Recently the "Battle of The Budget" raged in the halls of Arizona state government and new paths were worn in the flooring from endless pacing by reporters, constituents and all manner of interested parties.
Despite all of the posturing, prognosticating, pandering and pleading...predictably, we still are facing a continued fiscal fiasco with Governor Brewer threatening to scuttle the resulting measure with line-item vetos. Lost in the midst of the attention paid to the state government is a bill that is half-done. If nothing is done to fix this oversight, it will cripple the business of real estate until something is done to fix it.
Below is text from a communique sent out by Lisa Burns, current President of the Southern Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association:
"The state's budget battles are threatening to derail loan originator's ability to earn a living. The loan originator licensing bill, HB 2143, is waiting to be signed by the governor. We believe she will sign it into law, but the legislature failed to the allocate any funds to the Department of Financial Institutions funds to implement the law. In fact, their budget was cut.
DFI and the governor have devised a way to fund the law through a transfer from a fund that is created from civil money penalties paid to the department. This interim funding requires the support of the legislature and they did not pass it.
If DFI does not get the money to fund the LO Licensing bill, they will be forced to license 5000-8000 originators with a limited staff. By law, DFI is required to have completed a review and investigation so that they do not license people with criminal backgrounds or have had complaints or any examination findings against them
IT WILL BE A VERY LONG PROCESS TO BE APPROVED AS AN ORIGINATOR IN ARIZONA. This threatens to keep some originators out of work until DFI can complete their investigation. "
While I applaud the work done to legitimize the loan originator profession through licensing, passing requirements to be fulfilled without having the funds to come up with standards or implement testing procedures causes more harm than good, in my opinion.
This half-measure should wait until next year, so that standards can be examined, testing & enforcement policies can be well thought-out & put in place, etc. To create a requirement for licensing with no way to implement it and to overwhelm a skeleton staff with thousands & thousands of applications will cause the industry to come to a grinding, screeching halt if HB 2143 is signed into law in its present form.
Here is just one (1) afternoon of results of utilizing social media.
Case in point:
This morning our Tucson MLS announced that it had (finally) enabled its member agents to search for (or exclude) short sales when looking for properties on the system.
At about 1:45 or so, I tweeted that the new feature was only on the standard search, not the map or address searches
By 10 minutes 'til 2, my tweet appeared as a status update on Facebook - which started a conversation between myself and a couple of agents in Tucson
Before 3 o'clock rolled around, a member of the MLS board noticed the conversation, contacted MLS, which then contacted the service provider and voila! the oversight was corrected.
(being faithful to my first name - The Doubting Thomas - I had to check it out immediately, and sure enough, it was true)
Case in point 2:
A loan program for first-time homebuyers looking at foreclosures just became available today in Tucson & Pima County (more on that in another post), so I went to the state site, downloaded the PDF with the basics, uploaded it to one of my websites & tweeted with a link where to get the info.
Within 25 minutes, I got 2 phone calls from prospective buyers wanting more info
So...just with a couple of tweets, with Twitter linkage to Facebook, a technical problem was solved that could affect 5,000+ agents, a few new prospects, and that doesn't even count the Flip Video & Picasa Web Album photos I sent to 2 buyers in other states - showing them what a possible property really looks like (as opposed to the 1 photo on MLS).
Sneer all you want, naysayers - I'll try to not giggle when you ask me for a job somewhere down the road soon.
Well, the other day I posted a photo of Pinal AirPark...actually a photo of the mountains & the sunset - with Pinal AirPark part of the foreground. Don't have a big ol' zoom on my little Kodak to really get the planes close-up.
Readers asked me to get better photos of the mothballed passenger airliners (plus I felt a little guilty - just a little), so I went by the entrance on my way out elsewhere to get a nice shot to share. The guard at the gate told me that photos weren't allowed! Hmm...sounds pretty stupid to me...(my first instinct was to laugh & say, "Whatever" but even rent-a-cops have guns sometimes - and not much of a sense of humor most of the time).
Today I happened to have a little time on my way back from Maricopa, AZ - so I went just past the entrance, pulled over by a field & took this shot. Best I can do folks - hope it helps satisfy that craving! LOL
Now THERE's that "Cool $Billion or More" I promised ya!
Tucson's "Monsoon Season" began June 15th, according to the National Weather Service (they just decided to make an official date starting last year - instead of relying on weather conditions...go figure).
This is when we start to see lots of beautiful clouds roll in from the southeast, sometimes bringing rain, more often just adding to the Sonoran Desert scenery.
I was taking photos of a home on 5 acres northwest of Tucson, in Pinal County today in an unincorporated area sometimes referred to as "Davis Ranch" when I had the chance to capture some shots of these clouds and the multitude of saguaros in the area.
Acreage lots with utilities and water are available for folks who want to enjoy the peace & quiet of the Sonoran Desert, but still have the convenience of being relatively close to Tucson.
Custom homes and a few manufactured homes dot the map, even a gated community exists out here amongst the saguaros...as long as you don't mind a dirt road or two.
Should you be interested in a plot of land or a home already built, feel free to call, text, email or tweet me! I'm TucsonKent, your real estate agent who will go the extra mile for you (even if you want to be in town).
Just to the west of I-10 as you are heading north from Tucson towards Phoenix...a smidgen past the town of Marana, is Pinal Airpark. Home to hundreds of passenger airliners that are either waiting to be recalled into service or stripped down and their parts recycled.
This may well be one of the most valuable junkyards on the planet!
It isn't a sight one expects while motoring along the highway, enjoying the desert scenery. Just a couple of miles north is a new home development called Red Rock that is doing pretty well. There's a skateboard park, water park & ball fields in place, even a new school...and a planned commercial strip along with freeway access.
I took this shot from across I-10 while coming back from shooting video & photos of a home on 5 acres when I thought that a glimpse of the clouds & mountains with a couple of billion dollars worth of aircraft might be interesting to readers of my world - enjoy!
Should you be interested in an affordable home in Red Rock or another area in the Tucson Metro area, please feel free to call, email, text or tweet me! I'm TucsonKent, your real estate agent who will go the extra mile...or 50.
As much assistance as REALTORS® provide to clients, there are certain things that are illegal, unethical and impossible for us to talk about. Perception-based judgements like "is this a good neighborhood" and "is the crime rate high or low here" are impossible to answer...especially since one person's idea of what is good or bad may be completely different from anothers.
Telling a client what the racial, ethnic or religious makeup of a neighborhood is a direct violation of Fair Housing practices, and can lead to serious fines, prison time and loss of license. While I do my best to help clients get pertinent information to help them make decisions on property, sometimes I can only be "the source of the source."
When buyers are looking for a home in the Tucson, Arizona metro area, I have a list of resources for them to be able to find useful information. One example in the video above is the Tucson Police Department's interactive crime statistics map: TPD Internet
If you are interested in learning more about the tips I have for homebuyers, or buying any type of real estate in Tucson, Arizona - please feel free to call, text, tweet or email me.
Okay, I admit it - it isn't easy to come out & say that our city government has done something right...but they have:
On the top of the Pennington Street Garage in Downtown Tucson, they put photovoltaic solar panels on the roof to generate electricity. It not only provides shade for the cars on the top level (gasp! - no more oven-like conditions if you're late to work?), but the power generated is equivalent to the power requirements of over 7,900 homes.
Kudos to the planning & transportation departments for getting this done - and extra kudos for the cool web page that shows what is being generated right now, the past week, past month, etc. Check it out
Its cool to live in a hot place sometimes!
Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend and not just a symbolic instance.
Like many folks in the real estate world, I've been using a BlackBerry for years. It (or any of the other smartphones) can be one of the most useful realtor tools in your arsenal.
One of the joys of owning a smartphone is the fact that it does so many things.
One of the frustrations of owning a smartphone is that it does so many things...who has time to read the owner's manual anyway?...besides, you ever wonder why they write them to be so useless for the public?
One thing I like that RIM has done is put together a nifty newsletter that is full of tips & tricks that really are helpful. See something that might be useful? Click on the link & it takes you to a simple, understandable "How-to" on it. Below is a link to show how to manage your images on the SD memory card (photo & movie storage, etc). If you haven't figured out how or where your memory card should go, there's a tutorial for all of the current models too.
There's also an "Owner's Lounge" forum full of FAQs & workarounds from BB fantatics & people just like the rest of us - power users who don't have time to be frustrated by their phone. Sign up for their newsletter there too - it can't hurt, and its free!
As my practice primarily consists of buyer representation, I regularly get questions from clients about Home Warranties and their value.
Please know that I highly recommend that every buyer client of mine purchase one - not as a replacement for Homeowner's Insurance, but as a way to add "peace of mind" and help prevent claims on your insurance if something breaks or goes amiss in the first year of ownership.
That being said, please keep the following in mind:
No Home Warranty covers everything nor is it a “Guarantee”. Please choose your Home Warranty Plan very carefully, READ BOTH WHAT IS and WHAT IS NOT COVERED in the materials and pamphlets provided by the various Home Warranty Companies.
No Home Warranty Covers:
Known pre-existing conditions
Mold or Mildew problems
Items that were improperly installed
Cosmetic defects & General Maintenance
Inadequate capacity
Previous or attempted repair
Missing parts
Secondary damage
Service involving hazardous or toxic materials (i.e. asbestos)
Some Home Warranty Plans cover, or exclude coverage, on different things and to different degrees of protection. Whether you choose a Home Warranty, or not, please give that choice and the Plan chosen careful consideration. It is my personal recommendation however that you do in fact, purchase a Home Warranty Plan.
As your REALTOR® my job, my duty is to look after your best interests. While I make strong recommendations, by no means are you obligated to do or buy something you don't wish to.
If you are interested in purchasing property in the Greater Tucson Area, please contact me. I'll be glad to tell you more about how I work for my clients. 520.444.6471 Talk & Text or email me!
On this day when we take a moment to thank our fathers (and perhaps unearth the ugliest tie in the world to give as a present), I would do something a little different than I've done in the past...take my thanks public.
Tom Simpson, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is my Dad. Beyond being thankful, I am also proud to be his son. He has been, and is still a role model for me. His ethic of hard work, love of learning new things and being honorable in all that you do remain goals for me to attain.
Some of the lessons that he taught me early on are instilled into the core of my being, the benchmarks upon which decisions are made, values judged and paths are chosen. Though I attempted at times to stray from that core, the foundation he laid for me as a child kept me from going too far off the mark, allowing me to test the limits without trashing the base.
Dad lives as he talks. When he says something, you can guarantee it is the truth - and if he finds that it is not, he will let you know he has made an error. His honesty and earnestness are admirable...qualities handed down from his father and grandfather as well. When times were tough, he found a way to get through them honorably, and improve the situation in the process.
Tom's faith and goodwill towards others are also qualities I aspire to do better with. While I was directionless and changing geography instead of myself, his example gave me an anchor to find my way. Rather than go on endlessly about point after point, take a look at this collage to get a feel for the man.
Happy Father's Day, Dad - I love you, and am proud to be your son.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
I was taking photos of a home on 5 acres northwest of Tucson, in Pinal County today in an unincorporated area sometimes referred to as "Davis Ranch" when I had the chance to capture some shots of these clouds and the multitude of saguaros in the area.
On the top of the Pennington Street Garage in Downtown Tucson, they put photovoltaic solar panels on the roof to generate electricity. It not only provides shade for the cars on the top level (gasp! - no more oven-like conditions if you're late to work?), but the power generated is equivalent to the power requirements of over 7,900 homes.
Like many folks in the real estate world, I've been using a BlackBerry for years. It (or any of the other smartphones) can be one of the most useful realtor tools in your arsenal.
On this day when we take a moment to thank our fathers (and perhaps unearth the ugliest tie in the world to give as a present), I would do something a little different than I've done in the past...take my thanks public.
;)
;)
