I’d like to share some very exciting news with you. As you know, I have spent the last five years of my life in the Real Estate Industry.

Over the last couple of months I realized that I needed to make a change. Now, I find myself changing direction and following a new, and by the same token old, career path.

Ten years ago, working as a Loan Officer with Lund Mortgage, I had more hair, but only a little experience in the lending field.

Back then I had a tough going and most likely it had something to do that back at that time it was all about taking applications for refinances, and it was not too important to comprehend the needs of real estate agents and brokers. So I became one.

Over the years as a REALTOR; friends, family and acquaintances have asked for my mortgage-opinion advice regarding financing a home and as a REALTOR I have always loved working to help people achieve their goal of home ownership. I always seemed to find the time to help out when ever possible, but never really could be directly involved in the lending process.

To be honest, it drove me nuts not to have a hand in the lending aspect of the real estate transactions I helped facilitate.

Now, I am bald, have some more experience and certainly a better understanding of what agents (and consumers alike) need in a mortgage-partner.

Considering the mortgage industry and lender licensing in these turbulent times, the amount of lenders has significantly shrunk. This is my opportunity to get back to my old, now new again, path to help consumers achieve the goal of home-ownership.

Times are different from when I began my original quest. More regulations, procedures and paperwork are now in the mix, as well as the mortgage loan officer license. I view this as a new and exciting challenge and opportunity.

As of January 14th 2010 I am a loan officer originator with Sunstreet Mortgage, LLC – and trust me, I did not make that decision lightly. You probably haven’t heard about Sunstreet Mortgage, LLC in the Phoenix Metropolitan Market yet, but that will soon change with the new branch opening. I will tell you more about the branch and the company later…

Now that the cat is officially out of the bag this blog will transform and I will try to post more regularly.

If you follow my blog, you might know by now that I love historic homes. Perhaps it has something to with the fact that I grew up in Europe and once lived in a timbered house in Southern Germany (here is a picture on flickr of the Street where I grew up) that dated back to the 14th Century.

February is Willo Historic Home Tour Month, and I have previously written about the Willo Historic Homes Tour. No, Historic Willo does not date back to the 14th Century; however, it is the largest historic district in Phoenix, Arizona and presents itself as a great area to live for people who don’t dig stuccoed Tuscan Style 2×6 Construction behind block walls or “Fauxdobi” (as I call fake adobe homes).

The Willo Neighborhood dates back to the 1920’s and 1930’s, and is where architectural styles like Tudor Revival, Greek Revival, Spanish Colonial and Pueblo Revival appeared decades ago and now may be an ideal hunting ground for “Historic Home Hunters”. So, if you have been pondering about possibly moving to a historic neighborhood then the Historic Willo Home Tour and Street Fair is a great way to get get your feet wet.

This year people can even purchase tickets at a discounted price if they buy their tickets online (that is if purchased prior to Saturday, February 7th 2008 at 1:00 PM) and then are able to pick them up conveniently at 3rd Avenue and Holly; just don’t forget to print your receipt and bring it with you.

In the short existence of this blog I have written a couple of blog posts about Phoenix Historic Districts and this weekend we continue on the Journey through the Phoenix Historic Districts.

This weekend, the 24th Annual F.Q. Story Home Tour and Gift Sale will open on Lynwood Street. It will start Saturday, December 6th 2008 and will start at 6:00 PM and go until 9:00 PM. It opens again on Sunday and will go from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

It all began with Frances Quarles Story, a wool merchant who purchased the area (that is known today as the F.Q. Story Historic District) in the early 1900’s.

Back then, Phoenix was way smaller and had a population of only 29,000 and the F.Q. Story Development was touted as ”The Place, the Thing, and the Time you have been waiting for.”

Today, Phoenix has added a couple of zeros to its population count and what was once a suburb,  the F.Q Story Historic District is now in the heart of the city and features some of the most beautiful Historic Homes and architecture.

Between McDowell Rd. and Roosevelt St. and from Seventh Ave. west to Grand Ave you will find 602 homes in various architectural styles and probably not a single one is alike.

Walking through the neighborhood you will see great examples of Spanish Colonial Revivals, English Tudors, Craftsman Bungalows and Transitional Ranches, and that is completely free. If you like to explore the inside of the Homes on Tour then you will need to purchase a $15.00 Ticket at the booth at 9th Ave. and Lynwood St. But if you like to save a buck simply clean out your pantry and bring your non perishable food items.

For more info visit: http://fqstory.org/

Oh by the way if you are looking for a new home, but tile roofs and stucco-boxes is not quite what you have in mind, then there are some beautiful homes available for sale and for rent:

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!

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.

View Larger Map

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.

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!

Steve Belt covered the launch of Google Street View in the Phoenix and Scottsdale Area last October. I was fascinated and, for the most part, I was thinking that Google Street Maps would be a great additional marketing tool. I was right, and Realbird.com is one of the first platforms I know of which is taking advantage Google Street View. Even without Google offering an API, Realbird.com now offers the capability of integrating Google Street Maps on their single property websites via an embeddable widget, transforming them into virtual tours of the neighborhood.

On the flip side, Steve pointed out a valid issue, that of people being concerned about their privacy:

The controversy of Street View stems from the fact that some of the images captured and stitched together include people going about their daily lives.

Until now, I was not too personally concerned with privacy issues, but that changed when I saw “The Untapped Powers of Street View on Google Maps” on the Bloodhound Blog. The Vacationeers are hilarious but their skit raised my concern about my privacy a little bit.

No, I am not too worried about aliens and I am not paranoid – but you should have seen my dads face when I told him that Google notified me that he left the trunk-lid open on his Cadillac when he was over at my house. (My dad is 74, does not speak any English and the only thing “Computer” he knows is FreeCell on a Windows 2000 machine – he thought the department of homeland security had zeroed in on him).

I I promise, the bald guy is not me.

Now, how about the guy at the bus stop up the street scarfing down a Big Mac… while picking his nose?

How about this former listing?

Darn, It looks like I have to get new license plates.

I never thought that Google Street Maps would ever be so close to home. So next time watch out for the gray van with the sci-fi looking turret cruising your neighborhood.

The Valley of the Sun is a great place for outdoor activities and sporting events all year round. This coming weekend, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe are jointly hosting the P.F. Chang Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon.

This fun event (and I freely admit that I prefer being a spectator) is not only for endurance junkies but also for music junkies alike. Over 60 bands will turn 39.3 miles into one big street fest. There are two routes; one is a full marathon and the other is a half marathon.

On the Friday and Saturday before the marathon, near the start line at 14th Avenue and Washington in downtown Phoenix, over 100 exhibitors will be present at the Health and Fitness Expo inside the Phoenix Convention Center. The post-race concert celebration will be held at the Tempe Beach Park.

For all of you who have to go places and things to see in the Phoenix Metro Area, Be Warned!!! There are going to be a lot of road closures and so if you thought about holding an open house anywhere near the marathon routes (the full course and half course), you might want to re-think it as it will probably not be a good idea this Sunday… even though it is on the lucky 13th.

Our house is right near mile marker 22, near the end of the marathon course. We will literally be able to see a lot of the action from our front porch and a genre of R & B, Alternative Pop Rock, Christian Rock, Americana and Blue Grass is just within a short walking distance. However the question of where the beer tasting is remains open. After all, it is a healthy beverage but a driver license will be required for the sampling…

Independence Day is a great family holiday, and we have plenty of choices for day and night fun with food and fireworks.

On Wednesday, July 4, head to Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix for the 22nd annual Fabulous Phoenix 4th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. There you will find three stages with continuous entertainment with everything from popular local bands to Brazilian/Reggae, Dixieland, a Chinese Lion and Dance, and Traditional Mexican Youth Folklorico. The Kids World will feature juggling and stilt walking, and Teen Zone at the amphitheater by the lake will have music, games, and activities. Click here for the full schedule of fun. The climax of the evening is fireworks, of course, that start at 9:35 p.m.

The price for all this fun is right: Admission is free! There is also a free shuttle from the North Phoenix Baptist Church. Kids inflatable and carnival type rides at the event are a dollar or two, and there will be a food court.

This is a rain or shine event, so be prepared for whatever the weather is that day. Severe weather can cause changes, of course, so check the Phoenix Fabulous Fourth site on the 4th if there’s any doubt.

So bring your blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the show and fireworks. You can bring a cooler, but no alcohol or glass. Pets have to stay home this time. For more information call 602-534-FEST or visit the website.

Scottsdale takes a more laid-back approach to the celebration of Independence Day with their Family Barbecue. From 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the North Amphitheatre in Eldorado Park, you can enjoy swimming, a watermelon eating contest, races, live music, and arts and crafts. The hot dogs are free as is admission and parking. There will be barbecue grills for you to use, and families are welcome to bring food to cook and eat at the picnic. There are no fireworks at this event, but maps of nearby fireworks locations will be available. For more information, call 480-312-2771.

For more Festiveties in the East Valley check out the The Phoenix Real Estate Guy.

Whether you like an old-fashioned picnic or the thrill of crowds and fireworks overhead, get out and celebrate Uncle Sam’s 231st birthday.

A few years ago, Maria Capogreco’s friends told her she was taking a big chance opening a deli in the Roosevelt Historic District. But she had faith in the future of what once was – and soon would be again – a thriving urban neighborhood. She was right.

The former working class community had been a streetcar neighborhood during its heyday between 1895 and 1930. The area saw both California and Craftsman bungalow styles built on the narrow, deep lots along its streets. During years of decline, the neighborhood seemed destined to be a blight on Phoenix, but caring residents had another plan.

Many other neighborhoods have become historic districts, but Roosevelt led the way in 1986 as the first to earn that designation. Phoenix officials now point to Roosevelt, which is bounded by McDowell Road, Fillmore Street, Central Avenue and Seventh Avenue, as a model for turning around sagging urban areas by enlisting residents to work with cities as they revitalize communities.

Roosevelt’s renewal meshed very well with the city’s progress in redeveloping downtown. The light-rail system was designed to run right through Roosevelt on Central Avenue, and nearby the downtown campus of Arizona State University was in expansion mode. Add to that new housing, hotels, and a University of Arizona medical school, and you have a lively area. All this activity is intended to bring people back downtown to the rejuvenated city core…and it’s working.

Redevelopment on this scale takes money, and the city worked with business owners, developers, and residents to find the money needed. Federal Community Development Block Grants and Phoenix bond monies fueled the work, but private investors spent ten times more investing in the future of Roosevelt. With new lofts and storefronts, restored historic buildings and rehabilitated housing, Roosevelt is now a thriving urban neighborhood. More than 200 buildings have been renovated, and tree-lined streets welcome visitors to Phoenix’s popular art walk events, First Fridays.

There have always been artists in Roosevelt, and one whose work you can’t miss is Robert J. Miley. His work is seen throughout the world in public and private spaces, and we have several of his sculptures right here. One especially inspiring work is “Release the Fear,” located on Central Avenue.

Miley is a founder/organizer of Release the Fear, a community organization that seeks to heal those hurt by violence. It is a grass roots, non-profit organization whose mission is: “To reverse the paralyzing effects of violence in our communities by promoting healthy resolution of conflict through the healing power of education through art.” Miley’s 22-foot tall sculpture of collected, melted-down weapons symbolizes this awakening.

The Roosevelt historic district has come a long way in the last half-dozen years, and is now a desirable home and business area in the rejuvenated core of Phoenix.