Have we really been hosting Phoestivus for six years now? What kind of madness is this? Every year we celebrate locally-owned businesses and raise money for Community Food Connections, the folks who run the downtown open air farmer’s market.

Plus, it simply gives us a chance to show of our true goofy credentials with our Pheats of Strength, the Phoestivus Pole and the Airing of Grievances. This is also the second annual Zero K race. Now, that’s got you intrigued, right?

I, personally, get most of my shopping done at one place. Could it be that I’m avoiding the mad rush of them malls and chain stores? Or, maybe I’m just lazy and prefer knocking out all the shopping with a Phoestivus Ale in my hand. Who knows?

December 10th and 17th
721 N Central, Phoenix

Thank you so much to our friends at Hidden Track Bottle Shop. It feels like Phoenix are growing up when we get a downtown, exclusive wine shop like Hidden Track. It especially warmed my heart that they highlighted so many locally-grown wines.

Now, on to November. Shipping containers are finding a new home here on Grand Ave. and Get Your PHX is inviting you to take a look inside the future of residential living!

Be on the lookout for our exclusive Get Your PHX offer from both ThirdSpace and Grand Avenue Pizza; you’ll just flash your red raffle ticket to get the deals.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Containers on Grand this month. As always, please RSVP below.

When: Thursday, November 19^th, from 5:30PM – 7:30PM
Where: Containers on Grand: 12^th Ave & Grand
Details: Specials from ThirdSpace and Grand Avenue Pizza + Free raffle ticket to great prizes!

RSVP HERE

Check us out on Facebook here.

Thank you so much to our friends at Antique Sugar for hosting Get Your PHX in September. Their space is so comfortable and homey that I hung out for an hour after the event, just visiting with Sarah, Anna Marie and our Get Your PHX regulars.

Love wine? Then don’t miss our October Get Your PHX as we explore Hidden Track Bottle Shop, Phoenix’s newest haven for vino neophytes and virtuosos alike who are looking for that perfect bottle.

When you’re looking for that incredible lesser-known wine, it’s called the ‘hidden track’. The phrase is the inspiration for owners Danielle Middlebrook and Craig Dziadowicz’ new wine shop, Hidden Track Bottle Shop.

Fear not, beer lovers! Hidden Track’s got you covered…“Our shelves are stocked with 300+ selections of unique wine and 100+ selections of craft beer from around the world. We also offer a few artisan foods to pair well with your wine and beer,” says Middlebrook

With a combined 20 years experience in wine, Craig and Danielle’s approach to the industry is like a modern day explorer discovering new land. Even here in the desert, vast acres have been transformed into vineyards producing incredible wines.

“Arizona is such a unique and exciting wine region! We turned over every cactus and prickly pear to find some of our state’s most shining examples of locally grown and produced wine. A few of our favorite wineries are D.A.Ranch and Bodega Pierce/Saeculum Cellars. D.A.Ranch offers small production wines grown from only seven acres of their estate located in the heart of the Verde Valley. Bodega Pierce/Saeculum Cellars also offers estate grown fruit…” Okay, so we had to cut it off there because these folks go on forever about how awesome wine is!

Looking to try before you buy? Every Thursday (4:30-6:30p) and Saturdays (noon-3:00p) Hidden Track hosts a wine and beer tastings. Also, you can join their über popular wine club where you’ll score great deals on extraordinary wines! Click here to join

The downtown core’s been notorious for vacating each weekend, but that’s changing, and changing fast. More people are exploring downtown Phoenix seven days a week, and with the addition of places like Hidden Track, Morning Moonshine, Valley Bar and so many more, there’s always something exciting to explore anytime of day. Join us as we uncover Hidden Track Bottle Shop and Morning Moonshine, right next door!

When: Thursday, October 22^nd from 5:30P – 7:30P
Where: 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Details: Wine tasting, snacks and raffle entry provided! Open to all public (wine tasting for 21+ only!)

Please RSVP here, as this engagement has limited space.

Join our Facebook event and invite your friends too!

Phoenix’s favorite vintage clothing store, Antique Sugar, recently set new roots at the corner of McKinley & Second Streets – and owners, AnnaMarie Sanchez and Sarah Bingham couldn’t be more excited.

As Sarah puts it, “Years ago, when we were first looking for shop space, we had envisioned ourselves downtown, but fate and opportunity took us to the Melrose, which was also an insanely cool neighborhood to be a part of. But coming downtown feels like coming home…”

Just as we suspected, Sanchez and Bingham have been in the vintage game since they could first drive to thrift stores. “We’ve been buying and selling vintage clothing since high school. We always loved thrift shopping and eventually started selling on Ebay.”

After realizing the potential of what a storefront could offer, the two friends took the plunge and opened Antique Sugar’s brick and mortar in 2010. They proudly called Melrose home till the AC went out last summer; the out-of-state landlord was of little help, and, as Sarah adds, “…Our lease was ending in March of this year and he [landlord] wanted to raise the rent 40%,“ Once they found out a friend was converting old offices into retail space, they were ready for a change.

But the real question: Where do they get all the clothes?

“People always ask us where we find all this stuff and I wish there was a short answer. Basically, we’re always shopping; constantly going to estate sales and thrift shops,” Sarah says, “It’s a constant search and you never know when or where you might find something awesome.” This pretty much means that Sarah and AnnaMarie are the best at shopping, so you should save your time and simply shop at Antique Sugar for the best finds!

From the new office buildings that have transformed into retail space to the fact that Antique Sugar shares the street with FilmBar, The Velo, Angel’s Trumpet and more, we’re excited to welcome Sarah and AnnaMarie to their new home downtown.

Check out the retro fashion finds at Antique Sugar this month and enjoy complimentary bites, drinks and local shopping!

Date: Thursday, September 17^th
Time: 5:30-7:30p
Where: Antique Sugar: 801 N. 2^nd St., Phoenix
Details: Raffle prizes, small bites and drinks!
RSVP HERE

This month, we will visit a tiny space with a big history in Phoenix –the Dressing room.

Boasting “elevated shack” cuisine, the Dressing Room is certainly something of a gem. This previously non-descript  micro building  connected to MonOrchid has some big plans. You may have seen the incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign created by owners and founders Kyu Utsunomiya and Troy Watkins, which raised over $38,000 to build an extended back patio and rooftop deck! Stay tuned for more…

Troy and Kyu have flipped, sautéed and cooked in top restaurants and hotels all around the world, finally realizing their dream of opening their own restaurant here in the downtown area. The concept of this micro-restaurant is “elevated shack” food. As Troy puts it, “Burgers, some salads, sandwiches; just very elevated ingredients at a very value driven price point.”

We all know Roosevelt Row is seeing some changes coming down the pipeline, but for Troy and Kyu, it’s also important to keep a bit of history too. The name “The Dressing Room” comes from the fact that the building was once used as a dressing room for the first drag bar in Phoenix, (what was Green Haus until recently). They’re also incorporating a new mural by local artists JB Snyder and Tato Careveo, updating the existing mural also by JB Snyder.

As if starting one restaurant wasn’t enough, this creative duo opened Be: Coffee + Food + Stuff in the space once occupied by Songbird Coffee. A rotating menu of open-faced sandwiches, infusion coffee and tea, plus pastries from local bakeries and even soft serve ice cream are fast-making loyal fans.

For the moment, The Dressing Room and Be are separated by a wall, but not for long. Along with plans for the extended back patio and rooftop deck, they plan to break through and join the two concepts for a cohesive space to work, meet and connect.

We’re excited to check out the opening of Be and get exclusive access to the progress of The Dressing Room, set to serve diners this fall. RSVP below to save your seat!

When: Thursday, August 20^th from 5:30PM – 7:30PM
Where: Be: Coffee + Food + Stuff & The Dressing Room:
214 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix (map it)
Details: Raffle prizes and small bites!
Click here to RSVP

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It’s a “two-for-one” Get Your PHX this month as we check out Crescent Ballroom’s new sister venue, Valley Bar, featuring Short Leash as the in-house purveyor of all that wonderful nosh!

When the Phoenix New Times asked Crescent Ballroom co-owner, Charlie Levy, why he and his business partner wanted to open a second music venue/lounge, he responded, “Because I’m crazy and Tucker and I are stupid and like to work ourselves to death.” Just about the best answer we’ve ever heard.

Open only since May, Valley Bar brings a bounty of musical acts, comedians and the like to downtown Phoenix as well as weeklies, like cumbia on Fridays.

In addition to Crescent, Charlie Levy runs Stateside Presents promotions, whose offices are in the same building as Valley Bar.

Levy recalls, “One day I asked the landlord what it [the basement] was like, and he showed me and it was filled with junk. And I was like, ‘Can I rent it out? This could be a really cool music venue down here with a big lounge with pool tables.’ And he let us do it!”

Inside the 8,000 sq. ft. space are pool tables, a performance stage and the Rose Room lounge, named in honor of Arizona’s first female governor, Rose Mofford. A long list of signature cocktails features hilarious nods and winks to famous (and infamous) Arizona politicians, such as The Stanton, The McCain and That’s a Ducey.

Short Leash has signed on to run the kitchen at Valley Bar as well as opening a third location in the former Downtown Deli space on the ground floor. Owners, Brad and Kat Moore have some big ideas for the new project, which makes us salivate instantly.

In their new restaurant location on the ground level “upstairs”, Brad and Kat will serve their famous Rollover brioche doughnuts and coffee for breakfast and the delicious hot dog creations for lunch.

Join us this month for complementary samples from Short Leash and happy hour priced drinks from Phoenix’s newest music venue and lounge, Valley Bar.As always, please RSVP below.

When: Thursday, July 23^rd from 5:30-7:30PM
Where: Valley Bar: 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004 (Map it)
Details: Complementary bites from Short Leash, free raffle ticket and happy hour pricing on drinks

RSVP HERE

Check out the Facebook page here.

More often than not, first time home buyers need to purchase under $200,000.

Well, according to our friends at the Cromford Report, those first-time home buyers hoping to buy a single family home for under $200,000 may want to hurry it up.

New single family listings per month in this price range have been steadily declining since 2010 and have dipped below the level of sales for the past two months with June looking to follow suit.

Very few single family homes have been built to add to supply for entry-level buyers as most builders have been placing their bets on multi-family (apartments and condos) for the past few years. Thus far in 2015, condos and townhomes accounted for 24% of new listings under $200k compared to 22.5% last year and 23% of sales compared to 21% last year. As supply in the single family market continues to restrict on the low end, condos and townhomes may become more attractive. However due to high percentages of investor-owned units, financing may prove difficult.

Notice that in April and May (below) that the number of listings surpassed the number of sales. So, it was listed, it was sold. Personally, I suspect that this will change for the summer, as there are fewer people around to purchase.

My advice: First, if you are looking under $200k, the summer might be the best time for you. You might have to deal with the heat while you look, but I fear that this trend will get worse once the temperature drops. Second, leave yourself open to condos, patio homes or town homes.

Regardless, give me a call at 602-456-9388 and let’s build a strategy that works for you.

Join Get Your PHX this month as we check out an atypical bike shop that’s turning heads in downtown Phoenix: The Velo Bike Shop & Café.

 Everyday, Phoenix’s core is transforming into a more walkable and rider-friendly city. Sidewalks are widening, trees are being planted and neon green bike lanes are popping up all around. The only thing missing was a community bike shop… until now.

On the corner of Garfield and Second Streets sits a gray building surrounded by a wave of metal poles and a metal cyclist statue in the center. If it were not for the hoard of bikes parked out front, you might mistake it for an art gallery – an intentional move by owner Jason Boles who adds, “At the end of the day we’re near Roosevelt Row and we knew art had to be part of the experience.”

Let’s get one thing straight this is not your average bike shop. It’s a gathering space for bicycle enthusiasts, students, downtowners, and really anyone looking for a place to relax and connect with the community. Where you can service your bike, grab a cup of coffee or just hang out with friends.

“Cycling should be a social based event, so a quality cycling store or retail location should also be a hub for the community,” Boles said.

Stepping inside, you’ll be amazed by the incredible revamp Jason made with the space. The shop features sustainably sourced wood counter tops and sleek light fixtures overhead.

Among the array of bicycles and skateboards neatly snaking around the shop, you can expect to find local bike brand State Bicycle Co., which is headquartered in Tempe. Keeping as much local and sustainable was an important part of Jason’s mission.

The expansive space is also home to an espresso bar café with a couple pocket-seating areas. Local beans from Flagstaff fill each cup, and local craft beer fills the fridge. That’s right folks, The Velo is among the few bike shops here in the state licensed to sell beer and bicycles at the same time!

Anyone looking for a group of gung-ho cyclists wanting to “get out of the office” and head down to South Mountain? The Velo has become a hub for such adventures where cyclists of all levels are invited to take part. Check out their Facebook for upcoming bike events.

Walk, ride or drive down to this month’s Get Your PHX local pick: The Velo Bike Shop & Café. Thank you to our host/bike shop owner, Jason Boles, for supplying the wine and music all night long!

As always, RSVP below.

When: Thursday, June 18^th, 5:30P – 7:30P
Where: The Velo Bike Shop and Café: 828 N. 2^nd St., Phoenix, 85004
Details: Wine will be pouring all night by our great hosts and entry includes a complimentary raffle ticket

RSVP HERE please so we can get an accurate head count.

Thank you Darek Pasieka of Milk Bar for hosting April’s Get Your PHX. We had a huge turn-out for this event. Perhaps it was the prospect of enjoying the last of the cool weather, or the perogies. Don’t know. Don’t care. Had a blast! 

Get Your PHX is heading to Corduroy, where the roaring 20’s live on every night.

As always, RSVP using the ‘Tickets’ link

Inspired by the beautiful 1920’s architecture, visionary developers Tom Jetland and Mark Dillon decided to theme their newest restaurant, Corduroy, after the iconic era. The kind of place where you’d find Jay Gatsby enjoying scallops and pancetta!

“We tried to respectfully design the building to retain it’s flair of the early era by allowing the rugged brick to shine through with era lighting, 20’s jazz music, time honored color schemes and a new art-deco tin ceiling to bring it back to it’s glory days.” 

With more than a few successful restaurants under their belt, including Fez, Ticoz, Switch and Ibiza Café in Scottsdale, Jetland and Dillon continue to provide an unpretentious and approachable environment, starting with small plates. Portuguese Corn Dogs, Potato Croquettes and Spanakopita are just a few of the  choices and are an easy excuse for an after-work meet up with friends. 

“Our menu was inspired to have shareable and creative smaller plates for a sense of communal dining. Textural and complex flavored foods as well as classic European favorites and some interesting fusions to round out the menu.”

Making a splash are modern cocktails and prohibition classics. A Bees Knees, High Ball and Aviation are a surefire way to reset and unwind after a long day. Looking for something more “21st century” in the cocktail shaker? Corduroy’s Zurracapote combines Red Wine with Stone Fruit, Raisin Syrup, Triple Sec and Brandy… one sip and you’ll be a fan for life!

It’s true that Tom and Mark have their finger on the pulse of our city and they use that insight to create a more vibrant downtown. Corduroy is more than a restaurant, it’s a reason to meet and gather. Corduroy breathes new life into a historic space and is where new memories form. We’re excited to have Tom Jetland and Mike Dillon leading the way for how we interact with downtown Phoenix.

So break out your wingtips, fringe flapper dress and take a jorum of skee with Get Your PHX this May as we check out Corduroy, the best thing in Phoenix since prohibition was lifted.

As always, please RSVP below.  

 Where: 2601 N Central, Phoenix 85012 (map it)
Date: Thursday, May 21st
Time: 5:30PM – 7:30PM
Bonus:  prizes! Don’t forget your raffle ticket at the door!
RSVP: May Get Your PHX: Corduroy

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Until I win that $50 million Powerball, I don’t expect to purchase a $3 million home.

Well, I probably would not, even then. And I know that most of my clients are not in the market.

That’s not to say that I can’t help you buy that luxury home, either.

So, why do I care about whether those are selling right now?

Well, because they are like a canary in a coal mine –albeit very LARGE canaries in a coal mine.

It is a positive economic indicator if luxury homes are on the market and if they are selling well. If the market is doing well at this range, it is a good bet that the market is doing well at the lower price ranges.

There are 32 listings over $3,000,000 that are under contract at the moment. This is the highest number we have seen since the housing boom. The average number since 2011 has been 10, and prior to March this year we had not seen any count higher than 20.

This data is brought to us from our friends at The Cromford Report.

Clearly the buyer interest in uber-luxury homes is very strong. Typically, “luxury” starts at about $1 million, depending on who you ask.

Whether you plan to buy $3 million luxury home, or a $100,000 home that is a luxury to you, it is best to know the data.

We can help. Call us at 602-456-9388.