Living in Havasu

Havasu Summer 2006

by Bobbi A. J. Holmes

            I keep hearing that this is one of the hottest summers in memory. The amazing thing, I’m not necessarily hearing this from Havasu residents or visitors, I am hearing the complaint from all over the country. I’ve heard it from family members and friends in Oregon, Missouri, and Tennessee, to name just a few.
       In fact, our daughter, who is now living in San Diego, called me last week complaining, she was absolutely miserable from unusual heat and humidity. One wouldn’t expect a Havasu transplant to melt from summer’s high temperatures.  Of course, air conditioning is the norm in Havasu, so when excessive heat hits those places where it isn’t the norm, they simply aren’t prepared. Plus, we definitely have a dryer, less humid heat than other areas.
       As for the humidity, it has been a little more humid than usual (for Havasu), yet coming from a 30 year plus Havasuian, I certainly don’t see this as being an unusually hot summer. Yet, we have been getting monsoon like weather, without the rain.  In the late afternoons or evenings, dark clouds have been gathering, accompanied by scattered lightning. Some might enjoy the light show. I’m usually a bit annoyed, as the lighting is a sure sign to get out of the pool! 
       While the country may be experiencing a hotter summer than the norm, I’ve been hearing comments that the real estate market around the country has been cooling off.  Many of our clients and friends have been asking how the market is in Havasu. 
       It’s moved into a buyer’s market, and there are a record number of properties listed on the local MLS. Some agents are complaining about business slowing down, yet with over 800 Havasu real estate agents (more than double of what there were 4 years ago),  it seems natural that individual agents might feel a squeeze. 
       Personally, we continue to get calls every day from buyers interested in Havasu, and the “experts” predict a strong growing market for Arizona over the next decade.  Baby boomers continue to look towards Havasu as their retirement destination, and now with talk of a possible 4-year college campus in Havasu’s future, it will be interesting to see just how the real estate thermostat will read in the near future.
       For buyers interested in Havasu, it might be the time to wade in, and check out what the market has to offer.  There should be more negotiation room, unlike a couple years ago, when sellers often received multiple offers.
       Wishing you and yours a gentle warming. 
                                                                                    August 2006