The Property Professor - Kevin Shufford, PhD

08/21/2026

Cien Agaves just opened its Chandler location last week.

If you've been driving to Old Town Scottsdale for their tacos and tequila flights, you don't have to anymore.

The new spot is at 54th Street and Ray Road. 5,000 square feet, seats up to 300 between the dining room and two outdoor patios.

Same scratch-made menu that made the original a Scottsdale staple since 2007. Same handcrafted margaritas. Same 100 plus premium agave spirits.

Here's why it matters beyond dinner. When a brand with 19 years of Scottsdale credibility chooses Chandler for expansion, that's a vote on where the money is moving.

Chandler homeowners near Ray Road, take the win.

Share this with a Chandler friend. Follow The Property Professor for more Southeast Valley market signals.

08/21/2026

Your house might be sitting on a pile of money you can actually use — and most owners have no idea how much, or which door to use to get it.

There are three, and they're not the same: a HELOC, a home equity loan, and a cash-out refinance. Pick the wrong one and you could re-price your entire mortgage at today's rate just to grab a little cash. Ouch.

So I built a Home Equity tool that shows how much you can likely tap and compares all three side by side. It even runs the debt-consolidation math — what rolling high-rate credit card balances into your equity could save you every month.

If you bought before the last few years of appreciation, the number might genuinely surprise you.

This is education, not a pitch — but if the numbers look good, I can help you actually do it. As a mortgage originator, that's my lane.

Comment EQUITY and I'll send you the free link.

08/21/2026

Found the perfect home in Arizona in 2026. Homeowner's insurance came in at $400 per month. $4,800 per year. Problem? 😏

Homeowner's insurance costs have increased dramatically in 2026 and 2026 — and in states like Arizona, Florida, California, Colorado, and Texas the numbers can genuinely shock buyers who did not budget for them.

Here is what is driving homeowner's insurance costs in Arizona in 2026:

→ Increased wildfire risk in many Arizona communities has pushed premiums higher across the state
→ Reinsurance costs have increased globally, and those costs are passed through to consumers
→ Construction costs remain elevated — rebuilding costs are higher, so coverage amounts and premiums are higher
→ Some national carriers have reduced their presence in high-risk states, limiting competition and pushing rates up

What $400 per month in homeowner's insurance actually means for your total housing cost:

On a $380,000 home with 5% down in Arizona in 2026:
Mortgage principal and interest at 6.75%: $2,368 per month
Property taxes at 0.7% annually: $222 per month
Homeowner's insurance: $400 per month
Total: $2,990 per month

That insurance line item is nearly as large as your property tax payment. It is not a rounding error.

How to manage homeowner's insurance costs when buying in 2026:

→ Get insurance quotes BEFORE you make an offer — not after you are under contract
→ Shop at least 3 insurance carriers — rates vary significantly for the same property
→ Ask about bundling discounts — home and auto with the same carrier
→ Ask about impact-resistant roofing discounts if the home has a newer roof
→ Consider a higher deductible to lower your annual premium
→ Ask your lender about the impact of insurance costs on your qualifying DTI — high premiums can affect loan approval

Comment READY and I will help you factor insurance into your complete monthly budget before you fall in love with a property.

08/21/2026

Adding “Docusign technical support” to my résumé as we speak 💻👏🏼😂

08/21/2026

5 new restaurants opening in Scottsdale this fall. I verified every date and address myself, which turned out to matter more than I expected.

No. 5 Smiling Moose Sandwich Grill, 2765 N. Scottsdale Rd. Opened August 17. The investor group includes James Harden.

No. 4 ALMA, 8700 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd at The Citadel. Targeting October 1. Southwest steakhouse taking the old Preston's space, with a rooftop lounge called Copper Club.

No. 3 Vecina, 8300 N. Hayden Rd in McCormick Ranch. Late August. Chef James Fox is a James Beard semifinalist, and this is the old Z'Tejas building with the lakeside patio.

No. 2 Drake's Hollywood, 3828 N. Scottsdale Rd in Old Town. Fall 2026, open daily from 4. Old Hollywood supper club with an invitation only members lounge capped at 100 people.

No. 1 BOA Steakhouse, 7134 E. Stetson Dr on the Waterfront. Fall 2026. The kitchen is entirely seed oil free and the beef comes through a partnership with Arizona's Four Sixes Ranch.

The honest part: only two of these five gave a firm date. The other three just said "fall," and BOA has already slipped twice this year. So save this, but don't plan an anniversary dinner around it yet.

The real estate read is the reason I track this at all. Restaurants follow rooftops, walkability, and new housing. Where they cluster tells you where demand is heading before the price data catches up. Old Town and the Waterfront are getting three of these five.

Which one are you trying first? And tag whoever in your life always picks the restaurant.

08/21/2026

Sell As-Is or Fix It Up First in Murrieta or Temecula?

Fixing up before you list costs 1% to 3% of your Murrieta or Temecula home's value. Here's when that spend pays you back, and when selling as-is nets more....

Fixing up before you list costs 1% to 3% of your Murrieta or Temecula home's value. Here's when that spend pays you back, and when selling as-is nets more.

08/21/2026

The number your lender gives you and the number you should actually spend are almost never the same.

"You're approved for $650K" doesn't mean buy at $650K. It means the bank is comfortable, with a payment that might keep *you* up at night.

The real question isn't the max. It's: what price fits the monthly payment you'll actually be happy with?

So I built a tool that works it both ways. Start with your income and see the price you qualify for, or start with the monthly payment you want and see the price that gets you there. It runs Conventional, FHA, and VA side by side, since the answer changes depending on the loan.

As both a Realtor and a mortgage originator, this is the exact conversation I have with buyers before we ever tour a house. Now you can have it with yourself first.

Comment AFFORD and I'll send you the free link.

08/20/2026

Pushing for resolution because you want relief is understandable.

But pressure doesn't create resolution. It creates compliance — and compliance that holds resentment underneath.

What actually creates lasting resolution is safety.

When people feel safe — not judged, not rushed, not managed — they can process honestly. And honest processing is what leads to real agreement.

Try this before you push for closure:

"I want us to understand each other before we solve anything."

Safety first. Resolution follows.

Save this for the conflict you want to actually fix.

08/20/2026

The 5 Scottsdale ZIP codes with the most million-dollar sales in July 2026, pulled straight from ARMLS.

No. 5 85259, Hidden Hills and Ancala. 20 sales over $1M, 96 days on market
No. 4 85258, Gainey Ranch and McCormick Ranch. 21 sales, 47 days
No. 3 85254, Kierland and Arabella. 35 sales, 69 days
No. 2 85262, Troon North and Legend Trail. 41 sales, 134 days
No. 1 85255, DC Ranch, Grayhawk, Silverleaf. 58 sales, 103 days

Most agents would stop there and call it a hot market. Look closer.

The two ZIP codes doing the most volume are also the two sitting the longest. 85255 led all of Scottsdale in million-dollar deals and still took 103 days to move them. 85262 took 134. Meanwhile 85258 cleared its 21 sales in 47 days.

Year over year, these same five went from 138 million-dollar sales in July to 175. That's a 27% jump in activity. But median days on market went from 72 to 95. Busier and about a third slower at the same time.

And every one of the top five closed below asking, between 2.9% and 5.1% under list.

What that means depends on which side you're on. Buying luxury in Scottsdale right now, you have real negotiating room. Selling, your first thirty days of pricing decide your outcome, because the homes that sit are the ones that started too high.

Own in one of these five? Comment your ZIP and I'll tell you what your specific area is doing.

08/19/2026

An NFL All-Pro just opened a three-story restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale.

Deebo Samuel of the 49ers partnered with chef Cleashaun Hill on Problem Lounge, taking over the long-vacant Barney's Boathouse at Sixth Avenue and Drinkwater.

Ground floor: fine dining. Two-pound tomahawk ribeye at $175. Whole roasted Dungeness crab. Lobster thermidor.
Second floor: full cocktail lounge.
Third floor: open-air rooftop with fire features, panoramic Old Town views, and ho**ah.

Open at 5 p.m. daily.

Here's the real estate angle. Every time a celebrity-driven concept lands in Old Town, the surrounding blocks reprice. Sixth Avenue was already climbing. This accelerates it.

Share this with a Scottsdale friend, and follow the page for more market breakdowns.