Chandler

I recently stumbled upon a listing in the Tempe area (see previous post) that at first made me half laugh at the stupidity of the agent selling the condo and half empathetically cry for the sellers of the condo.  

“The property, which is listed near downtown Tempe for just under $400,000 is incorrectly listed as being within the Cave Creek Unified District.  That’s one hell of a bus ride for kids to Cave Creek which is roughly a 36 mile drive to the northern-most suburb city of the Phoenix metro area.”

Worse yet is the description used in the listing - or lack of description for that matter.  It gives no detail of the property or the amenities located within this development or the convenience of future light rail and the proximity to downtown Tempe.  The pictures (there are only three and the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service now allows unlimited photos) posted for the listing look like they were taken with the first cell phone camera ever created as they are grainy and extremely small.  Worse yet, the agent “stole” a stock photo of a Tempe Town Lake sunset and the Mill Avenue Bridge - and used it as one of the three photos to market the property.  

Now, for the icing on the cake - the property is listed as “Owner/Agent” which means the agent selling the property is also the owner.  My empathetic cry for the seller quickly went away.  Can you imagine what this agent does for his/her clients if this is all he/she does for his/her own property!?!  It’s no wonder the real estate industry has a bad image - who sees the value in paying an agent upwards of $24,000 to market a property in that way?  I sure as hell wouldn’t.

Sellers:  Check and recheck your complete MLS listing for accuracies!  Don’t ever assume, no matter who your agent is, that they’ve listed your home with 100% accuracy.  Better yet, don’t assume they’ve posted it in it’s best light.  There are a few way to check your MLS listing.  The easiest is to simply ask your agent for the complete listing printout.  Ask for the “Agent Report” so that you see everything another REALTOR would see.  Verify that all the information in the listing is correct and that nothing has been left out.

Better yet, go to websites that reciprocate MLS data - perhaps ours - and check your listing’s photos and (hopefully you have one) virtual tour.  On our site, you can view the pictures in full-screen - but only if your agent has loaded photos that are of full-screen quality.  If they haven’t, they’ll be small photos or even grainy if they are of super-low quality.  Not only that, verify that your photos actually present your property in it’s best light.  That means either your agent is a great photographer with a great camera or your agent hired a professional photographer.  

With well over 80% of home buyers using the internet to start their search it’s very easy for them to move on to the next listing if the pictures for your property don’t stir their interest.  Most of us are visual people and will first look at the pictures and then decide if we actually want to read about the property.  Make sure your pictures and virtual tour engage buyers rather than disengage.  And make sure the information on your property is 100% accurate to ensure it comes up on searches as it should.

Arizona Fusion Real Estate is excited to announce new and innovative features that give buyers excellent tools for searching for the first, next or best home ever!  We call it fusionpower search!

fusionpower search allows buyers to completely tailor their search and access it on a personal, secure website.

Have you ever wanted to search within just a specific area ?  For example, maybe you are looking for a home that is north of Broadway in Tempe, Arizona but between Mill Avenue and Rural Road but south of Tempe Town Lake - and when you’re west of Mill you’d like to the search to continue north of University but east of Hardy Drive.  fusionpower search allows you to do just that!

It's okay. Be as specific as you'd like on where and what you'd like to search.

Here is what fusionpower search can do for you if you are thinking of buying real estate in the Phoenix Valley:

•    Search Your Way - Like You’ve Always Wanted ::  Be as specific as you like - a 5 mile radius from work, between Mill Avenue and Rural Roads south of Tempe Town Lake but north of Broadway, within a mile from a light-rail station - whatever your personal search requirements are we’ll meet them!
•    HD Photos :: If the listing agent has made the photos available, you’ll be able to view photos in fullscreen, HD quality.
•    Virtual Tours :: If the listing agent has created a virtual tour you’ll have a direct link all within your fusionpower search webpage.
•    Compare :: You’ll be able to compare other homes that are on the market.  You can see what the average Days on the Market are, what the average list price is and more.
•    Sales History :: If you’d like, we can add to your fusionpower search the recent sales activity and show you what homes have sold in the past three months in your search area so that you can get an idea of what you’d like to offer.  You’ll even be able to compare what the list price was compared to the sales price.  Of course, we’ll review this information again when we’re ready to make an offer.
•    Save Your Favorites :: You’ll be able to save your favorite properties for later so that you always have access to the information.  No more re-searching or clicking through hundreds of listings to show your family and friends.  You can also throw out listings you hate.
•    Schedule Showings Online :: Have questions on a specific property or want to schedule a showing?  Do it online at anytime.
•    Tax Info :: Your fusionpower search will give you instant access to public tax information from the Assessor’s Office on properties that interest you.
•    Mortgage Calculator :: Just click on the basic mortgage calculator to see what your payments might be.  fusionpower search gives you all the search power you’ll need.

Sign up for your personal fusionpower search webpage and when you purchase a home with arizonafusion, we’ll include:
•    A Free Home Warranty :: Up to a $500 value, your Home Warranty protects you from unforeseen issues with major expense items such as the air conditioner, water heater, appliances and more.  The warranty even will rekey your home and provide you with new and unique keys.
•    10% Back :: We donate 10% of our earned commissions to the charity, non-profit or university of your choice.  You can read more here.

Sign up for your fusionpower search website now.

With President Bush signing into law a bill that aims to help over 400,000 homeowners from losing their homes into foreclosure, buyers sitting on the fence should also know that it changes how you can purchase a home through the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA.

The law also requires buyers to put a down payment of 3.5% for a FHA Loan.  Previously, buyers only required 3% as a down payment.

But what may affect buyers even more is that sellers are no longer allowed to gift the down payment to the buyer.  New Home Builders can no longer give you your down payment and sellers can no longer give you an incentive to buy their home by handing you a down payment from their proceeds.

Buyers should be aware of this.  FHA loans are becoming the most popular mortgages out there.  Right now, buyers can still accept a down payment from a new home builder or seller before October 1, 2008.

The new housing bill also gives first-time home buyers a tax credit of 10% of the sales price (up to $7500).  In the Phoenix area you’re most likely going to get the entire $7500 tax credit with current market prices.  It should be noted that although the tax credit will benefit you on next year’s taxes - it is really an interest-free loan from the government.  You’ll be paying it back over the course of the next 15 years.

Is now the right time for you?  If you have good credit and have been waiting for the right time but don’t necessarily have a significant down payment you may want to start searching now - if the time is right for you and/or your family.

You can use arizonafusion’s map-based search or our just released fusionpower search for the ultimate property search experience!

You may have seen these blue bus/vans in Tempe but not known exactly what they were.  I myself have seen these but didn’t know exactly what they were - until today I met with a friend who works with the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and explained to me what the Orbit buses are all about.

Orbit is a free service in Tempe that connects it’s residential neighborhoods with it’s growing urban core and other retail, businesses and local destinations.  There are currently five routes on Orbit.

Unlike traditional bussing systems, Orbit uses “flag stops.”  Because Orbit busses run through an area at least once every fifteen minutes from 6 AM to 10 PM seven days a week, a rider simply has to waive their arms to flag down an Orbit bus and have it stop.  Except on major streets, the Orbit bus will stop anywhere to pick up a rider.  On major streets, like Mill Avenue, University Drive and Broadway Road, Orbit will stop at designated bus stops.

Currently, Tempe is considering extending ridership hours to 1 AM or later on the weekends to coincide with the light-rail and other bus services.  I think this is a “no brainer” if the city is dedicated to creating viable mass-transit options for it’s citizens while also cutting down on drunk driving.  I’m sure Mill Avenue and Tempe Marketplace bars and restaurants would appreciate that as well considering Arizona’s recent tough (and needed) stance on DUIs.

If you live in or are considering a move to Tempe - Orbit is a great and free service that really adds value to the area.  Those living on Orbit routes now enjoy the convenience of hopping on a bus and enjoying what Tempe has to offer - the Mill Avenue District, Tempe Marketplace, the Tempe Center for the Arts, the Gammage Theater, ASU sporting events and more.  Incidentally, Orbit will run until midnight on nights of ASU Football games this upcoming season.  

Currently, Orbit only runs north of US-60 but Tempe is also considering extending the service to South Tempe as well.

Orbit Route Map

Other cities, such as Chandler and Scottsdale, may want to take a hint from Tempe.  Destination areas such as Old Town Scottsdale (which does currently have a free Trolley Service connecting parts of nearby Scottsdale to Old Town), Historic Downtown Chandler and Chandler Fashion Center would definitely benefit from a service like Orbit.  

In this era of high energy costs I think most people would consider a service like Orbit to take them out for the evening.  There would not longer be a need to worry about where to park in Historic Downtown Chandler on Friday or Saturday evenings and no need to worry about having that extra beer or martini.  If marketed correctly, a service like Orbit in other Phoenix valley cities would be a hit and enjoy ridership like Tempe has - in less than one year since Orbit began it’s enjoyed nearly 1.3 million riders.

23 years in the making and it’s finally a loop - kind of.  The last segment of Loop 202 open tomorrow, July 20 in Mesa.  It will connect east Mesa with the central valley and offer far-east valley drivers another option.  Right now, to get from east Mesa to Tempe, Scottsdale or Phoenix, drivers only have one option - U.S. 60.

This completes the eastern part of the 202 and creates a nice loop around Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert.  This section of the Loop 202 also creates an instant “bonus artery” for traffic and instant value for those buying or selling real estate in the far-east Phoenix Valley.

Now, if we could only get that western southwest quarter complete, tentatively called the “South Mountain Freeway” … but that’s a whole ‘nother story that involves more debate than I care to do on this fine Sunday morning.

We’re excited to add a map-based home search solution to Arizona Fusion Real Estate!

Search the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service in an easy-to-use way.  Check it out, now!

Search for homes in the Phoenix Valley.

When working with buyers from larger cities around the country: Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle to name a few, it often comes as a surprise to these transplants that it’s not as easy to distinguish neighborhoods like you can in, say, Chicago: Bucktown, Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast or The Loop.  I bring Chicago up because I happened to take a trip there recently and thought to myself, “What if Phoenix had grown up this way?”

“What if Phoenix chose to grow upward and not outward for the past twenty to fifty years?”

So here’s my wish list for the future. Nothing too crazy and some of it’s already in motion in some areas of the Phoenix Valley …

1. Density. Sure, there are acres upon acres of pristine desert out there fifty miles from the center of Phoenix but there isn’t much else.  I want to see a focus like Tempe has but in other valley cities.  Encourage growth like Centerpoint Condos, Mosaic and build the infrastructure that’s needed.  Or work to change zoning in areas to encourage more dense growth.But, while I am impressed with Tempe’s growth there are certain things that still make me think that planners haven’t done their job of planning.  Take for instance the CVS Pharmacy that is currently under construction on the corner of University and Mill Avenue.  While it looks like it will be a nice pharmacy at a prime location - and great for the influx of new residents moving in to the Mill Avenue District - it appears that the CVS will only be one story.  Not two.  Not three or four or five.  Just one.

   Better planning, in my mind, would’ve required CVS to include plans lofts, townhomes or condos above even if it only meant four or eight units.  And don’t tell me you couldn’t rent those units out once they were complete.  That would be a prime location for ASU students.  The units don’t have to offer a doorman, granite imported from the middle of some Mongolian mountain or exotic wood flooring.  No, they could be simple and well-made units that offer an ideal location for people who don’t make a quarter of a million or more a year.

2. Uniqueness. For the most part, Phoenix is a sea of stucco and tile rooftops.  Sure, there are pockets of uniqueness like Old Town Scottsdale, Historic Downtown Chandler, the Willow District near downtown Phoenix and the Mill Avenue District of Downtown Tempe.  But, I’m selfish and I want more.Along with density comes a certain degree of pride in an area.  Pride develops into creating a unique characteristic or personality for that area.  Whether it’s a neighborhood known for the arts, design, gays, a certain architecture, shopping, a certain ethnic group … I don’t care.  I want to be able to tell people “if you go to this area of Chandler/Gilbert/Tempe/Phoenix/Scottsdale you will find (fill in a unique description here)…”  Instead, you’re pretty much going to find more of the same as it stands now.

   Uniqueness can be added and these neighborhood personalities pushed along with innovative buildings that appeal to market segments.  For instance, a development like EcoLogic Lofts in Chicago’s Bucktown would most likely appeal to those interested in living a green lifestyle.  I’d imagine in ten years you’ll see organic bakeries, restaurants or farmer’s markets near this development.

   Tangent: Can someone please tell me why we don’t have developments like EcoLogic Lofts here in Phoenix?  Why aren’t there requirements for adding to the electric grid with mandatory solar panels integrated into building designs?  Sure, there may be developments here and there but it seems like the Valley of the Sun (keyword: sun) would be jumping on this type of design.

3. Mass-Transit. Sure, we’re well on our way.  I am very excited about the light-rail that debuts in the valley in December.  Connecting west Mesa, Tempe and Central Phoenix, the light-rail project is an exciting development.  Some cities, like Chandler and Scottsdale, are already thinking on how they can jump on that train and connect their cities to realize the benefits.  Most well-developed cities offer a mixture of light-rail/subway, buses and taxis.  In a city as large as the Phoenix metro area, you’d think there would be a viable option for those moving here to give up their car and only take mass-transit.  But there really is not.  Perhaps in five or ten years there will be in Tempe and Phoenix (if you work in those areas or out of your home) but there is not right now.If you planned on moving to New York City you’d give up your car for sure.  Chicago?  Most likely if you chose to live inside the sprawling suburbs.  Seattle?  Similar situation to Chicago.  The point is that the option is there.What the Phoenix valley needs is a focus on speeding-up the development of mass-transit options and integrating them into the current transportation systems.  Mass-transit directly deals with the current energy crisis and the brown cloud that persists over the Phoenix Valley.

That’s it.  Just three items.  Density, Uniqueness and Mass-Transit.  If planners for Phoenix Valley cities developed with these three things in mind I think we’d have a city that offers more than it already does.  Developments like The Metropolitan in Chandler and Southbank in Tempe are great starts.  Chandler’s recent announcements of light-rail and bus schedules are too not to mention Chandler’s ideas to add density to certain run-down, strip mall intersections.

But, being impatient, I sure wish I could jump into the future and see what this valley of opportunity looks like in twenty years!

I wrote yesterday about Chandler, Arizona’s initiative to bring walkable urbanism and higher-density living to intersections that currently have worn down strip malls.  It seems that cities who have been dealing with suburban sprawl a lot longer than Chandler are also on the right path.

The Wall Street Journal wrote about Sacramento’s Blueprint plan for changing it’s growth strategy.  The “Blueprint” for the future - which sets goals of how Sacramento should look in 2050 - was adopted in 2004 and includes goals of creating walkable environments where work, entertainment and living are all in the immediate neighborhood.  Furthermore, it connects mass-transit options so that if you do need to get across town you don’t have to jump in your car.

Four years later, Sacramento has seen a dramatic increase in higher-density building - to the tune of 533% more apartment, townhomes and condos while traditional suburban communities fell by 21%.

Those who encouraged the Blueprint took an ingenious approach to promoting the idea.  Rather than throwing a bunch of graphs and numbers into a PowerPoint presentation they utilized realistic imagery to show how traditional suburban streetcorners with worn down strip malls could be transformed into a walkable and much more liveable environment.

Take a look at some renderings here - and then imagine areas of Chandler, Tempe, Phoenix, Gilbert or Mesa (or whatever city you live in) and what would happen if they underwent similar changes.

Again, I say “Cheers!” to Chandler for starting the push towards walkable environments.  Chandler already has great plans for Historic Downtown Chandler that include more townhomes, condos, higher-density single family homes, an expanded convention center and more.  Let’s hope Chandler continues to promote higher-density growth and the continuation of linking mass-transit options.

Gas has been at $4 or higher for over a month and gas futures continue to rise through the $130 - $140  a barrel price range.  Oil refineries are losing their asses even with prices so high.

The result?  You can hear and see the change happening.  People are driving less and staying closer to home and reconsidering their “usual” plans.  Consider this:

My wife and I spent the Fourth of July holiday in Indiana.  On the night of the 4th, we were in a mid-size suburban neighborhood southwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana where we were both raised.  In recent past years the streets of suburbia were nearly vacant as most families chose to venture to the many nearby lakes and boat or to nearby major cities like Chicago or Indianapolis for the Fourth.  This year, 2008, it was almost like the hands of time had been turned back to when I was a kid.  Fireworks were going off all around us - indicating that families had chosen to stay home and entertain themselves rather than their usual Fourth of July routine.

I also heard it yesterday as I appeared for Jury Duty in Mesa, Arizona.  The rumblings of “I live in Surprise (a northwest Phoenix suburb, roughly 50+ miles from where we were in Mesa) and I had to drive all the way out here with gas prices like this!”  I even had a great conversation with man in his 50’s who was considering a move to the Mill Avenue District of Tempe so that he could walk to most places (he worked from home).

Times they are a changing. I’ve indicated before that there is an upside to $8 a gallon gas for the Phoenix Valley and the U.S.A.  We’re having a tough time dealing with $4 a gallon gas - how will we deal with it when the prices reach $5? $6? $7? $8?

The good news is that we are starting to deal with it now.  And Chandler seems to be dealing with it head on.  Recently, Chandler announced they would be adding 50% more bus routes to it’s schedule to connect it’s citizens to the light-rail opening in December in Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix.  They’re also adding text message alerts to make “waiting for the bus” less of a hassle allowing riders to be notified on their wireless device when a bus is a few minutes away from their stop.

But here’s an even better solution: real change in how we build our communities in the future.  Chandler has announced an aggressive change in zoning philosophy that could transform some major intersections from worn-down strip-malls to bustling higher-density walkable environments.  This philosophy changes Chandler’s current initiative which encourages redevelopment by giving strip-malls a makeover with tax payer’s money - a great change in my opinion.

Take for example the intersection of Warner and Alma School Roads.  Currently, a strip-mall that could use a makeover (preferably paid for by it’s owners and not tax payers) sits on the northwest and southwest corner while a Wal-Mart and PetSmart occupy the northeast corner.  A church sits on the southeast corner.  Here’s a very rough photo courtesy of Google Maps and it’s StreetView technology:

The strip-malls - especially with a Wal-Mart - contain the necessities of life.  There is of course the Wal-Mart for household items, a smoothie shop, a Chili’s, an English Pub called Churchills, numerous clothing stores, a dry cleaner, a day spa, banks and more.

What if two or three mid-rise residential or mixed-use (residential and commerical/office) were added to this intersection? Well, for one, people like my friend at Jury Duty would have a few more options for walkable environments in the valley.  For two, there would be an influx of people to this area.  With a thousand or two thousand more people living at this intersection and within a walk from life’s necessities a new walkable urban environment would be born.

Not only that, the residential mid-rise could allow for a mixed bag of demographics as well.  In most city neighborhoods people of all walks of life live side-by-side.  It’s not as segregated as suburbia has made us.  Think about it - from the moment a new home builder places a sign on a parcel of dirt we’ve segregated suburbia.  Potential buyers drive by a new home development sign and either say, “Oh look honey, homes from the $600’s, let’s check it out” or “Oh, what a great location but look, they start in the $600’s and that’s too much for us.”

Additionally, if mid-rise buildings are mixed-use and perhaps the first two or three floors are office space, Chandler can propel it’s economy and the hyper-local economies of these intersections.  Small businesses will flourish in these areas as well as give mid-size and larger companies options outside of downtown Phoenix for satellite or additional office locations.  Of course, workers at these locations will be able to walk to lunch and shop at the current businesses and the new ones that would pop-up as a result of these proposed mid-rise buildings.

Chandler’s plan is certainly in it’s infancy.  But if it picks a few intersections and encourages mid-rise buildings to promote higher density growth then I think we’re on the right track.  What would make the change even more exciting would be if Chandler promotes architecturally distinct buildings for the redevelopment.  God knows we have enough stucco and “desert colored” buildings in our suburban communities.  Innovative glass buildings with unique architecture would also promote neighborhood pride and create a distinction from one neighborhood to the next.

Chandler - and the entire Phoenix Valley - needs to consider growth options that are upward and not outward.  The infrastructure in many of our cities is fantastic.  Show me other cities that have three lane roads in each direction in the middle of suburbia?  You’ll be hard pressed to find them. The point is that we can support higher-density growth in Chandler, Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale and all across the Valley of the Sun.

Cheers! to Chandler for creating a model for future growth.  Now let’s hope the plan becomes reality!