More sellers put their homes up for sale in the 85249 zip code market over the last 30 days and the number of new listings rose this week to 91. Home sales remained unchanged from the prior period and once again 77 homes were sold. Potential buyers should take note that the median sales price in the 85249 zip code stayed flat at $340,000 and that there are four months of inventory still available.

DEMOGRAPHIC FACTS ABOUT THE 85249 ZIP CODE:

• The average elevation is 1,242 ft.
• The area's median income per household is $74,148.
• For every counselor there are 553 students in this area. (513 = national average)

Home sales in the 85249 zip code market dipped below its average sales volume for the prior 12-month period. In this week's report, they fell 13.5% to 83 homes sold over the last 30 days. Meanwhile, the 85242 zip code reported 108 home sales, the highest number from all the surrounding zip codes. The median sales price dropped to $330,000, extending an eight-week long spiral.

During Fire Prevention Week, October 9 through 15, the National Fire Protection Association is highlighting the dangers of unattended cooking and risky kitchen habits.

The theme was announced at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, which is attended by thousands of firefighters from around the world.

Here are some good tips from NFPA:

Remember that fat and oils are flammable. Most kitchen fires, and fires that burn down restaurants, start when someone is heating fat or oil and forgets about it. The oil gets increasingly hotter, smokes, and then bursts into flame.

Never leave the room when you're cooking. It's easy to think you'll only be away for a minute or two to answer the door or step into the living room or bathroom, but it could take longer.

Beware of deep fat fryers. Never get liquid near a oil fryer. If it spills, it instantly turns into steam, violently spraying hot oil.

Steam is dangerous. Steam is water vapor that is above the boiling point. It can be highly pressurized and is almost invisible, but it causes nasty burns.

Have a fire extinguishers available in the kitchen and learn how to use it. The people who service your extinguishers can arrange training.

If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.

Sales rose in the 85249 zip code market to 104 homes sold over the last 30 days. But the market is also under a recent downward trend in the number of contracts closing, with this week's number falling to 45. The median sales price dropped to $332,500, down from last week's $349,900. The rising sales and a low three months of inventory point to the 85249 zip code being a seller's market.

Last week mortgage rates headed up most of the week as economic data releases continued to support a strengthening economy, and traders saw increasing odds on a Fed rate hike before the end of 2016. The general feeling on the street is that there will be a rate hike this year, in December.  It is possible that the FOMC could vote in its November meeting to raise rates, but that’s unlikely given that there is no scheduled press conference after the November meeting and the meeting is only a few days ahead of the presidential elections.