You probably know about our up-coming second annual open air holiday market, the Phoestivus market.  You know about it, especially if you are a vendor or own a food truck.

Well, this year, it wil be expanded to 2 nights: December 14th and December 21st.

Here is the information for vendors from our planning committee vendor point person, Monika Woolsey.

WHO:  Local creators of arts, crafts, and foods!

 WHAT: Second Annual Phoestivus (New this year!  Pheats of Strength, Airing of Grievances, and a Phoestivus Pole!)

 WHERE:  Downtown Phoenix Public Market

 WHEN:  December 14 and 21, 4 to 8 pm

 WHY:  Because we’re all just super cool and want to celebrate that. 🙂

HOW:  Please visit this link to apply to be a vendor.  If you are not a regular vendor, the annual fee does not apply.http://foodconnect.org/phxmarket/?page_id=7212  Please note, if you are on this email list you’re getting first dibs at available spaces.  Please, if this event is important to you, submit your application ASAP.  I’m sending a general call for vendors this coming weekend.

We’re encouraging all vendors to be phoestive with their booths as well as having wares to sell.  Decorations of all kinds are encouraged!

A special note:  The Clarendon Hotel will be offering a special Phoestivus room rate for all of December.  We hope for those vendors coming in from a distance, this might be a nice evening for you to stay in town and kick back, instead of hurrying home.  More details later!

You will eventually be connecting with myself and Troy Benjamin as the vendor coordinators but until we receive word from the Downtown Market that you’re on the official list, we are officially out of the loop.  So be sure to get  your application in!

Monika Woolsey

Phoestivus Committee

You’ve probably noticed by now that I am a huge fan of reuse and re-purposing in Phoenix. With all the available space downtown, why not?

The Cathedral Town homes are a great example of adaptive reuse. This building, which used to be owned by the church across the street as rental property, has transformed in to elegant and (actually spacious) urban condos.

The developer, Metro West Development,  took an historic 1913 building and converted it into four modern townhouse-style condo’s ranging in size from 1,674 to 1,886 square feet. Located about 200 feet away from the Arts District light rail stop, the condos are just a short walk from dozens of local restaurants, markets, large entertainment venues, as well as Hance and the Downtown Civic Space Parks.  And though the neighborhood surrounding is great, it’s what’s inside that really gets me excited.

Metro West Development has a history of great work in downtown renovations. The Cathedral Townhomes have been stripped to the bone and rebuilt.  While these homes have been updated, the developer has gone the extra mile to maintaining a historical feel. Homes come with new Kohler fixtures, quartz kitchen countertops, double hung windows (many original that have been restored), and historically accurate high baseboards.

Through the years, I’ve seen many renovations and I’m genuinely impressed by this one. Three of the units are still available. The condos are currently priced in the $200s with a 140/mo HOA fee.

I don’t represent these homes, but I’m happy to show you. Please contact me at 602-456-9388

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Well, its market analysis time again. That’s right, gear up because I’m going to throw some wonky charts at you. Don’t be too intimidated. I promise to be gentle.
It’s short and sweet, really. The number of pending foreclosures continues to go down. The entire pie is shrinking, leaving an increasing percentage of the pie as short sale homes. So let’s get down to business and see what I’m really talking about.

“REO” you’re probably wondering what does that mean? Simply just a fancy term for a foreclosed property.
“AWC” simply means Active with Contingencies. In other words it is simply a short sale home. The buyer has already agreed upon the price yet, their waiting on the bank for the final decision.Have you noticed a trend yet? All of the categories are shrinking therefore the inventory of homes, are going down.
What’s going to happen next you ask? The prices start to go up because scarcity creates demand.

The numbers of pending foreclosures are taking a dive and it doesn’t look pretty.
Have you heard about the new wave foreclosures based on nation-wide estimates of how many people are slacking on their house payment? This is completely misleading for three reasons:

1.   Nation-wide averages are not Arizona.
2. It is easy to double count those people who are late, but not in foreclosures and those who are late and in foreclosures.
3. Finally, the banks will not sell more properties than the market will bear. Hello everyone.  They want the prices to go up, not down.

Heck, if the banks are sitting on a bunch of homes. Please let them out! My clients who are on their 6^th offer after being beat out by cash buyers would love to see some more homes in their horizon!
What does all of this mean for you? It means that the market is becoming more competitive and the days of low-balling on prices are long gone.

If you have more questions about the market, please contact me at  (602) 456-9388

I gotta say. I’m really shocked that this $29,900, 2br/1.75ba, 1,100sqft condo is still on the market.

I don’t represent this property. But I do live at this condo complex and I think anybody should beg, borrow or steal to live here –especially if you are looking for something very inexpensive. I’ve been inside. It looks almost like nobody lived there.

Click here for the listing information. Call me if you have questions: 602-456-9388.

October is a great month to live in Phoenix. Not only is the weather beautiful, excluding this week of course, but there are great things going on all month long in every corner of town.

October 15^th

• Oktoberfest is upon us. Pull on your Lederhosen or Dirndls and head down to Margaret T. Hance Park. Of course there’s more than just beer and sing-a-longs. There will be mouthwatering sausages, authentic strudel, and German products to boot. You can find out more about tickets and times on their website.
• The Makers Faire is a One day DIY festival celebrating all things art, food, science, music and more. The festival will be held downtown between 3^rd and 5^th on Roosevelt Row from 11am to 7pm. http://www.makerfairephoenix.com/
• Tour de Fat is an annual bike ride held at various time of year across the country.  Tomorrow at 10 am is the official Tour de Fat parade where bike and Fat tire beer enthusiasts will mount wild bikes and ride Tempe beach park followed by a beer pour from 11-4 all in the name of fun and local cycling nonprofits.  

Other things happening this weekend. How about the Arizona State Fair, the Arizona taco festival, or the  The TASTE Chandler Culinary Festival. It might seem like a very foodie weekend, but what wrong with that?

Oct 20^th is our next Get Your PHX Event from 5:30pm – 8:30pm at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. Come by and have a beer while you learn about their efforts in habitat restoration and education.

Oct 22^nd

• For those of you who want to feel a little more artists and a little less bloated,there is the  The Humanities Festival. The Humanities festival is a day of cultural, educational, and artistic activities from internationally known groups, authors and artists. The festival runs from 10am to 6pm at the new Civic Space Park Downtown next Saturday.
• The Grand Avenue  Festival is a celebration of Phoenix’s drive to revitalize and renew its downtown.  Come Celebrate Downtown’s vibrant culture, art, history and adaptive re-use of the Lower Grand Avenue arts and small business district and adjoining neighborhoods The 3rd Grand Avenue Festival will be October 22nd from 3 – 11 pm.
• The Food Truck Festival is rolling into town thanks in part to the Roosevelt Row CDC and Phoenix Street food Coalition. A ticket gets you inside to sample from each of the food trucks at your leisure. More than two dozen food trucks and carts are expected to be on hand for the event, providing hungry patrons an opportunity to taste the latest food trend popping up all over the nation.

What else is coming up that weekend, Chandler’s Day of Play, The Arab American Festival, The TBAG Zombie Bike Ride, and more!

And that’s just the next two weeks! With all the events going on this month, there’s something for everyone. Get out there and be a part of Phoenix’s growing community.

Y’all know that I dig the Cromford report. Then again, I also like to follow congressional and legislative redistricting. So, I guess I kinda like data. Sue me.

So, my friend Cynthia Lujan from Old Republic Title Company likes do do a month-in-review summary. Very handy.

What might just look like a collection of charts and numbers is actually a great overview of the state of our growth and change in Phoenix. Home inventory is down significantly from where it was this time last year, so if you’re gearing up to buy a home, its time to step on the gas. Unless we get a major change in the market this slight upward trend is likely to continue.

Home inventory is down significantly from where it was this time last year, so if you’re looking to buy a home, better step on it now. Unless we get a major change in the market this slight upward trend looks likely to continue.

Here are the Market Headlines:

• We are slowly climbing out of the pricing low point from the second half of August to the first half of September.
•  Unless we get a major change in the market this slight upward trend is likely to continue.
• Foreclosure activity is declining and REO inventory is falling fast, especially at the lower price levels.

Homes Under 100,000 to 200,000

• The demand for homes between $50,000 and $150,000 is particularly strong as investors chase homes to add to their rental portfolio but demand from owner occupiers remains relatively weak.
• As the supply from foreclosures has fallen, short sales are becoming a larger part of the picture.

Homes 200,000 to 400,000

• Above $200,000 the market continues to decline, but only slightly.
• High sales volumes at the low end this sector is pushing overall pricing higher.
• Average sales price per sq. ft. is rising for homes under $200,000 and stable up to $400,000.

Homes above 400,000

• Above $400,000 there is potential for further price weakness unless demand improves.
• The overall average and median sales pricing is now on an upward trend.
• Buying interest in homes over $3,000,000 is dramatically down compared to this spring.
  

  See how the days inventory was at its high in 2010, but has dropped dramatically. This is a buying spree.

You know that Phoenix continues to “grow up” when it develops a healthy sketch comedy community. Enter stage left: First Friday Night Live.

Amongst the hustle of the First Friday art walk lies the Firehouse, a gallery which plays host to provocative exhibits, musicians, and local fire dancers all month long. After the First Friday vendors pack up and the art walk teens return home before curfew, the firehouse continues to burn the midnight oil. This Friday, the cast and crew of First Friday Night Live will kick off their second season of sidesplitting sketch and stand up on the stage behind The Firehouse.

The cast of seventeen local actors and comedians along with a group of dedicated writers collaborate all month long creating, writing, and practicing original scenes. In addition to the six nightly sketches, the hour and a half performance will include stand up from the cast, musical guests, as well as the firehouse’s signature fire dancers.  In total, the cast and crew are more than 60 dedicated members strong.

Michael23, a local artist and show founder is looking forward to the second season and the knowledge that comes with it. The first season ran September to March, with two “uncomfortably cold nights,” in January and February that changed the course of this season. To avoid the cold Arizona nights, FFNL has decide to split the season, staging shows October to December and then March to June with two FFNL events in between.

The show is put up every month on a “shoestring budget,” says Michael, “We hope to break even at the end of this season.” Tickets are available pre-sale for five dollars online or the Firehouse Gallery and Lawn Gnome Publishing Bookstore on first Friday. Tickets at the door are seven. You can even buy season tickets for forty dollars on their website which comes with a free t-shirt to boot. The show also streams live online, for those who need there FFNL fix in bed.

If you’re interested in finding out more about FFNL or joining the production you can find information on their site.

First Friday Night Live’s first show of the season premieres at 11pm this Friday at the Firehouse.

The downtown scene is an eclectic mix of cultures and communities that we’ve grown to know and love. For one important downtown organization, which helps homeless LGBTQ youth get back on their feet, there has been a quiet change in leadership.

1in10 has officially brought Linda Elliot in as the new executive director in July. Linda, a successful business woman, is well known for her work in the Human Rights Campaign. She is an influential person in AZ politics. She, and her partner, Carolyn Lane, a Maricopa Country Constable, are an inspiring couple.

In truth, 1in10 has been around since the early nineties. You may have known them as VOIT and Horizons, both of which specialized in LGBTQ youth. In 2002, these two fantastic organizations joined forces to create 1n10, which supports LGBTQ youth in Arizona as well as nationally through “positive self-acceptance through life enhancing programs.”

One of those programs is the OUTdoors camp which is one of the largest LGBTQ summer programs in the world.

(Does anybody else see the irony of one of the largest summer LGBTQ camps in the world being located in AZ? We should be proud.)

OUTdoors, which 1in10 describes as a youth leadership camp, is like many other summer camps, full of zip lining, horseback riding, and crafts, but works on developing leadership skills, collaboration and communication with campers to help better their community.

Two months into her new position, Linda has been a busy lady pursuing grants and new programs. In addition to the OUTdoors, 1n10 provides weekly group events in the Valley, and hopes to expand with a new leadership and training programs and guest speakers to inspire youth and create a “fun, safe, social space”.  She “hit the ground running,” according to Stacey Jay Cavaliere, Program Coordinator for this weekend’s Sources of Strength Celebration.

The event will be held this First Friday at the Downtown Civic Space Park. 1n10 is raising money to launch a new suicide prevention campaign by showcasing their musical talents, which includes the 1n10 hip hop squad, and youth art, displayed at the Fair Trade Cafe. Their hope is to get people and businesses all over the Valley to attend and show their support.

1n10 continues to reach out to the community for partners to help us in their efforts. If you’re interested in learning more information please visit www.1n10.org

Have a Charity you love. Visit My Charity Refferal Page to find out how you can help your favorite local charity.

As those of us with steak sauce stained shirts and full bellies already know, the fourth annual Arizona Restaurant week is in full swing. This year, over 200 restaurants are offering prix-fixe menus to hungry patrons looking for a deal.

All the restaurants are offering three course meals for $20, $30 or $40 person, excluding drinks, tax and tip. There are even some places offering two for $30.

Photo Courtesy of the Arizona Restaurant Week

As some of you may recall, when restaurant week started in 2008 there were less than 100 valley restaurants involved. But at $29 a meal, patrons rolled in by the hundreds. By 2009, the celebration had spread all the way to Tucson and this year they are state wide with four restaurants in Flagstaff.

Of course, you don’t have to pack up the whole family to enjoy a fantastic meal. Some of the finest dining restaurant week has to offer is from Phoenix food institutions.

Durant’s, which opened in 1955, is a swanky, old-school, red leather booth, seafood and steak house that serves a classic menu and great drinks. As jack Durant said himself “Good friends, Good Steaks, and the Best Booze, are the necessities of life,” If you agree, Durant’s is the place for you this restaurant week.

Pie at Stockyards - Picture Courtesy of AZCentral

If you’re a meat and potatoes kind of person, Stockyards is “Arizona’s Original Steak house.”   Stockyards started as a favorite meeting place for local cattlemen, bankers and politicians. If your looking for the taste of history, Stockyard joined the historical registrar in 2004 and will be helping Arizona celebrate its centennial this February. Or just skip the history and try one of their six restaurant week desserts.

Avanti, open in 1974, is classic Italian at its best. The romantic, zebra striped restaurant is still owned by the two original partners from Sorrento, Italy and is known for its impeccable food and unbelievable service.

If you’re looking to soak in Arizona in all its glory, you have to hit up El Chorro. Originally opened in 1937, El Chorro Lodge sits at the base of the Mummy Mountains offering classic Arizonan inspired cuisine. Many will agree with me when I say the best part of El Chorro’s restaurant week menu has to be their Gooey Caramel Cake which has been tempting patrons for years.

Courtesy of El Chorro Restaurant

Of course there are our favorites. Christopher’s and Crush is a new comer, with only three years on the block, but their hip atmosphere keeps patrons coming back for more. For you locavores, St Francis is offering fresh, rustic cuisine from local farms and even better kids eat FREE.  Ticoz Resto-Bar offers Latin-Arizonan Fusion cuisine, not to mention to die for tacos, for those of us looking to spice up our life.

Dining in Phoenix can be a wonderful adventure. With only 9 Days to work through the complete Restaurant Week menu, you can expect to see everyone out for a great meal at these Arizona standbys.

http://arizonarestaurantweek.com/participating-restaurants/

The Phoenix Business Journal recently praised Phoenix for boasting “one of the nation’s top clean economies” in the nation. It seems they would be better off praising Warren Buffet for getting a part time job at McDonalds.

What I mean is why is Phoenix only ranked 20^th? This beautiful city is ranked behind other cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, and Philadelphia. And the last I checked we are one of the sunniest cities in the nation.

Want to know something even more pitiful? Phoenix added only 4,000 jobs between 2003 and 2009, ranking it 34^th in the nation.

34^TH!?!

I realize I shouldn’t be so negative since Phoenix does boast almost 23,000 jobs in the clean job sector.  Any job is a good job, right?

But I still can’t get over the fact that this is a far cry from what it should be given our prime location for clean renewable energy. In fact, the Phoenix area has the potential to power the entire state with solar energy. Not only that, but clean renewable energy brings high-paying jobs and can help stabilize our local economy and the Phoenix real estate market! This is a no-brainer and we need to take advantage of our amazing location.

Granted there have been large energy companies taking root in the Phoenix area, First Solar Inc. and Suntech Power Holdings, but it seems to be the economy that is holding other companies back.

I have a friend at a large employee placement firm who is telling me that they are placing many new employees in Arizona as renewable energy jobs are created. But, he says, we could be moving so much faster if we can just get over the economic hurdle.

“When the capital markets get going, you’re going to see the market really take off,” said Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

Until then, write your legislator and tell them we want solar jobs today!