Good morning, Queen Creek.
The whole valley is under an extreme heat warning through Thursday, with afternoon highs of 111 to 116. Plan errands for early morning and go easy on the outdoor plans midweek.
- 🏠 The median home price slipped to about $600K. Down 6% from a year ago, even as the town keeps adding residents.
- 🏫 QCUSD's proposed $126M budget heads to a board vote. The number sets next year's spending for the state's fastest-growing district.
- 🌾 A family is working to save the old tin cotton gin. The Queen Creek property that holds it sold for a new gas station.
- 🚓 The police chief walked ABC15 through the town's new facility. An early look inside before it fully opens.
- 🚚 Feastival food trucks return Friday night. Plus the Saturday farmers market and summer arena riding.
- 🎟️ Around the Valley. Mercury basketball, T.I., and Dear Evan Hansen in Phoenix this week.
Property beat: the market cools
Queen Creek's median home sale price has fallen to $599,949, down about 6% from a year ago, even as the town keeps ranking as the fastest-growing in Arizona.
Key facts (Redfin Data Center, period ending May 31):
- Median sale price: $599,949, down about 6% year-over-year.
- Homes sold: 154.
- New listings: 159.
- Median days on market: 65.
The town added roughly 8% more residents last year, so the softer prices aren't about people leaving. They're about supply catching up. More homes came onto the market (159) than sold (154), which means inventory is building rather than getting snapped up. And 65 days on market is a slower pace than the bidding wars of a couple summers back.
What to watch: the next monthly read lands in early August. Whether the 6% dip is a blip or the start of a trend tends to show up in the days-on-market number first.
The week ahead
- 🚚 Queen Creek Feastival. Friday food trucks starting around 5:30 PM. Details.
- 🥬 Pecan Lake Farmers Market. Saturday morning at the Queen Creek Botanical Gardens, local growers and makers beside Pecan Lake. Details.
- 🐎 Beat the Heat riding. Open riding at the Chapman Automotive Group Arena, Saturday 6 AM to noon. A waiver is required. Details.
Queen Creek notebook
🏫 The school board votes on a $126M budget. Queen Creek Unified, the district that has grown alongside the town, takes up its proposed spending plan for the coming year. It covers QCHS, Crismon, QCJHS, and the rest of a district that keeps adding students. Details.
🌾 A piece of the town's farming past is on the line. A Queen Creek property that holds an old tin cotton gin has sold, with a new gas station planned for the site. The family tied to the gin is working to preserve it. Cotton was one of the crops the founding families worked here before incorporation, back when this was Rittenhouse, so the gin is a rare physical link to that era. It's the growth-versus-heritage tension the town was built on, in one building. Details.
🚓 An early look at the new police facility. The Queen Creek police chief gave ABC15 a tour of the town's new building before it's fully in service. Details.
💆 A new aesthetics practice opened off Ironwood. Modern Grace Laser and Aesthetics is now open at 40975 N Ironwood Drive, in the Artistic Umbrella Studio Suites, founded by licensed aesthetician and laser tech Michelle. It serves the Queen Creek and San Tan Valley area. Details.
🥋 A young Queen Creek grappler to watch. Nine-year-old Eden Armstrong is making a name for herself on the jiu-jitsu mat, training toward the higher ranks of the sport. Details.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth the drive to Phoenix this week.
- 🏀 Mercury vs. Indiana Fever. Thursday, 7 PM, Mortgage Matchup Center. One of the Fever's rare Phoenix stops. Tickets.
- 🎭 Dear Evan Hansen. Wednesday, 7:30 PM, Hormel Theatre at Phoenix Theatre. The touring Broadway show for one midweek night. Tickets.
- 🎤 T.I. Wednesday, 8 PM, The Van Buren. The Atlanta rapper in a room far smaller than his usual. Tickets.
- 🎸 Wavves. Tuesday, 8 PM, Crescent Ballroom. California surf-punk on a weeknight. Tickets.