The third consecutive month of lower year-over-year home sales in October contributed to the first year-over-year inventory increase in a decade according to the RE/MAX National Housing Report for October 2018. Meanwhile, the Median Sales Price recorded one of its lowest increases of 2018.

The RE/MAX National Housing Report for October saw sales decline 4.6 percent from a year ago – compared to sales drops of 11.6 percent in September and 1.1 percent in August – and was the eighth month of 2018 to record lower sales than 2017.

As a result, inventory is slowly being replenished, with the number of homes for sale in October increasing 1.0 percent over October 2017. October 2018 was the first month to show a year-over-year increase in inventory since October 2008 when two and a half times as many homes were for sale. The Months Supply of Inventory is now 3.5, compared to 3.3 a year ago.

“The market continues to move toward equilibrium. The modest inventory increase is a much welcome sign for buyers,” said RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos.“Although home sales were down year-over-year, it’s encouraging to see the magnitude of the decline decrease from the sharp drop we witnessed in September. The trend of easing price increases remains and that’s also a positive.”

October’s Median Sales Price of $236,000 marked the 31st consecutive month of year-over-year price increases and was the highest October price in the 10-year history of the report. Even so, the 4.9 percent gain was the third-lowest year-over-year growth of 2018.

Days on Market of 48 was an October record for fewest days and compares to 51 days in October 2017.

“The imbalance that has defined this market for so long continues to moderate,” said Contos. “However, it will take some time to recalibrate. Rising prices and interest rates and tight inventory levels continue. Buyer and seller expectations still appear to be a bit mismatched suggesting a choppy market remains in place.”

Click here to download your copy of the RE/MAX National Housing Report for October 2018. If you are looking to sell your Arizona home or are ready to buy a home in a luxury Arizona retirement community, please contact Sharon Mason today!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for older adults and Arizona retirees to spend time relaxing and enjoying the company of their family and friends. However, for some older adultsThanksgiving can be emotionally or physically challenging. Here are 3 tips for a healthy, happy Thanksgiving to truly enjoy this terrific holiday.

1.) Eat smart for your heart

With all the Thanksgiving goodies on the table, it can be tempting to go a little crazy on the calories. But senior citizens are more prone to holiday-related health issues so be mindful of what you put on your plate and how much of it you put on there. Overeating can lead to everything from indigestion and heart burn to a heart attack. It’s best to limit gravies, butter and other high-fat choices with plenty of vegetables and lean white meat. And if you want to kick it up a notch and enjoy this beautiful Arizona weather, why not take a walk after enjoying a hearty Thanksgiving meal?

2.) Enjoy some company

When Thanksgiving and the holiday season rolls around, it can spark depression in older adults. It’s common for seasonal depression to make you want to be alone, but don’t isolate yourself on this day. If you are unable to be with your family, spend the day with your friends for a “Friendsgiving” style Thanksgiving celebration. In an Arizona retirement home? Enjoy a meal with the company of the other residents. Thanksgiving is also a great day to volunteer to help prepare the feast at a local food shelter or community home. Giving your time altruistically is a great way to lift your spirits and enjoy the day.

3.) Watch your health

 With the cooler temperatures, seniors are more susceptible to cold and flu season. Try to keep your stress levels down as everything from depression and traveling to food prep can weaken your immune system. If you feel under the weather - physically or mentally - during the holidays, don't wait to visit your doctor. Be sure to have an up-to-date list of medications you are taking. If you do face a health emergency during the holidays, it's important for your doctor to know your current medical conditions and have a list of your medications.

Thanksgiving can be a fun and festive joyous start to the holiday season, so it’s especially important that seniors take care of themselves during this time. Share and implement these tips and have a healthy and Happy Thanksgiving! – Sharon

Fall is here and with Arizona temperatures dipping back into the 80’s, you may have noticed the migration of winter snowbirds returning to the Valley of the Sun. For those who don’t know, snowbirds are seasonal residents who visit warmer climates to escape the harsh winters of their main hometowns. Most hail from the Midwest, Western states, Pacific coast and Canada. Snowbird season is usually from October through May and with it, locals see an influx of retirees, Baby Boomers, and active adults soaking up the sun and enjoying all the amenities Arizona has to offer.

Local snowbirds are often retirees, having no attachments or obligations, and having the freedom to do what they want. Snowbirds move in the same general migratory pattern, but they take very different paths to their winter havens and spend their time differently. Baby Boomers in their 50s are a newer breed of Snowbird often choosing to purchase property in favorable markets and gradually spend more time in the state as they near retirement. From vacation rentals and condos to Arizona homes, some snowbirds are choosing to become permanent residents by their late senior years.

Various well-to-do snowbird retirees land in Sun City and other popular Arizona retirement communities to buy second homes, play tennis or hike, attend the theater and check out art galleries and shopping malls. Developments like Sun City Grand in Surprise and Trilogy at Vistancia in Peoria are catering to middle and upper-middle income snowbirds. And with so much to do from swimming laps in the pool to enjoying a round of golf, it’s no wonder so many visitors choose to make Arizona their second home. Either way, they’re enriching Arizona’s culture, community and economy and we extend them a welcome as warm as the weather. Welcome back to the Valley of the Sun, snowbirds!

So whether you’re an active adult seeking a seasonal get-a-way in Sun City or an Arizona retiree searching to buy a home in an Arizona retirement community, contact Sharon Mason, your retirement expert, for all your living and retirement needs!

Metro Phoenix drivers will need to make sure their cellphones are tucked away when crossing into Surprise city limits as of this month. Surprise enacted the toughest cellphone-use law for drivers in the Valley this month. The law prohibits talking on a cellphone, sending a text message or otherwise using a hand-held communications device while driving in the city, unless the device is in hands-free mode.

Police will generally issue warnings only for the first 30 days of the new law, said Surprise police Sgt. Tim Klarkowski. After that, the fines will begin. The fine is $250 on the first offense. Surprise officials put an ordinance banning talking, texting or anything involving a handheld communication device into effect last week, the Arizona Republic reported.

The Arizona Legislature has considered enacting a texting-while-driving ban for at least the last decade. This year, a measure that would have banned texting while driving made it through the Senate, but failed to make it through the House.

The Legislature did take one step on the issue, though, banning new drivers, between the ages of 15 1/2 and 18, from using cellphones while driving, unless in a specific emergency or when using a navigation system. Coconino and Pima counties, Oro Valley, Sedona, Tucson and some other cities ban the use of hand-held cellphones while driving, but no Valley city does.

Tempe has a distracted-driving law that lets police cite drivers for talking on the phone or texting, but only if police think the drivers pose a risk to themselves or others. Some other cities, such as Flagstaff, Fountain Hills and Phoenix, ban texting while driving, but not the overall hand-held phone use.

Drivers, please make sure your cellphones are tucked away when crossing into Surprise city limits, and as always, please drive safe! If you’d like more information about the cellphone ban in Surprise, or if you’re looking to sell your home or buy a home in an Arizona retirement community, please contact Sharon Mason today!

Jae Herron, a Valley homeowner says she recently found a notice on her front door, implying she had missed a delivery. Like a lot of consumers, Herron likes to shop and buy online. She says getting packages dropped off at her home happens fairly frequently. So, when she came out of her front door and found a notice saying, "Sorry we missed you" from a company called "Valley Delivery," it got her attention.

But when she called the number on the notice and that's when felt something wasn't quite right. They proceeded to ask her for her date of birth and she said no. Herron says she then grew even more suspicious as the representative kept asking more personal questions, so she hung up and reported the fraud. According to the Better Business Bureau, a company by a similar name, Nu Home Promotions, was told to "modify misleading advertising practices.” Herron says she’s not surprised and wants others to be aware.

This isn’t the first time this package delivery notification scam has happened in the Valley. Earlier this year, Dave Sollis, a homeowner in Surprise said fake delivery people had been hounding him from the same company that's not actually delivering packages, but rather delivery notices aimed at data mining, according to the company's fine print. Sollis said a fake delivery man visited his home at around 5 a.m. one day, leaving a fake delivery notice. Sollis looked up Valley Delivery online and decided it wasn't a legitimate delivery company.

Valley Delivery has done business under several different names. They have a bad record with the Better Business Bureau and have been the target of past investigations looking into their shady marketing practices. 

The Better Business Bureau warns that scammers often impersonate well-known shippers or steal the identities of popular retailers to appear more legitimate. If you really did miss a delivery, the driver will leave a ticket at your door to arrange for a later delivery or for you to pick up the package. If you or someone you know has been a victim of delivery notice fraud please report the incident to the Attorney General, Better Business Bureau or contact the local, state or Federal regulators most likely to have answers to your questions here.

And as always, never give your personal information or credit card information to anyone over the phone unless you are certain you know that you are dealing with a legit business. As always, shop smart and be safe!

The RE/MAX National Housing Report for September 2018 showed the trends of fewer closings and stabilizing inventory continued through September, punctuated by a surprisingly big 11.6 percent year-over-year drop in home sales. At the same time, the RE/MAX National Housing Report for September 2018 posted a Median Sales Price of $241,000 that marked the 30th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases. It is the highest September price in the 10-year history of the report. To access the housing report infographic, visit:https://rem.ax/2phKHWT.

The decline in home sales year-over-year was the largest since May of 2011, as September became the seventh month of 2018 to record lower sales than 2017. Even so, year-to-date 2018 home sales resemble 2017’s.

“The big drop in September closings catches your attention. The market is clearly rebalancing as buyers and sellers continue to process the increasing interest rate environment and what that means to them,” said RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos. “The slower drop in inventory – a visible trend for nearly half a year – further illustrates the ongoing shift toward market equilibrium, and that’s healthy in the long-term.”

Active inventory dropped for the 119th consecutive month, the decline of 4.7 percent from September 2017 was the smallest year-over-year decrease since August 2014. In addition, the September year-over-year inventory drop was the fifth consecutive month in 2018 to post single-digit percent declines rather than the double-digit monthly drops consistently seen over the previous three years.

“It’s a little surprising to see prices staying so strong, but it’s hardly shocking in such a tight market,” said Contos. “The headwinds of rising prices and interest rates amid already tight inventory levels have been crimping affordability and slowing sales for most of the year, but it varies by geography. In circumstances like these, where the market is tricky to navigate, both buyers and sellers can benefit by aligning themselves with a professional agent – a local expert who can cut through the noise and advocate on their behalf.”

Home prices rose by 5.6 percent over September 2017, more than twice the year-over-year price increase of 2.3 percent from September 2016 to September 2017. That reversed a trend seen in the previous three months, when year-over-year price increases trailed 2017’s rate of growth.

Months Supply of Inventory totaled 3.7, which is the second-lowest for September in report history, second only to 3.6 months in September 2017. Days on Market of 46 was a September record for the report – three days less than September 2017. Of the 54 metro areas surveyed in September 2018, the overall average number of home sales is down 1.1percent compared to August 2018, and down 11.6 percent compared to September 2017.

Clickhere to download your copy of the RE/MAX National Housing Report for September 2018. Looking to sell your home or buy a home in an Arizona retirement community? Contact Sharon Mason, your Arizona retirement expert, today!

The Social Security Administration recently announced that the cost-of-living adjustment for 2019 will be 2.8 percent which means larger social security checks next year for Arizona retirees.

Each year, the Social Security Administration assesses whether there should be an adjustment to benefits, so that their purchasing power keeps up with inflation. The agency uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI-W, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This year's increase marks the biggest hike since 2012, when the cost-of-living adjustment was 3.6 percent.

For Arizona retirees who have recently elected to take Social Security benefits, this could be the first time they see a "real increase" in their monthly checks, Joe Elsasser, president of Covisum, a provider of Social Security timing software, previously told CNBC.

For those who are collecting an average Social Security benefit of about $1,400, the 2019 cost-of-living adjustment will amount to an extra $39 per month. In the past the boost from the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment has been eaten up for many by higher Medicare premiums. That is unlikely to happen to as many people this year as it did in 2018, according to Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at the Senior Citizens League.

If you’d like more information about the increasing social security checks, if you’re in the market to sell your Phoenix home, or if you’re ready to buy a home in an Arizona retirement community, please contact Sharon Mason today!

The City of Glendale’s library system was awarded three grants federally funded through the Arizona Secretary of State’s office that they will use to provide new programming for seniors, backpacks filled with educational hiking materials that residents can check out and a heroes-themed book collection for the new Heroes Regional Park Branch Library, which will open in the spring of 2019.

“It’s rare that a library will get two awards, and we went three for three,” shared Chief librarian, Michael Beck at the September Advisory Board meeting. Here’s how the staff is planning to use the $56,000 grant money:

Hiking Backpacks: The largest grant, for $24,500, was for Discovery and Exploration Backpacks containing trails and educational books and tools meant to be taken on hiking trails. The grant will fund forty waterproof backpacks across the city’s four libraries as well as some programming related to the backpacks. Each library will have 10 backpacks with five different themes — two to each theme. Two of the five themes will be geared toward children while three are geared toward adults. They will not be available until January or February. Each pack will have trail guides supplied by Glendale’s Parks and Recreation department.

Programming for Seniors:Glendale received $12,900 in grant funds toward programming for seniors, ages 55 and older. This program will bring in professional artists and educators to teach craft classes. Ms. Fletcher-Spear said she would often look on Pinterest to learn crafts she felt confident she can teach to a class. One popular craft among Glendale libraries that the grant will fund is canvas painting, which Ms. Fletcher-Spear noted is expensive. At least 38 programs are planned across the city’s four libraries. Classes will be spread across daytime, evenings and weekends.

‘Heroes’ collection:Glendale’s newest library is receiving a unique book collection, thanks to an $18,600 grant awarded to the city. The theme of the “Heroes” collection for the Heroes Branch Library, at the corner of 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road, is “Find a hero, be your own hero.” The first two parts of the three-part collection will be geared toward the first half of the theme: a graphic novel collection, filled largely with tales of super heroes, and a biography collection will aim to help readers of all ages discover heroes real and fictional. The third part of the collection will be a collection of vocational books, aimed to help readers “be their own heroes” by working toward the career they want. The collection will also feature an online database called JobNow. It is a new service from Brainfuse, a website that provides HelpNow, an online tutoring service that is currently available at Glendale libraries.

For more things to do in Glendale or if you’re looking to sell or buy a home in one of the many Arizona retirement communities, please contact Sharon Mason today!

The RE/MAX National Housing Report for August 2018 shows increasing home prices, low inventory and a reduction in days on market. These combined factors made August 2018 the sixth time this year that home sales lagged behind last year’s pace—but only slightly at -1.1 percent. To access the housing report infographic, visit: https://rem.ax/2phKHWT.

Home prices rose by 3.7 percent over August 2017, much lower than the year-over-year price increase of 5.4 percent from August 2016 to August 2017. In fact, the past three months of 2018 have trailed 2017’s rate of price growth year-over-year—compare that to four of the first five months of 2018 when year-over-year price increases easily topped those posted in 2017.

The Median Sales Price of $248,500 marked the twenty-ninth consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Even though active inventory dropped for the 118th consecutive month, the decline of 5.4 percent from August 2017 marked the smallest year-over-year decrease since August 2014. In addition, the August 2018 inventory drop marked the fourth consecutive month in 2018 to post single-digit percent declines, rather than the double-digit monthly drops consistently seen in early 2018 and over the previous three years.

“It varies by market, but we’re hearing that buyers are being more selective and sellers are becoming more pragmatic,” said RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos. “That dynamic could bring inventory levels up, especially in the most overheated markets, where we expect to see the clearest signs of equilibrium returning. The economy is strong and potential buyers are out there—they just need more listings, at the right price points, to consider. We believe that balance will return, which will be good for everyone in the long run. It’s just a matter of when.”

Contos added that although the lack of inventory continues to be a challenge, the trends suggest that the market finally appears to be rebalancing.

“The moderation we are experiencing seems to be a bit more than the normal seasonal lull we’d expect this time of year,” said Contos.

Want to know more about the current real estate market? Click here to download your copy of the August 2018 RE/MAX National Housing Report. If you are looking to sell your Arizona home or are ready to buy a home in a luxury Arizona retirement community, please contact Sharon Mason today.

July home sales rose 1.8 percent year-over-year, making it the second month of 2018 to post a sales increase year-over-year, according to the RE/MAX National Housing Report. To access the housing report infographic, visit: https://rem.ax/2phKHWT.

In the July 2018 report, 37 of the report’s 54 metro areas posted sales increases over July 2017—April was the first month of 2018 where more homes were sold than the same month in 2017. The report also marks the 28th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

The Median Sales Price of $250,575 was up 4.4 percent from July 2017, and represents the third-highest price in report history—topped only by May and June of this year. Months Supply of Inventory was at 2.9 – the smallest total ever recorded for July.

Forty-two of the 54 metro areas reported a year-over-year drop in inventory. The Days on Market dropped to 41 – four days less than July 2017 and one day under the previous nine-year low set in June 2018.

“Because we’ve faced challenging inventories and increasing home prices for some time now, a seasonal slowdown that rebalances the market a bit might actually be a positive in the months ahead,” said RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos. “It could level affordability to some extent and create more opportunity for buyers who’ve been priced out of hot markets.”

The average Days on Market for homes sold in July 2018 was 41, down one day from the average in June 2018, and down 4 days from the July 2017 average. The number of homes for sale in July 2018 was down 0.3 percent from June 2018, and down 7.8 percent from July 2017. Based on the rate of home sales in July, the Months Supply of Inventory increased to 2.9 from 2.7 in June 2018, and decreased from 3.1 in July 2017. A 6.0-months supply indicates a market balanced equally between buyers and sellers. In July 2018, all but one of 54 metro areas surveyed reported a months supply at or less than 6.0, which is typically considered a seller’s market.

Want to know more? Click here to download your copy of the July 2018 RE/MAX National Housing Report. If you are looking to sell your Arizona home or are ready to buy a home in a luxury Arizona retirement community, please contact Sharon Mason today.