 85013

If you want to buy or sell, please give me a call at 602-456-9388 or email me at ken@getyourphx.com.

Special thanks to Brad and Kat Moore of Short Leash and Sit…Stay, the restaurant for hosting such a fun Get Your PHX event in August –the Dog Days of Summer. Yes, I said it.

Thanks, also to all of our Get Your PHX Free Raffle contributors: Donna Reiner, Lisa Olson of Practical Art, Har Pal Khalsa and Ben Bethel of the Clarendon Hotel and Spa.

We are all very excited about having our next Get Your PHX at The Vig Fillmore. (Can you say “Bocce Ball”?)

Its been a long-time coming, the talk of the town –and we’ve been watching with anticipation. The fact that the owners of The Vig Arcadia and The Vig Uptown are opening their third venture, The Vig Fillmore should be seen as beautiful news.

Restaurant owners typically do a great deal of research before they open. They know where the people will be, they know where the rooftops are coming. They know something that not many people know. In this case, they  know that there are plans a-plenty for new housing development in the lower Roosevelt historic district. This is going to be great for urban density and walkability.

We all know the history of this corner of 4th Ave and Fillmore. I first remember it as a garden shop. That sold and became Palette, a very popular brunch spot. That closed and became Local Breeze, which had a hard time from the very beginning.

I am excited that Jim Riley, owner of the Vig, is going to pull out all the stops on this project. Part of the problem with the previous incarnations was that they could not afford the level of renovation that was needed to make a fully-functional restaurant. I know that the historic preservationist among us (me included) will look forward to seeing how The Vig folks preserved our history as they renovated this property.

Vig General Manager Logan Purser and Executive Chef Jorge Gomez will be on hand to tell us about the process of renovation, as well as what they have planned for this menu. Will it differ from the menus at The Vig Arcadia and The Vig Uptown?

In my conversations with folks at The Vig Fillmore, I learned that they are putting a premium on being a part of the fabric of the neighborhood. I was pleased to hear that, as many of us downtown have seen what has happened to business owners who do not take an active role in their neighborhoods.

As downtown grows and becomes more dense, we know that communications become increasingly important –not only for sharing limited space, but also for defining what our future will look like.

Please spread the work on this event and come out to try the free samples of their new menu, as well as the drink specials.

Oh, and see below for more photos and don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook so our kind hosts can plan ahead.