Arizona in a recession

Several Tucson newspapers are are reporting what so many Arizona residents already know; our state's in a recession. According to Moody's Economy.com, Tucson is in worse shape then Phoenix.

The sluggish housing market seems to be having the biggest impact on Arizona's economy. As foreclosures continue to rise at record numbers and housing related employment continues to fall, the Arizona economy continues to drag. Higher food costs and gas prices are also playing a major role, leaving consumers struggling to make ends meet.

Just driving through Tucson it's easy to see the impact the economy is having on local businesses. Several furniture stores have closed their doors, while others are offering discounts and promotions ot bring consumers in. A number of retailers specializing in womens high end fashions have closed, and several fine restaurants are trying to entice diners with drink and dinner specials. A clerk at a local grocery store told me that more people are using coupons, and I've spoken to several people trying to conserve gas by scheduling all their appointments in one area on a single day so they avoid driving too much.

Many Arizona economists feel that Arizona hasn't hit rock bottem yet. Until the housing market re adjusts our economy isn't going to be able to recover. Some speculate it could be 2-3 years before that happens.

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A day in the life of me

My clients and friends are always amazed when I talk about some of the things I do as a real estate professional. They're first comment is generally "I didn't know real estate agents did that" after I rehash my day's activities. Every real estate professional has their daily "to do" list, but I seem to take on some odd jobs that others don't.

I can honestly say that no two days are the same and I've learned a lot of new things in this job. Just the other day I learned how to have a tenant (the home owner's daughter) evicted from a home and how to have an abandoned vehicle towed from a private residence (Gob's Towing is the only one that doesn't require vehicle documentation). I've spent mornings landscaping (picking weeds and trimming trees) at one of my listings. Today I spent the afternoon at another listing, getting estimates for paint and flooring contractors. I returned an abandon BBQ propane tank to a local convenience store. Each day I stop by one of my listings to water plants and chase away the bird that keeps trying to build a nest over the front door. Yesterday I shopped for staging materials so that I could decorate one of my listings (this may sound fun but it's not easy hopping from one store to another shopping for the perfect bargain item in 90 degree temperatures).

I do take on the "normal" tasks that every real estate agent spends their day trying to complete. When I'm in my office I spend much of my time on the computer, reviewing new listings and price adjustments to see if there's anything that fits the needs of any of my out of state buyers. I'm also evaluating comps for the current home owners that are trying to figure out if they can sell their home and upgrade to a new one while the Tucson market favors home buyers. Today I was arguing with a home builder about the appraisal that's far below the agreed upon sale price. I'm constantly sending out and responding to emails, which can be a never ending job since my Blackberry's become and extension of my body.

I think every real estate agent takes on some responsibilities that they never dreamed they would, but it's all part of the job. I'm sure some have taken on tasks that they really wish they hadn't. But a successful agent realizes that certain things need to be done to help a real estate transaction along, and sometimes they're the only one that can do it. All in a days work!

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Arizona foreclosures down slightly in March

Foreclosure activity in Arizona dipped just over 4.5% for the month of March while the rest of the nation saw an average increase of 5%. Still Arizona had the nation's fourth highest foreclosure rate for the third straight month.

About 1 in every 283 homes in Arizona received foreclosure filings in March. Foreclosure filings were reported for 9,199 properties; an increase of 106% over the number reported in March 2007. California, Florida and Ohio are still seeing the highest foreclosure totals

U.S. Foreclosure rates by state March 2008

Out of the top 100 metro areas ranked by foreclosure filings, Phoenix was number seven with one in every 70 households (or 23,135) receiving a foreclosure filing in the first quarter of 2008.

See the full report from RealtyTrac

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Tucson seeing measles outbreak

Tucson's a beautiful city with a lot to offer, but we do have an occasional fault or two. One of the big stories in Tucson right now is the measles outbreak that's hit our area. On February 23 a case of measles was confirmed by Northwest Medical Center. Since then 16 cases have been confirmed and are thought to be tied to a female visitor from Switzerland. It was originally thought that about 1700 people might have been infected.

Luckily that number was a lot lower, but there's still strong concern because measles are highly contagious and can lead to more severe complications like pneumonia and meningitis. The Pima County Health Department is jumping in and asking individuals that visitied the affected hospitals on certain dates to call and confirm their immunization records. They're also offering free immunization clinics to those needing vaccinations. Some Tucson schools are planning to vaccinate dozens of teachers and staff members to help prevent the spread of the disease, but one child within the Amphitheater school district might already be infected. That student as well as one other didn't get measles vaccinations as their parents signed exemption forms. Now anyone that doesn't get vaccinated wont be allowed back to school for two weeks.

Currently there are 64 confirmed cases of measles across the nation, and Tucson's cases make up about 25% of that number.

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Ewwwww a snake!

Clients always ask me if I've ever had a problem with snakes while living in Tucson. My reply has always been no because I could honestly say the only place I've seen a snake is the zoo or Desert Museum. That was until today!


I saw this little beauty by the side of the road as I headed off on my morning run. It wasn't alive, but was still a bit intimidating! According to my National Audobon Society Nature Guide this snake is a Coachwhip, which can actually be found in several different colors depending what region it's in. A pure black coachwhip is not that common. It's not a venomous snake and it has an average length of about 5 feet. This particular snake was a long one at about five feet. I'm guessing on that; even though it wasn't alive I didn't want to get too close!

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Dust Devils you say?

One of the reasons I was anxious to get out of the Midwest is because I HATED the weather, especially tornadoes. Imagine how surprised I was when I witnessed my first Arizona style cyclone, or Dust Devil.

While I was out driving today I spotted a dust devil and after pointing it out to my clients I realized that most people new to Tucson have no clue what they are. A Dust Devil is a rotating updraft that's generally about three feet in diameter with a maximum speed of 45 mph. The rotating winds pull loose debris like sand, weeds and gravel from the ground and raise them into the "funnel" as it follows it's short lived (less then a minute) route along the desert and roadways. While dust devils are usually harmless, they can be annoying if they set their path through you backyard picnic. On occasion there have been stronger dust devils recorded, with winds in excess of 75 mph. I witnessed one several years ago that blew over large event tents and folding tables at a tennis tournament. The biggest hazard that dust devils produce is the flying gravel that can crack your windshield. My advice is if you see a dust devil avoid it; get under cover or pull over and wait for it to pass. Better to be safe then dusty!

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Tucson homes sales by area

Since we're beginning to see a little more activity in the Tucson real estate market I thought I'd add the stats for home sales by area. No commentary today just the facts...

Central Tucson saw the biggest bump in sales prices in March with an increased sales prices of 51%. The North, extended Northwest and extended West portions of Tucson saw the biggest decreases in sales price; around 21%-22%. Northwest and Southwest Tucson saw the smallest increases, with NW Tucson seeing only a 3% increase in sales prices and SW Tucson seeing a 1% increase.

Tucson Real Estate Sales Price by Area

Several areas in Tucson saw an increase in days on market while others saw fewer days on market. North, NW, SW and West saw increased days, with West Tucson seeing the biggest increase of 18 days active. The extended NW part of Tucson saw the biggest decrease of 44 days.

Tucson Real Estate Days on Market

It looks like three bedrooms properties continue to be the most popular choice with buyers. Three bedrooms residences sold more units then any other in March.

Units Sold per Area by # of Bedrooms

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