Fourth of July Events

There are lots of different events you can attend over the 4th of July weekend in and around the East Valley. AZCentral's Event List contains a large list of events. Scroll down the page to see events happening in the East Valley. It lists information for festivities and fireworks in Apache Junction, Chandler, Raw Hide (Gila River Reservation), Gilbert, Maricopa, Mesa, Queen Creek, and Tempe.

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Microbursts

Here is some more information from the Desert Doppler 15 Monsoon Guide. (ABC 15 Weather)

Every year it seems we hear about some damage due to microbursts. These are vertical wind shears created by downburst winds. They are capable of producing a column of air with wind of over 150 miles per hour. These winds do not spiral like a tornado but are directed downward and then when they hit the ground spread out in all directions. They usually come after a thunderstorm. Luckily these do not happen very often. (More Information on downburst winds...)

Free Pool Fence Program

I just got the Chandler City Scope newsletter. There is information about a free pool fence program. It says that if you are a family with young children without a pool fence in need of fianancial assistance, you are encouraged to apply. The program criteria are:

• A child 6 years or younger must be living in the home


• The home must be owner-occupied


• Families must demonstrate financial need


• Special circumstances will be considered


• Family must reside in Maricopa County

For more information or to complete an application go to United Firefighters SaveRKids website http://www.saverkids.org/.

What to do with those plastic grocery bags?

Most cities in the area won't take plastic bags in their recycling programs. However, there are stores that will accept the bags. Check out the Partners at Bag Central Station for stores where you can bring your plastic bags to be recycled. Better yet, bringing your own bags to stores. I have been doing this for almost a year at least at the grocery store. I bought the smaller bags that IKEA sells for less than a dollar and find them great for groceries. Most of the grocery stores now sell reusable bags. Sure it is an adjustment, but if everyone did it the impact would be considerable. I've found the best thing to do is put the empty bags right back into the car once I've unloaded the groceries.

Another option is to use those bags in other ways. They make good liners for small trash cans. Some parks also have plastic bag dispensers for dog walkers to use to pick up their pet's waste. Most of the bags in these dispensers are donated used plastic grocery and store bags.

For more information on the impact of plastic bags go to Bag Central Station.

Information on Bag Central's free cloth bag events.

Arizona League - Rookie League

So you don't want to pay for parking and tickets and all the food at the Diamondbacks game, go see an Arizona League game. You can see the Giants, Cubs, Angels, Brewers, Mariners, Padres, A's, Royals or Rangers. That's right you can see the newest members of these teams play on their rookie level minor league team.

And it's free. Yes, FREE!

It's a little known fact that we have minor league baseball in the Phoenix area. These are just drafted high school and college players, some of which will be in the majors soon. The parent club does not charge an entrance fee and there is no concessions. The season is two 28 game halves. The first half games are all day games starting in the morning. The schedule says 10:30 am, but I think 11 am is more accurate. The second half game times are 7 pm.

So, if you live near Hohokam in Mesa or Tempe Diablo in Tempe, drive on over to see some free baseball. The other spring training facilities holding games are the Brewers in Maryvale, the Giants in Scottsdale, the A's in Phoenix near the zoo, the Padres and Mariners in Peoria and the Rangers and Royals in Surprise. I'd love to be a kid that lived near one of these ball parks and could walk on over.

This league starts in late June and finishes in August. Then we get into the Arizona Fall League. Not free, but it's stocked with AAA players that are ready for the majors.

Arizona League Website

Daily Schedule - You'll need to enter today's date, once you're at this page.

Bike Route Map - Maricopa County

I read an article in today's AZ Republic, Bike map for region unveils access to light-rail service, which indicated that the Maricopa Association of Governments had just updated their bike route map. You can link to it below. It also indicated that printed maps will be available starting in mid to late July by calling 602-254-6300.

Hint: - Use the zoom feature to enlarge the area of the map you are interested in.

Bike Route Map - Maricopa County

Cure For a Hot Steering Wheel

In past years I have always had trouble with the steering wheel in my car getting unbearably hot during the summer. I tried various things including throwing a towel over the steering wheel when the car was left in the sun. Nothing really worked very well. This year I got a mesh type steering wheel cover and it has made a huge difference. It fits onto the wheel like a glove and just stays on there all the time. No longer do I feel like I will burn myself if I touch the steering wheel after the car has sat in a 110+ degree parking lot. If any of you have any tips for dealing with hot cars in the summer, please share them by leaving a comment.

Low VOC Paints

Have any of you used low VOC paint when you painted your home? I will consider using this next time I paint. I usually only paint in the winter when it is cool enough to open up the windows and doors to let air circulate. It would be great if someone could share their experience with this type of paint and let us know which brand they chose to use.

EcoBroker information on Low VOC Paints

How Hot is It?!?!

Now that we are having days with highs above 110, we need to do something to have a little fun. So share your tall tale about the heat, the taller the better. I'll go first.

It's so hot ... that the take and bake pizza I bought at Costco today was done cooking by the time I drove home.

Now it's your turn. Leave a comment with your answer to "It's so hot ....".

Monsoon Guide

I received the Channel 15 "abc" Monsoon Guide in the mail today. I don't know how many of these they sent out so I thought I would share some of the information.

This year the National Weather Service set the official start and end dates for our monsoon as June 15 to September 30. So, we are currently in the season but have not had any storms yet. "Monsoon" is defined as any wind that reverses its direction seasonally. Winds will bring moisture from the south and south east from the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf of California. We can have storms with heavy rain, strong winds, lightning and thunder. You can check out the Doppler Satellite/radar maps at the Desert Doppler15HD Forecast Center. It is kind of neat to see the aerial view of Phoenix area.

Did you know that a dust storm is also called a "haboob"? These are giant walls of dust that are created when a storm collapses. They are amazing to see and can be very dangerous. They are just what they sound like an incredibly high and dense wall of dust making visibility very low. The walls of dust can reach as high as 1500 to 3000 feet. The best thing to do is get indoors when you see one coming. Try to avoid driving in one. If at all possible, pull over into a parking lot and wait out the storm.

Link to the Tucson office of the National Weather Service's forecast and information about the monsoon. Monsoon Information for Phoenix Area This site also provides monsoon safety tips.

100 Things to do in Phoenix before you die.

I saw an article about 100 things to do before you die in my hometown and I thought it would be nice to do it for Phoenix. I'm sure others have done similar lists, but here's mine. I'm not finished yet and if you have any ideals for me, please post them. I haven't done all these things, but I still have some time left to get them done.





1. Go see a spring training game.

2. Go see a Diamondbacks game.

3. Go see a Suns game.

4. Go see a Cardinals game.

5. Go see a Coyotes game.

6. Go see an ASU football game.

7. Go see an ASU basketball game.

8. Drive up to the Grand Canyon.

9. Climb the five highest peaks in Maricopa County.

10. Walk, run or bike a canal.

11. Visit the Phoenix Zoo

12. Visit the Phoenix Botanical Society

13. Spend some time reading at the main Phoenix library.

14. See the lobby of the Luhrs Building downtown.

15.Drive the Apache Trail

16. Ride MetroLink from start to finish.

17. Visit Fat Man's Pass in South Mountain.

18. Run or walk the New Times 5k, 10k or both.

19. Have a picnic on top of Camelback Mountain.

20. See the lighting of the Tumbleweed Christmas Tree in Chandler

21. See the Christmas lights at the Glendale Glitters Specatacular.

22. Drive north to play in the snow.

23. Go to the Arizona State Fair.

24. Participate in the Rock and Roll Marathon (run, walk, volunteer, cheer)

25. Participate in the Ironman Triathlon (as an athlete, volunteer, cheer)

26. Visit the Mystery Castle.

27. Eat lots of Southwestern or Mexican food.

28. Visit the Heard

29. Go to a Rodeo or the O'odham Tash

30. See the Barrett - Jackson Auto Auction.

31. Go to the Phoenix Open

32. Go to the Renaissance Festival in Gold Canyon.

33. See the arts in downtown Scottsdale.

34. Drive down the Salt River Canyon.

35. Go tubing on the Salt.

36. Go boating on Tempe Lake.

37. Go to the Fiesta Bowl.

38. See a Mercury game.

39. Take a tour of the Diamondbacks stadium.

40. Take a tour of the Cardinals new dome.

41. drive out to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.

42. Visit Rawhide Western Town.

43. Visit Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's home.

44. Take a hot air balloon ride over Phoenix.

45. Visit the Arizona Science Center.

46. Go to the Matsuri: Japanese Festival

47. Ride the Verde Canyon Railroad

48. Christmas lights at the Mesa Mormon Temple.

49. Christmas lights on Natal Circle in Mesa.

Positive signs for SE Valley Real Estate Market

In order for the real estate market to come back into balance, the number of listings needs to come back down to a more normal level. A positive sign for the market in the southeast valley is that the total number of houses and condos listed for sale by SEVRAR members declined from April to May by 3.5%. This is the second month in a row that the number of listings has declined. Additionally, the number of sales increased from April to May by 17% and May 2008 had 2.5% more sales than May of last year.

For those buyer's who have been waiting for the market to hit bottom, this might be the time to consider purchasing a home. No one has a crystal ball to predict the future; but, it is starting to look like the market is turning. Many home prices are now much more affordable.

These statistics are for the homes listed or sold by members of the Southeast Valley Association of REALTORS® (SEVRAR). They will include sales of homes in the greater Phoenix area that were made by SEVRAR members. Even so, these statistics should be fairly representative of what is happening in the East Valley. SFD stands for Single Family Detached Homes.
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.

Advanced Technologies for Remodeling Projects

I recently learned about PATH, Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing , which is coordinated by HUD. Their purpose is "dedicated to accelerating the development and use of technologies that radically improve the quality, durability, energy efficiency, environmental performance, and affordability of America's housing". There is lots of information available on their site including:

• Top 10 Remodeling Projects


• Homeowner information on Tax Credits & Rebates for Remodeling & Appliance Replacement


• Home Maintenance Tips


• Information for Home Buyers

plus more...

Pending Homes Sales Rise

The article below from Realty Times discusses the recently posted Pending Home Sale Index (from the National Association of REALTORS) showing the increase of 6.3% instead of falling or staying flat. This is another indicator that the market may be starting to change. The biggest factor seems to be that home prices haven fallen to affordable levels and interest rates are still relatively low.

Real Estate Outlook: Pending Home Sales Rise in April

How to Save Money on Groceries and More

I read a pretty good article today with lots of website references for saving money. It is ...

BROWSING FOR DOLLARS, Cost clipping, How to use the Web to save on grocery bills, dining out and more from the Wall Street Journal Digital Network. I haven't checked out the sites yet but if I do have something good to report, I'll let you know. If any of you like these sites or have others that you like, please leave a comment to share the information.

I go through phases when I clip a lot of coupons for groceries and times when I don't. I have this year tried to plan my shopping better using the grocery ads to buy what is on sale. I have saved money doing that. I also try to use coupons for restaurants but don't always do that either. There is no question that food prices just keep on going up.

FHA Loans

We have been seeing a lot more buyers using FHA loans this year. In many cases, this is a good option for the buyer. We have heard from other professionals in the area that they are seeing a lot of FHA loans as well. The Washington Post article, FHA Loans Emerge from the Sidelines, indicates that this is a national trend. We can be thankful that housing prices here in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe AZ are much lower than the prices listed in the article for the Washington DC area. If you are thinking about getting a home loan, ask your lender about FHA as an option.

Weekend Freeway Closures

This is information that I get every Friday from SEVRAR. If you would like us to post this weekly, just leave us a comment.

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Weekend Freeway Restrictions in Phoenix Area (June 13-16)
Several improvement projects to add lanes and improve access along Valley freeways will require restrictions in the Phoenix area this weekend (June 13-16). The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recommends drivers allow for extra travel time while the following restrictions are in place:
Northbound I-17 closed overnight between Pinnacle Peak and Happy Valley Roads from 10 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday (June 15) for freeway widening. Northbound I-17 on-ramp at Pinnacle Peak Road also closed. DETOUR: Traffic detoured along northbound frontage road. Project benefit: ADOT is adding new lanes and interchanges along I-17 from Loop 101 to the Carefree Highway (State Route 74) to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. The project is expected to be complete in 2009.
• Southbound I-17 narrowed to one lane overnight between Carefree Highway (State Route 74) and Dixileta Drive from 9 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday (June 14) for paving. DETOUR: Drivers should slow down and merge safely when approaching the work zone.Project benefit: The widening project is part of the 20-year Regional Transportation Plan, funded by the one-half cent sales tax approved by voters in 2004.
• Southbound State Route 51 closed overnight between Indian School and Thomas roads from 10 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday (June 15) for overhead sign work. DETOUR: Drivers urged to exit ahead of the closure and use alternate routes, including 16th Street, to detour around the closure.
• Eastbound I-10 ramp to northbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) closed overnight from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday (June 14) for work in the median. DETOUR: Drivers can use 91st or 99th avenues to McDowell Road to re-enter the northbound Loop 101.
• Northbound Loop 303 closed at Bethany Home Road from 6 a.m. to noon Saturday (June 14) for maintenance work. DETOUR: Traffic will detour onto local streets.
• Northbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) remains closed at Broadway Road for rubberized asphalt paving. Southbound Loop 202 on-ramp at University Drive also closed. The closure began Wednesday night and will be in place through 6 p.m. Sunday (June 15). DETOUR: Traffic will exit the northbound freeway at Broadway Road and will detour along the frontage road north to University Drive. Project benefit: This newest section of the Loop 202 from Power Road to University Drive will open to the public in July. This milestone not only marks the end of construction on the Red Mountain Freeway, it also celebrates the conclusion of voter-approved Proposition 300 freeway projects.
To review a map of these restrictions, click here.

For a complete listing of freeway and highway closures or restrictions across Arizona, visit ADOT's Travel Information site at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1. The Arizona Department of Transportation is coordinating freeway improvements throughout the Valley. These projects - which include new freeways, additional lanes and interchanges, rubberized asphalt, new landscaping and more - are included in the 20-year Regional Transportation Plan for Maricopa County. More than $15 billion in comprehensive, diverse transportation improvements are funded in the plan through a voter-approved sales tax that became effective in January 2006. More information on ADOT's freeway portion of the Regional Transportation Plan is available at www.azdot.gov/ValleyFreeways.

Fair Housing for Landlords and Tenants

Chandler's Neighborhood Programs is hosting a fair housing seminar this Saturday. Information from the Neighborhood Programs site is below.

Saturday, June 14, 2008 - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Tumbleweed Recreation Center The City of Chandler is hosting its first annual Fair Housing Seminar to educate landlords and tenants on Equal Housing Opportunity regulations. The free seminar will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, June 14, at the Tumbleweed Recreation Center, Cotton Room, 2250 S. McQueen Road. The City is sponsoring the event in conjunction with the Crime Free Lease Addendum and the Arizona Multihousing Association. Download the flier.

Chandler Transporation Plan Public Meeting

We just recieved the following information from the city of Chandler.

Pain at the pump? What are our options?

Help shape Chandler's transportation future: attend the Transportation Plan Public Meeting:

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
6 - 8 p.m.
Chandler City Council Chambers, 22 S. Delaware St.
Chandler's Downtown Library (2nd Floor)

What direction should we take? What should our priorities be?
*Wider streets and intersections?
*Improved pedestrian walkways?
*More bicycle lanes?
*Urban trails?
*Light rail, trains, buses?

For more information call: City of Chandler 480-782-3440

Visit our website at: www.chandleraz.org/html/service/transportation

What is the Market Buzz?

I spoke with an appraiser yesterday who said that most of the sales she is working on are in the outlying areas like Queen Creek and Maricopa. I spoke with another real estate agent today, he was getting ready to show homes in Queen Creek and was calling other agents with properties for sale. He said many were telling him that they were getting multiple offers. It looks like prices have gotten low enough in these areas that some of the properties are starting to sell. There is still a lot of inventory to be sold but things are starting to move.

We have a great listing in Queen Creek for $145,000 (see picture) - it is not a short sale - click here for property information.

Mortgage or Financial Assistance Help

We just received the following information from the Arizona Department of Real Estate and thought we should share it for those of you who need help or know someone who needs some assistance.

Mortgage Trouble? Toll-Free hotline 1-877-448-1211 available to provide you with referrals to Arizona organizations participating in the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program. There are over 20 organizations participating throughout Arizona.

Feeling the Economic Crunch? Find the Financial Help You Need. Governor Napolitano’s Family Economic Relief project provides a way to get information out to Arizonans who are facing hardship given the current economic environment. With record home foreclosures, restrictions in the credit market, and increasing gasoline and food costs, what many people need is a simple way to access information and resources for assistance in their own communities. The Governor’s Office has posted the Family Economic Relief project in an easy to navigate format through a feature link on www.az211.gov

CFL's?

Want to save money on your electricity? Want to buy less light bulbs? Many of us have switched to CFL's or compact Fluorescent light bulbs. Our local electric company is even giving us a discount of buying CFL's.

But, before you buy them, you should read about CFL's and their proper disposal. Yes, if one breaks you need to clean it up properly for your safety. Just don't sweep or vacuum the mess up.

To learn more, go to SRP's web page about CFL's.

Arizona Monsoon Forecast

If you aren't from Arizona, you probably are surprised to learn that Arizona has a summer Monsoon season. We have storms with strong winds, sometimes rain, and sometimes just dust. It occurs around July and August.

Clay Thompson's column in the AZ Republic provided this link to the Tucson office of the National Weather Service's forecast and information about the monsoon.

Monsoon Information for Phoenix Area

The site provides this technical information regarding the start date - "The monsoon start date is determined when the average daily dew point is 55 degrees or greater for "3" consecutive days. The start date is the first of the "3" consecutive days.". It also provides historical information about rain levels and monsoon safety tips.

How to Do Your Own Home Search

You can easily do your own search for your dream home, just click on "Search for Single Family Detached Homes" on the right side of this screen. This will take you to our website, http://www.realtysecrets.net/. Click on the "Search Area Homes for Sale" button on the left side of the screen. This will take you to a screen where you can select general search criteria. You can select as many or as few of these criteria that you would like to use for your home search. The criteria include: price, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, square footage of the home, year built, city, architecture, subdivision, street name, and zip code.

If you would like to narrow your search further, you can click on the "More Criteria" button. This will bring up the following types of additional search items:

• Description - select from a variety of things including Gated Community or Golf Course Community.
• Property Type - select from Single Family Detached Home, Town home, Patio Home, and more
• Parking - select Garage size or other types of parking
• Features - select private or community pool or spa
• School - select homes in a specific high school or elementary school district

If you would rather have us do the search for you, just click on the "Contact Us" button on the right and send us an email listing the type of homes which you are looking for or give us a call at 480-917-1922.

Two Positive Signs for the Local Real Estate Market

First - We have been watching for the number of listings to decrease as a signal that the local real estate market may be beginning a turn around. In the graph of the number of listings, you can see that in 2006 and 2007 the number of listings increased monthly from January to April. This year the number of listings has held fairly constant since January and actually decreased in April. In January there were 20575 listings of single family homes and condos combined while in April there were 19833, a 3.6% decrease. We still need to reduce inventory to get back to 2006 levels but it looks like we may be headed in the right direction.

Second - The number of sales has increased each month from January to April. In both of the two previous years, April sales decreased from March.
April sales were 1952 units a 15.6% increase over the 1689 units sold in March.

These statistics are for the homes listed or sold by members of the Southeast Valley Association of REALTORS® (SEVRAR). They will include sales of homes in the greater Phoenix area that were made by SEVRAR members. Even so, these statistics should be fairly representative of what is happening in the East Valley.

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.