tucson arizona: Streetcars & Real Estate Values - Analyzing The Effect - 07/22/15 04:28 AM
The Tucson Modern Streetcar celebrates its 1st Anniversary of operation this weekend, with ridership that has exceeded goals - averaging over 4,000 riders per month (11% over the expectation of 3,600 monthly riders).  The Sunlink Streetcar posted 1,000,000 passenger rides about 6 weeks ahead of schedule this May.  Many new businesses and tens of millions of dollars in private investment have started transforming the corridor along the route to great fanfare, but lost in the hype & hoopla was the answer to the question:  "What effect has the streetcar had on residential real estate values?"  Nobody had performed a study on … (9 comments)

tucson arizona: Lets Talk About What I Can't Talk To You About! - 06/26/09 07:58 AM
 
 
 
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 … (4 comments)

tucson arizona: Working With Out-Of-Town Clients? Here's A Few Things To Make It Easier For Them: - 04/07/09 04:42 PM
There is a saying that has been around for decades:  "All Real Estate Is Local."   When working with clients that live out of town (out-of-state, region, country), it can be challenging for them to get a feel for the area, much less the neighborhood they may be thinking of buying in.
What can I do to help them?  What resources are out there besides the usual newspaper or TV station links?  What can give them a "feel" for this place?
I'm still learning new things & refining what previous clients have enjoyed in the past - so realize that this list … (36 comments)

tucson arizona: Homebuyer Tip Series - #1 Buying New Construction - 03/31/09 06:10 PM
I'm starting a "How-To" video series about buying a home.  This is the first installment, dealing with purchases of new construction.  This installment deals with the fact that a lot of homebuyers unknowingly mistake friendliness with representation of their best interests.
 
 
 
If you are considering purchasing a new or resale property in the Tucson, Arizona area - I'm Kent Simpson & would like the opportunity to earn your business.
 
 
 
 
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tucson arizona: Solar-Power: Vehicle Style - 03/30/09 05:34 PM
At Saturday's SolarRock 3 festival, the emphasis was definitely on utilizing solar power for homes, but a couple of vehicles were hard to miss:

 
 
 
 
This car gets a boost from the photovoltaic panel on top - giving it a range of 26 miles per day on a full battery charge.  While that wouldn't get me very far into my average day as a REALTOR - it would definitely be more than adequate to get from home to the office & back.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is a little better view of the … (5 comments)

tucson arizona: Southern AZ's First LEED Platinum Building: At Tucson's Reid Park Zoo! - 01/28/09 10:01 AM
Tucson is generally thought of as a pretty evironmentally conscious city in many respects.  Reclaimed water is widely used for landscaping, xeriscaping has been embraced & adopted by most people...without any regulation or mandate forcing people to do so.
Where we are behind the curve (so far) is in our commercial sector - LEED Certified buildings are few and far between, even in the government and public sector.  Private is probably going to take the lead with LEED in Southern AZ.  That being said, Tucson's Reid Park Zoo boasts southern Arizona's first LEED Platinum Certified building - congratulations!
 
 
Reid … (3 comments)

tucson arizona: A View Of Tucson One Doesn't Expect - 10/10/08 02:18 AM
When one thinks about what Tucson looks like, the first things that usually come to mind are desert, cactus, sand and heatwaves rising from the parched land.
There is some truth to that, but given that conception, do trees come to mind?  Not usually - but there are lots of trees...an astonishing number, considering that the perception is that trees need lots and lots of water.

This is taken from my backyard, looking south to the Santa Rita Mountains.  Surprising, huh?

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tucson arizona: "The Boneyard" - Davis Monthan Air Force Base In Tucson - 09/16/08 04:39 PM
Tucson is home to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, one of the largest employers in Southern Arizona and a huge slice of the economic pie.  The origins of the base can be traced to the earliest days of civil aviation when the City of Tucson acquired acreage for a landing strip, southeast of town.  1927 saw none other than Charles Lindbergh arrive to dedicate Davis-Monthan Field, which was the largest municipal air field in the U.S. at the time.
The military presence began in 1940 and has evolved into an integral part of the very fabric that makes Tucson what it is … (5 comments)