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Did your water heater just go out? Go TANKLESS!

If you are considering a new water heater or are facing the immediate need of having to replace your water heater, consider replacing your system with a tankless water heater, sometimes called an On Demand Water Heater.  I just had one installed in my house and it is fantastic.  It cost more than the regular water heater, but it is worth it for so many reasons.  To name just a few, it is much more eco-friendly; I no longer have to re-lite the pilot after a strong wind blows through, I never run out of hot water anymore,  and I mean NEVER, even after family members spend ridiculous amounts of time standing in a shower! I also no longer have to worry about a tank failing and flooding the room where it is located.  Best of all, it freed up a lot of space. If you can install a tank water heater on your own, you can likely install this unit too.  We hired it done, even though my husband wanted to give it a try.  I was okay until he said something about a propane torch, and that was when I called in the professional.  Have a look at them on-line or drop by your home improvement store.  Most of the bigger outfits have one or two in stock.  

Neighborhoods with Community Centers…Look Before You Leap

I just finished touring a neighborhood with a client that is looking for a new home.  This person was convinced that the amenities of a community center were a necessity on their short list of features in a new home.  We toured the facility which boasted a heated pool, gym, tennis courts, etc., along with a lengthy list of social activities and the big one, basic cable.  The cost?  $200.00 per month.  Not a bad price if you are able to abandon the cost of your current gym membership and start working out basically at home; if you like tennis and want to swim year round in a public pool.  If all of these benefits aren’t going to be used however, carefully consider the cost.  If you are a member of a gym and decide to switch or change your work out and want to cancel the membership to save money, you can.  BUT, when you are living in a development where the HOA includes the amenities, you will literally have to move to end the cost of the frills.  Ask your realtor to get a comparison of the HOA for similar projects witha similar home and really consider if the cost is a savings, or just an unnecessary expense that will weigh down your pocketbook and curtail other extracurricular... 

Paradise Valley Community College

Paradise Valley Community College has teamed up with some of the local high schools in the area to offer The Early College Program.  This is an excellent opportunity for high schoolers to get a jump on their college career and get a little taste of what college will be like.  The student will attend college classes during their junior and senior years of high school earning up to 35 credits towards their Associate in Arts Degree.  These credits automatically transfer to ASU, NAU and UA.  When a student completes the program they will have their high school diploma and an AGEC, or Arizona General Education Curriculum Certificate.  They will then only need about 25 credits to complete their AA.  These Associate’s Degrees are transferable to colleges and universities across the country.  With these degrees, students enter college as a junior rather than a freshman, also saving a load of money. Admission to the program is by recommendation and it is usually limited to around 50 students.  Parents and students that are interested in finding out about the great program should visit their high school counselors or call Paradise Valley Community College to see if it is available.  ... 

ASU’s Real Estate Studies

I recently came across ASU’s website for “Realty Studies”.  If you haven’t visited this site I would highly recommend it.  They have updates on the Greater Phoenix area and also market updates.  According to the website, the information gathered is to “inform people of the activities of Realty Studies; to develop means for consistently delivering data, information, and other topics of interest to the real estate industry; to develop a basic library of real estate materials, books, and data bases to aid the industry and faculty; and to assist real estate organizations in conducting research projects.”  They have complied information for Maricopa County and the state of Arizona. Visit www.realty.wpcarey.asu.edu for more information.  

Southwest Airlines

Finding good airline tickets is usually a difficult process and a lot of it depends on good timing.  When we know that we are going to be taking a trip, my husband turns the travel arrangements over to me and washes his hands of the whole matter.  I have found that in all of my travel arranging, that by far the best airline to deal with is Southwest.  Not only is their website very user friendly, but if you do ever need to talk to customer service, they too are friendly. There are a number of reasons that one should choose Southwest Airlines, the first being their air fare rate.  Usually they have the best fare rates for the region that they travel in.  Second, there is not an additional fee for baggage (up to two bags).  I can’t stand booking  what I thought was a great priced ticket and then finding out I owe up to $100 more for my two bags! The absolute best thing about Southwest though, is their cancellation policy.  I find great peace in knowing that when I book a flight with them, that if my plans change and I have to cancel, or if I find a better rate, I can cancel my ticket and use the credit to rebook without a penalty or extra change fee.  I am not aware of... 

Let Us Help You

If you are new to our website and are searching for your new home or investment property be sure to sign up to receive listings.  Once you have signed up, if you don’t contact one of the team members directly, one person from our knowledgeable team will contact you to find out specifically what you may be searching for.  Don’t feel pressured at this point, as we are just trying to make your search more beneficial.  We have a great multiple listing service that enables us to create searches tailored to your specifications and locations.  We can then set you up on an automatic email, where you will receive new listings or price changes on the properties that are in your range. One really neat feature of this system is called a “portal”.  Once this has been created by us, for you, you can keep track of the properties that you have seen and rate them on a like or dislike basis.  It is a handy filing system for you and we are able to view it also.  Another feature that I like to tell people about is the “map” button at the top of the listing screen.  This shows where the property lays on the map and you can zoom in and change the view to satellite... 

The World’s Oldest Rodeo – Prescott, AZ

2010 – and what to do when that most-famous time of the year comes around – July 4th?  Well, have I got a place for you and all your friends and family to visit.  Come to the official  World’s Oldest Rodeo – where, you ask?  Well, it’s in Prescott, Arizona!  It began in 1888, when the town fathers included a “cowboy contest” in their Frontier Days celebrations, hoping to entice people to come into town from nearby farms and ranches – it worked!!  And that was the beginning. Drawing on its rich – and strictly American – tradition, Prescott took center stage in the 1972 movie Junior Bonner, starring Steve Mcqueen.  Written by Prescott native, Jeb Rosebrook and filmed on location, the story focused on McQueen’s character as an aging rodeo rider who comes home to Prescott to compete in the town’s annual Frontier Days Rodeo. So plan to attend this year, where images of cowboys astride bucking broncs will ride high at Prescott’s most anticipated event, celebrating its 123rd year in July. Check in out at www.worldsoldestrodeo.com  

Buyer’s Inspections Before Purchase

When purchasing a home, whether you’ve done it numerous times or if it is your first, the most important thing to do is get all your inspections.  The benefit’s far out way the cost.  If you uncover a major defect during this process you will consider this money well spent. I actually recommend, when I’m listing a home, for the Seller to get a home inspection so that they are aware of any defects and they can either disclose them at sale and/or fix them prior to sale.  When I lived in California I had a pest inspection done every year on my residence.  For a nominal fee, this inspection kept me abreast of any changes in the home with termites or water issues and when I eventually sold, my home was in perfect condition. A home inspection will also lay the groundwork for any additional inspections that you may want to invest in.  Be sure to hire a professional that is a member of  ASHI or American Society of Home Inspectors.  After the inspection you should get a printed report, hopefully with pictures, that will explain any defects that are found.  With this information you can decide if their are additional inspections that you would like to obtain, like HVAC,... 

“But it’s a Dry Heat…”

After living in a very rainy and damp area of California, I was extremely  pleased to move to warm and dry Arizona.  Waking up to sunshine almost every day is a wonderful feeling.  I have spoken to some natives of Arizona that feel differently and think that the grass is greener over there (which is true, but it also requires mowing).  Most though,  feel that the sunshine gives them an upbeat and energized feeling. I was warned by many that moving in the summer months was borderline insanity, but because of the school schedules it could not be avoided.  When we pulled into town the first week of July, it was 117 degrees.  Shocking!  After one week, my family and I were out by the pool with some iced tea and music playing and we all said to each other “if this is as bad as it gets, we are going to do just fine!”  I will say that I would not choose to do a lot of out door work in my yard during that time of the year and I have burned my fingers on my car door a couple of times, but aside from a few semi uncomfortable months during mid summer, the rest of the year the weather is exceptional.  We have even come to the place that when it does rain, we actually enjoy it. Don’t... 

Another Band-Aid Suggestion From A Bank!!!

If you are 100K plus underwater in your homes value…do you think it would be a good idea to further encumber the property? Aurora Bank thinks so. I was on a call with a client when she contacted her bank yesterday to see about what options would be available for her to stay in her home. She is four months behind in her payments…equaling around $10,000. We went down the usual path of talking about a loan modification (which she does not qualify for as her husband recently lost his job), and forbearance…which she was considering. After all of that, the customer service agent told us that she had another option to become current. They (Aurora) have a third party lender who would lend her the money at I think he said 15% interest so she could become current and “save her home from foreclosure”. WHAT!!??? I almost fell off my chair! Even the suggestion of further encumbering the property is ludicrous. Additionally, she can not afford her payment now…what is the “third party lender” thinking? How do they think they will ever get their investment back? Of course I see Aurora suggesting this as they get some of the back payments and can avoid foreclosing on the home. For awhile... 

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