Have a Happy and Save 4th of July!

Photos by iaincaradoc

Wow, it almost has already been a year again since I have blogged about where to celebrate Forth of July in the Phoenix Metro area.

Most of the links in last years post point to updated information, however Scottsdale’s Family Barbecue will be celebrated at the Scottsdale Stadium.

photo credit: phxpma

If you are not sure where to celebrate Independence Day in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area and looking for another 4th of July community or special event then go check out phoenix.about.com.

The Arizona Republic has also a list of events here.

There is a very good chance that the Phoenix DUI Taskforce saturation Patrols and other law enforcement will be out and around the valley this coming holiday. Needless to say who they will be targeting…So if you are going to party make sure you have a designated driver or use public transportation. Some of yo may think there is not much public transportation action going on in the valley, however the light rail is coming very soon. Having said that, RailLife.com is a great source for learning more about the areas and venues surrounding the light rail line and Nick Bastian covers the 4th of July festivities in Tempe on the RailLife Blog.

Enjoy Independence Day 2008 and be safe!

Bill Austin presenting Social Media at the third Arizona Real Estate Blogger Network Meetup. This video is approximately 50 minutes long and will give you a general overview of what Social Media is and how to apply it to the Real Estate Business.

Bill Austin on Social Media from phoenixrealestatelive on Vimeo.

Map based property searches seem to be what the majority of consumers currently demand. Unfortunately I don’t have a R&D budget like the folks over at Trulia to develop a map based property search therefore I have to resort to alternatives and currently the best one I have found is the one from Diverse Solutions.

The neatest thing about dsSearchAgent is that I have complete freedom of customizing maps, being able to drill down to individual neighborhoods and to selectively display available homes for sale located in individual subdivisions.

The example below is a Phoenix Neighborhood bordering Paradise Valley to the south called Marion Estates.

Another great feature I like is that you are able to receive new listings as they come on the market via your RSS feed reader. However if you still prefer email than this form of delivery is also available to you. You don’t like the sliders to change your search parameters? No problem just switch over by clicking on “Use Text Boxes” and you can enter your search criteria the old fashioned way.

Once we have completed the transition to FlexMls in 52 days, agents then will be able to upload unlimited photos and this will certainly enhance the search experience for the user.

Now go and give my new Phoenix Home Search a try! Your comments and feedback is greatly appreciated!

Recently, I have been home shopping a lot with first time buyers. Just before my trip to Austria I got a foreclosure under contract in Queen Creek where I represent my clients as their buyers agent. My buyers were pretty much under the gun finding a new home since the landlord they were renting from was getting foreclosed upon. This time, however, they did not want to find a new home to rent since they had been tenants for 14 years and my clients felt they were long overdue for home-ownership. Having their thirty day notice in hand, making offers on short sales was not an option since my buyers were not in a position to deal with long response times. “We need to find something by yesterday” is what I kept hearing from them every day since I met them for the first time. Logically we had to boil down the search for properties to REOs (Bank Owned Properties). So, for the better part of two weeks, we started to cruise almost every subdivisions in Queen Creek looking to find a home fitting their budget, needs, and wants. At first, it was very discouraging. Only one, out of approximately ten homes, we explored was in move-in condition without requiring any major repairs necessary. After 5 days intensive shopping; we hit the jackpot and my buyers settled for 2400sqft , 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home in Johnson Ranch, which was a former builder model. Of course it had all the “goodies” including a pool with a heated in-ground spa.

At the same time, I was working with another nice couple, also first time home buyers. Whose needs were completely different. I had to shop in the exact opposite geographic area - Surprise and El Mirage, Arizona was the target area. If you follow my blog you probably have seen them on their shopping spree. Although their time frame of moving in is not as critical, they also would prefer a quicker response time once they put in an offer. So our main focus here was to find a bank-owned property in good condition. Easier said than done. Compared to Queen Creek finding a livable bankowned property in the Surprise and El Mirage area currently takes about exploring fifteen REOs to find one which is in move-in condition without any major deferred maintenance or repairs needed.

Of course the copper thieves are still active and are stealing the coils out of the AC-compressors across the valley, however there was one major difference between Queen-Creek and the Surpise/El Mirage area: Most of the repo -homes in Queen Creek had the power turned on, while none but only one out of the fifty (or so) homes in the West Valley had electricity. At first I thought it had something to do that there perhaps were proportionally more foreclosed homes with swimming-pools in lender inventories in Queen Creek. Keeping the pool-pump running helps preventing the pool from turning green, however after looking a little bit more closer into my “Pool versus No-Pool Power-On” theory I discovered that the bank-owned homes with drained pools also had the the electric service turned on. The only thing I can think of why the electricity is turned on at most REO properties in Queen Creek is most likely because of the competitive environment due to the insanely high listing inventory. But then, the inventory in the West Valley is not exactly low either…Go figure? At the end it all might have been just pure coincidence.

Apparently, I am not the only one who perceived the physical condition of REO properties in Queen Creek better. Steve Belt had a similar observation:

Subsequently, however, home condition wasn’t as bad as I feared. For whatever reason, the bank owned homes look better than Chris Butterworth found in Litchfield Park recently

Looking at a hand full of REOs compared to a huge listing inventory cannot give a clear conclusion where the “better condition” REOs are geographically located, however I find it fascinating that local real estate blogs may indicate that the overall physical condition of REO inventory in Queen Creek appears to be in slightly better shape compared to some areas in the West Valley.

One of our most enjoyable traditions in Phoenix is the historic district home tour. We have an astonishing number of historic homes and homeowners who cherish their properties and gladly share them with the public. This time Windsor Square is opening its neighborhood, homes, and gardens to visitors for the Sixth Biennial Historic Home and Garden Tour.

Next Sunday, April 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., you will be able to visit all of the 12 historic homes that are on this tour in Phoenix’s most northern historic district. Presented by the Windsor Square Neighborhood Association, the Home and Garden tour is a self-guided walking tour that gives visitors a look at unique architectural styles in homes that date back more than 75 years.

Windsor Square was originally envisioned as an area of fine homes, but the district’s development suffered from bad timing and a world war. Begun in 1929, the original developers’ high hopes fell to the realities of the Depression. Then as building began in earnest in the early 1940’s, everything was put on hold again during World War II. With the return of the GIs and the post-war building boom, Windsor Square grew to be considered Phoenix’s first suburb. Today’s 260 homes are bordered by Central Avenue and Seventh Street, Pasadena Avenue and Oregon Avenue.

With styles ranging from modern to traditional, attendees will see interior decorating ideas and unique approaches to the outdoors. For this year’s tour, the organizers have added a special feature to each home: a themed special event presented by a professional designer. Look for a garden party, a birthday celebration, and other festive scenes. Keep an eye out, also, for Phil Gordon, Phoenix’s mayor and a Windsor Square resident, who plans to be touring the homes as well.

Along with the historic homes, visitors will enjoy fine arts and crafts from street vendors, taste delicious foods, and be entertained with live music. All this for only $12, and children visit free.

You will find the tour at the Northeast corner of Central and Camelback, behind AJ’s Fine Foods. Tickets will be available on the day of the home tour at Medlock and 2nd Street (one block east of Central, north of Camelback Road). Vehicles may enter the neighborhood off Central Avenue at Medlock Drive or off Camelback Road at 2nd or 6th streets; on-street parking is free.

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Need a bit more incentive? The good folks of the Windsor Square Home and Garden Tour will donate 20 percent of tour proceeds to the Central Arizona Shelter Services (C.A.S.S). for Families and Children.

Mark your calendar now: Sunday, April 6 – Windsor Square Historic Home and Garden Tour. For more information, visit the Windsor Square website.

Today is Saint Patrick’s and naturally “Green” is the theme for today! This video was taken yesterday while house-hunting with my clients in El Mirage. There is definitely a lot of inventory out there in the Greater Phoenix Metro area, however finding a bank owned property in decent move-in conditions still presents a little challenge. We saw a lot of nasty things inside of vacant REO Properties during our shopping spree yesterday. Moving items inside the refrigerator and used condoms inside a bedroom closet for starters, do I have to say more? You get the idea…

After looking at approximately fifteen foreclosed homes in the last two days in the El Mirage and Surprise Area we only came across one bank-owned home which had the power turned on. Only four out of the fifteen homes we looked at were in livable condition. Out of these four homes, only two showed improvements made by the Bank and/or the listing agent post-repossession - and we got a really good kick out of looking at one of these fixed-up lender owned properties: We weren’t quite sure if the Bank was planning on an open house for today or April 1st.

After being on hold for about twenty-five minutes with the Maricopa County Assessor’s office, I finally got the answer to my question about my own Limited Property Value: and guess what? I was wrong!

I should have dug a little bit deeper in my research, but I partly blame iMAPP, a third party provider to the Arizona Multiple Listing Service, for throwing me for a loop.

Using iMAPP’s Tax Report for my own parcel, I based my assumptions on the LPV they provided for my calculations about the assessed value of my own home. Granted that “the LPV cannot ever get smaller” was a hint in and of itself. However, I should have checked the horses mouth (the original data source).

Now I feel a little stupid, but that will pass. Making mistakes is an inevitable part of blogging and even though I try real hard to avoid mistakes, they happen. On the other hand, making mistakes also has some benefits. How else would I have found out that iMAPP is not perfect?

© iMapp, Inc, 2008 | Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Buyer to verify all information

A Question of Value or a Question of Error: at the end of the day ends up being a user error aided by incorrect data provided by a third party provider.

Yes, maintaining the public trust is not only difficult when market conditions are changing, but it gets a little tougher when a data vendor throws in a little wrench.

The homes do not have garages, walk-in closets, or entertainment centers. They were built in the 1920’s and ’30’s before people thought lots of storage space was essential in a home. But for every modern convenience they may seem to lack, the historic homes of Willo more than make up for them in charm and grace.

Once a year, a dozen or so homeowners in Phoenix’s Willo Historic District open their well-loved and well-cared for houses for the annual home tour. Homeowners invest a great deal of time and care (and yes, money) in restoring and maintaining the unique features of these homes. Styles run the gamut from English Cotswold to Spanish mission, French provincial, and Tudor revival.

Once farmland on the outskirts of Phoenix, Willo became a suburb in the early part of the 20th century, and almost two dozen subdivisions were built through the beginning of WWII. As Phoenix grew after the war, commercial development began to encroach. But in the 1980’s, Willo residents lobbied successfully for historic district status.

This Sunday, February 10, 2008, you can enjoy the 20th Annual Willo Historic Home Tour & Street Festival from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Willo is just west of Central Avenue between Thomas and McDowell Roads from 1st to 7th Avenues. Visitors can stroll the tree-lined streets from house to house, or take a trolley that will carry people throughout the neighborhood. Here is a sneak peak of 2 homes that will be on the tour.

There is also street fair with handcrafts, antiques, local artwork, and plenty of food choices. Tickets are $15.00 the day of the tour and can be purchased at 3rd Avenue and Holly. Free for children 12 years and younger when accompanied by a paying adult. You can also buy tickets for $12.75 online in advance (by 9:00 p.m. February 9) and pick them up at the event. You can find more information and purchase tickets here: http://willohistoricdistrict.com/hometour

Hope to see you this Sunday in Willo!

February 1st 2008 is when tradition comes back to Scottsdale, Arizona – a day when the West’s Most Western Town deserves to be called just that. Tomorrow is the day when the Hashknife Pony Express delivers the mail at the Scottsdale Post Office.

Yes, the Pony Express still exists and is the oldest officially sanctioned Pony Express holding the longest contract with the U.S. Postal Services.

But, before the mail gets dropped off tomorrow at 12:30, the Bronze Monument “Passing the Legacy” will be unveiled at 10:30 AM at the Canal in Downtown Scottsdale.

Lately, there has been a lot of coverage of mega events like the SuperBowl, Barret-Jackson and The FBR Open. I, however, am very partial to history, art and tradition as you can tell by my previous posts and the cowboy in the video was also speaking from my heart.

Here is a video I found on YouTube:

It’s good to see that there are some people carrying on with the traditions of the Old West!