Weekend Warrior | February 14-15, 2026

Weekend Warrior: Love is in the Air

What a week. What a community. What a reminder of what love looks like in action.

Today is Valentine’s Day, and we are celebrating in the very best way - by hitting our goal of 1,000 Valentine’s cards for Senior Helpers to distribute to seniors all across the East Valley. Through Community on Purpose, dozens of volunteers hosted card-making gatherings, and we wrapped up the final stack at our Amy Jones Group business mixer this week - mixing, mingling, and writing notes of encouragement all at the same time. It was such a blast.

(And if you missed it - don’t worry. We do these mixers quarterly. Next quarter’s giveback? A school supply drive for Televerde, supporting incarcerated women as they work to provide for their children and break generational cycles. Because impact shouldn’t be seasonal.)

Brand New Listing in Maricopa - Affordable Price, Move-In Ready!

Step into the heart of the home, where an open kitchen and living area create the ultimate space for gathering and entertaining. The kitchen boasts granite countertops, a large center island, and stainless steel appliances, making it a chef’s delight. A walk-in pantry provides plenty of storage for all your culinary needs, while recently updated light fixtures add a touch of modern elegance. Adjacent to the kitchen, the spacious living area features fresh paint and flows effortlessly into the dining space, ensuring that family dinners and get-togethers are always memorable.

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Before that, though, we’re deep into our Gilbert Feeding Families food drive. You can drop off canned goods at our office or pick up a box to run your own mini drive. This is one of those moments where small things - peanut butter, canned protein, pasta - truly add up.

We also wrapped a full week of events at Verde with Movies on the Green last night - free popcorn, candy, families everywhere, and that perfect East Valley kind of evening. If you’re still looking for Valentine’s fun for the kiddos, East Valley Moms has you covered.

And yes - there’s a market update below.

While we had hoped to see stronger post-Super Bowl momentum, the data suggests buyers may continue to have opportunity well into 2026. In a strong season, we usually see active listings peak by mid-February. Last year they didn’t peak until late April - and 2026 is tracking similarly, even with improved affordability from lower interest rates compared to 2025. That means thoughtful buyers may have time, leverage, and potentially even better rates ahead.

So whether your weekend is filled with heart-shaped candy, open houses, movie nights, or quiet moments with people you love - we hope you’ll share it with us online, stop by an open house (we may have extra candy in our pockets 😉), and make a new connection this weekend.

Because around here, love looks like community.

📊Market Watch: Buyers Gaining Strength (But the Story Isn’t the Same Everywhere)

The Cromford® Market Index (CMI) shifted again this week - and not subtly. The number of cities moving in a direction favorable to buyers has grown from 13 to 16 in just one week. Only 2 cities are currently moving in favor of sellers. The average CMI declined 6%, a stronger move than last week’s 3.6% drop, meaning buyer leverage is building more quickly.

We now have:
• 9 cities in a seller’s market
• 3 balanced
• 6 in a buyer’s market

Here’s the bigger picture - typically by mid-February we expect demand to push active listings to a peak and start driving inventory down. The fact that we’re still seeing momentum move toward buyers after the Super Bowl is, historically, a signal of market softness. Last year inventory didn’t peak until late April, and 2026 is tracking similarly - even though affordability has improved thanks to lower interest rates compared to a year ago.

In short: demand is steady, but not aggressive.

Mom Hacks for the Best East Valley Parks: From the Big Ones to the Hidden Gems

Today we’re highlighting some of the biggest and best playgrounds around the East Valley — the kind you’ll want to experience at least once. These ultimate parks are perfect for school breaks or those special days when it’s worth driving a little farther for longer, more adventurous play. Our favorite way to make the most of it? Pack a picnic lunch (or a snack lunch!), claim a shady table, and plan to stay as long as the kids are still smiling. If you’re looking for even more ideas, be sure to explore all of our East Valley park reviews, too.

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Meanwhile…the luxury market is telling us something a little different. When we zoom out and look at the last three years by region, the story gets more nuanced. Northeast Valley median prices are up nearly 13% overall while most other regions are down between 6–13%. Pinal and West Phoenix have seen the largest declines. Central Phoenix has held relatively steady but is still slightly below 2022 levels. Even more telling: the dollar share of homes over $1M has grown dramatically. In January 2023, homes over $1M represented 25% of all dollars spent. In January 2026? 39% of total dollar volume, a staggering 56% growth in market share. The low-end has contracted the most. The mid-range has grown modestly. The high-end has dominated.

🧭 What This Means for You

• Buyers below $1M continue to have leverage and time.
• Sellers need to price precisely and watch inventory closely.
• The luxury market has been fueled in part by strength in financial markets - and that may not be permanent.

While we can’t predict crypto, AI stocks, or Wall Street sentiment, housing tends to move more predictably. And right now, the broader market still leans buyer-friendly heading into spring. As always, the Valley is not one market - it’s many micro-markets behaving differently at the same time. If you’re thinking about buying or selling this year, strategy matters more than ever.

February has been full of heart - literally and figuratively. We kicked off the month with our Tuesday Playdate at Verde at Cooley Station, and it was everything we hoped for - crafts, giggles, and kids proudly carrying home their Valentine creations. These mornings are quickly becoming one of our favorite rhythms of the year. Friday night we wrapped up another Moonlit Movies on the Green at Verde, complete with free popcorn, candy, blankets, and that perfect East Valley evening energy. There’s just something about watching families spread out on the grass that reminds us why we love doing this. Our February Business Mixer was another highlight — local business owners gathered with intention, and together we finished the final Valentine’s Day cards that helped us hit our goal of 1,000 cards for seniors across the East Valley through Community on Purpose. Mixing, mingling, and meaningful impact all in one room? That’s our kind of night.

And we’re not slowing down.

We’re in the final weeks of our Gilbert Feeding Families food drive - bring canned goods to any of our events, drop them by the office, or grab a box and run your own mini drive. Small acts. Big ripple. Coming up next quarter, our give-back focus shifts to a school supply drive benefiting Televerde - supporting incarcerated women as they work to provide school supplies for their children and build a different future for their families. Spring is filling quickly with more playdates, more movies, more mixers, and more ways to connect. Because around here, events aren’t just events - they’re how we build community.

If you are interested in being the first to know about our upcoming volunteer opportunity for the Eggstravaganza with Branching Out on March 28th or the return of our Love Local event with Cabi for Mother's Day in May, please reply VOLUNTEER and we'll get you the insider scoop!

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