It's Beginning to Look A LOT Like Recovery

The Tucson Association of Realtors March Residential Sales Statistics make me want to sing! Average sale price has increased in FIVE of the last six months! At $168,153, it is 2.21% higher than in February, and 2.79% higher than March 2011. We haven't seen a year-over-year increase in average sale price since 2007.

Total units sold (buyers) soared up 36.11% from February to 1,387, which is 18.65% higher than March 2011.

Inventory and days on market continue to decline, as well. We had 4,168 active listings (sellers) in March, an 8.6% decline from February, and a 37.82% decline from March 2011. This is very exciting news.

4,168 sellers divided by 1,387 buyers means we have a three month supply of listings! This definitely favors the sellers, especially in the under $150,000 range.

Distress sales seem to be loosening their death grip on the market. 31% of the March sales were foreclosures, and 12% were short sales. In January, 56% of the sales were distressed properties, and in September 2011, distressed properties were 60% of the sales. I am so ready to return to a market where a normal sale doesn't involve dealing with bank bureaucracy and red tape.

If you are thinking of buying an investment or home, the message is clear: get them while they're hot!

Tucson's #1 for Real Estate Investment

The National Association of Realtors says that Tucson is the best place for real estate investment.

Here's the link to the article on Realtor.com

Roadrunner, The Coyote's After You

Can anyone spot a Correcaminos and resist the urge to say Beep Beep?

Out of State Buyers

Hi Donna,

Thank you very much for the wonderful job you have done as our realtor. I didn't know it was possible to complete such a transaction while out of state. You are incredibly conscientious, knowledgable, and hard-working. We feel very lucky to have you as our realtor!

Jan and Charlie Turner

Spring Equinox

Last fall I celebrated the equinox by observing a light phenomenon on a petroglyph near Picture Rocks Road. See my September 26, 2011 post for details. I went again on March 20, and got these cool photos.
The dagger pointing to the center of the spiral started to become visible as three dots of light at 11:10 AM.
The dagger point reached the center of the spiral by 11:20, and soon after that, the whole petroglyph was in the sun, and the show was over.
It was fascinating to see this evidence of the earth's rotation, and to know that people were watching this event a thousand years ago. This phenomenon was only rediscovered a few years ago, but like many of our planet's wonders, occurs whether we watch, or care, or try to interfere.

Turning Heads

The Gambel's Quail is a handsome fellow, no doubt about it. But even he did a double-take when a Hooded Oriole appeared at the fountain behind Desert's Edge.
This was a first for my bird life list. A few days later, I thought the Hooded was back, but it turns out it's another lifer, the Bullock's Oriole.
Notice that the Hooded has an orange hood the color of butternut squash, and a black face and bib. The Bullock's, which is the Western version of the Baltimore Oriole, is yellow, with a black cap and black line through his eye.

Now the test. What is this?

Eluding Capture

This cottontail saw a bobcat on the hill behind Desert's Edge and managed to flatten himself and not look behind him to see whether the bobcat noticed him. It worked, even though he had the additional distraction of me taking his photo through the living room window a few feet away.