Watching the stock market has been quite the roller coaster ride recently. In fact, Magic Mountain ain't got nothin' on this ride. I am reminded of a meeting I had a few weeks ago where I was able to speak with Andrew Waite of Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine. One of the interesting things we discussed is the amount of money being poured into "Self Directed IRA's." These are vehicles that allow people to purchase real estate instead of staying invested in the stock market. Mr. Waited gave me an example that was very interesting, he told me that they are seeing larger and more whole numbers being added to these types of accounts. For example, in the past, it was more common for them to see "even" numbers like $100.000.00 deposited where it is becoming more common today to see "whol... 10/21/2008

This just came across the Urban Realty wire and we thought all Tempe Loft & Condo residents would like to know! Enjoy "Dinner and a Movie" Sunday nights at La Bocca Pizzeria on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe!  Be sure to see the movie night schedule for which movies will be showing directly below.  Free popcorn, 1/2 price bottles of wine and movies start at 8pm. Chow!     10/20/2008

  Here is the latest market updates from Sept. 2008. It appears that we are trending to a better market for sellers, but make no mistake, it is still going to be a while, hopefully 6-9 months.  New Listings Active Listings Sold Listings Months Inventory Sep/2008 14,247 54,933 6,159 8.92 Aug/2008 13,588 55,174 5,615 9.83 Jul/2008 13,528 55,831 5,898 9.47 Jun/2008 13,558 57,216 5,692 10.05 May/2008 13,062 59,067 5,596 10.56 Apr/2008 13,827 60,140 4,810 12.50 Mar/2008 13,521 59,868 4,256 14.07 Feb/2008 13,068 59,412 3,422 17.36 Jan/2008 16,059 56,924 2,872 19.82 Dec/2007 8,976 58,569 3,342 17.53 Nov/2007 11,670 60,583 3,315 18.28 Oct/2007 14,262 60,506 3,422 17.68 Sep/2007 12,921 59,574 3,377 17.64 Aug/2007 14,844 58,823 4,308 13.65 Jul/2007 13,890 57,565 4,686 12.28 Jun/2007 14,335 57,506... 10/20/2008

Hey ASU Football fans... Did you know that RailLife.com is giving away 2 free ASU football tickets for next Saturday's game against Oregon? It's true! All you have to do is visit the Rail Life Blog ( Oh yeah, have you seen the cool video from the Cal game? Thanks to my buddy Mike Mueller for getting the girls to say "Hi Nick!" Take a listen :-) 10/17/2008

Another wonderful article about Tempe urban living appeared in this weekends Arizona Republic.  For those of us who already live the urban lifestyle it may sound a bit stale, but for those who still haven't looked into living in the heart of the city, it may be enlightening. Click here for Full Article on Tempe New Urbanism If you are looking for additional information on living in downtown Tempe, researching hip condos or lofts for sale or rent, please visit our website or contact us below. Tom Tokoph Downtown Tempe Broker Urban Realty & Development 602-549-9000 ttokoph@mac.comUrbanRealtyAZ.com The Urban Realty & Development Vespa 10/16/2008

So I recently read an article at azcentral.com titled 'Home buyers, builders split on Prop. 201" and basically the article goes on to talk about how homeowners who bought new homes have no rights or warranties. But lets first take a step back and analyze who is proposing this Prop. and what the expected outcome is. Prop 201 is sponsored by Arizona AFL-CIO, that's right the Unions. But you ask yourself, "I thought that Arizona doesn't have unions"? Well, you are partially right. Arizona is a "Right to work state" and what that means is that an employer can hire and fire as needed and they don't have to bow down to the unions and pay higher wages for those who refuse to give 100% ALL THE TIME. ( Disclaimer: I am not saying people who are members of a union don't give 100%, what I am sayin... 10/14/2008

While, Arizona currently does not have a real estate transfer tax, there is nothing that prevents a tax from being enacted at any time. With our current slow economy and budget crisis, it won't be long before cities, counties, and the state start looking for new sources of revenue. Enacting a real estate transfer tax is gaining momentum in Arizona. Just last year a bill was introduced in the state legislature proposing such a tax. Countless citizens' commissions and county reports mention a transfer tax as a possible source of revenue for the state. With the momentum for a real estate transfer tax growing, we must act now to put an end to this debate before it is too late! Join us in passing a constitutional protection that will stop real estate transfer taxes. Click here to get involve... 10/14/2008

Well, the Wall Street may have found bottom, or at least that is what is in the news nowadays. So why are interest rates on the rise? The answer is simple, mortgages for the most part are not tied to stocks but bonds. Since investors believe that Wall Street has lost enough and there are so many bargain investments out there, Lenders are predicting a decline in the bond market and raising the rates. Today in Arizona, (which has a slightly higher rate than most of the country due to having one of the highest foreclosure rates) the interest rate fluctuate between 6.75% and 6.85%. It is expected to reach 7% by the end of the week. So what does that mean if you are looking to buy a house? Well, your buying power is greatly reduced. Regardless of declining home values, it is better to buy no... 10/14/2008

If you are looking for a thin slice of pizza that is made with organic flour and local organic toppings and you are anywhere close to Tempe Arizona then La Bocca restaurant is where you want to go. There are also appetizers - some quite interesting such as bruchetta with prosciutto,fig,and truffled mascarpone. On the drink side of the menu there are equally interesting selections such as fresh blackberry mojito.  Monthly the establishment serves a special Thursday dinner and also offers live entertainment and movies. Urban, casual surroundings. Fro more information call 480-967-5244 or visit their website. 10/12/2008

With their Tempe location being the first in Arizona for this chain restaurant, Maria Maria, comes to Tempe and serves delightful Mexican food. (They have two other locations in California and one in Texas.) With interesting items like duck tacos and spicy baked cheese, they also have their own specialties such as "suizas" which are an unusual menu item with corn tortillas filled either with shrimp or crab meat and baked with Swiss cheese and covered with roasted tomato cream sauce. Yum! Lots of specialty drinks as well including many made with special agave tequila and  delights like tangerine mojitos. For more information visit their website or all 480-449-3663. 10/09/2008

Tempe's Mill Avenue has been named one of 10 Great Streets for 2008 in the American Planning Association's Great Places in America program. This is great news as it starts to bring more attention and business to a community that has finally stepped out of the "norm". Tempe for the longest time has remained a small, family orientated community. It has only been in the last 10 years or so that Tempe has embraced urban living and high-rises. With dozen of future projects in the works, Tempe is setting the standard for Arizona and most of the West. If you have never been to Tempe and Mill Ave. I recommend you check out the website Mill Avenue District it is full of useful information. And if you are interested in Urban Living get in touch with me at my website The Phoenix Team 10/09/2008

I was on my son's schools web-site Ryan Elementary looking at the October calendar for the kids.  I found this interesting and yet every year we plan to attend and then something happens and we do not attend...unfortunately.  This year I promised my son that I would find out when this event was taking place and make sure that we can attend, take the whole family and even our Golden Retriever...Duke.  And yes he looks like the "Duke" from the baked beans commercial. :) So I Googled Frank Kush and learned about his Foundation.  What an interesting Bio, this gentlemen spent 22 seasons coaching Arizona State's (ASU) football team. The Foundations motto: "To encourage participation by Arizona youth in health and physical fitness activities that will promote self-discipline, confidence, and f... 10/07/2008

Tempe has a ton of wonderful and diverse communities. From horse property to ultra luxury urban communities and just about everything in between.Saturday, October 18th is "G.A.I.N" night which stands for Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods and is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness in neighborhoods. Lori and I will once again be joining several of our neighbors in participating in this fun event with our kids at Stroud Park in Tempe. The Camelot Village Neighborhood Association is involved and they describe the night as a partnership effort between the Tempe Police Department and Neighborhood Watch Programs, Neighborhood Associations and Apartment Communities. During G.A.I.N. residents lock their doors, turn on the their porch lights and spend the evening outdoors with... 10/05/2008

Along with the new boardwalk/bike path currently under construction on the West side of Tempe Town Lake, a new pedestrian bridge is also planned to run over the Western dam.  The design really looks fantastic and will help complete the full "loop" around the lake that is currently missing. CLICK HERE for more information about the Pedestrian bridge at Town Lake from the City of Tempe's Website     10/04/2008

For the month of October, we have gone PINK in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. This is a great opportunity to tell our friends about FREE mammograms.  For many years, I have sponsored teams for the "Climb to Conquer Cancer" as it is a cause very near and dear to my heart. There are many other great ways to get involved in helping raise money and awareness. In fact, a friend of ours is helping with a "Relay for Life" event this month. Take a look! You should also know that the Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle). This does... 10/02/2008

As the scorching summer comes to end, the Centerpoint High Rise Condos are still unoccupied.  That might change in the coming weeks if this new deal is approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Randolph Haines. While Mortgages Limited Securities (MLS) is hanging on by a thread, they have come to an agreement, or so it seems.  This is the newest of many claimed to be "done deals", but only the next day in court will tell.  The first deal included an outside investor, Stratera Portfolio Advisors that would funnel an immediate $4.8 million through MLS to Avenue Communities, developer of Centerpoint Condominiums.  Apparently this deal wasn't good enough for MLS, who then sought another hard-money investor, Mountain Funding, LLC.  They came in and somewhat complicated things when they demanded super... 09/30/2008

Hayden Ferry Lakeside has announced that the Hyatt Hotel brand will be the new operator of the previously announced "Le Meridien" hotel site along the Tempe Town Lake.  See the full news article and renderings of the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Hayden Ferry Lakeside below.   September 24, 2008 East Valley Tribune MIKE BRANOM A Hyatt Regency will be opening on the shore of Tempe Town Lake in 2011, Mayor Hugh Hallman announced Wednesday during his State of the City address.The 240-room luxury hotel will be part of the Hayden Ferry Lakeside complex, located northeast of the intersection of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.The Hyatt also will feature 24 condominiums, a 4,000-square-foot spa and 13,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 5,000-square-foot ballroom.Groundbreaking will take... 09/24/2008

Recently, I was invited to the Fox 10 studios to talk about real estate and my business. This was a great opportunity for me to help people get a better feel for what I do. Basically, I was able to share: 1. A little bit of my background. I talked about living in the area for over 35 years and about the fact that I have been selling real estate in the valley for the past 16 years. 2. Some of the tools we use to help clients. Everyone knows that most people begin their search on the internet. We will continue to grow our on line presence in ways that help buyers and sellers. ie: great mls search tools etc. etc. 3. Some of the trends I see in the real estate market. I was able to share my opinion that many people are looking for great homes in great locations. Unfortunately, when the mark... 09/23/2008

There was a great little report / video on Bridgeview and Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside along Tempe Town Lake on ABC15 last night.  While it isn't very informative, the report does underscore the ideas that Urban Realty has been promoting for years now-- urban life provides a much easier, more convenient lifestyle. September 17, 2008 ABC15 More Valley residents are moving "up"Reported by: Steve Irvin CLICK HERE FOR HAYDEN FERRY LAKESIDE NEWS VIDEO Just a few months ago, Russ Hickman was living in a five bedroom, 3 bath home in Mesa.  He's happier now, he says, with his 1,200 square foot, one bedroom condo.  It's a simple matter of convenience.  "Close to the airport, close to restaurants... walking distance," Hickman said.  Just some of the reasons he moved into the Hayden Ferry La... 09/18/2008

I was really glad to have been invited to the ribbon cutting to celebrate Fidelity National Title's relocation to the Hayden Ferry Lakeside building. This is one of the most impressive spaces around and they occupy the entire 11th floor of this gorgeous building. As you cross the Mill Avenue Bridge or pass by on the freeway on the North side of the lake, you can't help but look at these beautiful buildings. Basically, you have the commercial space closer to the bridge and the residential towers of Bridgeview and Edgewater directly to the East. Talk about a cool lifestyle! Imagine working in one of these buildings and living in the residential towers? This is some of Arizona's finest urban design and is located just north of the Mill Avenue District's light rail stop at 3rd St/Mill Avenu... 09/17/2008