From the category archives:

Northwest Valley

To readers who found us via Realtor Heather Barr’s quote in today’s Wall Street Journal article “Bargain Hunters Descend, Cash in Hand”, welcome! We’re glad you’re here and hope you enjoy our blog content.

Long-time readers who aren’t Wall Street Journal subscribers might have missed our mention.  The story is behind the WSJ’s subscription firewall and I don’t want to tempt copyright lawyers by reprinting the entire article on this blog. You can read the article in its entirety here if you are an online subscriber or on page C10 if you get the print edition.

I talked with WSJ reporter Nick Timiraos about the growing number of cash buyers who see bargains amid the current housing price declines. Here’s the quote:

“Cash investors have come right out and said, ‘We can’t make a return on our money in stocks or bonds,’” says Heather Barr, a Realtor based in Gilbert, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb. “They think Phoenix has had such sharp price declines that we’ve got to be near the bottom and real estate will be a safe place to put their money.”

There are bargains to be had in the metro Phoenix real estate market. It’s increasingly easy to find properties in the suburbs that will cash flow immediately after installing a tenant. For those seeking a vacation home, houses are more affordable than they’ve been in years while mortgage rates are still near historic lows.

Looking for a bargain yourself?

We at The Phoenix Agents team have been working with bank owned properties and investors of all stripes lately so we’re familiar with the banks’ (often confusing) paperwork and requirements.

Click around and visit the various parts of our blog. We’ve got tons of great content, MLS searching with no registration required, and are ready to help you find the perfect property when you’re ready to talk with an agent.

Browse properties listings.

  • At the Phoenix Agents: the whole MLS or our foreclosures-only search
  • At the Phoenix Real Estate Guy blog:  property search (The Phx RE Guy is our broker and famous local blogger, Jay Thompson)
  • All three links here search the same data source, the private Realtor’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS). We just present the data in slightly different ways on-screen.

When you feel like you’ve browsed enough and done the homework you wanted to, give us a call. We’ll help you negotiate the best possible deal we always provide world-class customer service from start to finish, and beyond.

Let the bargain hunting begin!

Related Posts
  1. Inman.com quotes Jay Thompson, “the Phoenix Real Estate Guy”
  2. USA Today quotes Heather Barr on recent changes in mortgage industry
  3. Chris Butterworth interviewed by Phoenix’s own Channel 3 TV about foreclosures


heather

Heather Barr is a Realtor. She's a chow hound, a gym rat, and the only political junkie in the USA who can actually keep her political views to herself. Instead, she focuses on educating her clients about the often-confusing world of residential real estate.

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The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed by congress in 1988, allowing casinos to be built on Indian Reservations.  During the first year about $100 million was generated nation-wide from casino operations.  By 2004, that number had ballooned to $19.4 Billion, spread across the 224 tribes operating casinos.  And with money comes greed.

Glendale aims to build a casino in the stadium district

Somewhere along the way, as will ALWAYS happen, the money got big enough to change the perspective.  States and cities have realized that more gambling revenue translates into more taxes collected.  In addition, luxurious resorts on (and near) reservation land can act as a tourism draw.  (think Las Vegas on this one.)

Over the last several years we’ve watched as the casinos have grown larger, offering more amenities and luxury.  We’ve watched cities grow closer to the casinos, building (or encouraging the development of) resorts and other amenities, while using the casinos as a draw.

Today the City of Glendale is in the process of crossing the line by using a legal loophole to create a casino within the city’s limits, right in the middle of the stadium district.  Here’s a watered down version of the basics:

  • The Tohono O’odham Nation has a reservation which falls mostly along the Mexico-Arizona border.
  • The City of Glendale wants to get 134 Acres at 91st & Northern classified as “land in trust,” a requirement for a casino to be built upon non-reservation land.
  • The Tohono O’odham tribe would then be allowed to build a large spa resort and casino on this parcel of land, which also happens to be within a mile of the University of Phoenix stadium and all the other development already underway.

Now, I’m personally not against gambling.  I enjoy a weekend in Vegas as much as the next guy.  However, I’m against - to the point it drives me crazy - deceit, loopholes, and talking out of both sides of your mouth.

Glendale (and other cities), if you want everything gambling has to offer - revenue, jobs, and tourism (along with addiction and other vices), please just come out and say it.  Legalize gambling.  Stop hiding behind the Native Americans and the IGRA of 1988.

Your disgusted with Glendale on this one Realtor,

Chris Butterworth


chris

Chris Butterworth is a Realtor. He's also a husband, father, writer, amateur photographer, and self-proclaimed tech junkie. And he's an all-around good guy!

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Sunday Stats

by Heather February 15, 2009 Central Phoenix

photo credit to MiamiAmia, courtesy of StockExchange. See the entire series for historical perspective.
Time for another edition of the Sunday Stats

Background and Color Coding: red is bad, green is good, inasmuch as it means the stats are moving towards a balanced market. Most local experts/forecasters and Realtors use 6 months’ supply of inventory on the [...]

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ASU West cuts MBA program

by Chris Butterworth February 11, 2009 In The News

When the smoke from the budgetary cuts clears, The College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences will be the lone college remaining at ASU West.
reported on AZCentral.com

All graduate degrees, including the W.P. Carey School of Business master’s program and the School of Global Management, will cease to exist at the west campus.  The College of Education [...]

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Location. Location. Location.

by Chris Butterworth January 28, 2009 Buyer Help

the 3 most famous words in real estate.  Last week I was driving through a shopping center’s parking lot when something caught my eye.

Who has the BEST BURRITO - the coffee shop or the ice cream parlor?
Then I saw it, a Taco Del Mar tucked into a little nook/cranny within the shopping center..

No wonder they [...]

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more Northwest Valley Market Statistics

by Chris Butterworth January 27, 2009 Market Analysis & Stats

I’ve sliced & diced the NW Valley numbers in the past, most recently in early December (Northwest Valley Market Statistics).  I enjoy doing this as a way to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on, and I usually get some interesting feedback from readers, so I’m trying to make this a regular [...]

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Walk-able shopping centers

by Chris Butterworth January 20, 2009 Northwest Valley

Heather once wrote a post about some neighborhoods being more “walkable” than others - she even found a website which can assign a WalkScore to any address, showing how easy it is  to get around without a car.
I live in the suburbs, where walking might be great for exercise, but it’s not a very practical [...]

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Photo Radar goes live in West Valley

by Chris Butterworth October 21, 2008 Northwest Valley

photo credit:  azcentral.com
I’ve been watching the photo radar progression over the last few months.  First the local police forces stepped up their radar patrols to catch speeders and slow down traffic.  (I was lucky enough to receive a warning!)  Next came the use of moveable photo radar - a van equipped with photo radar is [...]

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Surprise – Bell Road Construction

by Chris Butterworth August 11, 2008 Northwest Valley

Be warned – beginning Monday morning Bell Rd will be restricted for westbound traffic between Reems Rd and Parkview Pl. (As if traffic on Bell wasn’t bad enough!)
Here is a list of what the City has budgeted for Bell Road this year:
 
Here is an article published by AZCentral.com with the full construction schedule for the [...]

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Realtors wanted

by Chris Butterworth June 10, 2008 Northwest Valley

I’m looking to add one or two realtors who know the North, West, or Northwest Valley, to my team. You don’t have to be a writer, but you do have to put your heart and soul into customer service.

We’re getting to the point where we need help servicing our clients. Our other choices [...]

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Peoria and APS disagree over power line locations

by Chris Butterworth May 27, 2008 In The News

AZCentral.com reports that APS needs to build 40 miles of overhead power lines to connect two high-voltage substations – one near Lake Pleasant in Peoria and the other north of Sun Valley Parkway in Buckeye. The new lines will require towers as tall as 195 feet.

 

 

In June, APS will present to the Arizona Corporation Commission [...]

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Why Price Range Matters

by Chris Butterworth May 15, 2008 Market Analysis & Stats

I’ve been seeing a lot written and spoken about the market conditions lately – days on market is coming down, sales numbers are going up, etc. And while I believe there are a lot of silver linings on our current market’s cloud, I think it’s important to remember how different “the market” might be from [...]

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