The Beck and Pitel Team - Inside the Phoenix Real Estate Market

The mercury is rising! But, morning temperatures are still delightful allowing you to enjoy a hike on one of Thunderbird Conservation Park's 17-miles of trails.

Starting on February 6, trained trail crews from the American Conservation Experience (ACE) have been performing maintenance to the Park's trails.  No new trails will be constructed, but maintenance steps such as boulder removal, raking of loose rocks on inclines, tread leveling, installation of erosion controls and more are being done to improve the trails.  The crew will work through the end of May (unless the temperatures become too hot). Only short sections of the trails will be closed at a time.

Source: http://www.glendaleaz.com/ParksandRecreation/parksandfacilities/thunderbirdpark.cfm

Dedicated to preserving the desert environment, the 1,185-acre park also offers multiple Ramadas, an amphitheater and four Viewing Blinds – decorative block walls with “windows” for viewing the 50+ different species of wildlife attracted to the man-made water feature.

Open daily from sunrise to sunset - the gates are locked at sunset.

The main entrance is located on 59th Avenue between Deer Valley and Pinnacle Peak roads.  Additional parking and entrances are available on 67th Avenue and Patrick Lane, and on Pinnacle Peak east of 55th Avenue.  For additional information about the park and a description of the trails visit click here.

We asked pool care expert Billy Whitmore, owner of Summer Breeze Pool & Spa Services, LLC, in Surprise, Arizona, for some tips on getting swimming pools ready for summer. He offered the following F.A.C.T.S:

Filtration
Clean filters and cartridges. Suntan lotion, baby oils, and dirt clog filters. If the filter is dirty, the water will not circulate enough and algae will form. Summer Breeze recommends annual cleaning of D.E. and card cartridge filters by taking apart and cleaning the internal filter elements. Dirty filter = dirty water!

Adequate Agua (Water)
Check your water level! Dry, hot days and splashing cause water loss. Nothing will ruin equipment faster than lack of water. Without proper water levels, pumps cannot function and water will not circulate. In Arizona, we lose 10 feet of water through evaporation per year!

Circulation
Make sure to run the pump enough. Pools need to filter and circulate water much more often in the summer months. Timers should be set to run as follows:

• Summer: 8-12 hours a day
• Winter: 4-8 hours a day

Algae will grow if the pump isn't run often enough. RUN THE PUMP IN THE EVENING, DURING "OFF PEAK" HOURS. (9pm - 9am)

Toys
Take toys out of the pool. Toys will find your skimmer, drains, and pool cleaners, causing blockage and restricting water flow. Kids are attracted to toys! Please protect your family by removing toys for the pool after swimming.

Sanitizer
Chemicals such as Chlorine, Muriatic Acid, and Stabilizer are critical when it comes to healthy pool water. Adequate chlorine levels need to be kept up on a weekly basis. Chlorine kills bacteria and prevents algae growth. Without chlorine, your pool will turn green before you know it. Muriatic acid (also called hydrochloric acid) helps control the pH and Alkalinity in your pool. If these get out of balance, you risk itchy skin, pool staining, and equipment corrosion. Stabilizer (conditioner) is important because it protects the chlorine in your pool from the sun. Chlorine is very unstable when exposed to heat and UV rays. Stabilizer works like sun tan lotion for chlorine. Chemicals should be added and tested weekly.

By following these F.A.C.T.S., you should have a refreshing, sparkling pool to enjoy all summer. Finally, if you have dogs, Whitmore recommends keeping them out of the pool as much as possible. Dogs zap chlorine from your pool and dog hair clogs drains, skimmers, pumps and filters. One dog swimming in your pool is equal to 10 adults!

If you have additional questions about pool cleaning or maintenance, contact:
Billy Whitmore
Summer Breeze Pool & Spa Services, LLC
(623) 866-3128

The 2010 Maricopa County Property Valuation notices went out on February 20, 2009. If you feel your home was improperly valued, you can appeal, but must do so by April 21, 2009.

You can obtain a “Petition for Review of Valuation” along with filing instructions from the Assessor's office via:

• Phone – (602) 506-3406 – have your parcel ID number ready
• Internet – www.maricopa.gov/Assessor/PropertyValueAppeals.aspx
• Mail – the request form is on the back of your 2010 Property Valuation statement
• In person – 301 W. Jefferson, #120, Phoenix, 85003

It's important to remember the Assessor's cover letter states that even though your assessment may decrease (and in some areas by quite a bit), this does not automatically reduce your tax bill. The assessment determines each property owner's share of the total obligation for their taxing jurisdiction.

If you need additional information on the appeals or want to check the change in median Full Cash Value (FCV) by city or zip code from 2009 to 2010, visit the Maricopa County Assessor's web page at www.maricopa.gov/assessor.

If you're going to be in Historic Downtown Glendale this weekend for the 26th Annual Gibson Jazz & Blues Festival, I highly recommend making a stop at our favorite coffee stop - A Shot of Java.

And we're not the only ones that think the coffee - with drinks like their signature Cocamochanut Frappe - is great.  A Shot of Java was voted Best Neighborhood Coffee House, West Valley, by the Phoenix New Times.

Relax with a book or play a board game.  Free Wi-Fi is available.  Or, come enjoy the music of local musicians that appear regularly.

Open daily, A Shot of Java is located behind Old Roma Pizza at 7003 North 58th Avenue, Glendale, AZ  85301.  Click here to check store hours.

The weather forecast for this weekend looks perfect for getting outdoors.  For more information on the Festival visit: Gibson Jazz & Blues Festival 

As a Phoenix native, I've experienced plenty of sunshine and warm weather.  I've only ever lived and worked in the Valley.  While we have our share of stunning custom homes and historic districts, we also have a sea of tract subdivsions as far as the eye can see.

Over New Year's, my family took a ski trip to Telluride and we stayed in a beautiful town - Ouray, CO.  It's also known as The Switzerland of America. 

Strolling by the Victorian buildings on Main Street on New Year's Day, I had to pick up a real estate booklet.  So different from the hot, dry desert I sell in, I wondered what it would be like to sell real estate there.

Agents - where else would you like to sell real estate?  Where did you most enjoy selling real estate if you've worked in multiple markets?

Vote Yes on 100-Protect Our Homes

Proposition 100 not only collected enough signatures to get on the Arizona ballot, it also broke the previous initiative record by more than 70,000 signatures!  Over 375,000 signatures were turned in-and only 230,000 were needed.  Proposition 100 proposes an amendment to the Arizona Constitution which will forbid the imposition of a transfer tax at the sale of a property.

A home is often a person's most important asset and a transfer tax amounts to double taxation and punishes the homeowner by decreasing overall equity.  No wonder it has such strong support.

To find additional information, or if you are interested in getting a yard sign or  bumper stickers, visit www.protectourhomes.com.

Vote No on Proposition 201

Being involved in the business of home buying and selling on a daily basis, we have seen construction defects in homes.  What may not be well known is the fact that there are existing laws in place to deal with this.  An Arizona Statute currently provides that builders are responsible for repairing structural defects up to eight years after the home is built.  The current "Notice to Cure" law allows for the homeowner to notify a builder of a defect and the builder has 90 days to correct it.  This allows disputes to be handled out of court quickly, and often less expensively.

Touted as a "Homeowners' Bill of Rights," some parts of Proposition 201 that are questionable include:

• It encourages frivolous lawsuits by allowing "prospective buyers" to sue
• A seller cannot recover attorney's fees-even if lawsuit is frivolous
• Raises the cost for everyone by requiring attorneys to be hired and prohibiting resolutions outside of court.  This may lengthen the time to complete repairs while the dispute is going through the legal system
• The arguments in favor of 201 say individual homeowners (sellers) are not affected, but the actual verbiage regarding sellers and improvements on a home does not seem clear enough to protect individual homeowners (sellers)
• If you're an agent, the way the definition of seller is written, we can be lumped in there, too.

Apparently, it was written by a trial lawyer in California without public comment.  If it was specifically written to target homebuilders, it should say so.  Instead it is vague enough that home builders, homeowners and real estate agents could all be target of lawsuits with little protection from frivolous suits and no ability to recover costs if we win.

To show support for the efforts of those helping with the fight against crime, please come out this weekend for G.A.I.N. - Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods.

Arizona's answer to National Night Out, G.A.I.N. is a day to celebrate crime prevention through community involvement.  It is also a day the police show their appreciation for those that support efforts to fight against crime day to day in their communities.  Events can include specialty police visits from the Bomb Squad and K-9 units.

Times and locations vary.  Contact your neighborhood's Block Watch coordinator for more information or call 602-495-0597.  To find out who the Community Action Officer is for your precinct visit: http://phoenix.gov/police/bwp1.html

If you live in North Phoenix, one G.A.I.N. event will be held from 3:00-6:00 PM at Paseo Highlands Park, located at 35th Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road.

This was handed out at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon recently and I want to share in case you haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in awhile.

Hello. Remember me? Some people call me Old Glory, others call me the Star-Spangled Banner, but whatever you call me, I am your flag, the flag of the United States of America.

Something has been bothering me, so I thought I might talk it over with you, because it is about you and me. I remember some time ago, people would line up on both sides of the street to watch the parade, and naturally I was leading every one, proudly waving in the breeze.

When your Daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder so that his hand was directly over his heart, remember? And you, I remember, were standing there, straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember your little sister? Not to be outdone, she was saluting the same as you with her right hand over her heart, remember?

What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I've added a few more stars since you were a boy, and a lot more blood has been shed since those parades of long ago. But now, somehow, I don't feel as proud as I used to feel. When I come down your street, you just stand there with your hands in your pockets. You may give me a small glance, and then you look away. I see children running around you shouting; they don't seem to know who I am. I saw one man take his hat off, then he looked around, and when he didn't see anyone else take off their hat, he quickly put his on again.

Is it a sin to be patriotic today?  Have you forgotten what I stand for and where I have been and the men that have fought for the stars that I carry on my back?  Take a look at the Memorial Honor Rolls and see the names of those patriotic Americans who gave their lives to keep this republic free...One Nation Under God...when you salute me, you are actually saluting them.

Well, it won't be long until I'll be coming down your street again. So when you see me, please stand straight and place your hand over your heart, and I'll know that you remembered. I'll salute you by waving back.  I'll know that...YOU REMEMBERED

Author Unknown

Thanks to Image West Design and Print of Phoenix, Arizona, for sharing this.

The final branch of the Phoenix Public Library resulting from the 2001 Citizen's Bond Program funding is projected to open late this year. Here are some photos of the construction progress as of today:

Located on 36th Avenue, north of Pinnacle Peak Road, the 25,000 square foot branch is expected to circulate 900,000 books annually.  For more information, including architectural highlights and a couple of artist renderings of the exterior visit:

http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/bonds.jsp?lwbid=8154&view=bonds

Grand opening details will be posted when available!

Here are a few points to consider if buying an “As Is” Property in Arizona:

• A property being sold “As Is,” does not mean an owner is released from the legal obligation to disclose known material latent defects. But, many properties being sold “As Is” are bank or corporate owned and these owners have never lived in the property and therefore have limited knowledge of the home or its history.
• You are still allowed to conduct any inspections you would like on the home. Conduct inspections within the time frame outlined in the purchase contract. The seller is not obligated to correct defects discovered by the buyer during inspections. If you discover defects during an inspection, you may choose to cancel the contract and you should get your earnest money back if the cancellation is made in writing and in accordance with the inspection period requirements of the contract.
• Sometimes utilities are not turned on at the property and you may have to connect them at your own expense in order to conduct inspections.
• In addition to turning the water on for the inspection, you may have to fill a drained pool.
• Consider asking for a longer inspection period so you have time to get estimates for repairs/improvements. While “As Is” properties are often priced below market, if defects discovered are extensive, the amount invested to make the property habitable, or just to your liking, could end up totaling more than the home's fair market value.

When it comes to buying a home being sold “As Is,” it is essential to get professional guidance starting with a knowledgeable REALTOR®. Agents help you understand the contract, addendums, and disclosures. They guide you through every step of a purchase through closing and can help you find the resources you need for the services they don't provide such as title companies, home inspectors, attorneys, lenders and so on.

Every property and situation is unique. If you are interested in a bank-owned home or have additional questions about the process, give us a call at (623) 362-3074 or email us at info@valleyrealestatepros.com.