Shar Rundio's (srundio) Blog

Cow Appreciation Day, Get your FREE meal!

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:44 -0700

Yesterday my hubby and two girls (plus a couple of neighbor friends) went to one of the kids summer movies. They walked in the door later looking like this: A trip to Chick-fil-A for lunch uncovered a much overlooked holiday. Did you know that you were missing one? Apparently, today, July 11th is Cow Appreciation Day -- who knew?! The hat has information on it describing Chick-fil-A's give away in honor of such occasion. Here is the jist of it: Dress like a cow from head to toe (hoof), get a free combo meal All other attempts at dressing like a cow (accessories, etc.) get a free entree. You can check out other fun "cow tipping" (tips on dressing like a cow) here at the official site. So, go out there and dress like a cow! Enjoy a free meal and let me know if you had fun. I'd love to see your pictures! Shar Rundio, Professional Realtor

The Power of a Handwritten Notecard

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:09:01 -0700

I just took a listing on Monday. It is for a friend but someone who has lots of connections and lots of Realtors vying for their business. As we were signing the listing paperwork she said, "Shar, we've told you for a long time you're our girl whenever we needed to make a move." I had known that that's how they felt but was uncertain that it would really work out that way when push came to shove and other agents were offering all kinds of discounts and snubbing them when they made their decision. Mrs. Seller went on to say, "You earned our business a couple of years ago when you sent us a handwritten note card. You're the ONLY Realtor who has ever sent us a handwritten note. I just loved it." You know what, me, too! I just love that a simple act like writing a handwritten note card secured my position as their Realtor. It's a good place to be. Oh by the way...thanks Brian Buffini! I had never been to one of his events when I wrote the note but I had heard the ideas and thought about how much I enjoy getting a handwritten note. I don't do enough of them but I think I need to step it up again, how about you? Any other fun success stories out there? Shar Rundio, Professional Realtor Phoenix Metro Area

Phoenix Area Fireworks and 4th of July Celebrations

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:54:27 -0700

Check out some great places to celebrate the 4th of July! (click on the titles to be taken directly to the website) Apache Junction (Forth of July Fireworks Celebration) Location: Apache Junction High School Info: Public swimming opens at 10 a.m. Volleyball tournament, skate competition at Superstition Shadows Skate Park (fee to register), kids activities, races, games and more. Use your creativity for the a bicycle, tricycle and wagon decorating contest. Starting at 6 p.m. there will be free watermelon, while supplies last. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. the Cover-Ups will perform at the AJHS Stadium. Fireworks are after the show. 480.983.2181 Cost: Admission is free. Parking is free, but limited. Avondale (Rev, White & Boom!) **Note July 3** Location: PIR (Phoenix International Raceway) Info: 7-9:30pm (Fireworks at 9PM) The largest Fireworks display and gathering in the Southwest Valley takes place in Avondale, at Phoenix International Raceway! Come tour the international raceway, watch entertainment from the concourse and view awesome classic and show cars, and of course get a prime seat to watch the Fireworks! 602.333.2400 Cost : Free Buckeye (4th of July Celebration) Location: Earl Edgar Recreational Facility, Beloat & Miller Info: 6-9pm, Fireworks 8:45pm. Celebrate our nation’s independence with your family, friends and neighbor’s at Buckeye’s 4th of July Celebration. Fourth of July has always been a day for family fun and we will be celebrating with a variety of activities, which include a kid’s zone water park and family group games. A fireworks display will conclude the evening and make the 2008 event a 4th of July to Remember. Cost: Free Chandler (Chandler’s 4th of July 7-UP Fireworks Spectacular) Location: Tumbleweed Park Info: The event features live music, a free kids carnival, a bike parade, and food and beverage vendors. Activities include a 35-foot water slide, 24-foot rock-climbing wall, dunk tank, and assorted water games and interactive amusements for kids. The Cactus Bike Push, Pull, Peddle Bike Parade will be held at 6 p.m., with each registrant receiving a free gift. The participant with the bike that is decorated best will win a Harro children’s bike. Participants can register for the free parade between June 18 and July 3 at any Cactus Bike location, or at the park on July 4 from 4-5:30 p.m. For bike parade details, contact the Cactus Bike Ocotillo location at 480-782-5483 or the Ahwatukee location at 480-940-7433. Contact info: 480.782.2735 Cost: Admission is free, parking is $5. Gilbert (Gilbert's Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration) Location: Mesquite High School Info: Activities include live music, food and beverage vendors, amusements for the kids, and a fabulous display of fireworks at approximately 9:00 p.m. Gates open at 5:00pm with Opening Ceremonies at 7:00p - MUSIC WILL CONTINUE TO 10:30pm Cost: Free but bring cash for rides, amusements and refreshments. Glendale (4th of July Celebration) Location: Glendale Community College Info: The fun starts with free swimming at the GCC pool beginning at 1 p.m. Gates open for the event at 6 p.m., with free admission and free parking. Entertainment on the APS Main Stage begins at 6 p.m., including a patriotic program and an F-16 flyover by a Luke Fighter Squadron, followed by musical entertainment. The awesome fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 8:40 p.m. Entertainment for children will include a juggler on the kid’s stage. Parents can keep little ones cool and happy with an inflatable water slide, or other inflatable games that will be available for a small fee. 623.930.2299 Cost: Free Maricopa (Great American Barbeque) Location: Pacana Park Info: Maricopa's Great American BBQ begins at 6:00 p.m., with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. In addition to fireworks, the event will feature nine vendors preparing an old-fashioned barbecue, a beer garden, pie eating and watermelon seed spitting contests and a whiffle ball tournament. Activities include seven inflatable water slides, a dunk tank and a movie in the park. 520.568-9098 Cost: Admission to the event is free, and park and ride locations have been set-up at Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Maricopa and Pima Butte Elementary Schools, the First Baptist Church, and Maricopa Wells Middle School. Mesa (4th of July Firework Display) Location: Mesa Community College Info: The Sertoma Club of Mesa will be sponsoring its 47th annual 4th of July Fireworks Show. A food court and drinks will be in the stadium area. The stadium gates will be opened at 6 p.m. Entertainment will commence at 7 p.m. There will be kiddie rides available and will conclude with the fireworks show at 9 p.m. Cost: Admission to the stadium is $1.00 per person with children 6 and under admitted free. Campus parking is accessible off Dobson Road to the west, Southern Ave on the north and Longmore Street on the east. Campus parking is $5.00 per car with seat belted occupants admitted to stadium free of charge. Proceeds from the show are used to support local, national and international charities. Peoria (4th of July All American Festival) Location: Peoria Sports Complex Info: Two entertainment zones, (1 country and 1 rock and roll), an F-16 Fly-over, a food zone, a Kids Zone and a Water Zone -- bring your swimsuit! Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. Cost: $5 for each person 13 and older. Free parking. Phoenix (Fabulous Phoenix 4th) Location: Steele Indian School Park Info: This premier family event will feature great local entertainment, free shuttles, free inflatable rides in the Manzanita Speedway Kids World and one of the biggest fireworks displays in the state! Festivalgoers also can enjoy food and beverage vendors. The Phoenix Fire Department will be cooling people down in the water spray zone. 602.534.FEST Cost: Free Phoenix (Light Up the Sky) Location: Maryvale Baseball Park Info: Inside the stadium: Free rides, craft activities, carnival games, and information tables. Main Field: Games, activities and free prizes sponsored by Arizona Chrysler Jeep & Dodge. Field 4- water slides, activities, a dee jay, and an open area for viewing fireworks show. 7-10 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Cost: Free Scottsdale (Grand Ole' Fashioned Picnic) Location: Scottsdale Stadium Info: July 4th from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Activities include free hot dogs, watermelon eating contest, potato sack races, tug-o-war competition, music and arts and crafts. Pictures/cards will be made for soldiers oversees. Barbecue grills will be provided and families are encouraged to bring food to cook up and eat at this community picnic. **There are no fireworks at this event. Maps of nearby fireworks locations will be provided. ** (480) 312-0217 Cost: Admission is free. Parking is free. Surprise (4th of July 26th Annual Celebration) Location: Surprise Recreation Campus Info: July 4th from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There are three separate events. The ticketed event is at Surprise Stadium. There you will enjoy live music featuring the Groove Merchants, a water and interactive zone, and family entertainment. $1 hot dogs, popcorn and drinks are available with your admission charge. Other full-price concessions will be offered. The evening is highlighted with a fireworks show at dusk set to patriotic music. Cost: The cost is $10 per adult, $5 per person 17 and younger. You can buy tickets in advance at about half price at the Community & Recreation Services Offices located at 15960 N. Bullard Ave., right next to the Surprise Stadium. Ticket sales are limited. Parking at the event is free. Tempe (Tempe 4th) Location: Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe Info: TruWest Credit Union presents the CBS5 July 4th Tempe Town Lake Festival Produced by the Kiwanis Club of Tempe Tempe Beach Park, Friday, July 4th Gates open at 4pm Delivering more than power SRP presents the 57th Annual Fireworks Spectacular The July 4th attractions include: SRP 57th Annual Fireworks Spectacular will present the best fireworks show in the Valley shot from Mill Avenue bridge. The spectacular family night SRP Fireworks Show will be choreographed to patriotic and classical music. Main Stage featuring great live local entertainment. Scheduled to Appear The Walkens G.A.S Chris Parker Project. 480.350.5189 Cost: Tickets will be on sale through July 4th at Fry’s and Fry’s Marketplace until 12 noon, $6.00 ticket price, Children 12 and under FREE! Tickets will be $8.00 at the gate or $15.00 for two. On site ticket sales will stop when the park reaches capacity.

Don't Forget to Write Down Your Mileage Today!

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:26:47 -0700

In a recent post I talked about the IRS mileage increase starting today, July 1st. Don't forget to make note of your mileage today in order to have accurate numbers when filing next year! Have a great day! Shar Rundio, Professional Realtor Keller Williams Integrity First Realty Phoenix Metro Area, AZ **OOPS, I had the wrong post linked for a bit (although a cuter one than the IRS)! The link is now accurate!**

Affordable Elegance in Gilbert, AZ

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:55:30 -0700

The Threshold Group | Keller Williams Integrity First Realty | 480.444.2231

1548 E. Hopkins, Gilbert, AZ

Affordable Elegance

3BR/2.5BA Single Family House

offered at $185,000

Year Built	2004
Sq Footage	1,735
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	3,655 sqft
HOA/Maint	$35 per month

DESCRIPTION

Affordable elegance! Beautiful home with many upgrades and features. Aggressively priced for a quick sale! The kitchen boasts a tile back splash, dark oak cabinetry and tile floors. A media niche in the family room is perfect for any sized entertainment center you many have! There are 3 spacious bedrooms and 2.5 baths, plus a loft. Care has been taken with all the details from the light fixtures to the switch plate covers elegance abounds in this home. The yard has been fully landscaped for easy care and enjoyment. This twin home has a fire suppression system for safety. Conveniently located off Val Vista and the 202. Hurry before you miss out!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

Central A/C	Central heat	Walk-in closet
Tile floor	Living room	Bonus/Rec room
Office/Den	Breakfast nook	Dishwasher
Stove/Oven	Microwave	Laundry area - inside
Balcony, Deck, or Patio	Yard

COMMUNITY FEATURES

Garage parking

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Seller contact info:

The Threshold Group

Keller Williams Integrity First Realty

480.444.2231

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jun 29, 2008, 7:53pm PDT

Baby Quail, Albert Einstein & Realtors

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:25:14 -0700

Stick with me, I promise I'll tie it all together... We live on a corner and have these storm drains in front of our house and across the street, 5 total. Last month (as well as last year) we would see a quail couple flying down into the drains and pacing all around them. Yep, you guessed it, their babies were stuck down there with no hope of getting out. So we gather up all kinds of contraptions and are able to save 4 of 6. Low and behold later in the day they are down there again! So we save some again and hope that the mamma is smart enough not to lead them near the drains again. No such luck, this time they are in a drain that we can't get to as easily and they are doomed. We hear them calling and the parents calling back but are unable to coax them out enough to rescue them. Several days later the cute little calls stop. Fast forward to today. My wonderful hubby comes in and says that there must be more down there again. Yep, after several hours of various rescue attempts we have a good bucket full (nine out of twelve), not all of them but a majority. I've found a rescue place and will be dropping them off later today. While a cute story, what does that have to do with Albert Einstein (or better yet, you or me)? Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. That mamma quail keeps taking her babies into a doomed place and expecting different results. Are you doing the same things and expecting different results? Are you going insane in this market? Will insanity eventually lead to a slow death as it did with the cute little baby quail? The market is different, the consumer is different, the technology is different what are we doing to adjust? I'd love to hear your thoughts~ UPDATE on the Chicks: The official count that we ended up with was 11 out of the 12. They are safely being taken care of by Sherry at East Valley Wildlife. Thanks, Sherry! Shar Rundio, Professional REALTOR

ALL our customers bring us happiness...

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:36:18 -0700

...some when they're coming, others when they're going! I saw this quote at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Greer the other day and couldn't help but think of several of our clients... We got fired the other day and can't tell you how so very excited we are! In fact, it is happening more and more that we have taken to firing several clients or allowing ourselves to be fired. It is such a great feeling to be out of a situation where despite all of our communication and marketing efforts (and we are pretty darn aggressive in that realm) the seller just doesn't get it that they have a part to play in the sale of their home, too. Say, like, ummm, I dunno, maybe PRICING! Or staging, or how about letting the house be shown. It takes way too much effort and energy to maintain a relationship with the wrong client. We've learned that for every one whiny, obnoxious, pain-in-the-XXX "unrealistic" client we keep, we could be servicing about 5 others who are motivated and agreeable to be around. That's not to say that the market is easy and that everything is happy-go-lucky but we're ready to move on from those "energy suckers" and focus on people who don't make you want to pull your hair out. Morale of the story: What type of person are you?

IRS Mileage Rate Increase for Businesses

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:46:32 -0700

In a news release yesterday from the IRS (IR-2008-82) business owners who use the standard mileage deductions must account for miles and report miles as accumulated from January 1st, 2008 through June 30th and July 1st 2008 through December 31st, 2008. In order to prepare your tax return, you'll need the mileage log per period since the mileage rates now vary. The IRS normally evaluates the mileage yearly but indicated: "Rising gas prices are having a major impact on individual Americans. Given the increase in prices, the IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the real cost of operating an automobile," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "We want the reimbursement rate to be fair to taxpayers." Mileage Rate Changes

Purpose	Rates 1/1 through 6/30/08	Rates 7/1 through 12/31/08
Business	50.5	58.5
Medical/Moving	19	27
Charitable	14	14

Flowers Bowl-a-Thon Update

Shar Rundio, Phoenix Metro Area (Realty Executives) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:17:57 -0700

The Bowl-A-Thon to benefit Bill and Cindy Flowers (click here for original post) was a huge success. With the efforts of the local KW community, our preferred vendors, and our clients and friends we were able to present the Flowers with a check for $12,000. All told I believe the amount was almost $15,000. It was great to see Bill & Cindy and watch our community assist some of it's finest in an hour of need. Here is the note that Cindy posted on their CaringBridge journal: Dear Loved Ones! Bill and I are still trying to recover from the tremendous outpouring of love shown to us at the Bowl-a-thon yesterday! We are grasping for words that will describe the overwhelming appreciation we have for what you did for us. The money you raised will pay for some dreams I've had for Bill since this all began - namely new glasses, a new front tooth to replace the one they removed during his throat surgery (we all know how much his looks matter to him), moving expenses for our upcoming move, and most of all a trip to Texas to see his 3 kids and 5 grandkids who have not been able to see him since his surgery 18 months ago! For those of you who were not there in person, I wish you could have seen the HUGE smile on Bill's face when we walked through the door of the bowling alley and saw that group of hundreds of family, friends, co-workers, clients and even people we had never met! That is the first time I have seen that smile in a very long time! (Please share our gratitude with those we don't know how to contact.) I think seeing so many friends and loved ones was the best medicine so far! I also have to report that for the rest of the day and evening Bill was talkative and even cracking some of his corny jokes!!! I can't wait for him to wake up this morning to see if that great attitude is still with him. For as long as Bill and I have been together (almost 19 years) we have had a personal mission statement to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we meet every day. Well, I have to tell you, YOU ALL HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES and we will never ever forget that! It was not only your gifts but the time you took away from your busy lives to be there in such an awesome show of support - we will never be the same! We appreciate you, we honor you, we send God's blessings to all...and we love you! Cindy & Bill For those of you who helped with your time or money it was well invested. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. We didn't bowl well (I think I'll stick to Wii Bowling!) but we had a great time and made it quite the family affair. Enjoy some of our pictures: Shar Rundio, professional REALTOR