Weekend Warrior | November 23, 2024 - November 24, 2024

It's Almost Turkey Day, Weekend Warriors!

The holiday hustle is in full swing, and we know your to-do list is longer than ever. But before the turkey hits the table, there’s plenty of fun activities, weekend events, and photo opps to take you and your crew to. This weekend, in fact, brings one of our favorite local traditions—the Gilbert Days Parade—and some exciting real estate opportunities (peep the open house list below!). With the recent turn into a buyers market, we're finding incredible opportunities for folks to find a new home for the holidays - the stories are amazing and we can't wait to share them with you. Speaking of sharing stories, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us at our client appreciation event at Discovery Park last week—it was an absolute blast and we loved hearing about ALL of your holiday plans and traditions. And don't worry, if you weren't able to make it out to the Fall Festival, we’ve got lots of ways for you to get involved over the next month - so keep scrolling for all the details 💕. We're so grateful to be in this season with you, and wish you the happiest, healthiest and most memorable holiday season.

A Unique Opportunity for Buyers and Sellers in Greater Phoenix

The Greater Phoenix housing market is experiencing a rare shift into a buyer's market, creating a unique opportunity for both buyers and sellers to make strategic moves. Buyer’s markets in this region are infrequent, with the last one lasting just four weeks in 2022 and the one before that in 2010. While the current conditions may not last long, they offer advantages for those who are prepared to act.

For Buyers:

Did you know you might qualify as a first-time homebuyer without realizing it? HUD defines a first-time homebuyer broadly, including individuals who haven’t owned a primary residence in the last three years, single parents who only owned with a former spouse, and those who’ve owned non-traditional properties. This definition opens doors to grant programs that provide closing cost assistance, down payment aid, and interest rate relief.

In past years, fierce competition made it difficult for buyers using these programs to have their offers accepted. But today, with fewer multiple-offer situations, sellers are more willing to work with buyers utilizing these opportunities. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to buy, this could be it. However, the window may close quickly if mortgage rates stabilize or drop again, shifting the market back to favor sellers.

For Sellers:

Rising mortgage rates have softened buyer demand and pushed the market into a seasonal buyer’s market. While this creates challenges, sellers who prioritize property condition, competitive pricing, and are willing to offer incentives like rate buy-downs and closing cost assistance can still secure successful contracts.

If you’re not in a rush to sell, consider preparing for a stronger market in the first quarter of 2025, when buyer activity typically picks up. For those navigating the current market, patience and strategic planning are essential as longer marketing times are expected during the holiday season.

Whether buying or selling, the current market presents unique opportunities—but timing is everything. Let’s discuss how you can make the most of these conditions!

This year, we have two BIG opportunities to give back in support of organizations we know and love. The first is Shannon's Giving, named after our friend Amber Kovarik's sister who passed away from Cancer. Thanksgiving was their favorite family tradition so each year we support this organization with a donation, volunteer to pick up pre-made Whole Foods meals, and deliver them to families. This year, we're partnering with Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels to give meals to 25 pediatric cancer patients and their families. You can contribute by scanning the QR code below and donating to our 501c3 nonprofit organization, Community on Purpose. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, please reach out to us and we can connect you as well!

We're also super excited to add a new partnership for Community on Purpose and the Amy Jones Group this year with Branching Out Family Services and the Good Works Project supporting families in foster care. This year, we'll be partnering with them to bring a little more love to kiddos and their family through a holiday present drive and will be raising funds to purchase items on the wish lists, assembling volunteers to wrap and so much more. If you'd like to donate, scan the QR code below or reply to this email and ask to be added to the volunteer invite list for the event! We so appreciate you allowing us to be on this journey of home ownership with you - the more we serve through real estate, the more we can serve through community!

This year we announced the launch of our Community Heroes Appreciation Program with a special gift of gratitude for military members, veterans, educators, medical professionals, first responders, and government/civil servants when buying or selling a home with us. 

In recognition of these invaluable contributions, we offer a $1,000 credit towards closing costs as a thank you for the service to our country and community. This program was originally founded to honor our military heroes, inspired by Amy Jones’ late father, Richard (Mac) McGarrigle, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and we’ve since expanded it to include all community heroes who make a difference every day.

Additionally, we partner with title companies, lenders and even moving companies who offer special programs designed to assist community heroes with their moving and community connection needs. These programs can help make homeownership more affordable by offering lower down payment requirements, reduced interest rates, and other financial assistance to ease the burden of a big move.

If you or someone you know would qualify for this program, please reach out so we can share details with you and share our gratitude for your role in our community. 

Gilbert Days Parade- Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 

Join us this year for the annual Gilbert Days Parade presented by Earnhardt Auto Centers. We are excited to share with the community over 75 amazing floats and parade entries for this year’s event. Bring your family and friends to this nostalgic event that originated over 40 years ago to celebrate the paving of Gilbert Road. We welcome you to make this a family tradition, as many residents of multiple generations have. This event is from November 23 @ 8:30 am - 11:00 pm.

Colorful Christmas with the Crayola Experience - Sunday November 24th, 2024

Deck the halls with tons of COLOR and enjoy holiday fun the Crayola way! Make handmade gifts from the heart, complete a seasonal scavenger hunt and more! It's a holiday hullabaloo with SNOW much to do! All this in addition to our 15+ hands-on attractions! This is a recurring event from Nov. 23rd-Jan 5th from 10am-6pm.

And so much more! For a complete holiday calendar of events for kiddos, visit East Valley Moms EPIC Calendar collection here!

😲 In Case You Missed It!