Mikesazhomes

10/07/2026

💧 CHANDLER vs. QUEEN CREEK: TWO VERY DIFFERENT PLANS FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS OF WATER

They’re neighboring East Valley communities.

Both are planning for Arizona’s water future.

But they’re doing it very differently.

🔵 CHANDLER: DIVERSIFY + STORE

Chandler has spent decades building a diversified water portfolio.

💧 57% of its drinking water comes from the Salt & Verde Rivers
🌊 37% comes from the Colorado River
🏜️ 6% comes from groundwater
⬇️ More than 500,000 acre-feet has been stored underground
♻️ Chandler says its reclaimed-water system allows roughly 95% reuse

Even with an expected 16% reduction in its Colorado River supply in 2027–28, Chandler says it can still meet customer demand.

And Chandler is currently working through Arizona’s process to modify its existing 100-year Assured Water Supply designation.

🟠 QUEEN CREEK: ACQUIRE + CONTROL

Queen Creek is taking a different approach.

Instead of relying heavily on local groundwater and CAGRD replenishment, the Town has spent heavily to secure its own long-term water.

💦 Approximately 1.7 MILLION acre-feet secured from Harquahala Valley
🌊 Only about 10% of its portfolio relies on Colorado River water
⬇️ Local groundwater dependence is expected to fall to roughly 6%
🏗️ Queen Creek is working toward becoming a Designated Water Provider

Queen Creek is essentially trying to gain greater control over its water future as the community continues to grow.

So which strategy is better?

That's not really the point.

Chandler had decades to build and bank a diversified portfolio.

Queen Creek is investing aggressively now to secure the water needed for its next phase of growth.

🏠 And THAT is the real estate story.

When you're comparing Arizona communities, don't just ask:

❌ “Is Arizona running out of water?”

Ask:

👉 Where does this city get its water?
👉 How dependent is it on the Colorado River?
👉 How much water does it have stored or secured?
👉 Can it support another 20, 50 or 100 years of growth?

Water could become one of the most important—and misunderstood—factors affecting future development and real estate values in the East Valley.

Same desert. Same water challenges. Two very different strategies.

I’m continuing to track Arizona's water situation and what it actually means for homeowners, buyers, sellers and investors.

Mike Bernard | Chat.RealEstate
🌐 mikesazhomes.com

09/28/2026

🏡 Gilbert home prices are UP… but buyer contracts just dropped nearly 40%.
How can both be true?
Because closed sales tell us where the market WAS. Pending sales give us a glimpse of where it may be HEADING.
August's Gilbert numbers tell an interesting story:
📈 Median sale price: $605,000 — up 2.8% year over year
📉 Pending sales: DOWN 39.5%
🏠 Inventory: UP 13.1%
⏳ Average days on market: 74 days
So no, Gilbert's housing market isn't “crashing.”
But buyers are clearly becoming more selective, and that's changing how homes need to be sold.
SELLERS: That $605K median doesn't mean you can price wherever you want. With fewer buyers writing contracts, getting the price right from Day 1 matters more than ever.
BUYERS: Here's the opportunity. More inventory + slower demand means you may have leverage to negotiate price, closing costs, repairs and even mortgage-rate buydowns.
And across Greater Phoenix, seller concessions have become increasingly common—with the median concession around $10,200 in recent data.
The market has changed.
Sellers still have equity. Buyers finally have leverage.
Knowing how to use that leverage is where things get interesting. 👀
Thinking about buying or selling in Gilbert? Send me “GILBERT” and let's look at what these numbers mean for your situation.
Mike Bernard | Chat.RealEstate
📞 480-203-4779
🌐 mikesazhomes.com

09/24/2026

09/22/2026

💧 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

09/18/2026

🚨 QUEEN CREEK HOMEOWNERS: YOUR WATER BILL COULD BE CHANGING.

Queen Creek’s proposed Water Resource Fee just moved another step forward.

💧 Proposed fee: $3.07 per 1,000 gallons
💵 Estimated impact at 10,000 gallons: $18.42/month after the proposed residential wastewater credit
📅 Public hearing: November 18

But here’s the part getting overlooked 👇

This isn't simply an extra fee piled on top.

The Town says the new fee would help pay for Queen Creek’s long-term water supply and infrastructure while replacing CAGRD costs currently appearing on many homeowners’ property tax bills.

⚠️ Important: This is still a proposal. It has NOT been finally approved.

With water such a huge topic in Arizona real estate, this is one Queen Creek homeowners and future buyers should be watching.

Would you rather pay for long-term water security based on your actual water use—or through your property taxes?

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

09/16/2026

🏡 A little personal update…

After a great chapter with Connect Realty, I’ve decided it’s time for something new.

I’m excited to officially be joining Chat.RealEstate!

For my clients and friends, not much changes—you’ll still get the same personal service, straight answers, and commitment from me that you always have. I’ll just have some new tools and resources behind me to help serve you even better.

I’m excited about what’s ahead and grateful to everyone who continues to trust me with their real estate needs.

New brokerage. Same me. Let’s get to work. Expect More From Your Realtor🏡

.RealEstate

09/16/2026

💧 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

09/10/2026

🚨 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

09/05/2026

💧 “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

09/01/2026

🏡 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