For those of you who have been following my posts regarding notices to homeowners to remove second or vacation homes as Class 3 property and reclassify them as Class 4 property, thus removing their eligibility to receive the Homeowners’ Rebate - read on… Continue reading
The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history. Our country’s first national cemeteries were then established and families may have begun their own tributes to this time period. In 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, N.Y. the official birthplace of Memorial Day, because it hosted an annual community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. But it was General John A Logan who designated May 30, 1868 the date of Decoration Day, because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
I grew up in N.C. and for years I remember the celebration being for the Confederates who died (my ancestors) during the Civil War. Confederate Memorial Day is observed in N.C. on May 10 (if the falls on Sunday, businesses are closed on the following Monday). Read more about this…
The deaths of all those who died serving our great Country deserve a tribute not just Memorial Day but every day while we enjoy the freedoms that we have!
On the news tonight was an interview of the owners of this home. They said their motivation was the cost of $300 per month to live opposed to $1300 per month. This will enable them to save money for the future. The home is in Prescott. It is complete with living area, kitchen, bathroom and a master bedroom.
Years ago I lived aboard a 24′ sail boat. My husband was asking me, during the news, what was the livable space of my boat. It was 7′ X 19′ or 133 sqft. What I learned during the 7 years I lived on a boat it you don’t live indoors. This couple will discover the same thing. They can hook up their home to their truck and move around, just like i did with my sailboat. It’s quite a nice lifestyle.
Prescott couple builds 204-square foot home to gain financial independence.
I moved my Mother from Florida to Sun City, Arizona about 10 years so she would be near my husband I, for her “senior years”. As she has been aging, those wonderful “senior years”, I spend a lot of time with her and near the community where she lives. I am amazed at the number of seniors who haven’t seen or heard from their children (now adults) for years on end.
Did you know there is a huge number of senior citizens who go hungry? Today as you think of your Mother (whether she is alive or not) please think of someone else’s Mother who is alone and hungry. Please visit this wonderful website, whether you donate is up to you I’m just making you aware.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to ALL MOTHERS!
1st Quarter 2012 Marketwatch Report
Basically the report for Maricopa County draws a pretty good picture for the real estate market. Even though closed sales, of 20,033 for the first quarter, in volume are down 3.1% from last year the Median Sales price (meaning half are below and half are above average price) is up 12.6% from last year at $129,499 and the Average Sales price (all sold prices added together and divided by the number of homes sold) is up 8% from last year at $177.317.
I am told frequently by lenders, with whom I work, that there are still more bank owned properties to come but I believe that the numbers will be fewer than we have experienced and the prices will compete with these numbers. We’ll see.
10 Things REALTORS® Should Know About Septic Systems » May 2012.
Any person selling or transferring ownership of a property served by an on-site wastewater treatment facility (including a conventional septic tank system or alternative on-site wastewater treatment facility) must retain a qualified Inspector to inspect the facility within six months prior to transferring ownership of the property (Arizona Administrative Code, A.A.C. R18-9-A316) — quoted directly from ADEQ’s website. It really frustrates me that in every bank owned property (REO) transaction that I have done, where I am representing the Buyer, the Buyer is told to write that out of the contract and pay for septic certifications themselves. It’s Arizona law for pete’s sake.
Every home I have sold this year with septic systems have had minor to major repairs required in order to complete the septic certifications. Buyers should be very diligent when purchasing AS-IS homes with septics. And, they need to be working with REALTORS who understand.
With the decline in new home building green remodeling has taken off creating an expected increase from 2011′s 17% residential market share to 29-38% by 2016! I think this green predication by McGraw-Hill shows that green building/remodeling, residential and commercial is not a fad but the new direction of construction, something I heard frequently over the past couple years. So here’s the whole article (be sure to read which regions of the US are the leaders in green construction).
One week from today, on Earth Day 2012 (Sunday, April 22), Challenge” tune in to a special online presentation of the documentary “Bag It,” presented by Green America. Although this isn’t really real estate related it is about our daily lives. I thought you’d want to participate.
The film follows what happens when one man decides to purge the ubiquitous plastic shopping bag from his life. He learns more than he ever expected to about the harm these plastic bags can cause — and you will too!
The screening begins at 8PM on your home computer, and the $3.99 ticket price includes an online Q&A after the film with “Life Without Plastic” blogger Beth Terry and Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, Editor-in-chief of the Green American. Register for the film at www.constellation.tv/bagit.
Since 2006 til now, the Fed has purchased $2.3 trillion in Treasuries and mortgage debt in the first two rounds of quantitative easing (QE). The thought here is that these policies will lower the interest rates, giving businesses and consumers access to cheaper credit.
One of the members of the 10 person Federal Open Market Committtee who believes that the Feds have bought enough mortgage relief and that the economy will rebound by itself and that interest rates will climb.
Shredder Scissors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As part of its ongoing commitment to combat identity theft, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is partnering with Shred-It to offer a free Shred-A-Thon on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 at Westbrook Village, 19281 N. Westbrook Parkway, Peoria, AZ 85382. Members of the public will be able to safely destroy up to five bags of unneeded tax returns, financial documents and other papers with personal information at no cost.
The event will take place from 7:00am – 11:00am, or until the shredding trucks reach full capacity. Continue reading
