Today, May 18 2010, we’ll be taking a look at the real estate and home/condo market in Phoenix zip code 85014. The map to the right shows you the boundaries to this narrow region of mid-town and central Phoenix, AZ. As you can see, Camelback sits midway and 7th Street and the 51 bound it on the sides.
Zip code 85014 offers a diverse selection of real estate opportunities from condos, townhomes, single family homes, multi-family housing and some historics. It is this eclectic blend that gives the area its personality and diversity.
The 85014 zip code is one of the most popular in Phoenix. Relative to the general region, home prices are generally lower. At the same time, there are a lot of benefits with great access to downtown Phoenix, Sky Harbor airport, proximity to the Biltmore area and it is fairly close to Metro Light Rail and the ASU downtown Phoenix campus for ASU. The job market is strong with ASU, many law firms, numerous hospitals, hotels and other businesses.
Recent real estate data shows some strength in the single family home market. As of this post, only 72 homes are for sale and home inventory is in the 3-4 month range. The graph to the left comes from Mike Orr of the Cromford Report and shows pretty good sales from traditional homeowners and a growing inventory of short sales. As you can see, buying a short sale or bank owned home offers some strong price advantages. With short sales getting a bit easier, it may be wise to explore these opportunities. (If you would like more information about short sales please visit our short sale information site.)
The condo market is a completely different story. As we’ve discussed in the past, financing for condos is a nightmare. Lenders are afraid of condos these days due to financial problems with homeowners associations. Thus, most lenders are staying as far away from condos as possible and its easier to find a fiscally responsible politician than obtaining an FHA loan.
The loan issues surround condos has made values pretty soft. A few projects like Brick Commons and One Lexington qualify for financing but the majority do not. If you are a cash buyer there are some great deals out there. I’d advise caution though and make sure to have a CPA take a look at the HOA’s financials and don’t expect much, if any, appreciation until the mortgage issues are resolved and a larger buyer pool becomes available.
If you would like to take a look at what’s for sale in 85014, we’ve included a nifty home search tool below. If you click on any home it will open a window with lots of information and an opportunity to modify the search for your particular needs. If you have a question, need more information or what to take a look at a place, we’d be happy to help.
Best to you,
Gene Urban & Ron Urban
The Urban Connection Team
602-234-5777
SEARCH FOR HOMES % CONDOS IN 85014