Schmetzer RE Group AZ and WA

09/09/2026

Every once in a while a home crosses my radar that's worth sharing and this one definitely fits the bill.

It's right in my own backyard, in a community I know well: a fully gated neighborhood surrounded by larger estate homes, with views over the golf course straight to the Superstition Mountains. At $1.3M, it's a genuinely beautiful home — and for that price, I think a lot of my Pacific Northwest friends would be thrilled to call this place home. 😀

The listing agents are well respected in this market, and it shows the photography does the home real justice.

Worth noting: several homes in this same neighborhood sell for well above this price point, which tells me there's real room to add value here with some additional updates. Take a look through the photos and let me know what you think!

Tucked within the quiet, gated Mountain Whisper community, this beautifully appointed Gold Canyon home pairs an inviting, thoughtfully designed interior with a backyard made for enjoying the Arizona lifestyle, all against the striking backdrop of the Superstition Mountains. Mature, intentional lands...

09/03/2026

Check out my newest blog post for September at
www.soundandsouthwest.com/ -post6
And if you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about buying a home in the greater Phoenix area please check out my website and get to know me and my services, I’d love the opportunity to help!

08/24/2026

With massive growth already happening in the SE Mesa area, Mesa Gateway Airport just closed out a record-breaking fiscal year and it's a signal worth paying attention to if you're watching the East Valley market.
Besides the fact I’m selfishly hoping that as the Airport continues to grow we may get a direct Alaska Airlines flight from Mesa to Paine Field in Everett there is much more going on here

There are TWO massive development projects happening right now near the airport:

✈️ Gateway East — new business park with a hotel, restaurants, and offices coming (Xnrgy's new HQ is already open!)

✈️ SkyBridge Arizona — a $1 billion aviation & commercial hub with Gulfstream Aerospace already on-site

Nearly 3,000 people already work at the airport, and that number is only growing. Big companies like Garmin, Virgin Galactic, and Textron Aviation all have facilities there too.

What does this mean for you? Growth like this tends to ripple outward, more jobs, more demand for housing, more energy in the local market. If you've been thinking about buying or selling in the East Valley, this is exactly the kind of trend worth watching.

I live and work right here in the East Valley, so if you want to talk about what this means for your home or your next move, just reach out! 🏡
📞 (206) 819-7080 📧 [email protected]
Schmetzer Real Estate Group | Powered by Parker Property LLC

08/19/2026

Pending Home Sales Update (July 2026)
📉 The market just took a breather — here's what it means for you.
New numbers are in: pending home sales dipped 2.3% in July, marking the second straight monthly decline and the lowest reading since the start of the year. Mortgage rates crossed 6.7% right in the middle of summer, and a lot of buyers hit pause.

Here's the part that matters more than the headline: this isn't a crash, it's a shift in leverage. When contract signings slow down, sellers get more realistic and buyers get more room — to negotiate, to take their time, to actually think through a decision instead of racing another offer.

What does this all mean, well we have all seen the price reductions in many of the homes on the market as sellers try to entice buyers and I believe this will continue until interest rates retreat so buyers have more confidence in long term planning.

The West had the largest decline (-7.1%) so I believe WA and AZ will continue to offer better values for homebuyers and investors in the near future.
Curious what this looks like for your specific street, price range, or timeline? That's exactly the kind of question I like to dig into send me a message.

~Walt Schmetzer Real Estate Group (powered by Parker Property LLC) 📞 (206) 819-7080 | ✉️ [email protected]
Source: National Association of REALTORS® Pending Home Sales Report, released Aug 18, 2026

08/12/2026

🏜️ **ATTENTION PNW BUYERS: The clock is ticking on Phoenix deals** ⏰

Here's the human side of owning a home away from home

Right now, hundreds of Phoenix-area homeowners are snowbirds and they're deciding RIGHT NOW whether to sell before they fly south for the winter. ✈️

Some are motivated. Really motivated. They don't want to manage an empty house from 1,500 miles away all season. They don't want another round of HOA fees and insurance on a vacant property. They want it DONE. 💪

But here's the thing about human nature... ⏳

Once October/November rolls around and the house hasn't sold? That urgency just disappears. 🌵☀️ They land in Phoenix, the pool's heated, the weather's perfect, and suddenly "I need to sell" becomes "eh, we'll figure it out in the spring." The listing sits. The price gets stubborn. The motivation is GONE.

**This is the window. Right now. Before the flights south.** 🛫

If Arizona has been on your radar, retirement, a winter escape, an investment property, THIS is the moment to have a real conversation with a seller who will be more motivated to sell.

I live and work in BOTH WA and AZ markets so I watch this pattern play out every single year. 🏔️🌵

Let's talk before the snowbirds land. 👇

📞 (206) 819-7080
✉️ [email protected]
www.soundandsouthwest.com

**Schmetzer Real Estate Group** | Powered by Parker Property

08/10/2026

Real talk about the housing market right now 🏡👀

I've got a foot in two very different markets — Snohomish County, WA and the East Valley here in AZ — and honestly, they're behaving nothing alike lately!

Up in WA: homes are sitting a little longer before selling (around 41 days), but that's actually a win for buyers — way more homes to choose from than last year and a lot less pressure to rush a decision. 🙌

Down here in AZ: it depends a LOT on where exactly you're looking. Some parts of Maricopa County are seeing 1 in 4 listings just... not sell — usually because they're priced a little too optimistically. But hop over to Pinal County and homes are moving quicker. Same general area, totally different vibe. 🤷‍♂️

Moral of the story: don't trust the big national headlines to tell you what's happening on YOUR street. That's kind of my whole thing — I actually live and work in both these markets instead of just pointing you to someone else.

Buying, selling, or just nosy about your own neighborhood? Send me a message, happy to break it down for you! 📲


Schmetzer Real Estate Group
📞 (206) 819-7080 | 📧 [email protected]
www.soundandsouthwest.com

08/09/2026

Buying a home in the PNW means buying into a lifestyle. 🏡

Spent an afternoon at Edmonds Marina this week — a good reminder of why so many buyers land here. It’s not just about square footage or school districts (though those matter too). It’s about what’s around the home: water minutes away, mountains on the horizon, and a pace of life that’s hard to find once you leave the PNW.

If you’re house hunting right now, don’t just think about the four walls — think about the life you’re buying into. That’s the conversation I love having with buyers: what does your day actually look like once you move in?

Thinking about your next move? Let’s talk about what’s out there.

📍 Edmonds Marina


www.schmetzerrealesrategroup.com
📲 (206) 819-7080

07/29/2026

**Buyers — this is worth asking about before you write your offer.**

If a seller offers you a credit, don't assume $12,000 off the price is the better deal. On a $600,000 loan, that same $12,000 used to buy down your rate instead saves you $200 a month — versus about $80 a month if it just comes off the price. 💰

That's not a typo. It's the same seller money, doing 2.5x more for your monthly payment.

Over the life of a 30-year loan, that gap becomes $72,000 vs. $28,800 in savings. Even if you don't stay in the home 30 years, the monthly difference matters right now — especially if your debt-to-income ratio is tight and every dollar of payment counts toward qualifying.

So next time you're negotiating: ask your agent to run both scenarios before you decide what to ask the seller for.

(Example uses a 30-year fixed loan starting at 7%. Your actual numbers will depend on your lender and rate — reach out and I'll walk you through it.)

www.soundandsouthwest.com

📩 Walt · Schmetzer Real Estate Group
(206) 819-7080 · [email protected]

07/22/2026

There's a reason golf course living has such a pull out here. ⛳

It's not really about the sport — it's waking up to a view that never gets old, walking out your back door into open green space, and living somewhere that feels like a permanent vacation.

That HOA fee you see on golf course communities? It's usually buying you a lot more than people expect — course and grounds maintenance, clubhouse access, pools, security, and a full calendar of community events. Think of it as pre-paying for a lifestyle, not just an extra cost.

If golf course living has been on your radar, let's talk about which Valley community actually fits how you want to live. 🏡

www.soundandsouthwest.com
[email protected]
📲(206)819-7080

07/16/2026

☀️⛈️ Monsoon season is here, Gold Canyon!
That gorgeous AZ sky can go from clear to chaos in minutes this time of year. A few reminders to keep you and your home safe through the storms:
🌪️ See a dust wall (haboob) rolling in? Pull over or get inside — visibility can drop to zero fast.
🚗 Never drive through flooded washes. Turn Around, Don't Drown.
🪑 Bring in patio furniture and loose items before the wind picks up.
🏠 Check your roof & gutters now, before the big rains hit.
🔦 Keep flashlights and a charged power bank handy — outages happen.
Stay safe out there, East Valley 💛 And if a storm ever has you wondering how your home's roof, drainage, or grading will hold up — I'm always happy to help.
📍 Gold Canyon | Apache Junction | East Valley

www.Schmetzerrealestategroup.com
www.SoundandSouthwest.com