Mikesazhomes

💧 ARIZONA CITIES MAY START TRADING WATER WITH EACH OTHER.

Yes… you read that correctly.

As Colorado River supplies tighten, Scottsdale is exploring a potential regional water swap, and Gilbert and Chandler have been identified as possible partners.

Here’s the basic idea:

♻️ Scottsdale could provide highly treated recycled water to another Valley community.

💧 In exchange, Scottsdale could receive potable water or another water-supply benefit.

🤝 Instead of every city trying to solve Arizona’s water problem alone, communities could increasingly trade, reuse, recharge and share water resources.

And this could become a BIG part of Arizona’s future.

Scottsdale currently gets roughly two-thirds of its water from the Central Arizona Project, making Colorado River reductions particularly important there.

Meanwhile, cities like Chandler have a different water portfolio, including substantial Salt and Verde River supplies and an extensive reclaimed-water system.

🏠 So why should homeowners and buyers care?

Because Arizona’s water future may not simply depend on how much water exists.

It could increasingly depend on how effectively communities can:

✅ Diversify their supplies
✅ Recycle wastewater
✅ Store water underground
✅ Build infrastructure
✅ Work with neighboring cities

That means when you're comparing Arizona communities, the question shouldn't only be:

“Where does this city get its water?”

It should also be:

👉 “How prepared is this city to adapt when that supply changes?”

No final water-swap agreement has been announced, and this does not change household water service today.

But it shows just how much Arizona's water strategy is evolving.

And when you're talking about the future of Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley and the Phoenix metro housing market, that's something worth paying attention to.

I’m continuing to track Arizona's water situation and translating it into what actually matters for homeowners, buyers, sellers and real estate.

Mike Bernard | Chat.RealEstate
📞 480-203-4779
🌐 mikesazhomes.com

💧 GILBERT IS PREPARING FOR A 20% CUT IN COLORADO RIVER WATER.

But before you panic…

🚫 This does NOT mean Gilbert homeowners are getting 20% less water from their faucets.

What IS changing?

Gilbert has reactivated its High Consumption Notification Program as the town prepares for reduced Colorado River deliveries.

The Town can now alert customers when:

💦 Water usage suddenly jumps from the previous month

🚨 A home uses at least 20 gallons per hour for 36 consecutive hours — potentially signaling a leak, irrigation problem, running toilet or other excessive use

And Gilbert is offering homeowners incentives to conserve:

🌵 Up to $2,000 for qualifying grass removal

🌱 An additional $1,000 desert-plant bonus

💧 Up to $250 toward qualifying smart irrigation controllers

So is Gilbert “running out of water?”

No.

But the Colorado River situation is forcing Arizona communities to become much more aggressive about conservation, infrastructure and long-term water planning.

And I believe this will increasingly become a REAL ESTATE issue.

A home with desert landscaping, efficient irrigation, leak monitoring and lower water consumption may become more attractive as water costs and conservation efforts increase.

The question Arizona buyers should start asking isn't just:

“How much is the electric bill?”

It's also:

👉 “How water-efficient is this house?”

I’m continuing to track Arizona's water situation and what it actually means for Gilbert, Queen Creek, Chandler, San Tan Valley and East Valley real estate — without the hype.

Mike Bernard | Chat.RealEstate
📞 480-203-4779
🌐 mikesazhomes.com

🚨 WAITING FOR MORTGAGE RATES TO DROP?

Today’s inflation report may have just flipped the script.

📈 Inflation came in hotter than expected
📈 Treasury yields jumped
🏦 Markets now see a higher chance of another Fed rate hike

Meanwhile in Queen Creek:

🏡 Median sold price: ~$665K
⏱️ Days on market: ~72 days

What does that mean?

Buyers: You may have more control negotiating price, closing costs & a rate buydown than waiting for rates to magically fall.

Sellers: With buyers this payment-sensitive, pricing matters more than ever.

Don’t try to time the market. Negotiate it. 🎯

Mike Bernard | Connect Realty
📞 480-203-4779 | 🌐 mikesazhomes.com

💧 “QUEEN CREEK IS GROWING TOO FAST. WHAT ABOUT THE WATER?”

It’s one of the biggest questions I hear about Queen Creek.

And there’s a major new development homeowners and buyers should know about.

🏜️ Queen Creek has secured access to approximately 1.7 MILLION acre-feet of water from the Harquahala Valley — designed to help provide a 100-year water supply.

That could dramatically change Queen Creek’s long-term water picture.

Once fully incorporated into the Town’s water portfolio:

💧 Local groundwater dependence is projected to fall to about 6%

🌊 Colorado River water represents only about 10% of Queen Creek’s supply

🏠 The Town is working toward becoming an Arizona Designated Water Provider, demonstrating a 100-year assured water supply

That’s a BIG deal for one of the fastest-growing areas in the East Valley.

But there’s another side to the story…

💰 Securing water isn’t free.

Queen Creek is considering a new $3.07 per 1,000 gallons Water Resource Fee to help pay for these long-term water supplies and infrastructure.

For homeowners, Arizona’s water story may increasingly be less about:

❌ “Are we going to run out of water?”

…and more about:

✅ “How much will it cost to secure reliable water for the next 100 years?”

For real estate, this matters.

Reliable long-term water supplies could influence:

🏡 Where new homes can be built
🏗️ Which communities can continue growing
💰 Future development costs
📈 Land and property values
💧 Which Arizona communities are best positioned for the next 20–30 years

And with Colorado River reservoirs still under significant pressure, communities that secure diversified, long-term water supplies could have a major advantage.

Queen Creek isn’t waiting for Arizona’s water problem to solve itself. It’s investing now to secure its future.

I’m continuing to track Arizona’s water situation specifically through the lens of East Valley real estate — without the hype or scary headlines.

Mike Bernard | Connect Realty
📞 480-203-4779
🌐 mikesazhomes.com

🏡 Mortgage rates just jumped back toward 6.8%—but Queen Creek buyers may still have an ace up their sleeve.

Here’s what’s happening as we head into September:

📈 30-year mortgage rates: ~6.76%
🏠 Queen Creek homes for sale: ~665
💰 Typical Queen Creek home value: ~$631K
📊 Year-over-year values: Essentially flat
⬇️ Recent sales below asking: ~62%

That last number is the one I’d pay attention to.

🔑 BUYERS: YOU MAY HAVE MORE LEVERAGE THAN YOU THINK

You can't control mortgage rates.

But you CAN negotiate the deal.

Instead of waiting indefinitely for rates to fall, today's Queen Creek buyers should be looking at opportunities to negotiate:

✅ A lower purchase price
✅ Seller-paid closing costs
✅ Mortgage-rate buydowns
✅ Repairs or credits
✅ Other concessions

If nearly 62% of recent sales are closing below asking, the list price isn't necessarily the final price.

And sometimes getting the seller to contribute toward your interest rate can have a bigger impact on your monthly payment than another small price reduction.

🏡 SELLERS: HIGHER RATES CHANGE YOUR COMPETITION

When mortgage rates rise, your buyer's purchasing power falls.

That means a home that's overpriced by even $10K–$20K can suddenly fall outside someone's comfortable monthly payment.

And remember:

You're not just competing against other resale homes.

You're competing against new construction offering builder incentives and rate buydowns.

Pricing and positioning matter.

📈 INVESTORS: DON'T COUNT ON RENT GROWTH TO SAVE THE DEAL

Queen Creek rents are currently roughly flat year over year.

With borrowing costs still elevated, investment properties need to make sense based on today's numbers—not hoped-for appreciation or future rent increases.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You can't control the mortgage rate.

But you can control how you negotiate around it.

🔥 Buyers have leverage.
🎯 Sellers need sharper pricing.
💰 Investors need disciplined numbers.

This isn't a market for guessing.

It's a market for strategy.

Thinking about buying or selling in Queen Creek?

Let's look at the numbers for your specific situation and figure out where the opportunities are.

Mike Bernard | Connect Realty
📞 480-203-4779
🌐 mikesazhomes.com