Maricopa County Hosted Economic Forum
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors hosted an economic forum wherein a panel of experts discussed local and national economic trends as well as an analysis of real estate.
Economist Elliott Pollack was flanked by Jay Butler, Director of Realty Studies at the Morrison School of Management at ASU and Dennis Hoffman, Director for Research and Doctoral Programs of the L. William Siedman Research Institute at ASU. Bob Robb, columnist for The Arizona Republic, moderated the discussion.
Growth in the economy is projected for the next year, albeit slow. How infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, will be impacted by population growth and increased housing was of particular interest to the audience. The real estate market also was a focus.
Eliott Pollack assured that Phoenix is well-diversified, so other areas can off-set the hit that housing has taken. “We’re not a one-trick pony,” he said.
Jay Butler says “We’re not in a housing slump and the market is acting as it should.” He stressed that growth or reductions in housing values vary by region. While there have been significant reductions in values in the outlying regions of the County, there have also been increases in other parts of the County such as north Mesa and Scottsdale.
To view one of the presentations, click here.