Changes to Investor Loan Rules for Purchase of Condos

Realty Times has an article which explains the Fannie Mae changes to rules for loans to investors purchasing a condo. Fannie Mae tries to control the percentage of units within condominium communities that are not owner occupied by restricting loans if the percentage of investor owned properties is too high.

If you are considering purchasing an investment property, you should begin by talking with a lender. Downpayment requirements and other criteria are different than criteria for homes that will be occupied by the owner. Also, let the lender know if you are planning on purchasing a condo as an investment property. The lender should be able to explain to you any special rules for condo loans.

Realty Times Article - Investor Report: Investor Policy Changed

Recycling Your Christmas Tree

About.com has a great article with information on how you can recycle your Christmas tree. It provides information by city within the Phoenix metro area. Many cities will collect the trees and chop them up to use as mulch.

About.com - Christmas Tree Disposal in Phoenix

Metro Max Card - Discounts

If you will be traveling, shopping, dining, or visiting entertainment venues along the light rail path, you may want to print out a free Metro Max Card. It offers discounts at many locations along the route. You don't have to take the light rail to get the discounts.

To print your card and obtain a listing of offered discounts - Metro Max Card

Remember the grand opening of the light rail in Dec. 27 and you can ride free through Dec. 31. Click here for Metro Light-rail Grand Opening Information.

Fun Free Holiday Tags, Small Boxes, and more

We just learned about thetoymaker.com and thought we would share the information with you. You can print free Christmas tags and small gift boxes and many items for other holidays. There are also coloring pages and paper toys that can be printed. Everything looks nice and fairly easy to do.

A Special Greeting Card

Did you know that you can request a special greeting card be sent from the President under certain circumstances. You can request one for: the birth of a child, someone celebrating their 80th or older birthday, a couple who was just married, or a couple celebrating their 50th or greater wedding anniversary. Recipients must be U.S. citizens. It might be fun to surprise someone with one of these.

For more information: White House Greetings

Help for Homeowners with a Federal Tax Lien

There was an article in Wednesday's AZ Republic about steps the IRS is taking to help homeowners who are attempting to refinance or obtain a loan modification but have a federal tax lien on their home. If this applies to you, you'll want to read the article. Just click on the link below.

AZ Republic Article - IRS Helps Homeowners Deal with Federal Tax Lien

November Market Statistics

Above are the statistics for the number of current listings in November plus the number of sold listings. Chandler had the most significant decrease in active listings ending November with a 9.5 month supply of listings. For the total Arizona Regional MLS there was a 12.8 month supply. Sales were 4435 units in November 2008 up 34% from November of 2007.

This data is supplied by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. ARMLS, West USA, and Pat & Amy Monahan do not guarantee the accuracy of the data.

New License Plate Law

You may or may not have heard that Arizona has a new law regarding license plate frames that goes into effect on January 1. License plate frames cannot cover up the state name, "Arizona". We've removed the frames from both of our cars.

For more information:

AZ Republic Article - Law Targets License-plate Frames

Mortgage Applications Up

An article in Realty Times, Real Estate Outlook: Mortgage Applications Rise by Kenneth R. Harney, indicates that a national survey indicated an increase of 37% in applications for loans to buy houses. What is driving the increase? A combination of lower interest rates and affordable home prices. It looks like many people have decided that this is the time to buy a home and the market may be starting the change.

Holiday Lights Map

AZ Central has a map which shows 98 different homes in the Phoenix area that have been decorated for the holidays in a spectacular fashion. Look for some near and enjoy some free holiday entertainment by doing a driving or walking tour.

Holiday Lights Map

Beginning of Housing Recovery?

There was an article in today's AZ Republic regarding signs that the local housing market may be starting on the road to recovery. Click on the link below to read it.

Steps Made in Housing Recovery

Minature Christmas Village

We discovered a house in Chandler with a huge minature Christmas Village in their garage. They are open on Saturday and Sunday nights. They also have a food drive box in their drive way if you would like to make a contribution - it is completely voluntary. This is a lot of fun for adults and children to look at. The address is 720 N Los Feliz, Chandler. They gave us permission to post pictures and their address on our blog.

Holiday Lights at the Phoenix Zoo

Another fun holiday season evening is the Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo. This is particularly enjoyable with children. You can stroll through the zoo where the plants are decorated with hundreds of lights and there are numerous light sculptures to enjoy. Zoolights runs from November 27 to January 11. You can buy tickets on-line by visiting their site (click on previous Zoolights link).

Luminarias at the Botanical Garden

One of the things we enjoy doing during the holiday season is attending Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. You get to stroll through the park at night lit by many luminaries. At various spots throughout the park there will be small musical groups performing or sometimes solo artists. Stop and enjoy these groups for as long as you like before moving to the next. You can check the website to see which musical groups will be performing on each night. It is recommended that you buy tickets in advance as many nights do sell out. Discounts on tickets are available for Garden members.

Value of Home Remodeling

The 2008 Cost versus Value Report for home remodeling projects is now available. It ranks various home remodeling projects based upon the expected percentage of the projects cost that could be recouped when the home is sold. Keep in mind that these are national averages. Some of these figures would not be the same in Arizona. For example, it lists the addition of a deck to a home. In most Phoenix area homes there is a patio not a deck. A covered patio is much more valuable that a patio without shade. Costs for adding a patio would be different than costs to add a deck. Features included in the patio such as a built in cooking area would also affect value.

There are many factors which will affect how much you will recoup on remodeling. If you are planning on selling within a year, consult a real estate agent before engaging in any remodeling projects. The agent can advise you as to which projects will most help the sale of your home. If you are planning on living in the home for many more years, you should not expect to recoup the same percentage as if you sold your house within a year of the remodel.

2008 Cost vs Value Report

Do You Live in a Flood Zone?

It may sound crazy but there are flood zones in Maricopa County even though we are in a desert. Most home insurance policies do not include flood insurance.

More information about flood insurance and link to Maricopa County 100 Year Flood Plain Map

There are some roadways that have washes instead of bridges. These washes may only be full of water a few hours a few days of the year when we get heavy rain and flash flooding. If you encounter a flooded wash, do not attempt to drive through it. The Flood Control District of Maricopa website indicates that many cars will float in 2 feet of water. Don't take chance, take another route or wait for the wash to be clear of water.

Amazing Photos Through History

Millions of photos from Life Magazines archives are now available on-line through a photo archive hosted by Google. The archive includes photos that we never published in the magazine. You can do a search on a particular subject by adding "source.life" to your Google search term. Or you can go to the home page and do a search there or click on a decade to view - the 1860's through the 1970's. You can also click on famous peoples names, places, events, sports, and culture. The pictures are pretty amazing.

Home Page of Life Magazine Photo Archives

"Phoenix" Search of Life Photo Archives

How Do You Cook Your Turkey?

There are several different ways to cook a turkey. For many years, I have been using the Reynolds Oven Cooking Bags. I follow the directions on the box. I shake the flour in the bag. Then, I put a lot of cut up carrots, onions, and celery in the bottom of the bag. I place my turkey on top of the vegetables in the bag. These yields some great tasting carrots and lots of flavorful juices/broth to use in making gravy. One year, I had my oven stop working on the night before Thanksgiving. I cooked a turkey in my microwave in one of these cooking bags and turned out just fine - it was even browned some.

One other thing that I do that works well is that I cook additional stuffing in my crock pot on low. I put the stuffing in the crock pot at the same time I put the turkey in the oven. I used store bought stuffing mix and add the usual ingredients on the box plus a chopped up granny smith apple.

How do you like to cook your turkey? Leave a comment and let us know.

Holiday Music

It is hard to believe that it is almost time for Thanksgiving and Christmas already. If you are ready to get into the mood - you might want to listen to a radio station such as 99.9 FM KEZ which is playing Christmas music all of the time now. I'm not ready to listen to Christmas music all of the time now but it can be fun to listen on occasion. One of my favorite newer Holiday Cd's is the Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays. The CD contains Holiday music not just Christmas music. I also really like a duet by Bing Crosby and David Bowie of Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy. It is available on Bing's Crosby's Christmas Classics CD and possibly on other Cd's. This music is also available on ITunes. Leave a comment and share your favorite Holiday album or song.

Savings on Holiday Lights

One of the great things about living in Arizona, is that you don't have to battle bad weather if you want to put up holiday lights on your home. If you need to purchase new lights here are some ways to save money:

SRP - Save Up to $5 on Holiday LED Light Sets (LED lights use up to 98% less electricity than the conventional incandescent strands - from SRP Contact newsletter).

Michael's - Weekly Ad & Joann's - Weekly Ad These two stores frequently have lights on sale and often have a coupon in their newspaper ad.

Other places to check ads are home improvement stores like Lowe's and Home Depot, plus Target, and Costco.

October Residential Sales Up Over Last Year

Some good news in October, total ARMLS (Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service) residential sales were up by 56% over the previous year with a total of 5,370 sales. Months of inventory was sitting at about 10.5 months compared to last October when it was over 17.5 months. Chandler and Gilbert have made the most progress in reducing inventory of active listings.

This data is supplied by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. ARMLS, West USA, and Pat & Amy Monahan do not guarantee the accuracy of the data.

Deal of the Week

We have added a new feature to our websites - The Deal of the Week. There are a lot of opportunities for savvy buyers in the current Phoenix area resale market. Listed on this section of our websites are the properties we have picked out from the MLS each week to highlight. These are not our listings. We look for properties that are priced below other comparable properties. Some may be move in ready and others may need a small amount to a lot of work done. Each week a new property will be added. We have included homes that have been foreclosed upon, that are currently owned by banks, and regular resales but have not included short sales. We realize that what constitutes a "good value" will be different for each of you. As always when purchasing a new home consider your needs and wants first.

Townhome and Condo - Deal of the Week

Single Family Home - Deal of the Week

Fishing in Phoenix and the East Valley

Through a joint program with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and local parks divisions there are 16 lakes in the Valley that have been stocked with fish. If you are 14 or older, you will need a Class U license to fish in a lake that is part of the Urban Fishing Program. Licenses are available at Arizona Game and Fish departments and many fishing, hunting, and sporting goods stores. The 2008 Class U fishing license is on sale for half price in November and December.

Locations of Urban Fishing Lakes

AZ Republic article - Urban Anglers Can Reel in Fun Without Having to Leave Town

AZ Game & Fish Department

A Global and Historic Perspective on the Economy

I read an interesting article at the W.P. Carey School of Business (ASU) website. The media tend to dwell so much on all the negative things happening in today's economy. There is not question that there are some difficult things happening and almost everyone is affected in one way or another. So, it can be refreshing to take a step back and look at how far the United States and the world have come and the positive role that the United States has played and will continue to play in world economic growth. Click on the link below to read the article or listen to the podcast.

Podcast: America's Six Unstoppable Trends

Is a Credit Union Home Loan Right for You?

As a follow-up to my previous post on Credit Unions, I thought I should share this article on credit union home loans. It explains how credit unions did not get themselves involved in the subprime mortgage mess and that they do have money to lend. You do have to be a qualified buyer, don't expect a 100% loan. They can be a good option for many people.

Realty Times - Credit Unions to the Rescue

A Bargain on Electronics?

Circuit City has announced that it is closing all of its Phoenix area stores. Liquidation sales started on 11/5. Usually with these types of sales markdowns start out modest and work there way up as time passes. It is usually a how long can you wait situation. Do you buy the item you want now or do you wait to see if you can get a lower price and risk someone else buying it before you do? Some additional information is available below.

Circuit City Breaking News - includes press release and locations of stores that will be closing

AZ Republic Article - Circuit City to Begin Liquidation

A You Up for a Challenge?

You might want to consider the upcoming Urban Dare Race in Scottsdale on November 8. It begins at noon with check-in beginning at 11:00am at Scottsdale Civic Center Mall at Drinkwater Blvd and Second St. The cost is $90.00 per team.

What is an Urban Dare race? Teams consisting of two people race across a course that will require speed but also the ability to solve clues at various spots along the course. There may be some skill challenges involved too. It is recommended that you bring a digital camera and a cell phone. You may want to phone a friend for some assistance with questions. Also, some clues may require that you take a picture of yourself at specific locations.

Are you intrigued? Read the Urban Dare blog or the AZ Republic Article - Game on: Urban Dare Race Tests Wit, Athleticism.

Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You?

This is kind of fun if you are a Jane Austen fan. I'll have to say that I appreciate the books a lot more now than I did when I was younger. Her ability to understand and portray different personality types and social interactions is as true today as it was when she wrote her books. Just the settings and background have aged.

Take the Quiz here!

Bank of America to Halt Some Local Foreclosures

Last summer, Bank of America bought Countrywide. Countrywide was the nation's largest sub prime lender. As a part of a settlement agreement with the Arizona Attorney Generals office, Bank of America has suspended foreclosure notices for about 2,000 homes in the Greater Phoenix Area and many more in the rest of Arizona. The bank will work with the borrowers for these loans and try to modify the loans to make the payments more affordable so they can stay in their homes.

AZ Republic Article - B of A agrees to halt 2.000 Foreclosures

Where to Call for Help if You Are Struggling to Make Your Home Payments:

If you have a Bank of America Loan - 800-669-6607

For Anyone in Arizona - Arizona Mortgage Foreclosure Help Line - 877-448-1211

Chandler GIS Day

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. This is the type of system that is used by 9-1-1 to locate callers but it has other uses. Chandler is offering a seminar on the real-world applications of GIS technology. The Chandler City Scope indicates that "Residents will learn how the Police and Fire departments utilize GIS to respond to emergencies and track crime information; other City departments will demonstrate how they use GIS, and residents will learn how to view the City's GIS Data" The event is free and will be held on Wednesday, November 19 from 8:00am to noon at the Community Center rooms 109-110. The Community Center is at 125 E Commonwealth Ave. For more information call 480-782-2468 or click here.

A Different Kind of News

If you are looking for a different kind of news coverage, you might want to try NewsWatch, ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication's award winning student newscast. Channel 8's Magazine indicates the show will report on stores that affect ASU, metro Phoenix, and Arizona. It will start airing on Eight World beginning Nov. 4 and will air on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights at 9:00pm. Eight World airs on digital channel 8.3 and Cox 88. I haven't been able to determine if it is available on Direct TV or other satellite TV providers. If someone knows, please leave a comment.

Photography Workshops to be held at Arboretum

For those of you who live out of state you might be surprised to learn that Arizona has an arboretum. Even in the desert there are a few trees that grow. Boyce Thompson Arboretum is located east of Phoenix. Maggie Leef who is a nature photographer will be offering three photography workshops at the Arboretum. The cost to register is $22.50 for non-members and $15.00 for members. The classes are as follows:

Beginners Photography Class, Nov. 2 from 9:00am to Noon

Fall Color Photography Class Nov. 16 from 9:00am to Noon and Nov. 29 from 9:00am to Noon

Class sizes are limited so you do need to call in advance to enroll. Call the Arboretum at 520-689-2723. To see some of Maggie's pictures click here.

There a number of other special events at the Arboretum that you might enjoy. Or you might enjoy just visiting the Arboretum and going for a nature walk on the trail.

First Time Buyer Tax Credit

There has been a lot of talk in the press about the first time home buyer tax credit but not a lot of detailed information. I was unable to find detailed information at the IRS site at this time but the National Association of Home Builders has put a lot of information together at their site FederalHousingCreditTaxCredit.com. The credit is available for people who buy a home between 4/9/08 and 7/1/09. The home can be a resale or a new build. The tax credit acts as an interest free loan and must be repaid over 15 years. As always, we recommend that you talk with your accountant to get specific information about how the credit will benefit you.

September Home Sales Are Up!

First the good news! Buyers are starting to respond to the good prices and sales were up considerably in September. Total ARMLS sales for September 2008 were 6,150 compared with 3,377 in September of last year.

Above is a slide show of graphs for each city showing the number of active listings, the number of new listings, and the number of solds by month for the last 12 months. It is encouraging to see that in some cities the number of active listings has decreased in the past few months. However, with the number of new listings being added each month it will be a while before the market comes back into balance. Foreclosures have become a big factor in the market. No one can predict how many more foreclosure properties will be added to the active listings in coming months.

This data is supplied by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. ARMLS, West USA, and Pat & Amy Monahan do not guarantee the accuracy of the data.

Consider a Credit Union

If you are not a member of a credit union, you might want to consider joining one. They typically offer lower rates on auto and home loans and often have higher rates on CDs than some banks. Deposits are still FDIC insured up to the allowed amount. You do have to qualify to join a credit union but the criteria is often broad and it is likely that you will qualify for at least one credit union in your community. For example, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union has this statement on their website with regards to who qualifies for membership - "Persons who live, work, worship or attend school, including businesses and other legal entities, in Gila, Maricopa and Pinal Counties"

Here are some resources for more information:

US News audio commentary on the benefits of credit unions

America's Credit Unions - Credit Union Locator

Rebates Available for Appliance Purchases

If you are an SRP customer and considering buying a new clothes washer or dishwasher before the end of the year, then you should check the rebate offers available by clicking on the following link. To qualify, purchases must meet the defined energy ratings.

SRP Appliance Rebate

I couldn't find a similar program for APS customers; but, if someone knows about one, please leave a comment.

AZ Foreclosure Data

The AZ Republic had an interesting article about local foreclosures in today's paper - Data show how foreclosures pull down Valley home values. We have certainly been seeing and selling homes that have been foreclosed upon. While these can be good deals for buyers, depending upon the condition of the property, they are probably contributing to the decrease in home values (as the article indicates). These bank owned properties on average are selling for less than those owned by sellers. In some cases these bank owned properties are not in as good of condition as the seller owned properties which is a contributing factor to the lower price. Additionally, the majority of banks will only sell the proprety "as is" and will not do any repairs to the property. The number of foreclosures and sales of foreclosures varies widely by zip code. The AZ Republic site has a link - Bank Owned Sales Prices by Zip - where you can input a zip code and get sales data. An example of the data provided for zip code 85226 in Chandler and zip code 85206 in Mesa follows.


ZIP code - 85226 (Chandler)
Resale median - $259,000
Traditional resale median -$260,000
Foreclosure resale median - $230,000
Resales - 259
Traditional resales - 232
Foreclosure resales - 27

ZIP code - 85206 (Mesa)
Resale median - $202,500
Traditional resale median - $205,500
Foreclosure resale median - $185,000
Resales - 274
Traditional resales - 246
Foreclosure resales - 28

Check Out a Fall League Baseball Game

Did you know that Arizona hosts some MLB fall league baseball games? Minor league players representing the major league teams play ball in the valley. So if you want to relax and enjoy the weather while watching a game, check the links below.

AZ Republic article - AZ Fall League Helps Families Save Money

AZ Republic article - Fall League Teams

MLB AZ Fall League Site

MLB AZ Fall League Schedule

Blog Problems

Last week around mid-week we started having problems accessing our blog. So, if any of you were trying to read our blog and couldn't get to it, we are sorry. After some time consuming and frustrating time spent reading Google Blogger Help, we seem to have worked through the problems. I think the problem was with our custom domain registered at GoDaddy and how it pointed to Blogger. So, we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope that the problem does not recur.

Working for Your Downpayment

An article in the AZ Republic indicates that Trend Homes is offering a program where buyers can do some of the painting for their new home and apply this towards their down payment. For more information:

Will Work For Down Payment - article

Trend Homes Website

How to Use Less Water and Save a Little Money

SRP's website has some water saving ideas. It indicates that toilets are the biggest water users in the house. So, if you need to replace a toilet consider getting one that is high efficiency. We switched to a water saving shower head at the beginning of the year and have been happy with it. The difference was not real noticeable and after a shower or two it seemed perfectly normal. If you have a water saving idea - share it here by leaving a comment. I'd particularly like to hear from someone who is using a smart irrigation controller to see if they are happy with it.

John McCain's House

No, not this one. I got an invitation to a Realtor only open house for the one that our Senator and his wife, Cindy are selling here in Arizona. You can take a virtual tour of it, if you'd like.

It's stunning! (click here)

Chandler Veterans Benefits Expo

The City of Chandler and the AZ Department of Veterans' Services will host a Benefits Expo for military veterans, Saturday, Oct. 18, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm at the American Legion Branch No. 35, located at 2240 W Chandler Blvd. Veterans and their families can attend to obtain information on benefits and services available for military veterans including: health care, retirement, vocational assistance, educational opportunities, mortgage funding options and more. For more information call 480-558-2052.

Information obtained from Chandler City Scope.

Information on Veterans Administration Home Loans.

What Style is Your House?

The National Association of REALTORS® has a web page that describes all of the common architectural styles of homes in the United States. While the page is meant for real estate professionals, it is also assessable for the public. Styles discussed include: Pueblo, Contemporary, Ranch, Prairie, and many more.

NAR Residential Styles

A Chance to Be Christine

The AZ Republic today had an article about a contest the Phoenix Symphony is running for girls ages 8 to 18. They are looking for one girl to play the role of Christine for one song from Phantom of the Opera - "All I Ask of You". The winner will sing a duet with Broadway star Franc D'Ambrosio at the Symphony's New Year's Eve gala. She will also win some other prizes. Deadline for entry is October 8. For more information, click on the links below:

Phoenix Symphony - Call For Christine

AZ Republic Article

Schnepf Farms corn mazes

As hard as it may be for some people to believe, corn is grown in some parts of Arizona. Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek has been growing a corn maze for a number of years. This year's maze features Muhammad Ali. Below is a link to a slide show of this year's corn maze plus some from past years courtesy of azcentral.com. There are lots of things to do at Schnepf Farms, so check out their website to see all of the options.

Corn Maze Slide Show

History Repeating Itself?

I was glancing through the May issue of REALTOR magazine which had an article and a timeline regarding Home ownership in America. Here are a few items I noticed on the time line, does any of this look familiar?

1997 - 1979 The Energy Crisis
1980 With inflation running at 13 percent and unemployment near 8 percent, single-family home sales plunge 22 percent from a year earlier.
1981 By September, mortgage rates surpass 18 percent and end the year around 17 percent.
1987 A 32 percent decline stock values between Oct. 13 and Oct. 19 exceeds the magnitude of the 1929 stock market crash.
1989 The failure of nearly 1,000 savings and loan associations lead to passage of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recover and Enforcement Act and creation of the Resolution Trust Corp.
1991 Mortgage interest rates dip below 10 percent for the first time in 12 years.
1995 President Bill Clinton unveils a National Home ownership Strategy with a goal of raising the nation's home ownership rate to 67.5 percent by 2000. This goal is reached.
2000 Stocks begin a downward plunge in March, marking the end of the dot-com boom.
2003 Residential mortgage rates dip below 6 percent in January.

Source - May 2008 Issue REALTOR Magazine

Earning Airline Miles without Flying

Like many people we fly occasionally but not frequently. We still like to earn and use our frequent flyer miles. It used to be that those miles could just sit out there without expiring. Well, those days seem to be gone. With U.S. Airways/America West, one of the major carriers out of Phoenix, in order for miles to remain usable you have to earn some at least every eighteen months. Usually this is not a problem for us but sometimes it is. We don't want to get every airlines credit card in order to earn miles. So, we've started using their Dining Dividend Miles program. We recently tried a new restaurant for lunch that was on the program called Sandstone Cafe. It is a small place that is locally owned located at the intersection of Ray and Rural in Chandler (near the Hollywood Video). The food was good and reasonably priced.

Daily Photo of the East Valley

Do you like to see pictures? City Blogs is a network of bloggers that post a daily picture of their city. If you like Paris, you can see a blogger's daily view of that city. Cincinnati? That city too.

We have some here in the valley too. Mesa? Chandler? Phoenix? Tempe?

I just started the Chandler Daily Photo blog. Every day, 365 days a year, I'll have a picture from Arizona on the blog. Not all are Chandler, but all will have an Arizona theme to them. If you'd like to contribute a picture, I'd be more than willing to consider it. Just email it to me with a brief story behind it.

Do you recognize the building above? It's in Tempe on the campus of Arizona State University.

NAR Information on the Bailout

There are lots of articles out there on the proposed bailout of Wall Street, so I know you have a lot of potential reading. However, I thought some of you might be interested in the following.

9/22 NAR Economists Commentary - $700 for What?

9/23 - NAR Letter to Senator Dodd

Real Estate Market Outlook

Here is the National Associations of REALTORS® President's podcast. It is directed towards REALTORS® but has good information for the public as well.

Win a Free Year of Lightrail Rides

There is contest to develop a new safety slogan for the Metro light rail which will be opening in a few months. The winner will receive a free year of rides. Entries are due by September 30. Email your slogan to casey.newton@arizonarepublic.com with "light rail slogan" in the subject line. The second article below explains how the winning slogan will be selected.

AZ Republic Article 09/23 -Metro-safety slogan sought

More From AZ Republic - How to Win a Year of Free Light-Rail Rides

Free Star Gazing

ASU has free Astronomy Open Houses scheduled throughout the school year. The next one is September 26 from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. This is a chance to stand on the roof of one of the buildings and look at the night sky through a more powerful telescope than someone would normally have in their home. Check their website for more information regarding a talk and other activities.

How Much Will I Get When I Sell My House?

It is important to understand when you sell your house that there will be costs associated with selling. You will net the amount of the agreed upon purchase price minus the costs to sell. The following are types of costs which may apply to your sale:

• Outstanding balance and interest owed on your home loan


• Any real estate taxes still owed (annual taxes are typically prorated between the buyer and seller based upon the sale date)


• Any outstanding home owners association fees or assessments due plus home owners association transfer fees


• Title Insurance


• Closing fees charged by the escrow company


• Recording fees, transfer fees, or other government registration fees


• VA or other loan fees required to be paid by seller, if applicable


• Survey fee, if applicable


• Home Warranty, if agreed as part of sale contract


• Any outstanding liens, if any, against the property


• If an attorney is utilized, attorney fees


• Brokerage commission

In addition to these costs, some seller's agree to pay a portion of the buyer's cost as part of the negotiated contract for sale. Additionally, you may owe federal, state, or local income tax on the proceeds of your sale depending upon your situation. Consult your accountant or the IRS to determine if you will owe taxes.

Changes to Tax Rules for Second Homes

Tax rules on second homes will be changing beginning with 2009. If you own a second home, you will want to discuss these upcoming changes with your accountant.

Kiplinger.com has an article explaining the changes - Tax Crackdown on Second Homes

Good Places to Buy Used Books

The Chandler Public Library is having a used book sale Sept. 19 through Sept. 21. The downtown location will have the biggest selection. On Sunday, all books left will be 5 for a $1. Proceeds go to library programs. I shopped at this sale at the Downtown branch at the beginning of the summer and got a whole box full of books for about $20. They have this sale several times a year.

Another great place to buy used books is Bookmans. I really like the Mesa store. It is huge and filled with all kinds of books, not just fiction, plus dvds, books on cd, music cds, and more. You can take in books, magazines, dvds, etc. that you are done with and trade them in for store credit or cash. If you trade for store credit, you get more than you would for cash. The way this works is that you leave your box of books for them to review, usually takes about 20 minutes, and they tell you which ones they want and how much they will give you for them. What to do with the leftovers - donate them to the public library for their book sale or a charity like Goodwill.

Another fun store is Changing Hands in Tempe. They sell used and new books plus greeting cards and some gift items. They have a great children's book section.

I have also found that some of the Goodwill Stores have a fairly large selection of used books at good prices. They also have some 50% off sales.

Buying a new PC without Vista

I have been putting off replacing my "old" desktop computer because I didn't want to buy a new one with Vista on it. I have heard so much negative feedback about Vista, that I would like Microsoft to iron some more of the bugs out before I start using it. I have found two on-line sources for PCs without Vista. There are probably more. Dell has some small business desktops that come with a Vista downgrade to XP. You get XP installed and the ability to upgrade to Vista when you are ready. The other is AVADirect which will build you a desktop with XP.

Federal Take Over of Fannie Mae & Freddic Mac

The federal government has taken over conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It is believed that this will lead to more stability for these companies and the financial markets and economy in general. It may lead to low interest rates for mortgages. There is a lot of information available about this and I've provided links to some articles below for those of you who would like to be more informed.



Mortgage Industry Welcomes Federal Fix - Sept. 9 - AZ Republic



A Primer on Fannie and Freddie: What the Bailout Means - Sept. 8 - U.S. News & World Report



Fannie and Freddie: What You Should Know - Sept. 8 - U.S. News & World Report

New Ice Skating Rink for East Valley

Polar Ice is opening a new location in Gilbert. It is currently scheduled to be opened on September 13. There is an information trailer currently open to the public to obtain information. There will be youth and adult hockey leagues available, as well as skating classes, and open skating times. This can be a fun way to get some exercise and cool off during the hot summer months. They are located at Crossroads Park on Greenfield Road in between Ray Rd. and Warner Rd. in Gilbert. There are also currently Polar Ice locations in Chandler and Peoria. Click on one of the links below to get more information.

Polar Ice - Gilbert

Polar Ice - Chandler

Polar Ice - Peoria

Planning Your Move

We have added a button "Moving Checklist" which is just below the "Condo Search" button. This will link you to a Moving Time Table and a Moving Checklist. You can print either or both out for your use in planning your move. A few more tips are listed below.

Packing Considerations
· When obtaining boxes look for medium size ones that will be easy to lift when full.
· Compartmentalized containers (with cardboard dividers) are great for packing glassware and other small fragile items.
· Don’t use newspapers to wrap items that could be damaged if the ink rubbed off. Use tissue paper or plain paper designed for packing. Towels and linens can also be used for wrapping items.
· Empty and clean your refrigerator prior to the move.
· Be careful packing any containers of liquids that could easily leak. Seal them tightly with tape and place in plastic bags.

Small Bits & Parts
Whenever you dismantle an item for the move. Place small pieces, screws, and wires in a zip lock bag labeled with the item. Tape bag to item or place all such zip lock bags in one clearly marked box.

$1 Billion Resort- Convention Complex Announced for Mesa

Thursday's AZ Republic had an article regarding the announcement of a new hotel and conference center that will be build in Mesa at the site now occupied by the General Motors Desert Proving Ground just east of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. This is near the intersection of Elliot Rd and Ellsworth Rd. The article indicates the development will include a hotel with at least 1,250 rooms, retail stores, restaurants, and a championship golf course. They are expected to break group in the summer of 2009 after GM moves it car testing operations to Yuma.

Articles to read for more information:

Gateway: How Hotel Deal Came Together

Megaresort May Help Jump start AZ Tourism

Market Statistics for August 2008

With the new flexmls system we are able to pull data much sooner. Above is a graph which compares the number of months of inventory for the East Valley cities, Phoenix, and Scottsdale with the full MLS for the area. Below is a slide show of graphs for each city showing the number of active listings, the number of new listings, and the number of solds by month for the last 24 months. It is encouraging to see that in a number of cities the number of active listings has decreased in the past few months.

This data is supplied by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. ARMLS, West USA, and Pat & Amy Monahan do not guarantee the accuracy of the data.

Chandler E-Newsletters

The City of Chandler has an e-newsletter service. You can sign up to receive a variety of e-newsletters including the new ones Chandler Recreation Update and Chandler Special Events Bulletin. There are also bulletins for road construction, the library, and City Council Agendas. Just take your pick and sign up for the ones you want.

Chandler E-Newsletter Sign-up

Races in Arizona

I like to run in foot races. Anything from a 5k up to the marathon. But, race organizers don't always advertise races in the papers. So, where do you find them? My favorite is GetSetAZ. They have a race schedule for every state. Running, biking, triathlon, specialty races, you name it. Other places I find races at are Arizona Road Racers, a great group of runners. Arizona Running Events Calendar. Runner's World Online Magazine.

If you want to run I recommend these places to visit online. If you need motivation I'd go to this great page.

Now here's some races you should run in September:

8/31/08 8:00 AM
Arizona Road Racers Jerome Hill Climb

4.6 miles Run, 4.6 miles Walk

Website

9/1/08 6:30 AM
Saguaro National Park Labor Day 8-miler

8 mile Run, 2 mile Fun Run/Walk, 2 mile Walk

Website

9/13/08 8:00 AM
"Life Without Pain" 5K Fun Run/Walk

5K Run, 5K Walk Website

9/14/08 7:15 AM
Arizona Road Racers I-Did-A-Run 10K, 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run

10K or 5K Run, 10K or 5K Walk, 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk Website
Reach 11 Arizona Horse Lovers ParkPhoenix, AZ

9/20/08 7:00 AM

Air Force Birthday 5KRun
Pima Air and Space MuseumTucson, AZ

9/21/08 7:00 AM
Race JudicataRun
Tempe Kiwanis Park, AZ

9/27/08 7:00 AM
Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K

5K Run, 5K Walk Website
Moon Valley ParkPhoenix, AZ

Street Light Repair

Most cities have a phone number you can call to report a street light that is not working. Some cities now have an on-line reporting option as well. Here is contact information for requesting street light repair for East Valley cities.

Chandler Street Light Repair - Hotline 480-782-3460

Gilbert Street Light Repair - 480-503-6488

Mesa Street Light Repair - 480-644-3191

Tempe Street Light Repair - 480-350-8033

SRP Daily Energy Usage

When I got our electrical bill from SRP this week I noticed that it had a note on it - "As a customer with a Smart Meter on your home, you can go online anytime to My Account and view your daily electricity use. Sign up at www.srpnet.com/myaccount." So, today I went and signed up for an on-line account. Sure enough, I was able to click on "Smart Meter Daily Usage" and see our daily electrical use for the last month. It even breaks out off-peak usage and on-peak usage. I'm going to try to use this to see if we can reduce our electrical usage. It is a bit difficult to see if small changes at home will affect this because the outside temperature obviously has a big impact on electrical usage from day to day.

Not all SRP customers have a smart meter. For more information - Smart Meter.

You should also know that SRP has a discount in conjunction with ACE Hardware for 20% off new or rebuilt solar shade screens purchased between 7/1 and 9/30. For more information on this and other offers - SRP Offers.

R.L. Brown Housing Report

If you are curious about the R.L. Brown Housing Report, this month they are offering a free on-line copy of their report. Normally to get the reports, you need to pay a subscription fee. It would normally cost you $65 to get this single report. This report is widely used by the local real estate community and often referred to by the press. To access the free report, just click on the R.L. Brown Housing Report link and scroll down almost to the bottom of the page. Right click on the "Housing Market Reports" box and open in a new window. The report discusses new home builders, the resale market, and the impact of bank owned foreclosure properties on the market.

Chandler Mayor's Fitness Challenge

I'm all for getting fit and Chandler is asking residents to get fit in September. They're even having a big fun day on October 18th to celebrate. Join me in getting Chandler Fit.

Here's the list of ways to get fit in Chandler(my activities are in bold):

1. Walk, bike or jog the Paseo Trail or Environmental Education Center Trails at Veterans Oasis Park
2. Walking the dogs on the neighborhood greenbelt or to a local Bark Park
3. Swim in your backyard, neighborhood or Chandler pool
4. Play Tennis at the Tumbleweed Tennis Center, another City court or (indoors!) at the PGA Tour Superstore *
5. Play Racquetball at the Tumbleweed Recreation Center or other area courts
6. Jump Rope for 20 minutes on the patio
7. Lift Weights/work out at the gym
8. Take a yoga class *
9. Dance, dance, dance the night away…or take a dance class through the City *
10. Play Frisbee, Frisbee Golf at Mesquite Groves park site or play catch with the kids
11. Start a Bike-to-Work day at your jobsite
12. Coordinate a beach volleyball tournament with friends or co-workers at a City park
13. Walk the course at Bear Creek or other Chandler golf Courses
14. Play softball at the Snedigar Sports Complex or other City fields *
15. Play basketball at a neighborhood Park *
16. Bowl a few games at one of Chandler bowling centers
17. Walk the Chandler Fashion Center Mall, or better yet, walk around the mall!
18. If it’s an option, take the stairs at work for the whole month
19. Walk around one of Chandler’s community parks (like Desert Breeze or Chuparosa Park)
20. Run the track at the Tumbleweed Recreation Center (10 lap minimum)
21. Ice Skate at Polar Ice (Ray & I10)
22. Roller skate/roller blade around the neighborhood (don’t forget the helmet!)
23. Hold a Bike-a-thon (using indoor stationary bikes) with friends
24. Fitness Bootcamp at Chuparosa Park *
25. Enjoy Chandler’s Adult Sports Programs or join a local sports team *
26. Use the open Gym/Weight Rooms at local Junior Highs *
27. Walk, bike or jog to the supermarket, department store or gym
28. Fall cleaning! Pull weeds, rake leaves or other yard work (this can be great exercise)…better yet, volunteer to help others through the City’s Neighborhood Resources office
29. Take a Martial Arts class *
30. Aerobics *

* These, and many more organized activities available through the City’s Community Services Department
**This list was taken directly from the Chandler Fitness webpage.

Please leave a comment if you plan on joining in. I, also, plan on running the 5k on the 18th. Maybe we can have a race within the race!

Chandler - Good Planning for Job Growth

Chandler started planning for job growth a number of years ago. It seems like the plan has been a good one. They have preserved areas, empty lots, for commercial development. They resisted putting a strip center on every corner. This should yield a good balance of residential houses with nearby employment now and for in years to come.

Recent article in Chandler Republic:

Chandler Plans for Job Growth, High-density Housing

ASHI Client Bill of Rights

The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) has created a Client Bill of Rights. Before ordering a home inspection it is a good idea to visit their site and read the Client Bill of Rights along with some of the other information they provide. There is information for home buyers as well as home sellers and home owners. You can even take a Virtual Home Inspection Tour.

Market Statistics - East Valley

As stated previously with the new flexmls system we have a new way to pull statistics. We now have the ability to pull a great variety and quantity of statistics. However, I will try to just stick with what I hope you will find most interesting. I have pulled data for the East Valley cities, Phoenix, and Scottsdale and have provided the full ARMLS data as well for comparison. The graph above shows a comparison of months of inventory by city. Months of inventory is calculated by dividing active listings for July by the number of sales in July. You might be surprised that Queen Creek has the lowest number of months of inventory. We have seen prices drop significantly in Queen Creek and believe that has driven the increase in sales there as well as the reduction in inventory. Below is a slide show which scrolls through the cities.

Elevation Chandler - Unfinished Building Update

There was an article in today's The Chandler Republic about Elevation Chandler. Elevation Chandler is the unfinished building just south of Chandler Fashion Center that has been sitting in the same unfinished state for so long now. The article indicates that the developer has filed a plan in bankruptcy court for the property to be auctioned possibly in 2009. The creditors and the judge still have to approve the plan. You can click on the link below to read all of the details. Unfortunately it sounds like this partial building will continue to sit as is for some time to come.

Elevation Project to Stay - For Now

Market Statistics for Chandler

With the new flexmls system that we have for the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS), we have the ability to pull market statistics in new ways. I am now able to pull market data for a specific city and will be doing that and sharing that with you monthly. Today's graphs are for Chandler.

The good news is that the total number of residential listings for sale has been going down steadily. It is necessary for this to happen in order to bring the market back into balance. We have dropped from 2940 in July 2007 to 2308 in July of 2008. This represents approximately 7 months of inventory currently on the market down from a peak of over 14 months of inventory in September 2007.

This data is supplied by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. ARMLS, West USA, and Pat & Amy Monahan do not guarantee the accuracy of the data.