I often see Phoenix homes for sale, new Phoenix homes, remodeled homes for sale that just are missing something, and you don’t know what it is unless you are one who never underestimates the importance of good landscaping. (Central Phoenix home without landscaping) It is clear to me, when i show homes and i see what kind of excitement a home with a great landscaping can create or when quite decent homes with not a single thing planted in the front yard (or a dying king palm) creates just an undecided.. ehhmmm.  Of course it is easy to see when the emptiness is amour vacui, contemporary , minimalistic landscaping, and when it is simply overlooked. (Central Phoenix Home With Landscaping) A few reasons why I would encourage some plants, strategically placed and maintained: 1. We live in th... 06/16/2008

When temperatures hit 100 degrees its hot but its a pain that's more bearable then when the heat gets over 110 degrees.  Remember these are in the shade temperatures.  In the open sun the heat and fierce sun can be deadly.  The city of Phoenix has some tips for keeping cool and healthy in times of extreme heat. "Tips to Keep Cool and Healthy During Times of Extreme Heat  from: http://phoenix.gov/NEWSREL/ARCHIVE/2008/MAY/10605heat.html Even healthy people should take it easy during extremely high temperatures, and those with respiratory and other health problems must be especially careful. Stay out of the sun as much as possible. Drink extra fluids, but avoid alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can cause dehydration. The best ways to prevent a sun stress emergency are:  Drink before you’re thir... 06/16/2008

The Camelback Corridor intersects two other prominent neighborhoods, namely the Arcadia neighborhood, on of the most sought after neighborhoods in the Phoenix valley and the Biltmore area which includes the Arizona Biltmore. The Camelback Corridor is characterized by high style and fine residential neighborhood, high end shopping and dining, high rise condos, and high design office buildings.  Along the Corridor, several natural and prominent landmarks, enclose the area; Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak in the northern distance. This is one of those areas with enough demand to cushion it from the recent lows of the market cycle.  In fact several specific areas and condo complexes have increased in median price while Phoenix metro has declined. Real estate along the Camelback Corrido... 06/16/2008

In the past month i have seen a new policy by the City of Phoenix that is bordering on a scam. If you have a house in the city that is foreclosed, the city charges the Bank for water from the day of foreclosure regardless or not if you have turned on utilities or not, When you ask all you are told is that is the policy. it has started very reciently but is not retroactive so i have homes that have not had water turned on for months but am now getting stuck with a huge bill. Many REO homes are not safe to turn on water on due to damage to pipes or the potential of vandalism to the home . Many REO Realtors take the business very seriously but many times the cities make it difficult, this is just my most recent challenge, you gotta love the business. 06/15/2008

Buying a new home is a big decision and you are probably ready to go all out in preparation. It can never hurt to be prepared with a preapproval for a loan before you start looking into actual houses on the market. Being preapproved gives you the advantage of knowing for sure what you are able to afford. Most of us believe we have a pretty good idea of what we can afford, still it is usually the lender who has final say. No one wants to find themselves in love with a house only to have a banker step in front and say no. A preapproval empowers you with the knowledge that every house you consider can be yours for the taking. It also gives your bids more weight with the seller, who knows the money is behind your word. However, don't be in a rush to accept an offer from a lender. Remember i... 06/13/2008

Want to sell your home fast this spring? Make your grass green! Grass is usually the largest surface area from the curb to the front of your home. It could possibly make or break the first impression of a potential buyer. Instead of begging your realtor to bring clients by at night, make use of the sun. Grass may seem like something easy to overlook, but the house with the greenest grass stands out miles above the rest. Hiring a lawn care service to the job is always an easy option, but you are not tied to the expense to improve the appearance of your yard. There are many easy do it yourself type helps at any convenience store. For instance, if you have a dog chances are you have found mysterious bald or yellow spots littering your lawn for as long as Fido has been a member of the famil... 06/13/2008

There are several large high rise condo buildings about to complete construction and "be delivered" in the next several months in Phoenix and Tempe.  These are all gorgeous projects and we're excited to see them completed.  We also believe that they will truly add to the urban experience in the Valley as a whole. We do have one concern however.  How many buyers do these buildings really have and of the existing contracts how many buyers will actually close their purchase.  Afterall, we have to believe that many of the contracts were written prior to the beginning of construction, or shortly thereafter, which means that the contract price was established during "the boom." IF this is correct then how many buyers will want to close a purchase in 2008 at a price that was established in 200... 06/13/2008

The view of old buildings, older areas of Phoenix has changed and is changing.  The pull to suburbia is diminishing as the central core regains is dynamism and gravitational pull, drawing people back into the urban city.  This pull is not only about the need for people to be together, to see each other and participate in living rather then maintaining their own world in sleeper communities, its also about the resurgence of design, good design, appreciation of style, good building and history.    (Uptown Phoenix Multifamily Apartment Building) Mid-century modern homes, and rental properties are selling for top dollar, apartments in older but well kept buildings, sometimes even with original fixtures are renting well and often for a premium.  Apartments built in the 40′ and 50’s often hav... 06/12/2008

Apartment News a monthly newspaper from the AZAMA.org reports that multifamily vacancies are at record levels and that rent gains are moderate.  While this report is mostly about largercommunities the affects are felt by smaller property owners as well. Vacancies stand at 11.5% for the first quarter of 2008, up from 9.6% the first quarter of 2007.  The AMA reports that “the North Central Phoenix sub-market experienced the highest rate of rental growth since the first quarter 2007…”  Here are a few or my own observations not based on serious number crunching but dirty in the field work on our own properties and discussions with our clients who have anassortment of property size types ranging from fourplexes to mid sized apartment communities. In Central and North Central Phoenix rents ha... 06/12/2008

They say, "Imitation is the sincerest of flattery."  Well, kudos to David Letterman for spawning the Top Ten List era. Or was it Johnny Carson -- whom Letterman tried to replace upon his retirement, but lost out to Jay Leno? I will give you the Top 19 Reasons why people moved in the U.S. (You get the extra bonus of nine for being a member of AR.) Note: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are various reasons why an average of 100,000 people moved each day in 2006. For a breakdown by gender see "Migration - Not Just for the Birds." (Statistics from U.S. Census Bureau - Migration Report - 2006) Feel free to use any information from me that might help your business. Afterall, "Imitation is...."             06/12/2008

HELLO TO  ALL! PLEASE TAKE NOTICE OF THE TOUGH MARKET WE ARE ALL IN. PLEASE KNOW THAT SHORT SALES PROVIDE NOT ONLY A CHALLENGE, BUT ALSO AN INCOME STREAM IN TODAY'S ROCKY REAL ESTATE MARKET! PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF ON SHORT SALES! THEY ARE HERE TO STAY FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS! PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT YOUR SHORT SALE QUESTIONS. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COSED OVER 40 SHORT SALES! WE CAN GET THEM DONE! WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU SOON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND CONSIDERATION. REGARDS, WALLACE HARDY ASSOCIATE BROKER PHOENICIAN PROPERTIES REALTY 602-549-2856 bigwall1969@hotmail.com www.cashforhomesaz.com   06/12/2008

Phoenix Arizona is the desert and temperatures likely go higher than 110+ degrees at times in the summer, but there are still places to go for ice and snow fun. Below is a partial list of places to go for beating the heat -- some of them year round. Alltel Ice Den 9375 East Bell Road, Scottsdale 480-585-RINK www.coyotesice.com Arcadia Ice 3853 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix 602-957-9966 www.arcadiaice.com Oceanside Ice Arena 1520 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe 480-947-2470 www.iskateaz.com Polar Ice-Chandler 7225 W. Harrison Street, Chandler 480-598-9400 www.polariceent.com Polar Ice-Peoria 15829 N. 83rd Avenue, Peoria 623-334-1200 www.polariceent.com Arizona Ski Resorts Arizona Snowbowl San Francisco Peaks Flagstaff Area 928-779-1951 www.arizonasnowbowl.com Mount Lemmon Ski Valley Santa Catalina ... 06/11/2008

Phoenix Arizona Energy Conservation and Water Conservation efforts. Offered to Phoenix Arizona Residents City of Phoenix and Arizona Public Service today launched the first in a series of energy education events educate Phoenix residents on how to conserve both electricity consumption and water, and to help residents avoid utility disconnects. Rising prices for basic services, such as food, water and energy, affect all Arizonans, but the impact is greatest on low-income families. The lower a family’s income, the higher the percentage of their total available income they must spend for energy.   More here: Energy Conservation 06/11/2008

If you are looking for a deal in Phoenix and are thinking about purchasing a bank owned (REO) property in the Phoenix Real Estate Market- you may be facing or reliving 2005, the housing boom that saw multiple offers, as many as 15-20 offers for one home. As banks are trying to unload these homes, they are slashing the prices, which are bringing the buyers and multiple offers. So be prepared for this new round of bidding wars. The tactic, as it was in 2005, price it right and the price will be bid up. ...MORE... 06/09/2008

Main Street Plaza, 4020 Lofts, Artesia, and Third Avenue Lofts in downtown Scottsdale will be the subject of the next WeKnowUrban.com High Rise and Loft Condo Tour.  Join us as we discuss, debate, and tour these and other great urban style buildings.  The tour usually lasts a little over three hours and costs only $7.50 per person (more for real estate agents and/or their clients).  We have anywhere from 20 to 50 people join us so the conversation is always lively and informative.  For more information visit our Urban Tour page. 06/09/2008

Biltmore Square, located at 1701 E. Colter Street (just north of Camelback) in Phoenix was one of the very last developments to squeak throug the real estate boom door before it slammed shut hard.  It was approximately December 2005 that investors lined up and fought one another for the opportunity to buy at this apartment building turned condominium project.  Friends and mothers and daughters and co-workers jumped at the chance to turn a quick profit. Within days of closing on their new "investment" the anxious investors put their properties back on the market either for rent or for sale or both.  Unfortunately, it turns out the hundreds of other investors had the same plan.  Needless to say things got ugly fairly quickly. Today, two years later, things are still bad.  The photo above ... 06/09/2008

Every day is a great day to buy a single family home, even in Phoenix. That ought to rile up the analytical types here. Of course, that same principle applies to the stock market, as well. I started my career as a “Financial Consultant” but was mentored by some fellas who preferred to be called “Customer’s Man” (title preserved with apologies to the fairer gender). My tutors would buy me a scotch in Penn Central Station, then ride the Paoli local home with me. I’d receive a 70-minute lesson about how and when to buy stocks for clients. The first lesson was that every day was a good day to own a good company. Of course, the part I’m leaving out is that price and underlying quality were important factors in the investment decision- fundamentals rule when it comes to long-term investing. T... 06/07/2008

I am working with a bank that has some challenged properties that are priced to sell, many of them will need work but are priced accordingly. located mainly in the downtown Phoenix area, i will be happy to set up showings and or send information, what more do you want. Call me directly for more information, all are paying cobrokes 06/05/2008

Andrew Monaghan | The Monaghan Group | postlets@themonaghangroup.com | 602-308-4660 3452 E. Lance Lane, Phoenix, AZ 3BR/3BA Townhouse $1,500/month Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Sq Footage 1,650 Parking 2 dedicated Pet Policy No pets Deposit $1,500 DESCRIPTION Beautiful 2BR/2.5 BA Townhome with plenty of space! Newer community built in 2006 has everything you want! Desirable gated community, block construction! Great layout with Fireplace, 2 car garage, kitchen island, and more upgrades! Enjoy relaxing on the Roof top deck with city and mountain views! see additional photos below RENTAL FEATURES Air conditioning Central heat High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Tile floor Family room Loft layout Dining room Breakfast nook Dishwasher Refrigerator Stove/Oven Microwave Laundry area... 06/05/2008

Andrew Monaghan | The Monaghan Group | 602-308-4660 4811 N 96th LN, Phoenix, AZ Reduction! 3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $219,900 Year Built 2003 Sq Footage 1,911 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 6,050 sqft HOA/Maint $30 per month DESCRIPTION Better than brand new! This amazing 3bed 2 bath home with a den is located close to the new Cardinal Stadium and Westgate with all the area has to offer. Easy access to the 101. Professional landscaping front and back. High ceilings with ceiling fans. Den can easily be converted to a 4th bedroom. You enter the home into the living and formal dinning rooms which open up into the large great room. The kitchen has a wonderful breakfast nook with a view of the back yard. This home has a fantastic l... 06/05/2008