May is shaping up to be one of those months where there’s a little bit of everything going on—and we’re here for it. From the growing influence of women in today’s housing market to a packed calendar of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, there’s no shortage of energy around Scottsdale right now. We’re also diving into big local developments like The Parque project, catching up on headlines in The Scottsdale Scoop, and taking a look at a fascinating (and slightly eerie) conversation around AI’s expanding role in our lives.
The Rise of Women Homeowners
I grew up with my family in a single-family home. My parents purchased their first house for $8,000, and they lived with my Mom’s parents to save up the cash.
I was 23 when my husband and I purchased our first house. I couldn’t wait until we moved out of our apartment (where we had to sneak our cats). Our daughter was less than a year old.
Fast forward to around 1984, and we got divorced. We had several homes between the first and current one, which was a four-flat in Chicago, and I didn’t want to stay there.
So I was going to buy my own place for my now three children and myself. I couldn’t believe all of the people who told me no one would give a single woman a mortgage. I proved them wrong!
And since I’m on the subject, I’ll throw in one more story. I used to work downtown Chicago, and I did some shopping on a lunch break. When I handed the male clerk my charge card (that had my husband’s name on it because they wouldn’t put the wife’s name), he asked me if it was my father’s. I said “No!” Then I had to explain that it was my husband’s, which was funny, since I was the one with the better-paying, long-term job and good credit.
So when I read recently that single women now outnumber men in homeownership, it brought back a lot of memories - and a few emotions, too. It also made me stop and think about just how much has changed… and how much continues to evolve. In my lifetime, the idea of a woman buying a home on her own was questioned - or flat-out discouraged. Today, it’s not only common, it’s leading the way.
So I had to write a blog article about it: The Solo Homebuyer Reshaping Real Estate Happens to Be a Woman. It takes a closer look at how solo women buyers are reshaping the real estate market and what’s driving this shift, and what it means for today’s buyers. It’s a powerful reminder of how far things have come… and why this is such an important moment in housing.
May Events
I made sure to post this article early since most May events are happening in the beginning of the month. But if you don't want to miss any events please fill out the Contact form and put Newsletter in it - subject line or body.
3 days left in May (1st-3rd) - Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic
TPC Scottsdale Champions Course
8243 E Bell Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260
May 1st - 3rd - Maricopa County Home & Flower Show
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Westworld of Scottsdale
16601 N Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260
May 2nd-5th - Cinco de Mayo Scottsdale 2026: Best Parties & Events
There are so many events in Scottsdale. Scroll through the page and find the best pub crawl, parties, and celebrations.
May 3rd - Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival
Gates open at noon - music starts at 12:30 PM
2nd Ave and Washington, Phoenix
May 3rd - Arizona Author Book Festival
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Warehouse 215 in Downtown Phoenix
215 E Grant Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
The first 1,000 kids (up to 17 years) will receive a free book!
First 500 attendees get free tote courtesy of Half Price Bookstore – Paradise Valley.
May 23rd & 24th - Celebrate Reggae at the MIM
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - check the page for the live performances schedule
Musical Instrument Museum
4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050
Scottsdale’s “Parque Project Moves Forward
Scottsdale has approved the preliminary phase of The Parque, a large mixed-use development planned for the prior CrackerJax space, located at 16001 N. Scottsdale Road, and it’s starting to feel a lot more real.
The vision is to turn the area into a walkable hub with a little bit of everything - homes, restaurants, shops, office space, and even a central park area to bring people together. Think more of a “live, work, and hang out” kind of destination rather than a single-purpose development.
It’s still early in the process, but this is a big step. Once completed, it could bring a significant number of new residences, along with more dining and retail options, to the Airpark area.
And speaking of the old site, did anyone else spend time at CrackerJax back in the day? Miniature golf, batting cages, arcade games… it’s hard not to feel a little nostalgic seeing that spot transform into something entirely new.
It was over a decade ago when I took my Grandkids to CrackerJax. We went miniature golfing, and I felt the place wasn't in the best shape. It finally closed for good in 2022, the same year George Kurtz, CEO of CrowdStrike, purchased the site for $55.5 million for the new development.
Scottsdale Scoop
Scottsdale Ponders Water Options in Face of Colorado Cut:
Facing potential reductions in Colorado River water supply, Scottsdale is exploring new strategies to secure its long-term water future. City leaders are weighing options like conservation efforts and alternative sources to prepare for ongoing uncertainty.
Scottsdale City Council Passes Controversial Old Town Parking Garage Project:
Scottsdale City Council is set to vote on a proposed parking garage in Old Town, a project that’s drawn mixed reactions from residents and business owners over its size, cost, and impact on the area. The decision will play a key role in shaping future access and development in the downtown core.
Judge to Decide if Billion-dollar Axon Scottsdale Headquarters Moves Forward:
A judge is set to decide whether Axon Enterprise can move forward with its proposed billion-dollar headquarters project in Scottsdale, a development that has sparked both strong support and community concerns. The ruling will determine whether the large-scale campus can proceed as planned or face further delays.
When AI Clones the Dead - and the Living
It’s a bit unsettling to come across social media videos, especially animal rescues, that look AI-generated - particularly when most of the comments suggest people believe they’re real. AI cloning is moving from sci-fi premise to unsettling reality - and some recent stories show why it feels so creepy
In one case reported by Futurism, a grieving elderly mother in China has yet to discover that her deceased son has been recreated as an AI clone. Her grandson hired a company to create the AI clone of her son after he died in a car accident. The elderly mother has been video calling her son for months, thinking he's still alive. His AI clone told her that he moved, and it's why he can't visit her in person.
The emotional shock is obvious if she ever finds out: for families, a digital replica of a loved one can feel less like innovation and more like a violation, especially when consent is unclear or absent. What may look like a chatbot to outsiders can become something much more disturbing when it imitates a real person’s voice, personality, or memory.
Meanwhile, Yahoo Finance reported that Mark Zuckerberg is working on an AI version of himself, part of Meta’s broader push toward AI assistants, creator bots, and personalized digital agents. In Zuckerberg’s case, the clone is framed as productivity and scale: an AI stand-in that can communicate, answer questions, or represent a public figure when the real person is unavailable. Part of this is so his employees will feel like they're communicating directly with him.
Put together, these stories reveal the same uncomfortable trend from opposite ends of the spectrum. AI clones can be marketed as convenience, companionship, legacy, or customer service—but they also raise urgent questions: Who owns a person’s likeness? Can someone consent to being simulated after death? Should platforms allow bots that impersonate real people? And how will we know whether we’re interacting with a human, a tribute, a brand asset, or a synthetic ghost?
There have been 2 stories about phone calls mothers received from their children using their cloned voices. One was a scam kidnapping demanding a million dollars, with a man speaking and the sound of her (cloned) daughter's voice crying in the background. But this mother was able to call and speak to her daughter, then realized it was a scam.
The other mother lost $15,000, thinking her daughter needed bail money because she was being incarcerated for hitting a pregnant woman with her car. After reading about this one, my son in IL and I came up with a code word in case either of us gets one of these calls. Problem is, I can't remember what it was...
The creepiness isn’t just that AI can mimic us. It’s that it can do so in emotionally charged spaces: grief, fandom, friendship, influence, and trust. A digital clone of a celebrity or CEO may seem like a novelty. A digital clone of someone’s dead child feels like crossing a line. As AI replicas become easier to create, the next big fight may not be over whether machines can think - but whether they have the right to wear our faces.
May Market Trends For Carefree, Cave Creek, and Scottsdale
We're at the beginning of May, so this is April data.
Carefree Real Estate Market Update
The Carefree real estate market remains tight, with limited inventory and very few new listings coming online. The median list price is $1.33M, slightly down from last month, while homes are selling a bit faster, with days on market decreasing to 82.
With so little new inventory, the market here continues to favor sellers, though buyers may be seeing small opportunities as pricing adjusts.
Cave Creek Real Estate Market Update
The Cave Creek real estate market is seeing some notable movement. The median list price jumped to $1.22M, a significant increase month-over-month, even as active listings declined. At the same time, homes are taking longer to sell, with median days on market rising to 68.
This mix of rising prices and a slower pace could point to a more selective buyer pool, with well-positioned homes still commanding strong attention.
Scottsdale Real Estate Market Update
The Scottsdale real estate market is showing a bit of a shift this month. The median list price sits at $1.06M, down from last month, while inventory has remained relatively steady with a slight increase in active listings. Homes are also taking a bit longer to sell, with median days on market rising to 69.
Overall, this suggests a market that’s giving buyers a little more breathing room compared to earlier in the year, while still holding strong in pricing.
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