Eye On Arizona
Arizona Housing, Travel, Golf, Real Estate
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Archive for February, 2009
Rodeo Weekend in Phoenix Metro: Events for the Weekend of February 27th
Apache Junction: 45th Annual Lost Dutchaman Days are held on Febraury 27th, 28th and March 1st. The event includes a Professional Rodeo, Carnival, Rodeo Dance, Tow Stages of Entertainment, and a wonderful Parade featuring the world famous Clydesdales. The Parade is held on the 28th, beginning at 9:00am. Getting there: the parade takes place in downtown AJ and the route follows Apache Trail, beginning at Phelps, just west of Idaho and continues west to Ironwood. The rodeo takes places at 1590 E Lost Dutchman Blvd.
Arizona’s Renaissance Festival, continues this weekend through March 29th. Special Events this weekend: ahoy ye Landlubbers on the 21st, with a kids Treasure Hunt from 10-2, Kids pirate contest at noon and on Sunday, an Adult Pirate Contest is scheduled at noon. Getting there: the Festival is located at 12601 East Highway 60 in Apache Junction.
Scottsdale: Parada del Sol Rodeo begins at West World on Friday, the 27th at 1pm, continuing through Sunday, March 1st. A schedule of events can be found here along with ticket pricing. Getting there: Located just off of the 101North at 16601 N Pima Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.
Good News for Phoenix Buyers: HUD Raises FHA Mortgage Limits
Great news for FHA home buyers! The FHA mortgage limits have been increased for Maricopa County to $346,250 for a single-family residence. The 2009 FHA mortgage limits for all single-family housing types in Maricopa County are presented below:
- Single-Family homes: $346,250
- Two-Family Homes: $443,250
- Three-Family Homes: $535,800
- Four-Family Homes: $ 665,850
Source: FHA Mortgage Limits List.
Weekend Events for February 21st & 22nd in Apache Junction, Gilbert, Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale, Arizona
Soaking up the Sun
Fun Events Taking Place in the East Valley of Phoenix this Weekend include:
Apache Junction: Arizona’s Renaissance Festival, continues this weekend through March 29th. Special events this weekend include a performance by the Midiaeval Babes and the Venetian Carnevale. Getting there: the Festival is located at 12601 East Highway 60 in Apache Junction.
Gilbert: On Saturday, the 21st, Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve is offering FREE Audubon Family Bird Walks at 8am and Earth Science with Curious George at 9am. Getting there: the 110-acre Riparian Preserve is located at 2757 E Guadalupe Road, just East of Greenfield Road.
Mesa: On Saturday, February 21st, the 7th Annual Pakistani Style Kite Flying Festival comes to Red Mountain Park in Mesa. The event is held from 11am-6pm. Getting there: the park is located at 7745 E Brown Road between Sun Valley Blvd and 80th Street.
The Blues Blast event will be held on Sunday, February 21st at the Mesa Amphitheatre. The Amphitheatre was voted the BEST local live music venue. For list of venues, click here for the Blues Blast Schedule. Tickets cost $20 if purchased prior to the event or $25 at the door. Getting there: the Amphitheatre is located at 263 N Center Street, on the SE corner of University Drive & Center Street.
Phoenix: Spend a day at one of the Top 5 zoos in the United States, according to the USA Travel Guide. The Guide gave the Phoenix Zoo a fourth place ranking. The Zoo is the largest non-profit zoo in the country and is home to over 1,200 animals. Special Attractions at the zoo include a Carousel and a Sting Ray Exhibit. On Sunday, February 22, 2009 from 11-2pm the Phoenix Zoo will host a Bridal Fair. Getting there: the Zoo is located at 455 N Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, between McDowell Road and Van Buren Street.
Scottsdale: The 56th Annual Parada del Sol, Historic Parade is held on Saturday, February 21st, beginning at 10am. The parade starts at Oak and Scottsdale Road, continuing north to Indian School, ending in Old Town Scottsdale. Getting there: here is a map of downtown Scottsdale.
Mesa Housing: Foreclosed versus Non-Foreclosed Sales in January 2009 – Let the Numbers do the Talking
Mesa, Arizona home foreclosures rose in January 2009 as compared with January 2008. According to Dr. Jay Q. Butler, Director of Arizona State University’s Realty Studies, foreclosures are not slowing down in the Greater Phoenix Area. In Mesa, AZ, the largest city outside of Phoenix, the numbers speak volumes.
The Table below reveals data on the total number and median price of resale single-family homes and townhome/condos in Mesa, comparing closed transactions in January 2008 with January 2009 and closed transactions in December 2008 with January 2009.
Mesa, Arizona Resale Home Closures &
Median Home Prices
Housing Type
January ‘08 #Closed / $ Median Price
December’08 #Closed / $ Median Price
January ’09 #Closed / $ Median Price
Single-Family Homes 435 / $207,830 755 / $145,000 645 / $138,000 Townhms & Condos 75 / $143,885 85 / $105,000 75 / $83,600 Mesa experienced a 34% decline in the median resale price of Single-Family Homes and a 48% decline in Townhomes & Condos median home price when comparing data for January 2008 and January 2009. While, from December 2008-January 2009, Mesa experienced a 5% decline in Single-Family Home resale prices and a 25% decline in Townhome and Condo prices. The reason is attributed to the larger number of foreclosures in the Valley.
According to Butler, the foreclosure rate for January 2009 accounted for 48% of the transactions. The Chart below presents a comparison among the overall number of Single-Family Resale Home transactions in Mesa for the given time periods. Mesa experienced a 77% increase in foreclosures in January 2009 as compared with January 2008, with an overall foreclosure rate of 52% for January 2009.
© 2009 EyeonAZ.comThe data does not reveal the amount of homes that were closed through the pre-foreclosure process, a.k.a. short sale. So, although the data reveals that slightly more than 50% of homes that closed in Mesa in January were foreclosures, it does not segment homes that were closed through short sale transactions, just those that were non-foreclosed properties. This could raise the number of properties sold under distress up to 75% of the total homes sold.
Data Source: Arizona State University, Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness, Realty Studies. Butler, Jay and Lambrakis, Chris. http://asunews.asu.edu/20090212_realtystudies.
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
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Valentine’s Day Hike into the Sonoran Desert
With cool desert temperatures of 56°F it was a spectacular morning to take a hike into the Sonoran Desert via the Mountain Wash Trail in Mesa, Arizona. This hike is just steps away from the gated, master planned, golf community of Las Sendas. This wonderful, easy to moderate hike takes approximately 40-60 minutes, bringing hikers into the Saguaro filled Tonto National Forest. As you ascend in elevation, hikers experience some of the most breathtaking panoramic views of the Phoenix area, outside of a helicopter. The trail is great for kids and adults. Kids can explore the washes and look at the various rock formations on the trail, and may encounter some wildlife. Enjoy your day.
