Havasu real estate

[ChrisV]

I feel like the boating lifestyle that Havasu offers is aging out as my generation gets older and the boomers are soowly phasing out.

I can say for certain that the younger guys give two shits about performance boating and unless they were raised into the lifestyle, noone cares.

Covid brought a revival and lots of new boaters were “born”. But then they realized that this shit is expensive and the juice isnt worth the squeeze half the time.

Step aside old man.

 

[SkyDirtWaterguy]

I feel like the boating lifestyle that Havasu offers is aging out as my generation gets older and the boomers are soowly phasing out.

I can say for certain that the younger guys give two shits about performance boating and unless they were raised into the lifestyle, noone cares.

Covid brought a revival and lots of new boaters were “born”. But then they realized that this shit is expensive and the juice isnt worth the squeeze half the time.

How do you explain DCB pumping out million dollar boats every year? Is their business slowing down? I get your point but as long as the Colorado River keeps flowing and the lake is here I don’t see a decline. I’ve been coming to Havasu for 50 years and seen nothing but growth.

 

[angiebaby]

How do you explain DCB pumping out million dollar boats every year? Is their business slowing down? I get your point but as long as the Colorado River keeps flowing and the lake is here I don’t see a decline. I’ve been coming to Havasu for 50 years and seen nothing but growth.

It would be interesting to see how many boats they produced in 2006 versus how many they produce today. Number, not sales.

 

[Floaterboat]

It would be interesting to see how many boats they produced in 2006 versus how many they produce today. Number, not sales.

A small fraction. DCB is meaningless in gauging the health of Havasu as they have very high end and many repeat clients they only build a dozen boats +/- a year. Eliminator, Nordic etc. build the style of boats that DCB used to build 20 years ago. They all build boats for different customers now. Higher end boats for more consistent clients at higher margins.

The difference is most 2006 boats are still on the water and in the market.

Havasu isn’t shrinking. It’s only getting bigger and more expensive as time goes on. People will fill the voids as the old die off.

You will never see pre Covid prices in Havasu again.

 

[ChrisV]

If you go to the lower river run it’s all young dudes. Then they get a family and boats gets bigger.

 

[Mark G]

I've spoke to a couple realtors out there and they said inventory is way up, buyers are way down and AirBNB and VRBO is expected to falter except exceptional properties. We all saw this coming though. Supply and Demand. Wages in Havasu don't support property values and fewer people are moving there from California.

Agreed! Look at the short term rental pricing. It's dropped significantly and there's way too much competition.

 

[gqchris]

That’s an interesting point. I wonder if the performance boat manufacturers see a younger demo at all that weren’t raised into it.

I dont think they are looking that far sahead. Sure, we will get inmates that will scream that their kids love the lake, but I honestly feel like its a very niche market that's shrinking now. If anything, they want the wakeboard boats.

Even Spring Break in Havasu has dwindled to a trickle. Times are changing.

 

[gqchris]

If you go to the lower river run it’s all young dudes. Then they get a family and boats gets bigger.

What age do you consider young though? I guess i am looking into future generations, such as 25 and below.

I know most of those guys at the Lower River run and from the looks of it they were all raised into the lifestyle and mid 30's?

 

[gqchris]

Step aside old man.

 

[hallett21]

What age do you consider young though? I guess i am looking into future generations, such as 25 and below.

I know most of those guys at the Lower River run and from the looks of it they were all raised into the lifestyle and mid 30's?

Well we are now….. lol.

I think I was 29 on my first lower river run.

 

[pkrrvr619]

I dont think they are looking that far sahead. Sure, we will get inmates that will scream that their kids love the lake, but I honestly feel like its a very niche market that's shrinking now. If anything, they want the wakeboard boats.

Even Spring Break in Havasu has dwindled to a trickle. Times are changing.

How do we get the younger guys involved?

I understand why people shy away from it. Shit is expensive haha.

I was raised in it and everyone I brought in wants the family boats and wake boats.

Speed doesn’t compute to them.

Hell most youngsters want to rent everything so they don’t have to maintain it. Which I get as that’s their program these days (Turo air bb etc)

But without an outreach campaign I can see this lifestyle go by the wayside.

 

[ChrisV]

What age do you consider young though? I guess i am looking into future generations, such as 25 and below.

I know most of those guys at the Lower River run and from the looks of it they were all raised into the lifestyle and mid 30's?

Nah it’s a bunch of kids. All under 30 that Ive met. Made my ass feel old. Even then, when I go to Parker I meet a lot of young dudes.

 

[Havasu blue label]

We are 55 up to 62 years old we still have a chill time in havasu and .

 

[Todd Mohr]

When I did the RDP Regatta a few years ago there were lots of peeps in their 40's, they got 20 plus years of boating left, I see tons of 30 year olds on a busy weekend. I think Havasu stays growing for a while.

 

[Kurt96]

I’m 28, probably on the younger end of the spectrum. There are tons of young people into the old school river scene. But I think like myself, they were all raised going to river from day 1. All of us will continue the tradition with our kids someday and keep river culture alive, just as my parents did with me. Havasu will keep growing as it always has.

I’ve brought other non-river friends to the river over the years, but haven’t had much luck getting them hooked. They enjoy going to “the lake” to drink on a boat but that’s about it. They just don’t share the sentiment for river we all do, and they will never understand.

 

[hallett21]

How do we get the younger guys involved?

I understand why people shy away from it. Shit is expensive haha.

I was raised in it and everyone I brought in wants the family boats and wake boats.

Speed doesn’t compute to them.

Hell most youngsters want to rent everything so they don’t have to maintain it. Which I get as that’s their program these days (Turo air bb etc)

But without an outreach campaign I can see this lifestyle go by the wayside.

lol how about we start with every member here remembering what it was like to be in their 20’s.

You don’t need a 27 Hallett and an F350 paid for in cash to go boating.

The boomers created the mentality that loans for toys would be the death of you. So the future generations just found different hobbies and ways to spend their money lol.

Disneyland, Breweries, wineries, vacations to Bali, etc etc etc.

 

[Havasu blue label]

When I did the RDP Regatta a few years ago there were lots of peeps in their 40's, they got 20 plus years of boating left, I see tons of 30 year olds on a busy weekend. I think Havasu stays growing for a while.

Havasu will never slow down as long as there is events and water

 

[HNL2LHC]

We've been saying this for years. When the boomer snowbirds age out, this town will lose a lot of $$$. Californians don't go to the hardware store, beauty shop, barber shop, happy hour four times a week, etc. We met with some friends from SoCal a couple of weeks ago who have a condo in the channel. They brought all of their groceries and booze with them.

We went to Cha-Bones on Wednesday. The ENTIRE restaurant was grey-haired people and it was completely full. I wondered what it looked like mid-week during the summer.

Just your table alone was 50% gray haired. LOL.

We have always gone the full time rentals as everyone needs a place to live and it is a bit more stable. STR and vacations rise and lower more depending on the economic conditions and now some are felling a bit more than they wanted.

 

[pkrrvr619]

lol how about we start with every member here remembering what it was like to be in their 20’s.

You don’t need a 27 Hallett and an F350 paid for in cash to go boating.

The boomers created the mentality that loans for toys would be the death of you. So the future generations just found different hobbies and ways to spend their money lol.

Disneyland, Breweries, wineries, vacations to Bali, etc etc etc.

I see your point and when I was younger I financed boats and trucks as well (I'm 39).

Performance boating though needs a serious shot in the arm. With the builders catering to the high dollar boaters (don't blame them at all) and older boats unable to be financed, it seem like a precarious position the perf boating world is in.

add that kids don't want to own anything, and wakeboard boat rentals are aplenty, it does feel our segment may be shrinking...

further, Havasu has big water, so a 23' v seems the minimum (496/bravo) and those are 30k cash starting...

 

[Mark G]

What age do you consider young though? I guess i am looking into future generations, such as 25 and below.

I know most of those guys at the Lower River run and from the looks of it they were all raised into the lifestyle and mid 30's?

58 and below...

 

[CLCookie]

The people that are buying big boats aren't going away, but these aren't new people to the sport or activity. As an industry, you need to prime the pump with new customers, otherwise you do age out.

Havasu is a resort town with a lot of California retirees moving in, in 15 years these will all be over 70 yrs olds that don't provide much to an economy, so how does a city keep bringing in the younger generation? I haven't met anyone under 50 yrs old moving there full time yet, my friends are nearer to 60 yrs old. I do have some friends that own houses there that are in the 40's, but they have big bucks, big boats, and big houses and don't live there.

As for STR, owning them and making a profit is probably over unless it is a smaller home that the snowbirds can rent. People need to realize these are vacation homes, and if you can't afford them as your vacation home get rid of them. Havasu STR market is very saturated, kind of crazy. STR sell off will drive prices down somewhat, but it should stabilize in a couple of years. Too much California equity to drive sales.

 

[Mark G]

Maybe it’s just me but I see more nice places suddenly for sale then usual. Did the VRBO/Airbnb rules change? Or are people just trying to liquidate before prices drop (hopefully) ? Definitely some nice pads for sale but IMO still way overpriced. I guess if I was coming from Newsom land prices would seem good. I don’t even know how people in the service industry or any other normal trying to make it jobs afford to live there anymore. Lol.

Have you checked Airbnb and VRBO prices there? Seems like there pretty low with tons of competition...

 

[Mark G]

A newer build in North Point with a massive garage popped up in my feed yesterday and at a lower price point than I would have expected. I definitely would not want to be in that development because I personally need more room between houses, but it was still "cheap" considering what we have seen in recent years.

Same going on up in Bullhead.

 

[Mark G]

The people that are buying big boats aren't going away, but these aren't new people to the sport or activity. As an industry, you need to prime the pump with new customers, otherwise you do age out.

Havasu is a resort town with a lot of California retirees moving in, in 15 years these will all be over 70 yrs olds that don't provide much to an economy, so how does a city keep bringing in the younger generation? I haven't met anyone under 50 yrs old moving there full time yet, my friends are nearer to 60 yrs old. I do have some friends that own houses there that are in the 40's, but they have big bucks, big boats, and big houses and don't live there.

As for STR, owning them and making a profit is probably over unless it is a smaller home that the snowbirds can rent. People need to realize these are vacation homes, and if you can't afford them as your vacation home get rid of them. Havasu STR market is very saturated, kind of crazy. STR sell off will drive prices down somewhat, but it should stabilize in a couple of years. Too much California equity to drive sales.

You guys seeing investment companies, including Chinese ones buying up properties? Or is it mostly like you said, people with money ??

 

[CLCookie]

If people have equity in their California homes, Havasu will always thrive.

 

[DRYHEAT]

You guys are getting too, hung up on this shit, every few years, the death knell of Havasu is proclaimed by many. Shit goes in cycles just keep living.

 

[ChrisV]

You guys are getting too, hung up on this shit, every few years, the death knell of Havasu is proclaimed by many. Shit goes in cycles just keep living.

Off season becomes into RiverDavesDivas

 

[FishSniper]

You guys are getting too, hung up on this shit, every few years, the death knell of Havasu is proclaimed by many. Shit goes in cycles just keep living.

The resident expert PapaG hasn’t checked in yet ?

 

[DRYHEAT]

The resident expert PapaG hasn’t checked in yet ?

Now my feelings are hurt. I thought I could be the resident expert for the day.

 

[Floaterboat]

The resident expert PapaG hasn’t checked in yet ?

Seems he got his hathole blown out last time he made a grand prediction.

 

[Havasu Rehab]

Regarding STR’s in Havasu, I began mine in 2022. I did notice a decrease in Airbnb rentals this season, but that could be due to private rentals increasing. Overall, I’d say it was an average year income wise.

I have never relied on rental income to cover the mortgage. I highly doubt anyone who purchased from 2021 on has had their mortgage paid via STR income. The income does help offset other bills though.

One thing you guys are overlooking re: STR’s is the tax benefits. There are a TON of write-offs with STR’s. The tax benefits do a lot in off-setting the mortgage.

The change in STR market will definitely affect some in a negative way. I don’t think it will be as bad as most think though. People will adapt (ex. converting to long term rentals).

I could be wrong though. I’ve been known to make bad decisions. Like deciding the peak in Havasu home prices was the right time to buy

 

[Amy@Team RDP]

This thread on Lake Havasu real estate has sparked some lively discussions. Topics like increased inventory, higher lender rates, an abundance of vacation rentals, and seemingly resilient home values have been mentioned. As an agent on Team RDP I wanted to share my .02.

Yes, inventory has ticked up slightly. We've been hovering around 370 single-family homes, and the current count is 439. While this may feel like a jump, it’s important to note that a balanced market for Havasu typically requires closer to 550 units. By comparison, we’re still in a constricted market, which helps sustain higher home values and keeps Lake Havasu firmly in a Seller’s market.

It’s true that homes are taking longer to sell, but context is key. We’re transitioning from boating season to snowbird season, and the holiday season is always a quieter time for real estate. Add in high-interest rates and election-year uncertainty, and it’s no surprise we’re seeing some shifts. For buyers, this extended market time means more opportunities to find the perfect home—often below the asking price. And when homes are priced competitively, multiple offers are still common.

Concerns about the abundance of vacation rentals are valid, but let’s not forget why Lake Havasu continues to attract buyers and visitors: our stunning lake, sunny weather, and unparalleled recreational lifestyle. Whether it’s a second home, vacation rental, or primary residence, people are drawn to our community. Space in Havasu is finite, bordered by state land, mountains, and the lake, which helps maintain strong demand.

Real estate markets ebb and flow, and while no one can predict the future with certainty, Lake Havasu remains a desirable destination. Our unique location and lifestyle ensure continued interest, regardless of broader market conditions. One thing remains constant: Lake Havasu is a one-of-a-kind place to live, play, and invest.

 

[DRYHEAT]

This thread on Lake Havasu real estate has sparked some lively discussions. Topics like increased inventory, higher lender rates, an abundance of vacation rentals, and seemingly resilient home values have been mentioned. As an agent on Team RDP I wanted to share my .02.

Yes, inventory has ticked up slightly. We've been hovering around 370 single-family homes, and the current count is 439. While this may feel like a jump, it’s important to note that a balanced market for Havasu typically requires closer to 550 units. By comparison, we’re still in a constricted market, which helps sustain higher home values and keeps Lake Havasu firmly in a Seller’s market.

It’s true that homes are taking longer to sell, but context is key. We’re transitioning from boating season to snowbird season, and the holiday season is always a quieter time for real estate. Add in high-interest rates and election-year uncertainty, and it’s no surprise we’re seeing some shifts. For buyers, this extended market time means more opportunities to find the perfect home—often below the asking price. And when homes are priced competitively, multiple offers are still common.

Concerns about the abundance of vacation rentals are valid, but let’s not forget why Lake Havasu continues to attract buyers and visitors: our stunning lake, sunny weather, and unparalleled recreational lifestyle. Whether it’s a second home, vacation rental, or primary residence, people are drawn to our community. Space in Havasu is finite, bordered by state land, mountains, and the lake, which helps maintain strong demand.

Real estate markets ebb and flow, and while no one can predict the future with certainty, Lake Havasu remains a desirable destination. Our unique location and lifestyle ensure continued interest, regardless of broader market conditions. One thing remains constant: Lake Havasu is a one-of-a-kind place to live, play, and invest.

Hey, don’t be lying to people. This is a terrible place to live!

 

[zhandfull]

This thread on Lake Havasu real estate has sparked some lively discussions. Topics like increased inventory, higher lender rates, an abundance of vacation rentals, and seemingly resilient home values have been mentioned. As an agent on Team RDP I wanted to share my .02.

Yes, inventory has ticked up slightly. We've been hovering around 370 single-family homes, and the current count is 439. While this may feel like a jump, it’s important to note that a balanced market for Havasu typically requires closer to 550 units. By comparison, we’re still in a constricted market, which helps sustain higher home values and keeps Lake Havasu firmly in a Seller’s market.

It’s true that homes are taking longer to sell, but context is key. We’re transitioning from boating season to snowbird season, and the holiday season is always a quieter time for real estate. Add in high-interest rates and election-year uncertainty, and it’s no surprise we’re seeing some shifts. For buyers, this extended market time means more opportunities to find the perfect home—often below the asking price. And when homes are priced competitively, multiple offers are still common.

Concerns about the abundance of vacation rentals are valid, but let’s not forget why Lake Havasu continues to attract buyers and visitors: our stunning lake, sunny weather, and unparalleled recreational lifestyle. Whether it’s a second home, vacation rental, or primary residence, people are drawn to our community. Space in Havasu is finite, bordered by state land, mountains, and the lake, which helps maintain strong demand.

Real estate markets ebb and flow, and while no one can predict the future with certainty, Lake Havasu remains a desirable destination. Our unique location and lifestyle ensure continued interest, regardless of broader market conditions. One thing remains constant: Lake Havasu is a one-of-a-kind place to live, play, and invest.

What exactly is a buyers market? You mentioned homes are selling slower and often below asking price. Sounds like an opportunity to throw out some disrespectful offers if you are a buyer.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Regarding STR’s in Havasu, I began mine in 2022. I did notice a decrease in Airbnb rentals this season, but that could be due to private rentals increasing. Overall, I’d say it was an average year income wise.

I have never relied on rental income to cover the mortgage. I highly doubt anyone who purchased from 2021 on has had their mortgage paid via STR income. The income does help offset other bills though.

One thing you guys are overlooking re: STR’s is the tax benefits. There are a TON of write-offs with STR’s. The tax benefits do a lot in off-setting the mortgage.

The change in STR market will definitely affect some in a negative way. I don’t think it will be as bad as most think though. People will adapt (ex. converting to long term rentals).

I could be wrong though. I’ve been known to make bad decisions. Like deciding the peak in Havasu home prices was the right time to buy

There is write offs till you get a audit

 

[DMF]

What exactly is a buyers market? You mentioned homes are selling slower and often below asking price. Sounds like an opportunity to throw out some disrespectful offers if you are a buyer.

I've been doing that on rv's....hahaha

 

[angiebaby]

I highly doubt anyone who purchased from 2021 on has had their mortgage paid via STR income.

No one??? Not one single person?

Sure.

 

[Done-it-again]

There is write offs till you get a audit

RDP’ers write off everything don’t you know. That boats is an advertisement too.

 

[Havasu Rehab]

No one??? Not one single person?

Sure.

In Havasu…. Yes I highly doubt it.

If you’re insinuating someone can make $50K a year off a basic rental in Havasu I’m very curious on how it can be done.

 

[Havasu Rehab]

There is write offs till you get a audit

And there are write offs after you get audited. I’m not advocating lying or cheating. I’m also not saying you can pay your entire mortgage on write offs. They do help offset the costs though.

 

[Amy@Team RDP]

What exactly is a buyers market? You mentioned homes are selling slower and often below asking price. Sounds like an opportunity to throw out some disrespectful offers if you are a buyer.

Right now most Sellers are holding strong and staying close to list price. However, you are correct there are some that need to move on and there are deals to be found!

 

[Amy@Team RDP]

Hey, don’t be lying to people. This is a terrible place to live!

Ohhh that’s right. Shhhhhh. It’s horrible here.