Tracy Fitzgerald | Arizona Luxury Lifestyle

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016

Gorgeous Custom Home

Representing Luxury Buyers & Sellers 27842 N 103rd Place | Scottsdale 4 Bed | 4.5 Bath | 7,191 SQFT | $3,950,000 Gorgeous custom home with breathtaking golf course, mountain & city light views. Open floor plan with luxurious appointments & finishes throughout. Great room features wood beamed ceilings, two sided Canterra stone fireplace & wet bar open to dining room & kitchen. Chef’s dream kitchen with large island & veggie sink, Sub-Zero & Wolf appliances, wine fridge, butler’s kitchen & walkin pantry. Office with built-in desk, bookshelves & fireplace. Master suite boasts custom niche with fireplace and private patio with gorgeous views. Master bath with indoor steam shower and private outdoor shower. Huge his & her closets with built-ins and gym adjoining. Guest house is attached with bedroom, living room, bath & kitchen. All bedrooms en suite. Outdoor living with huge covered patio, fireplace, BBQ, negative edge pool & spa.

Tracy Fitzgerald

Lifestyle ARIZONA LUXURY

Hallowed History & FUN FALL FACTS

All Decked Out

Top 1% Agent in Arizona 2015

480.560.7000

tracy@fitzgeraldluxurygroup.com

There’s no denying that decks are a great place to gather friends and family for a backyard barbecue or pool party, but besides adding the quality of life factor, building or updating a deck on your home can add notable monetary value.

Backyard decks will increase the living area of a house — which is typically a bonus selling point — and at a much lower price per square foot than an interior remodeling project might. Depending on the materials used you can recoup more than 81 percent of the job costs when figured into the value of your home. Composite products last longer but are pricey, while traditional wood is affordable, yet vulnerable to weather and termites. Your neck of the woods will also determine the return on your investment based on local construction costs and if the region enjoys year-round outdoor climates. More sunny days mean more days on deck!

Call Tracy at 480.560.7000 for the most effective marketing for your Arizona Luxury property.

FitzgeraldLuxuryGroup.com Your referrals are the heart and soul of my business. The highest compliment that I can receive is a referral to one of your friends, relatives or business associates. Your trust and confidence is greatly appreciated.

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (480)460-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

Metro Market Housing Report

The Beverly

Flatbread & Manhattans

EVENTFUL

Metro Market Report

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016 19th Annual Ballet Under the Stars

TroonFIT Running on the Links Series 1 The Boulders | October 1 RunningOnTheLinks.com TroonFIT Running on the Links Series 1 – The Boulders, why should only golfers enjoy some of the most beautiful grounds Arizona offers? Take to the cart paths, features a front 9 distance (approximately 5K) perfect for walking or a short run, enter a drawing with the chance to win amazing prizes.

13th Annual Arizona Dragon Boat Festival Tempe Town Lake | October 1 - 2 AZdba.com 13th Annual Arizona Dragon Boat Festival – Tempe Town Lake Marina, 50 dragon boat racing teams from all over the world are expected to participate, 40-foot-long rowing canoes, 20 paddlers, one steersperson & a drummer in a 500-meter race, features competitive and recreational dragon boat races, vendors, and Asian and Pacific inspired talented entertainment.

Pumpkin Days & Corn Maze Tolmachoff Farms | October 1- 31 Tolmachoff-Farms.com | (602) 999-3276 Pumpkin Days & Corn Maze – Tolmachoff Farms, pumpkin patch, 6 acre family corn maze with a new theme every year (search for pieces of your map as you walk through), mini corn maze (perfect for little ones), haunted corn maze (dare to enter), also petting zoo, train ride, hay pyramid, corn box, adult and child pedal cart track, jumping pillow and more.

7th Annual Arizona Taco Festival Salt River Fields at Talking Stick | October 15 - 16 AZTacoFestival.com 7th Annual Arizona Taco Festival – Salt River Fields, 50+ professional and amateur taco teams compete for $10,000 in prizes in chicken, beef, pork and fish, a side cart throw down in salsa and guacamole, Lucha Libre wrestling, a tequila tasting tent, “Ay Chihuahua! [dog] Beauty Pageant,” live surfer rock music and more.

T

he housing market in Greater Phoenix started 2016 in a healthy state and has continued to improve, at least for sellers of entry level and midrange homes up to $500,000.

“The price increases are a natural result of the very strong demand for homes against very limited homes for sale,” says Realtor.com’s chief economist, Jonathan Smoke. “It is pent-up demand… coupled with the lowest mortgage rates we’ve had in three years.”

The price range below $250,000 remains short of supply and the number of buyers far exceeds the low number of homes for sale. Appreciation is strongest for these entry-level homes and condition is rarely a constraint.

Location can be an issue, but the shortage of homes for sale in the central areas has encouraged more buyers to go looking in outer locations. This has led to much improved markets in locations like Buckeye, Maricopa and Florence.

Between $250,000 and $500,000, supply has improved over 2015 and is being replenished quickly by new home builders. New single family home permits in Maricopa and Pinal Counties totaled 7,778 year to date by the end of May. This is an increase of 18% compared to 2015.

“More homeowners are realizing the equity they’ve accumulated in recent years and finally deciding to trade-up or downsize,” according to NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. “Repeat buyers are using the proceeds from the sale of their previous home as their down payment.”

Mid-range demand has increased thanks to historically low interest rates and a mild slackening of lender underwriting conditions. Appreciation is moderate for this price segment, but comfortably exceeds the CPI inflation rate which remains unusually low. There are occasional problems for homes that have been neglected or in great need of modernization.

The luxury market has lost momentum in the last 12 months. The price range between $500,000 and $1,000,000 is still doing reasonably well, with very slight appreciation in prices.

Despite weakness in the luxury sector, the majority of the Greater Phoenix housing market is healthier now than it was 12 months ago and the prospect of rising mortgage interest rates has faded. The millennial generation is now a more significant pool of potential home buyers than the baby boomer generation and this dominance will increase over the coming decade. It is the many differences between baby boomer and millennial lifestyle decisions that are likely to change the nature of the housing market going forward.

REAL ESTATE

corner

F

Scaring Up The Past

all is in the air. Before long, pumpkins will be transformed into jack-o-lanterns and costume-clad children will be roaming the streets in search of sweets. But how did Halloween come to be and what is the root of all the spooky and fun traditions?

According to the History Channel, the holiday’s origins lie with the Celts, the ancient Irish clan who lived 2,000 years ago, who marked the day as the end of the harvest season and the start of the long, cold winter. As crops and food became scarce, this bridge between seasons became synonymous with a bridge to the world of the dead. The Celts celebrated the day with a festival known as “Samhain” (translation “summer’s end”) during which they lit bonfires and donned costumes in hopes of keeping ghosts away.

The costumes were usually made from animal heads and skins.

Although a far cry from the Minion and Spiderman costumes of today, this is the root of why we wear Halloween costumes today.

The actual word “Halloween” didn’t become associated with this time of year until about the 8th century when the Christian church declared November 1st All Soul’s Day, a time to honor not fear the dead. This was also known as “All-hallows” or “All-hallowmas,” from the Middle English Alholowmesse, which meant All Saints’

IN GOOD TASTE

Steele Indian School Park Memorial Hall September 24 BalletAZ.org | (602) 381-0184 19th Annual Ballet Under the Stars – Steele Indian School Park, sunset performance series by Ballet Arizona in an outdoor setting, with a stage, lighting, costumes and beautiful Arizona weather, bring a blanket or lawn chair, varied program ranging from classical to contemporary.

Day. The night before became known as All-hallows Eve and before long was simply called Halloween. But how did scaring the dead away and honoring the dead turn into a night focused on kids and candy? Trick or treating actually has these same ancient origins. In order to keep ghosts away from their home, the ancient Celts would place bowls of food on their doorstep hoping this would appease the spirits. Later on in England, AllSouls’ Day parades began when poor children would go door to door promising to pray for people’s deceased loved ones in return for pastries, which were known as “soul cakes.” This is the origin of the sweet treats your little ones go in search of every year on Halloween.

Halloween did not really come to America until about the 1850s when Irish and English immigrants brought with them these ancient customs. The traditions grew and evolved into our own American version of Halloween. So this year, as you hang a scary witch or silly ghost in your yard, remember that you’ll not only be spooking the neighborhood children but you may be warding off bad spirits from your home as well. And who couldn’t use a little good fortune these days?

Happy Halloween!

Mad Men Flatbread INGREDIENTS 1 ½c ½ c 4 oz 4 oz

Damascus flatbread Pizza sauce Shredded mozzarella Sliced Italian sausage Prosciutto

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer sauce, mozzarella, sausage and prosciutto on flatbread. Cook for 8 minutes or until flatbread is crispy. Enjoy!

Manhattan INGREDIENTS 2 oz ¾ oz

Rye or Canadian Whiskey Sweet red vermouth Maraschino cherry (garnish) Dash Angostura bitters

DIRECTIONS Stirred over ice, strained into a chilled martini glass, garnished, and served straight up.

(480) 889-5580 | BeverlyOnMain.com

EVENTFUL

Metro Market Report

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016 19th Annual Ballet Under the Stars

TroonFIT Running on the Links Series 1 The Boulders | October 1 RunningOnTheLinks.com TroonFIT Running on the Links Series 1 – The Boulders, why should only golfers enjoy some of the most beautiful grounds Arizona offers? Take to the cart paths, features a front 9 distance (approximately 5K) perfect for walking or a short run, enter a drawing with the chance to win amazing prizes.

13th Annual Arizona Dragon Boat Festival Tempe Town Lake | October 1 - 2 AZdba.com 13th Annual Arizona Dragon Boat Festival – Tempe Town Lake Marina, 50 dragon boat racing teams from all over the world are expected to participate, 40-foot-long rowing canoes, 20 paddlers, one steersperson & a drummer in a 500-meter race, features competitive and recreational dragon boat races, vendors, and Asian and Pacific inspired talented entertainment.

Pumpkin Days & Corn Maze Tolmachoff Farms | October 1- 31 Tolmachoff-Farms.com | (602) 999-3276 Pumpkin Days & Corn Maze – Tolmachoff Farms, pumpkin patch, 6 acre family corn maze with a new theme every year (search for pieces of your map as you walk through), mini corn maze (perfect for little ones), haunted corn maze (dare to enter), also petting zoo, train ride, hay pyramid, corn box, adult and child pedal cart track, jumping pillow and more.

7th Annual Arizona Taco Festival Salt River Fields at Talking Stick | October 15 - 16 AZTacoFestival.com 7th Annual Arizona Taco Festival – Salt River Fields, 50+ professional and amateur taco teams compete for $10,000 in prizes in chicken, beef, pork and fish, a side cart throw down in salsa and guacamole, Lucha Libre wrestling, a tequila tasting tent, “Ay Chihuahua! [dog] Beauty Pageant,” live surfer rock music and more.

T

he housing market in Greater Phoenix started 2016 in a healthy state and has continued to improve, at least for sellers of entry level and midrange homes up to $500,000.

“The price increases are a natural result of the very strong demand for homes against very limited homes for sale,” says Realtor.com’s chief economist, Jonathan Smoke. “It is pent-up demand… coupled with the lowest mortgage rates we’ve had in three years.”

The price range below $250,000 remains short of supply and the number of buyers far exceeds the low number of homes for sale. Appreciation is strongest for these entry-level homes and condition is rarely a constraint.

Location can be an issue, but the shortage of homes for sale in the central areas has encouraged more buyers to go looking in outer locations. This has led to much improved markets in locations like Buckeye, Maricopa and Florence.

Between $250,000 and $500,000, supply has improved over 2015 and is being replenished quickly by new home builders. New single family home permits in Maricopa and Pinal Counties totaled 7,778 year to date by the end of May. This is an increase of 18% compared to 2015.

“More homeowners are realizing the equity they’ve accumulated in recent years and finally deciding to trade-up or downsize,” according to NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. “Repeat buyers are using the proceeds from the sale of their previous home as their down payment.”

Mid-range demand has increased thanks to historically low interest rates and a mild slackening of lender underwriting conditions. Appreciation is moderate for this price segment, but comfortably exceeds the CPI inflation rate which remains unusually low. There are occasional problems for homes that have been neglected or in great need of modernization.

The luxury market has lost momentum in the last 12 months. The price range between $500,000 and $1,000,000 is still doing reasonably well, with very slight appreciation in prices.

Despite weakness in the luxury sector, the majority of the Greater Phoenix housing market is healthier now than it was 12 months ago and the prospect of rising mortgage interest rates has faded. The millennial generation is now a more significant pool of potential home buyers than the baby boomer generation and this dominance will increase over the coming decade. It is the many differences between baby boomer and millennial lifestyle decisions that are likely to change the nature of the housing market going forward.

REAL ESTATE

corner

F

Scaring Up The Past

all is in the air. Before long, pumpkins will be transformed into jack-o-lanterns and costume-clad children will be roaming the streets in search of sweets. But how did Halloween come to be and what is the root of all the spooky and fun traditions?

According to the History Channel, the holiday’s origins lie with the Celts, the ancient Irish clan who lived 2,000 years ago, who marked the day as the end of the harvest season and the start of the long, cold winter. As crops and food became scarce, this bridge between seasons became synonymous with a bridge to the world of the dead. The Celts celebrated the day with a festival known as “Samhain” (translation “summer’s end”) during which they lit bonfires and donned costumes in hopes of keeping ghosts away.

The costumes were usually made from animal heads and skins.

Although a far cry from the Minion and Spiderman costumes of today, this is the root of why we wear Halloween costumes today.

The actual word “Halloween” didn’t become associated with this time of year until about the 8th century when the Christian church declared November 1st All Soul’s Day, a time to honor not fear the dead. This was also known as “All-hallows” or “All-hallowmas,” from the Middle English Alholowmesse, which meant All Saints’

IN GOOD TASTE

Steele Indian School Park Memorial Hall September 24 BalletAZ.org | (602) 381-0184 19th Annual Ballet Under the Stars – Steele Indian School Park, sunset performance series by Ballet Arizona in an outdoor setting, with a stage, lighting, costumes and beautiful Arizona weather, bring a blanket or lawn chair, varied program ranging from classical to contemporary.

Day. The night before became known as All-hallows Eve and before long was simply called Halloween. But how did scaring the dead away and honoring the dead turn into a night focused on kids and candy? Trick or treating actually has these same ancient origins. In order to keep ghosts away from their home, the ancient Celts would place bowls of food on their doorstep hoping this would appease the spirits. Later on in England, AllSouls’ Day parades began when poor children would go door to door promising to pray for people’s deceased loved ones in return for pastries, which were known as “soul cakes.” This is the origin of the sweet treats your little ones go in search of every year on Halloween.

Halloween did not really come to America until about the 1850s when Irish and English immigrants brought with them these ancient customs. The traditions grew and evolved into our own American version of Halloween. So this year, as you hang a scary witch or silly ghost in your yard, remember that you’ll not only be spooking the neighborhood children but you may be warding off bad spirits from your home as well. And who couldn’t use a little good fortune these days?

Happy Halloween!

Mad Men Flatbread INGREDIENTS 1 ½c ½ c 4 oz 4 oz

Damascus flatbread Pizza sauce Shredded mozzarella Sliced Italian sausage Prosciutto

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer sauce, mozzarella, sausage and prosciutto on flatbread. Cook for 8 minutes or until flatbread is crispy. Enjoy!

Manhattan INGREDIENTS 2 oz ¾ oz

Rye or Canadian Whiskey Sweet red vermouth Maraschino cherry (garnish) Dash Angostura bitters

DIRECTIONS Stirred over ice, strained into a chilled martini glass, garnished, and served straight up.

(480) 889-5580 | BeverlyOnMain.com

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016

Gorgeous Custom Home

Representing Luxury Buyers & Sellers 27842 N 103rd Place | Scottsdale 4 Bed | 4.5 Bath | 7,191 SQFT | $3,950,000 Gorgeous custom home with breathtaking golf course, mountain & city light views. Open floor plan with luxurious appointments & finishes throughout. Great room features wood beamed ceilings, two sided Canterra stone fireplace & wet bar open to dining room & kitchen. Chef’s dream kitchen with large island & veggie sink, Sub-Zero & Wolf appliances, wine fridge, butler’s kitchen & walkin pantry. Office with built-in desk, bookshelves & fireplace. Master suite boasts custom niche with fireplace and private patio with gorgeous views. Master bath with indoor steam shower and private outdoor shower. Huge his & her closets with built-ins and gym adjoining. Guest house is attached with bedroom, living room, bath & kitchen. All bedrooms en suite. Outdoor living with huge covered patio, fireplace, BBQ, negative edge pool & spa.

Tracy Fitzgerald

Lifestyle ARIZONA LUXURY

Hallowed History & FUN FALL FACTS

All Decked Out

Top 1% Agent in Arizona 2015

480.560.7000

tracy@fitzgeraldluxurygroup.com

There’s no denying that decks are a great place to gather friends and family for a backyard barbecue or pool party, but besides adding the quality of life factor, building or updating a deck on your home can add notable monetary value.

Backyard decks will increase the living area of a house — which is typically a bonus selling point — and at a much lower price per square foot than an interior remodeling project might. Depending on the materials used you can recoup more than 81 percent of the job costs when figured into the value of your home. Composite products last longer but are pricey, while traditional wood is affordable, yet vulnerable to weather and termites. Your neck of the woods will also determine the return on your investment based on local construction costs and if the region enjoys year-round outdoor climates. More sunny days mean more days on deck!

Call Tracy at 480.560.7000 for the most effective marketing for your Arizona Luxury property.

FitzgeraldLuxuryGroup.com Your referrals are the heart and soul of my business. The highest compliment that I can receive is a referral to one of your friends, relatives or business associates. Your trust and confidence is greatly appreciated.

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (480)460-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

Metro Market Housing Report

The Beverly

Flatbread & Manhattans