“We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway. . .
Anticipation, Anticipation”

As my seventh monsoon season approaches this is exactly what I am feeling, anticipation!   Yes, I admit this sounds a bit odd but if you haven’t experienced a torrential rainstorm with over 1,000 lightning strikes across the city in one evening, you may want to visit Tucson between mid-July and early September. 

As I look back to 2001, I remember I was heading home in my new car and the skies had this ominous appearance.  Umm . . . what was that?   The thunderous, crackling sounds were only the precursor as the skies released bucketfuls of rain.  Wow what is going on?  I have never experienced anything like this in my 25 years in Alaska.  Yes, there are rainstorms in Alaska which can last days on end.  The buzz of hungry mosquitoes is the only noise you hear not the clapping of thunder and lightning. 

Needless to say my emotions went from utter excitement to go barefoot and jump up and down in the instant puddles to shear panic.  Will I make it home without crashing my car?

I called my friend, Marchelle, and she couldn’t contain herself.  She could barely talk over her laughter as I am asking her “What should I do”.   “Just keep driving, it will be all over in a few minutes” giggled Marchelle.  She was right, by the time I made it home, safe and sound, the sun was overtaking the skies creating a very humid afternoon.  It can’t be humid?  We live in the desert; it is suppose to be a dry heat!

With six monsoon seasons under my belt, I realize how important this season is to the desert.  The Old Pueblo is experiencing a seven year drought despite record rainfalls from last year’s monsoon season. 

What is a monsoon?

Wikipedia describes a monsoon as a rainy season which lasts for several months and has lasting climatic effects. 

The Sonoran monsoon season officially begins when the dew point is 54 degrees or greater for three consecutive days.   In general terms, our season may begin around the fourth of July and continue through the first week of September.

The three steps which bring moisture to the Sonoran Desert are: 

1. The warm waters of the Pacific and the Gulf of California evaporate.
2. Southeast winds bring the moisture into Arizona.
3. Heat-driven thunderstorms strip the moisture out of the air and drop it on our arid state.

How do you know a storm is on its way? 

You will start to notice white, puffy clouds appearing. This will continue for a couple of hours until it fills half the sky. Then the wind arrives, in front of the rain. Downdrafts within the storm spread out when they hit the ground, blowing up to sixty mile per hour gust fronts.
 
A crackling flash is followed instantly by a loud roar; the refreshing rain arrives. There is barely time to enjoy the coolness and the clean-washed air; the rain lasts only part of an hour. Then the storm moves out across the desert, filling arroyos and wetting the hot creosote, which now releases its perfume.   A lot of people love this aroma, I am not one of them.  Maybe it takes more than six years to appreciate it!

Finally, the sun reappears as you watch the snippets of rain, called virga, evaporate before they reach the ground.
  

”And stay right here,
’cause these are the good old days.
Anticipation . . .”

Watch for Part II - How to prepare your Tucson home for the monsoon season.

Tucson Real Estate

Housing Market Evaluation: April 2007

The Tucson Association of Realtor’s Multiple Listing Service just released the April 2007 statistics and once again it indicates that Tucson is still a buyer’s market. With inventory levels at record highs, buyer’s have the luxury of seeing several homes in a reasonable amount of time. However, there are indicators that the market is approaching stabilization. For example, the sales volume and average sales price were very similar in comparison to March 2007 figures and the days on market dropped slightly from 67 to 65 day.

Tucson Real Estate On Average

The average sales price for single family homes in April 2007 is $298,876, townhomes/condos averages sales price is $184,869 and manufactured homes average sales price is $75,741.

With interest rates still hovering around the 6.5%, purchasing a home in Tucson can potentially become your best investment!

Annual Comparison Chart

This month’s edition covers Tucson real estate market activity, we’ll share the 5 most important factors to selling, and then cover pre-existing homes vs. new construction.

 Features special guest Terri Murphy of US Learning.

 Program length:  approximately 9 minutes

This month’s edition covers Tucson real estate market activity and then we’ll walk you through the key steps of our annual insurance check-up. Features special guest Terri Murphy of US Learning.

Program length: approximately 6 1/2 minutes

Here is your opportunity to find that perfect diamond, precious gems, jewelry or raw minerals at the upcoming 53rd Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show held between January 26 to February 11, 2007.  Even though hotels may be booked, there still may be time to find a house to rent in Tucson, Oro Valley or Marana. Feel free to give me a call at 520-918-7462 with your housing needs.

This acclaimed show is held every year and is now the largest gem and mineral show in the United States.  It is anticipated that the 2007 Tucson Gem Show will probably be the biggest event ever with over 45 shows – up from 38 last year.  This year’s featured event is “Australia – Minerals from Down Under”.  Click on the link for event dates and ticket information, Tucson Gem and Mineral Society. 

The following excerpt can be found on the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau website . . . 

The Show That Started It All Back in 1955

“The legendary Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase has grown from a “club show” to a major show for collectors and enthusiasts from around the country and the world. Showcased here are the best gems, minerals, jewelry, lapidary and publication dealers from across the US. Also displayed are items from private collections and renowned museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

It all started in 1955 when a group of mineral collectors and rock hounds from the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society held a free exhibition at a local elementary school, open to the public. This show was an immediate hit, prompting organizers to make it an annual event. The following year, the show was moved to a Quonset hut at the Pima County Fair and Rodeo Grounds on South Sixth Avenue, where it stayed until 1972. The show eventually moved to the Tucson Convention Center Arena, where it is still hosted by Tucson Gem & Mineral Society volunteers.

As a result of the interest generated by the original show, satellite shows have proliferated all over the city. These shows cater to the interests of the growing number of people coming to town. Today, one of the fastest-growing segments of the Tucson shows is beads — first-time visitors to a bead show will be dazzled by the array available here. Together, the original show and the satellite shows make up the Showcase – one of the largest and most popular events in the gem and mineral world, attracting an estimated 100,000 people to Tucson in a two-week period. This crowd fills hotel rooms, rental cars and airline seats many months in advance.”

- - - -  Mark your calendars to attend one of the best gems shows in the world, you won’t be sorry. If you can’t make it this year, you can check the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society website or email me at pam@pamtreece.com and I will follow up with you.   See you there!