Val Vista Lakes – Year in Review 2011
Val Vista Lakes for 2011
Basic Facts:
105 sales in the MLS (plus numerous trustee sales to investors that are not in MLS)
$98 / square foot
List Price to Sales Price Ratio: 97%
325k average list price (at end of year)
238k average sales price
106 Days On Market average (but several outliers weaken this as a measurement)
6 homes sold over 500k (highest sale at 700k) this is a low number, historically
Well, Val Vista Lakes data for the year 2011 is in the can. Much of what has made Val Vista Lakes a choice for buyers remained in place this year, namely the clubhouse, and the location. Not included in this data would be the fairly sizable number of trustee sales where investors bought the homes directly from the bank. Many of these homes DID end up as listed properties, most often after a renovation. This is a valuable function of a healthy market – investors saying that they believe in the market, and voting with their wallet. And, many buyers love the idea of having an updated home in an established family area like Val Vista Lakes. For the next year at least, there should always be at least 1 or 2 Fix & Flips available for buyers to add to their home search checklist. Short sales also are an important & large chunk of the market. Many banks have streamlined their short sale operations, and they are not the Shawshank Tube they used to be. Normal (equity) sales are also present, but are normally at the higher end of the price range (per sq ft). The sales prices have stabilized around the $98 per sq ft point. One year earlier, this number was $110, but at a point early in 2011, it was even lower than $98. Hopefully, the lowest interest rates in decades make for the perfect recipe of buyer interest turning into closed sales. A gently improving market is healthiest for everyone…
The community is in fine shape else-wise. The HOA has sufficient money in the bank, and zero debt. The usual issues that confront a 27 year old community face ours here as well. Fortunately, we have a good group of residents to draw from to volunteer as board members. They’ve done a good job. We have the best Executive Director that an HOA could have, in Richard Andrews. He is well liked, and makes wise business decisions. Most communities can only dream of having what we have here~~
Shameless Plug Dept. – For 25 years now, and 23 as a resident, Patrick Harfst has represented buyers & sellers in Val Vista Lakes. He has his finger on the pulse of this community day in, day out. If you are interested in Val Vista Lakes real estate as either a buyer or seller, contact Pat to see how you might best work together to meet your goals.
Merry Christmas to all!
The 6 weeks of celebrating hits it’s second high note of the season today, with Christmas, and it’s assorted origins, taking center stage. We started with Thanksgiving ~ the original American holiday ~ and conclude with New Year’s Eve in 6 days.
If you are reading this, it is likely that you were born in the United States, in the second half of the 20th century. That, by any historical measure, is truly having won the All Mankind Lottery. Congratulations to us!! But, remember, it is a big world, and we are just players. Have fun, but stay sane, and take an equal chunk of time to reflect on the good fortune we have, just by waking up each day at this time in history. It’s a good life!
Even the brightest candle burns out…
In this life, few things are as monumentally important as giving life. If you are reading this, it is a fair bet that a mother somewhere gave you life… A mother carried you, birthed you, nurtured you, and (hopefully) taught you how to grow up… The only thing that we can do for someone else that even comes close to giving them life, is helping them cross that invisible threshold at the other end of life… to help someone die. Last week, I had the honor of being there for my own mother as she crossed that finish line… My face was the last thing she saw. I’m glad it worked that way – that she had one of the few remaining faces she recognized, right there, as she left to join her husband.
She was an incredible woman, and the lessons learned at her side (as a boy), and as part of her orbit (as an adult), will stay on as long as I draw breath… Raised on a farm during the depression, she went on to an academic career that saw her obtain a Doctorate in English literature, then teaching on the college level for many years. She raised three kids who seem to have turned out just fine… Was she perfect? No – no one is… But she had a heart that was open to everyone, and a smile that never wavered. She loved books & plants, and these attributes continue on in her kids and grandkids. Way too late, we learned that she and her husband (my father) were never apart for more than 2 days their entire 59 years of marriage. That would have been something to share with us, dad & mom!
Dan Navarro & Eric Lowen recorded a song about the dying process, called “Crossing Over”. It was written by Dan as he helped his mother in her final days. If you get a chance, that song is worth “dropping the needle on” as it very perfectly sets the mood that one encounters as we help another soul “cross over”. Google Lowen & Navarro, and the song is on the Pendulum album…
I feel so very lucky to have been raised by such a set of parents as Betsy & Ernie… They were great! Their own candles have burned out, but the light they broadcast to their friends and family is still reflected in each of us who knew them…
That’s all I have for now…
A Note About Mom
Betsy Harfst had a birthday today… She is 83. Sadly, her memory only made it to about 75. Betsy is my dear mother. She has Alzheimer’s, and while she remains pleasant to those around her, her memory is an empty box. She actually said that to me today – her memories of childhood, of her first real birthday party, her first bicycle, her first kiss – all are “in a box, put away somewhere…” This saddens me on one level, as she, and so many like her, are residents of care facilities, and having those memories, like a box of cherished photographs to look at, would make the long days seem a bit more tolerable. As it is, time has devolved into a few simple building blocks; there is “before breakfast”, there is “after breakfast”, there is “before lunch”, and, well, you get the picture. These folks have little need for clocks or watches – a sundial would do just fine.
This lack of memory is also a good thing, for some folks. We humans, besides having developed opposable thumbs, have a memory that far surpasses most (all?) other life forms. We have the ability to recall just about everything that we have ever seen, heard, tasted, smelled, thought, dreamed, or experienced in any manner. We can even make incredibly involved plans for the future… Not sure even dolphins can do that!
This concept of memory needed a measuring tool, so man invented time. It was inevitable, one might assume, given the curiosity inherent in the higher developed mammals. We can’t help but wonder what is over the next hill… But, having a memory that recalls everything? Good AND bad? Is that what we desire? There seems to be a mechanism in place to help us cope with bad things that happen to us – we “wall off” the event to keep that memory from leaking out and popping up when we are otherwise enjoying a perfectly happy moment. Ask a trauma survivor what they recall from the actual event, and most of the time, they have no recollection – the brain has put that memory in a different place, or perhaps tagged it differently, but that memory is not there to interfere with the the recovery. Alzheimer’s might be like that concept, with a broken valve, so ALL of the memories are locked away, not just the bad ones…
My mother was highly educated, received a doctorate in English literature, and taught at the college level for 20+ years. Yet now, none of these memories are available to her to roll over in her mind, to share with others, or to pass on the grandchildren. Her memory has fallen down, and can’t get up.
So, like the brain that seeks to protect itself from bad memories, we take care of these folks with every ounce of love and dignity that we can. We protect them from the ugliness of everyday living as infirm, aged, and in-the-way. Memory is a gift, yet we take it for granted. And when it is gone, there is little we can do to replace it. If these simple written words cause you to reach out to an elderly relative, neighbor, or friend, and seek to engage them in a little game of “Remember When?”, I can promise that you will be better off for doing so.
Wisdom is there for the taking in “old people”. Most are more than happy to share that wisdom. It’s a good trade – you give them some time, they give you some wisdom… Just remember to do it before either you, or they, forget!
Update December 13th, 2011 – Betsy left us today to go join her late husband Ernie. It was very serene – she waited until I got there, said a few words, then closed her eyes for one last time. No more pain and confusion – her spirit has flown, and I am so lucky to have been there. I’ve got to believe that made it easier for her…
Val Vista Lakes – Return to Normal?
It is late in the year 2011. Val Vista Lakes, like much of the rest of the valley of the sun, has been hit hard by a decline in property values. Many families have lost their homes, cast like driftwood onto the ragged shoreline of corruption borne of too-big-to-fail banks and their sock-puppet politicians. These families made good faith home-buying decisions in the early and middle part of the past decade (aughts? do we have a name for this lost decade yet?). These folks did nothing wrong, unless not having perfect future vision is a fault. This author recalls hearing from his grandfather some startling stories about the 1930’s, and how the meltdown of the economy then was a carefully played out dance of (surprise, surprise) huge banks and crooked politicians. He had a small fortune when that depression started, and much much less when it ended… even lost an arm in a farming accident. So yes, that depression took a lot out of some very good people. It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same…
But, what about Val Vista Lakes, today? How has our community fared as the “recovery” tries to gather some steam? Well, it seems that things are moving in the right direction… With overall MLS inventory of homes WAY DOWN, it makes sense that we should be doing better… and the results confirm this… We have just 24 homes ON the market right now, with 15 in escrow, and 93 closed sales year to date. Digging inside the numbers, we find more good news – the number of “distressed” homes (those either being sold via the short sale route, or already taken back by the bank) is down to just 5 homes. In recent years, this number was much higher than “5 out of 24”… We also find that 6 homes are either Flips, or Fix & Flips. This is healthy, as it represents a vote of confidence by an investor, that things are moving in the right direction. We then have 13 homes that are “normal” for-sale listings. 13 of 24 is healthy, and many would call this a return to normal… One bit of caution is in order here – Val Vista Lakes also currently has somewhere over 20 homes in the foreclosure pipeline. Some may be “saved” by the current owners, but the rest will become either Flips, Rentals, or Repo listings. More carnage on the real estate highway… And so it goes…
Patrick Harfst has been a resident of Val Vista Lakes for 23 years, and has served the community as a board member both in the 90’s and the “aughts”. His family was raised right here in the community, and he publishes a Weekly Update of VVL activity every Friday at www.ValVistaLakes.NET
Crazy Things Going On at Chase Field
The other day, I had the pleasure of taking my 12 year old daughter Rachel, plus 2 of her friends, to the Diamondbacks – Giants game at Chase Field. The D’backs had clinched the division title the night before, at home against the defending world champions. All was “right” in the world on this day… One of the girls, Laura, mentioned on the way in that she hoped to “get a ball” at the game. Well, lots of people “want” a ball at the game, but most leave without it, unless they buy one from the various vendors… We were there early, so ambled on down to the right field foul pole, hoping for a batting practice home run… We were part of a group of at least 100 other folks – all wanting a ball… Two of the girls opted to go over to the seats along the right field line, 100 feet away from us… Laura patiently waited by the foul pole, and I stayed with her, knowing that a 13 year old girl is not likely to catch a batting practice home run. I might be needed… Well, Guillermo Mota, a relief pitcher for the Giants, is playing long catch right below us, but is not paying the fans much attention. This goes on for 20 minutes, until he, for no real reason, looks up, and tosses a ball 15 feet – right to Laura. She is ecstatic, and I snapped a pic to sent to her mom… Laura is a big fan of one Guillermo Mota!
Mr. Mota (he’s a big dude, so I’ll use the Mr. in addressing him), continues playing long catch for another 5-10 minutes, until he looks up, makes eye contact with Laura, and holds his glove up, as if to say “throw me the ball!”… Now think, dear reader, when have you ever seen a player ask a fan for a ball?? The equation does not compute! And Laura, kind-hearted Laura, throws him the ball! Well, at least she has a picture of it, right? She is now a mixture of puzzled, dazed, and confused. Why did she throw the ball back?
Mr. Mota walks slowly away, toward the dugout, with the ball that had been Laura’s. She is now much less of a fan! Well, Mr. Mota walks slowly over to a security guard, and asks him something. The guard pulls a pen from his pocket, and Mr. Mota writes on the ball, and hands the pen back. Now, he walks slowly (odd for a guy that pitches nearly 100 MPH) back over, and Laura is sensing that maybe he is not so bad after all! Sure enough, he comes back to the foul pole, where by now, there is a gathering of folks with gloves… Fortunately for Laura, she has me – with my long arms – long enough to make sure that his return toss makes it to her. AS it turns out, he did in fact sign and date it, making it worth at least $3 on EBay… Laura gripped that ball very tightly for the rest of the game!
And what a game it was! One of the other girls that came along also got a foul ball, but without the subsequent signing ceremony… The home team won 15-2, and for the first time ever, there was a game delay at Chase Field… The power went out in the 7th inning for about 30 minutes, and those 15 runs? Not one of them was a home run… The D’Backs are truly enjoying a magical season – one that hopefully repeats their success of the last year that ended in a “1”.
For the record, this author grew up a Cubs fan, but his since shed that awkward allegiance. He is now a confirmed Diamondbacks fan…
Homes for sale near MD Anderson Cancer Center
Homes For Sale Near Banner Gateway Hospital
Homes for sale near MD Anderson Cancer Center
Homes Near Banner Gateway Hospital (click for pdf file)
With the grand opening of the MD Anderson Cancer Center this week in Gilbert AZ, the area will now be supported by a world class cancer facility. For buyers who would like to see homes near the MD Anderson Cancer Center, this list of homes & map will be valuable to have. The homes for sale range from below $90,000 to well over $1,000,000. These homes include some of the available properties in nearby Val Vista Lakes. Transportation is extremely close – the Superstition Freeway is directly next to Banner Gateway Hospital, on Higley Road. The new MD Anderson Cancer Center sits directly west of the main hospital, very easy to get to. MDAnderson.org
Sunset on the Cancer Center
A Perfect Match in Val Vista Lakes
Good Realtors are very much like Yente in Fiddler On The Roof… always busy, searching for that perfect match of buyer & seller, tenant & landlord, etc. We just completed a rental transaction here in Val Vista Lakes where we began as the listing agents for the owners… They owned a very nice 3 bedroom home that they had themselves outgrown, and had a pretty good idea what their ideal tenants would be like; a younger family, with kids, already in love with Val Vista Lakes…
So when the phone rang the other day, with a prospective tenant asking the usual questions (size, availability date, etc.), a showing was quickly scheduled. As Malcolm Gladwell writes in his book Blink, consumers know, within 7 seconds, if something is “right”… Well, the tenants knew they had the right home, and were then interested in knowing a bit about the owner – were they local, responsible folks, or were they just distant investors, working thru an intermediary to extract maximum dollars out of a Monopoly card?
Fortunately, they had found a home that met their needs very well, and was owned by just the type of owner they wanted… And the owners – they found just exactly the type of tenants they were looking for… So – the matchmakers were successful (altho Yente in the play did a heckuva lot more than these matchmakers!).
We are all measured by the good that we do. Realtors go forth each day looking for that opening, that opportunity to “do good” for someone else, sometimes so much that co-dependency sets in – we value ourselves each day, based on the “good” of the moment. We then let that definition of “good” rest with others – their vision of us, becomes our own vision. Un-happy clients equals unhappy matchmakers… This will likely never change, as it is just a part of human nature. But, at least for one day, we were along for the ride as two parties – tenant & landlord – were really happy to have found each other. Val Vista Lakes is just that kind of community!
Tough Mudder
It has been said that working out is the “Poor Man’s Plastic Surgery”… Maybe so…
For all of my life, I have had a love-hate relationship with physical fitness. Always maintained a schedule of working out at a local gym, wherever I lived. My parents were nice enough to give me good genes, and taking care of my body was something I chose to do. Mostly machines at the gym, and bicycles on the canal banks… I was in “okay” shape for many years.
In 2007, I was given the task of helping my father die. While this sounds morbid, I assure you it was not. Ernie had lived a full life, but it did not include working out after his college days. He had a number of things failing him – diabetes & cancer being the bigger foes. He faced these straight on, knowing how the story would end. My job, for the most part, was to be there for him. Lots of doctor visits, transfusions, chemo, and that sort. He and I drew closer in those last 8-10 months… Then, in July 2008, Ernie crossed the finish line. The void in my own life was large. (Much larger than I had been warned it would be…)
5 days after he died, we had a medium size gathering to remember him… Friends and family… My parents had 3 kids, and at this event, the three of us opened, and consumed, a large bottle of Grey Goose vodka. (I’m not a vodka drinker, but what the hell…) Then, in front of a crowd of my own friends & neighbors, my brother challenged me to train and run with him in the PF Chang Marathon, coming up in 5 months. He’d been running these things for years, while I had given up running for 2 decades, fearing blowing out knees, or hips. So, challenged, while lit on very good vodka, left me no choice but to accept. The next week, in 100+ temps, I began a serious training regimen. I trained hard for the next 5 months… January 2009 arrived, and I ran and finished the PF Chang Half-Marathon. Since then, I have run 2 more of these PF Chang Halfs, and a few more charity runs as well. Well, running long distances gets boring…
To the rescue comes a variety of “Obstacle Course Runs”. These events are modeled after military obstacle / endurance courses. Some are easy (Warrior Dash, where nearly everyone finishes), to Spartan Race (3 levels from easy to killer), and the one in front of me right now – Tough Mudder. It features 16 + obstacles, over 10+ miles, and lots of mud. In January. That means cold, but what the hell, right? So, a few months ago, I completely re-did the workout routine, adding lots of core-work, balancing, and short bursts of vigorous crazy stuff, like upside down pushups and inverted free-weight lifting. If you see someone running around Val Vista Lakes coated in mud, that would be me… I’ll do this course in January. I’ll finish it. In honor of my father, and to support the Wounded Warrior Project. For more info, look at www.ToughMudder.com I’ll see you at the finish line!
Loan Rate Limbo – How Low Can Mortgage Rates Go?
One of the benefits of a weak economy is lowered interest rates on long term mortgages… We recently helped a buyer close on a home here in Mesa, and the FIXED RATE LOAN was priced at 3.99%. Yes – a 30 year, fixed rate loan, was written at 3.99% !!! Not a hybrid, buy-down, or other exotic loan product – the plain-jane vanilla loan that we’ve all come to know and love… The lender, who has been in the loan business for 20+ years, had never originated a loan that low… Where will they end up? Will they go lower? That answer is unclear, but let’s hope they stay low for awhile – it helps buyers and sellers alike to have loan money be more easily obtained, and takes pressure off of the affordability equation that buyers face. For now, homebuyers in the Gilbert area can expect to find these low mortgage rates very much to their liking… For home buyers in Val Vista Lakes, these rates would also be available… We’d be happy to connect you with a lender and find you a home…
Follow Us On The Web!
