LivingInTheEastValley.com

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Mortgage Rates at 52 year low

Mortgage rates have come down this year to levels not seen since 1956. This makes it a good time to refinance or to buy a home.

Read more about it at CNN/Money.com - Home Mortgage Rates at 52 Year Low

Free Pass to Phoenix Museums and Zoo

A new program begins on April 1 at the Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe libraries. Patrons will be able to check out a free Culture Pass at the circulation desk. The patron will then be given a voucher good for admission for up to four people which will be good for seven days for the museum of their choice. At the end of seven days, the voucher will expire and another patron can check out that pass. There are a limited number of passes available at each library.

The museums that are participating are: Arizona Museum for Youth, Arizona Museum of Natural History, Arizona Science Center, Bead Museum, Cave Creek Museum, Children's Museum of Phoenix, Desert Botanical Garden (starting June 1), Heard Museum, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Zoo, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Taliesin West.

More Information regarding The Culture Pass

Fix a Leak Week

Did you know that this is Fix a Leak Week? The EPA launched its program with a demonstration in Phoenix. They set up two demonstration toilets, 2 facuets, and a shower head in a Phoenix residents driveway to demonstrate how much water can be wasted from leaks.

Fix a Leak Week in Phoenix

The EPA's Watersense site has lots of information on how to save water including information to consider if you are purchasing new toilets, faucets, or showerheads.

Real Estate Market Statistics - February 2009

Some good news! Months of inventory of homes (includes single family homes, town homes, and condos) in the Greater Phoenix area has dropped from 17.3 in February 2008 to 9.6 in February 2009. Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, and Queen Creek all had significant decreases from the year before. Tempe has about the same number of months of inventory as last February. Scottsdale did have an increase in the months of inventory. When a real estate market has an average of about six months of inventory it is considered to be "normal".

Months of Inventory: 2009, 2008
ARMLS: 9.6, 17.3
Chandler: 11.0, 14.6
Gilbert: 8.4, 13.3
Mesa: 9.4, 13.9
Phoenix: 8.0, 21.7
Queen Creek: 5.8, 14.5
Scottsdale: 21.6, 19.0
Tempe: 14.0, 14.0

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.

When Will The Real Estate Market Hit Bottom?

Here's a take from Andrew Waite of Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine - he sees an increase in title insurance policies ordered this year as a sign that the market is scrapping along the bottom. Read more - Great News More Market Bottom Evidence

We think the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit will bring more buyers back into the market. We probably won't start seeing the affects of that until April and later months sales are posted. Buyers are just now hearing about the tax credit and will need time to find a house and purchase it.

Chandler Police Open House and Car Show

Come on out and see the 2009 Police Department Open House and Car Show. It's Saturday, March 7th from 10 am til 2 pm. at the main station downtown.

Not only will you see some awesome cars, but there's a SWAT team Display, VIN etching, a Bike Rodeo and K-9 demos.

Win a $500 Gift Card and I'll add $50 to it.

We all have pools here in the valley and we spend boat loads of money maintaining them. Enter to win $500 at Shasta pools.

And I'll add 10% or $50 to the gift card. To win, just enter the Shasta Pools contest and leave a comment below with the date you entered. If Shasta Picks your name as the winner and you've entered here, I'll add $50.

The Cactus League

Baseball spring training has started a week early. You can see your favorite major leaguers from now until the end of March.



The best deals are down in Tucson where you can catch the Arizona Diamondbacks for as little as $5. The most expensive seat is $16. Or you can see the Colorado Rockies for between $4 and $17. The lower prices are lawn seating, so no chairs included. But, you might just get a home run ball.



The rest of the teams will range from $6 up to $80 per seat. The average price looks to be in the $23 range. I'm not sure why Cactus league baseball is more expensive than the regular season, but it is.



Want to know more? Go to the website of Major League Baseball and either click on today's schedule or on your favorite team. And have a hot dog and beverage for me.



Schedule for the next three days



Today's scores



Your Favorite Team

Robert Body's East Valley

Tempe Town Lake at Sunset

(click photo to enlarge)

I wish I could take photos like this. Robert Body is a local photographer that has taken some beautiful photos of the East Valley. He has been gracious to allow us to showcase some of his photos. I could probably do one a day for the next 5 years and not showcase all his work. So, here's my plan.

Every other week on Wednesday we will have "Robert Body's East Valley". Starting today. You can click on the labels to see all his work or you can visit his website to see his Arizona photos and photos from all over America. Enjoy them online or you can even purchase pictures from him to give as gifts or to hang on your own walls.

RobertBody.com

Create Your Own Cookbook

Do you have a folder of some type filled with assorted pages of recipes you have been given by friends or cut from magazines and newspapers? Would you like to have one cookbook with all of your favorite recipes? This is not a sales pitch; however, I have discovered that Better Homes and Gardens sells a personal cookbook that they call a Taste Book. You can select the book design, select from the many recipes already available, or add your own. Then you can have the book printed and sent to you for yourself or a gift. I haven't tried this yet - but it seems like it could be a good gift idea or way to organize recipes.

First Time Buyer Tax Credit for 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed by the President on February 17, 2009. It contains a first time home buyer tax credit that is somewhat different from last year. Here is some basic information about the credit.

What is a tax credit?
A tax credit differs from a tax deduction in that the amount of the credit is deducted from the amount of tax you owe. A deduction reduces that amount of income which is subject to tax. In the case of this first time home buyer tax credit, if the amount of the credit is greater than the amount you owe, then you will be sent a refund check for the remaining amount of the credit.

Who is a first time home buyer?
Someone who has not owned a principle residence, a home they have lived in, for at least three years previous to the purchase of a home this year.

What type of home can I buy?
Single family homes, town homes, and condominiums all qualify.

What is the amount of the credit?
The credit amount is 10% of the cost of the home up to a maximum of $8000. Income limits do apply. The credit phases out for individuals with an adjusted gross income over $75,000 or a couple with an adjusted gross income over $150,000.

When do I have to purchase to get the credit?
You must purchase a home between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.

Does the credit have to be paid back?
This credit does not have to be paid back for people who purchase between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009 unless the home is sold within three years and then the entire credit us due upon the sale of the property.

People who purchased a home between April 9, 2008 and December 31, 2008 will have to pay back their credit over a 15 year period. If they sell the home within 15 years, then the remaining balance of the credit will be due upon the sale of the property. (Rules for last year’s credit were different and the maximum amount was $7500.)

When do I get the money?
This is a tax credit. You will not get the money when you buy the house. Instead the credit will be applied to the taxes you owe for 2009. This will occur when you file your 2009 taxes in 2010.

Consult an Accountant
Tax laws are complicated and each year there are new changes; therefore, we always recommend that you consult your accountant or the IRS regarding any tax questions that you might have including whether or not you qualify for this tax credit.

Source: National Association of REALTORS®.

Does Your Dog Need a License?

If you live in Maricopa County and your dog is at least three months old, it needs a license and it must be vaccinated against rabies. If you fail to license your dog, you can be fined and charged with a misdemeanor. When purchasing a license for your dog you must present a certificate of rabies vaccination. It costs less to license a dog which has been spayed or neutered.

• Altered Dog (Spayed/Neutered) = $16.00 (Note - "altered" is the county's term not mine)
• Unaltered Dog = $40.00
• Senior Citizen Household (Altered Dog/limited two dogs) = $6

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control offers programs with low cost for vaccinations and to assist with the care of your dog. For more information: http://www.pets.maricopa.gov/.

To apply online for a dog license - Maricopa Dog Licensing

Certified Negotiation Expert

It's a funny story. REALTORs need to get 24 hours of continuing education every two years. I need some hours before May. I saw this class that would get me over the minimum and it was near my home. I signed up, expecting nothing more than getting my hours and maybe learning one or two useful things.

George Will said, "The future has a way of arriving unannounced."

I walked into Tom Hayman's class on becoming a better negotiator. By taking this two day course I can become a 'Certified Negotiation Expert' and I can only say 'Wow!'

I've come away with over a dozen ways to help my clients make more money when they sell their homes, save more money when the buy a home and make the whole process less dramatic for buyers, sellers and REALTORs too.

As I go through my notes and all the additional charts and graphs I have been given I will blog about it and let you know how our real estate operation will change.

This new knowledge, on top of my existing knowledge of negotiating will benefit my clients immensely.

Credit Card Bills - Need Help?

The major credit card companies have gotten together to provide help to people having trouble paying their credit card bills. VISA, MasterCard and Discover are all participating. They have launced a new site - HelpWithMyCredit.org and a toll-free number - 866-941-1030.

They recommend that you first talk with a representative of your credit card company to see if you can negotiate lower fees or modify your payment plan. They can also refer you to a consumer credit counseling service.

Arizona Republic article - Credit-card Companies Offer Help

Just Published

I just published an article at ezarticles.com.

Foreclosure Real Estate Purchase Contract - What to Expect

Can You Buy Happiness?

I just read about some research that has been recently done regarding happiness and purchases. The assumption going in was that experiences would generate more happiness than material purchases. However, it seems this is not always the case. A positive experience such as an enjoyable vacation, concert, or day at the amusement park seems to generate more happiness than a material purchase such as a sofa. However, experiences don't always turn out to be positive. Negative purchases of experience or material goods seem to be about equal.

This seems like it could be a pretty complex issue. For example, if you buy materials for a hobby, are you buying an experience or material goods. What about if you buy a painting? And one person's dream vacation might someone else's nightmare.

We want to know what you think - take the poll on the right side of the screen, leave a comment, or do both.

For more information from Discovery @ Olin, Washington University Business School - Happiness for Sale: Do Experiential or Material Purchases Lead to Greater Happiness?

Arizona Cornhole

February in Arizona is a great time to get outside and play. These guys are taking a lunch break and getting in a game of Cornhole.

The object is to get the beanbag in the hole or at least on the table.

You know you need to change the air filter when?

Or it could be titled, "What you might see when you are looking at homes for sale." Yeah, that's dust or dirt on the ceiling fan and the ceiling.

When to change your air filter or clean it.

Tempe Town Lake

Is the drought over? The reservoirs are at capacity and we are starting to release the extra water. This is Tempe Town Lake with it's rubber dam lowered allowing water to escape down the usually dry salt river.

News, is that the Salt River will be wet north and south of the lake and that McKellips Road will be closed until spring. It runs along the river bottom for about 500 yards.

If you want to see more pictures of life in Arizona, visit my daily photo blog.