Phoenix land and housing forecast: Vitality at last. <– That was the “theme” of this year’s “8th Annual Phoenix Land and Housing Forecast, presented by Land Advisors Organization.” The event “offered a wide range of information” — “from a national market overview and where Phoenix ranks” to “key innovations in the housing market,” along with where the Valley’s “housing growth is headed,” geographically and otherwise. Get the recap at AzBigMedia. http://bit.ly/2CAUThz
New Home Company opens sales at luxury Scottsdale condo project.“ICON Silverleaf [at DC Ranch] will begin previewing floorplans next week and will conduct pre-sales at an on-site Sales Gallery in early 2018.” View a rendering, plus get starting prices along with other details at Builder. http://bit.ly/2zkHA5V
Pinal County faces low-income housing shortage. “There isn’t enough affordable housing in Pinal County to meet demand… In Section 8 housing… the waiting list hovers around 1,000 applications… where only about 450 vouchers are offered…” And now, Casa Grande Dispatch reports, “a large pool of that housing is at risk of disappearing.” http://bit.ly/2BuUI8d
DOUBLING UP – Percent of adults living with roommates higher than ever before. “Across the country, 30 percent of adults live with either a roommate or parent, up eight percentage points since 2000” — and not only in markets with the most expensive rents. Check out the Zillow data for ‘Doubled-Up Households’ in Phoenix, at ADI. http://bit.ly/2kHw6AU
DOUBLING DOWN – Buyers making record-high down payments. ATTOM Data Solutions Senior VP, Daren Blomquist: “Buying a home has become a full-contact sport in many markets across the country, and buyers with the beefiest down payments — not to mention all-cash buyers — are often able to muscle out those with scrawnier savings…” And co-borrowing is on the uptick, with Phoenix among the “metros with the largest co-borrowing increases from a year ago.” REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2kd5vfI
New study reveals how long it takes to pay off a home in Phoenix. Real estate trends website Point2 Homes “compiled a list that highlights the average time it takes to pay off a home in 50 of the most-populated cities in the nation,” IF “home buyers put their entire income toward paying off a mortgage.” (So no money spent on anything else, such as utilities, home improvements, or FOOD: “Sure I’m emaciated from not eating. And of course, a gentle breeze often launches me airborne like a bounce house in a haboob. But, hey, at least my place is paid off!”) See how long payoff would take in Phoenix and access a link to the full study, at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2oHNWZO
Prescott Valley commission OKs 3,600-unit Jasper project. “The developer of the Jasper development located south of Highway 89A and west of the Granville subdivision received a unanimous recommendation from the Prescott Valley [P&Z last week]… The entire [362-lot] development [previously known as Glassford Heights’] will add 3,587 residential units on 1,245 acres of annexed property…” The Daily Courier. http://bit.ly/2BJwqJW
November 2017 Tucson housing statistics released. “Tucson Association of Realtors and Multiple Listing Service have released the November Residential Sales Statistics.” Real Estate Daily News has the highlights. –> http://bit.ly/2ySVA3h
Rio Nuevo, TIF help fund 14 Tucson projects. “The Rio Nuevo Board wrapped up its last meeting of 2017 in December by reflecting on the projects that were launched and accomplished this year.” Among the projects: AC Hotel Tucson by Marriott, Tucson Mining Center for Caterpillar Inc., the Tucson Convention Center. For details on these and the rest of the projects, tap to AZRE. http://bit.ly/2AUPVf8
Coconino County to accept new proposals for Rogers Lake-area property.“For the past three years, [NAU] has used the property for a summer artists-in-residence program, but has decided not to renew its contract after February.” Arizona Daily Sun reports that the county is “on the lookout for potential uses for a 20-acre housing compound” under a possible “public-private partnership model.” But could “selling the property” (which was “donated to the county by the estate of the late St. Louis Rams owner Georgia Frontiere”) be the best “option”? http://bit.ly/2B98Qae
Kingman Airport Authority files injunction, hearing canceled. “The hearing scheduled for the city’s condemnation filing against Kingman Airport Authority was canceled, pre-empted by KAA filing an injunction in U.S. District Court in Phoenix… KAA filed an injunction in federal court to prevent the city from taking the airport by eminent domain.” KEY QUOTE: ““We believe this case violates the constitutional right of the Kingman Airport Authority…” Daily Miner. http://bit.ly/2kFXI9N
Councilwoman looks to keep pace with Paradise Valley infrastructure needs. “Paradise Valley Councilwoman Julie Pace says competing needs and a newfound financial vulnerability courtesy of the Arizona Legislature has her seeking to better understand the municipality’s capital improvement priorities… Councilwoman Pace is looking to establish firm criteria thresholds for how projects are decided and funded.” Paradise Valley Independent. http://bit.ly/2B9MDc9
Senior engineer solves Maricopa problems with heart. “[Bob] Marsh is a Planning & Zoning commissioner, treasurer of the Maricopa Multicultural Consortium, member of the Subdivision Ordinance Rewrite Team, and member onthe Desert Cedars HOA board of directors.” In its profile of the MIT grad/”semi-retired engineer,” InMaricopa highlights Marsh’s “insatiable itch to fix problems in the community…” http://bit.ly/2kf70Kd
Scottsdale businessman buys tiny town in Wyoming. “Scottsdale financier [Rob Demaranville] and his business partners have… became the second owners of Aladdin, Wyoming since 1986.” Demaranville: “Everyone we meet… in a roundabout way, let us know not to change it… And that’s our goal.” (Meanwhile, fast-forward to a few years down the road, when it will probably be like: “So long, Aladdin! Hello & welcome to DeMaranville, Wyoming!” Dude’s got the perfect name for it!) More at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2kGuA20
Do you agree with the top story in Arizona for 2017? USA TODAY’s “Year in review: The 50 stories from 50 states that moved us in 2017.” http://bit.ly/2oE2Gcp
[COLUMN] The clumsy way Congress picks energy winners. Axios “Harder Line” columnist Amy Harder “looks at the clumsy and costly way Congress is picking energy winners with its massive tax bill.” http://bit.ly/2zl4gTC
Thunderbird move to downtown bittersweet for alumni. “[T]hough [some alumni] understand [the school’s] need to remain competitive… they worry it will affect the Thunderbird brand.” Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2Bueuk7
Alexa, make this story available for Newsmaker readers. Alright. “Despite just a smattering of uses for A.I. in government so far, some experts are already urging caution,” contending that it “could potentially exacerbate issues around service delivery, privacy and ethics if not implemented thoughtfully and strategically.” Governing. http://bit.ly/2kgo2rI
White House Tree Trimming by Saturday Night Live. “Donald (Alec Baldwin), Melania (Cecily Strong), Ivanka (Scarlett Johansson), Donald Jr. (Mikey Day) and Eric Trump (Alex Moffat) trim the tree with help from Kellyanne Conway (Kate McKinnon), Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Aidy Bryant), Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) and more.” — YouTube. WATCH in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2yTys4Q
Newsmaker BONUS: How do you know if you’re a jerk?: “Do you think it’s possible you might be a jerk?… I’m sure you don’t feel like a jerk, of course. But nobody does. Partly that’s because few of us like to believe anything negative about ourselves. But… it’s also because the essence of jerkitude.” By Guardian columnist Oliver Burkeman. http://bit.ly/2oHSYFG
