North Central Phoenix is an amazing part of this valley, one amongst several and each has something different to offer.  NCN has a rich long history, long for Greater Phoenix, in which it was able to come into it's own with deep roots, rich niches and a unique sense of place. 

We have written many articles on this subject: of course, because this is where we do a lot of business and it's also where we spend a lot of time.   While the boundaries of North Central Phoenix are up for discussion there are certain aspects which are ingrained and certain. 

North Central Avenue is one of these: it's truly the start of North Central Phoenix, the epicenter from which the area grew out of.  Many of the original characteristics remain: the historic homes and Murphy's Bridle Path amongst them. 

The following is an excerpt from the City of Phoenix Planning Department study on North Central Avenue.  Where ever there is lettering in red, it is a hyper link to a related article about that subject, that we have written.

"Development of the North Central Avenue area began in 1895 when William J. Murphy platted the Orangewood subdivision. This two-square mile area bounded by what are now Northern Avenue and Bethany Home Road, between 7th Avenue and 7th Street was promoted as the Orangewood Residential Village. Murphy’s concept about Orangewood was to create a suburb of Phoenix “wherein might be established rural homes at an easy distance from the city.”

He believed that the large lot size would attract upper income residents of Phoenix, wealthy outside investors and immigrants who would utilize the lots to build large estate homes surrounded by citrus groves.

The subdivision was divided primarily into 20-acre size lots with Central Avenue extending through the property as the subdivision’s principal roadway.  

Olive and ash trees were added along both sides of Central Avenue with citrus trees from Southern California planted on the interior portions to make the subdivision more attractive to new investors and
homeowners.   

The exclusivity of Orangewood was evident in that at the turn of the 19th century, the Central Arizona Driving Association arranged to have Central Avenue deeded as a “driving street” for property owners to drive their horse-drawn buggies. There was even a separate path on the east side of Central Avenue for horses and riders only.

Keeping with the rural agricultural estate concept established by Murphy, J.M. Evans platted and recorded Evans’ Addition to Orangewood in 1897. 

Located directly south of Orangewood, Evans’ Addition was bounded by Bethany Home Road to the north, Camelback Road to the south, and 7th Street and 7th Avenue to the east and west. The addition featured four large neighborhood blocks divided further into 20 smaller blocks. (editors note: this is where you'll find the two historic districts: Medlock Place Historic District and Windsor Square Historic District.)

Key Events in Development of the North Central Avenue area:

1895 – Orangewood Subdivision platted by William J. Murphy. 1897 – Evans’ Addition to Orangewood platted by J.M. Evans.

1895-1910 – Central Avenue maintained by the Central Avenue Driving Association as a private road. 1910 – Maricopa County Board of Supervisors declared Central Avenue a public highway. 1911-42 – Orangewood and Evans’ Addition were subdivided into smaller five to fifteen acre tracts.

1920s – Central Avenue paved with concrete as a 22-foot wide roadway. 1941 – Last of the original Orangewood lots were sold.

1940’s – North Central Avenue characterized by suburban homesites on large, landscaped garden lots with substantial homes and estates.

1945-50’s – During the post World War II housing boom, large lots were further subdivided and developed with ranch style homes.

1948 – The horse path on the east side of Central Avenue officially named by the Arizona Horse Lovers Club as “Murphy’s Maricopa Bridle Path.”

1951 – Maricopa County Board of Supervisors extended the Bridle Path from the Arizona Canal to Camelback Road. Road widening in later years returned the terminus to Bethany Home Road. 1959 – North Central Avenue area annexed into the city of Phoenix.

1963 – Aleppo pines were planted to replace the original ash trees on Central Avenue. 1963 – Phoenix City Council rejected plans to bury the SRP irrigation lateral and widen the street declaring that Central Avenue should remain unchanged with its parkway character and the bridle path on the east side.

1972 – Responding to neighborhood objections, the Aleppo pines were replaced with ash trees. These trees still remain. 1977 – City Council Resolution 14895 was passed stating that the Bridle Path shall not be paved over with concrete or asphalt for new driveways to the residences.

1991-93 – Original William H. Brophy Estate, one of the last ten acre parcels in North Central Avenue area, redeveloped as La Reserve, a 36-unit gated residential project.

Architectural Character

The architectural diversity of North Central Avenue contrasts with the uniform architecture found in newer developments being built throughout the city. Central Avenue homes display a unique collection of architectural styles that use a wide range of building materials, textures and colors. Custom homes, some dating back to the early 1900’s, are interspersed throughout the area.

These reflect the original owners’ personal styles, the building periods and development trends, or mimic architectural styles found in other parts of the country. (Editors Note:  You can view some of the architectural styles here: Phoenix historic architectural styles)

Historic Designation

Part of the North Central Avenue character is its many properties of historic interest. In 1991 and 1993, the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office conducted two surveys in the area: Phoenix: Rural & Estate Architecture Survey and the more focused North Central Corridor Estate Survey, respectively.

In the North Central Avenue area, 55 properties were identified as eligible for historic designation. From those surveys, three properties have been listed in the Phoenix Historic Property Register, two on the National Register of Historic Places, and one on both registers.
These properties are subject to the standards of underlying zoning district. However, the Historic Preservation district sets procedures for the alteration or demolition of designated properties. Also noted are two nearby neighborhoods with historic overlay designation.

North Central Avenue residents value the area’s historic amenities: the diverse residential styles, a tree-lined central corridor close to downtown, and a shaded recreational path. North Central Avenue is a picturesque street with large homes built in a variety of periods and styles adjacent to a well-maintained canopy shading the street and the recreational users on Murphy Bridle Path. The distinctive ambiance of North Central Avenue is enjoyed by daily commuters between Sunnyslope and downtown, as well as area residents and visitors."

If you have any interest in North Central Phoenix then I'm sure you enjoyed this short overview of it's history.  It will add depth to your appreciation of the area.  Knowing why areas are the way they are certainly adds value to me. 

It means that the characteristics are not arbitrary.  North Central Phoenix and Central Avenue are truly wonderful places.  I appreciate that fact that over time residents and city of officials with sense had the fortitude to preserve it. 

A wonderful town-house in Strawberry Hill Village and Racquet Club, a community with tennis courts & swimming pool. 

It's located along the historic Murphy Bridle path, a shaded path with Arizona ash and olive trees, a welcome remnant from the beginnings of this area which started in 1895.  This path is a perfect and well used by runners, bike riders or for a stroll and it's just outside the door of this home.  

It's a great location for active persons who wants to enjoy the beauty of North Central Phoenix at its heart or someone who wants to be just a short drive from Downtown.  Just to the north is the Phoenix Mountains Preserve with miles of hiking trails, and to the south Downtown Phoenix: near-by is also the Biltmore area.  In other words, this is a superb urban location, with some of the best benefits of the suburbs: how ideal! 

The town-home has no common walls a gated courtyard, a good, flowing split floor-plan, vaulted ceilings everywhere. Floor:  hard wood parquet throughout Bright living room, with wall of glass - double sliding door is facing North and is  overlooking a good size, green, paved patio. Book cases, fireplace, smooth walls. Kitchen with breakfast area. 

Master  has also vaulted ceilings and sliding door facing East, where there is another patio good for a chair and a small table or composition of potted plants or a fountain. The town-home can be lived in as-is but it is as well a perfect starting point for a contemporary looking interior, with its clean lines, angled ceilings and glass doors.

Please call Joanna to schedule a showing at 602.358.1392

This market has brought out the worst in some people.   They may be mad at banks, at themselves or what ever, but it's no reason to disrespect, to blow over and have to common decency for just regular people buying a home: no clue report? Those sellers don't have a clue.

If you are a potential seller, not REO, looking for an agent to represent you and you won't provide those documents, don't call us.

It's quite a complex matrix, because some products don't exist and there is demand for them and some vice versa, take for example all the technology we have for which demand is created only when the product is produced and not before,  further more this balance is swayed heavily by the motivations of both parties and outside forces which influence buy, sell decisions.  

None the less the simply basics of supply and demand inevitably drive the market, any market: exacerbated by the ability of those desires to be fulfilled. i.e. easy credit, funds, legality.

Supply of the real estate product can be broad as all real estate and as detailed as the specific home someone wants.  It is a complex structure of homes: short sales, lender owned, normal sales which can be measured in it's entirety or individually.

I remember in grammar school when I had the audacity to start selling candy during class. I had a very limited supply and one that had risk associated with it for both the seller and buyer.  

The risk was amongst others forfeiture of the goods and detention and maybe more.  For this limited supply and additional risk I was rewarded by a hefty mark up.  

For a while I made lots of money, until someone else started to take to add to the supply.  Then prices leveled off until it became not worth the trouble for one of us to do it.  It's amazing how similar the real world market is, how well that scenario scales up to the size of corporations and even countries.  Supply is one part of measure followed by demand.

Demand:  We kind of went into demand above, but demand is measured, in real estate, by recent closed sales, pending sales and AWC listings.

Each of these either measure completed demand or pending demand, in the case of pending and AWC listings, which are a forecast of near future sales.

The whole balance is then swayed by motivation.

Seller motivation: Who is the seller and why do they want or need to sell.  Certainly in the market of 2008+ for many the motivation was associated with distress.  

Many sellers had to sell because they were not able to afford the payment so either they sold at a loss or they did are short sale.  Then there are lender owned homes.  

For lenders, holding real estate, is a liability and they simply want to get rid of the property for a reasonable price and a reasonable amount of time.  If a lender owned property sits on the market a week too long, the price is cut and continues to be cut until it's sold. 

Buyer motivation: Buyers are motivated by many factors.  Surely in mid 2009+ low prices, low interest rates and the availability of loans plus incentives from the government were big drivers, but these exist only because there is a drive to home ownership somewhat driven by a basic human nature and institutional propaganda: perceptions of the market, confidence, greed, fear, loss, pear pressure are all motivators.