Paul Escobedo asked:


Gilbert is a vibrant city, located in Maricopa County in the state of Arizona. A highly peaceful city, between 1990 and 2000, it was the fastest growing city in the state. There are lots of new homes coming up for sale here and buying home property is a good investment choice because studies show that it will surely rise in value in the next year or two.

Interested home buyers have lots of option in terms of which kind of available property is for sale in this city. They can opt for a large spacious home or else go in for smaller units that are low key in maintenance, yet keeping with the demands of modern day life. Homes for sale in Gilbert are attractively priced, so buyers can be sure of getting the kind of property they want and in the price range they expect.

Buying a home is a big decision, and a buyer has to look into every aspect of the home buying process carefully in order to have a smooth purchase transaction. It is best to go for the right professionals at the very beginning of the process such as the right builder, the right mortgage lender, the right real estate and closing agent, because this ensures that there are no hassles in buying the home. Buyers should at every point of the home transaction make copies of documents they handle because they can come as useful points of reference in the future.

While searching for a new home, home buyers must remember to keep their commitment to the kind of property they want and their budget. Constantly changing decisions and overspending will lengthen the home buying process. It is best to decide on the type of property and the price range before beginning a search.

Gilbert is an exciting town to make a home investment because there is lots happening in this city and the economy has been showing positive growth trend the past couple years. Investments made today will rise in value in the near future, so buyers should not waste time, and get into investing into a good home property as soon as possible.



DAGAN

Kevin L. Powers asked:


Having sat on a shelf for almost four years The Gathering finally makes its way stateside albeit straight to DVD (the film was released in Singapore in 2003). Directed by Brian Gilbert, The Gathering is the story of Cassie (Christina Ricci) an American on her way to Ashby Wake who is struck down by Marion Kirkman (Kerry Fox). Seemingly unhurt Cassie only suffers from slight memory loss but Marion insists that she stay with her family while she recovers from the ordeal. Everything seems to be fine at first as Cassie begins to share a bond with the family especially Marion’s son Michael until she realizes that her nightmares are really premonitions brought upon by the unearthing of a first century church that was purposely buried and to which Marion’s husband Simon (Stephen Dallane) has been studying the images on the walls that depicts the crucifixion of Jesus with many anonymous people watching.

With the help of local Dan Blakeley (Ioan Gruffudd), Cassie must unravel the mystery of her visions that spell doom for the town of Ashby Wake and everyone in it including Michael.

Anthony Horowitz’ screenplay is well written but lacks the immediacy of most religious themed thrillers. It also has little in the way of on screen violence and plays like a television movie only with better actors. Given this, all is not wrong with the film as the cast is very good and Ricci does the best she can with this role. The production design and art direction (Caroline Amies and Frank Walsh, respectfully) contribute greatly to the look of the film as does cinematographer Martin Fuhrer. The film looks better than it should on all levels. Although the story may seem more suitable to television you’d never know it from the high production values given to all the other departments.



TONOZZI

Peter Gilbert asked:


For whichever college team you cheer for during the collegiate football season, there is some sort of National Collegiate Athletic Association gear apparel for Ladies you can purchase to adorn your body, and use as a motivational tool to inspire your favorite team to do well, and look very stylish while doing it too.

Some of the National Collegiate Athletic Association gear apparel for Ladies can found in the very stylish and extremely popular colorful jerseys for men, in the team colors of your choice. Ladies love wearing these large jerseys because they feel so good against their skin, and allow these sports enthusiast supporters to remain cool under the grueling hot Sun, as they sit in the stadium stands rooting their team on to victory.

These National Collegiate Athletic Association gear apparel for Ladies choices can certainly help these ladies to heat up before a game too, at those rare times when autograph signing opportunities present themselves. It is this type of opportunity that turns those jerseys into collectible items that they can treasure for a lifetime. It certainly would be one to inspire these women to head right down to the stadium before a game.

No matter which National Collegiate Athletic Association team you support, there is an outstanding Ladies All Star Tee Shirt style to match the college teams colors and your own personal style preference. If your favorite team is the Alabama Crimson Tide, then the National Collegiate Athletic Association gear apparel for Ladies, would provide you with a gorgeous Alabama Crimson Tide Ladies All Star Tee, in delightful colors of red and white.

These form fitting Tee Shirt varieties offered by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, are an excellent choice for elegantly styled football game wear in a college town setting. The National Collegiate Athletic Association gear for Ladies shirt choices, are the kind that ladies would also be drawn to automatically.

The ladies will be looking just as sporty as the men, in their casual wear, but with one big difference. The National Collegiate Athletic Association gear for Ladies Pink All-Star tee will also make them definitely feel ****. These 100% cotton rib raglan color blocked pink and white short sleeve tees will be so comfortable that the women may keep several of them in their closets.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association gear for Ladies Pink Debut Ribbed Tank top, with the team logo sitting just under the crew neck, will definitely catch the attention of everyone, each time it is worn. The National Collegiate Athletic Association knows how to provide value with their gear. All of the clothing gear offered in the National Collegiate Athletic Association gear for Ladies clothing line is superbly finished, and exquisitely detailed.

These National Collegiate Athletic Association gear for Ladies will be easy to care for, and is machine washable. Whichever collegiate football team you love, will be put in a place of honor in the middle of your chest. The team logo’s are machine embroidered directly into these stylish and colorful shirt, so you do not have to worry about them coming off in the wash.



GREENLEE

George Gilbert asked:


My Dad and father-in-law were at both ends of the spectrum when it came to managing their checking accounts. Dad would spend hours, sometimes days, tracking down a two cent error in his checkbook register. It drove him bonkers when his checkbook didn’t balance to the penny with the account statement.

My father-in-law, on the other hand, didn’t even keep a checkbook register. He couldn’t be bothered with balancing his account. His philosophy was, “If I run out of money the bank will let me know.” That is a hands off approach that few of us can get away with, but, it worked for a person that was born and lived in a town of less than 800 people. The bank did, indeed, let my father-in-law know when he was overdrawn. They never, to my knowledge, charged him overdraft fees.

That approach can work in a small town in Northern Idaho. Most of us, however, do not have that kind of a relationship with our bank. In order for our personal finances to run smoothly, it is our responsibility to make the lifestyle choices, and do the work associated with managing our day-to-day finances. How we handle our checking account and credit card transactions is fundamental to keeping things running well.

My Approach Is Somewhere In The Middle

My approach to managing our family checkbook register is somewhere between the two parental extremes cited above. My wife, Lois, and I record all transactions in our register and, like clockwork, I balance our account every month. What I don’t do is spend an unnecessary amount of time trying to find errors when our account doesn’t balance with the statement. If the error is within comfortable limits, I adjust the account balance and then get on with my life. What’s a “comfortable limit?” That depends on the account balance. My error tolerance is directly proportional to how much money we have on hand when the error occurs. Balancing errors don’t happen very often. More often than not our checkbook balances to the penny. The accuracy can be attributed in some measure to the fact that I use personal finance management software.

The point is that personal finances do require some work, but, perfection may not be desirable. There are a lot of people involved in the processing of the various transactions each of us generates as part of our monetary lives. Those millions upon millions of transactions, large and small, are all subject to our own human error as well as the human errors that can be committed by all of those people behind the scenes who we rarely think about. It behooves us, therefore, to keep tabs on the pulse of our personal finances as recorded in our checkbook and credit card accounts. This ongoing monitoring can be psychotic or a normal, healthy part of our lives. It’s up to each one of us to decide where we stand on this issue. Will we adopt a fringe behavior like one of my parents? Or will we keep it sane and simple (K.I.S.S.)?

Using Tools Imposes Lifestyle Choices

Using a cash flow management tool forces you to make choices by imposing lifestyle traits that are required if the tool is going to work as intended. That may sound intimidating, but, for a well written, user friendly program, the required lifestyle traits are not an undue burden. For those of us who are sincerely interested in having “more money than month” instead of “more month than money,” developing a few, possibly new habits need not be a harsh adjustment. The payback in financial peace of mind is very well worth it.

Choices We Make Regardless

First, let’s take a look at those habits that will make your financial life easier regardless of whether or not you use personal finance software.

* Keep your checkbook register accurate. Your checking account is probably your primary money management tool. It just makes common sense, in my opinion, to keep your checkbook register up-to-date and accurate. If you are not used to writing every transaction (e.g. checks, ATM transactions, deposits) in your checkbook register, or balancing your checkbook every month, these are habits you may want to look at developing immediately. Should you decide to use a money management program, an accurate checkbook is imperative.

* Keep an accurate record of charge transactions. If you use charge cards, keeping an accurate record of your charges and returns is also vital to the success of your cash flow management efforts. In my opinion, not keeping track of charges is a main contributor to why many people get into trouble with charge card debt. I think it is vitally important that, starting today, you keep the receipts from all of your charge transactions for no other reason than for reconciling your monthly credit card statement. If you are using appropriate personal finance software, charge transactions are entered into the program as soon as convenient. The program will, with accurate charging information, keep you informed of where you stand on your charge card debt.

Choices Imposed By Software

The following issues are specific to the successful use of many personal finance programs.

* One checking account. How people manage their personal funds is very, well, personal. For a single person, the choices are simplified. Once a person takes on a partner, however, personal finances can become complicated depending on how much financial autonomy each partner requires. Regardless of how many savings and checking accounts each single or partnered person may have, at least one checking account is normally required for use with the software. This one checking account, coupled with the program, is used to plan for and pay bills; plan and pay for planned purchases; and to smooth out weekly living expenses. The intent is for the program and it’s associated checking account to encapsulate a person’s entire month-to-month financial records.

* Pay bills on a schedule. Instead of paying bills when you receive them or when you get paid, pay your bills on the same days each month. An appropriate schedule for most people would be on the 1st and 15th of each month. The mechanics of bill payment (e.g. check, cash, online, automatic withdrawal) are entirely up to you, but, sitting down twice a month and arranging for your bills to be paid on or before the date they are due will simplify and smooth the paying of your bills.

* Pay yourself on a schedule. “Paying” yourself a fixed amount of spending money the same day each week regardless of when you receive your income will smooth out your day-to-day expenses. How much weekly spending money you give yourself is entirely up to you as is the weekday on which you “pay” yourself. The trick is to find that amount of weekly spending money that is enough for day-to-day expenses, but not so much that you don’t leave yourself enough to pay bills. An appropriately written personal finance program will automatically include your personal “payday” in your month-to-month financial projection so you can easily see whether you have correctly set your weekly spending money amount.

* Keep accurate records. An appropriately written personal finance program gives you a “forward looking” projection of your month-to-month cash flow. When using such a tool, keeping your cash flow projection current is the key to giving you a continual picture of where you are and where you’re headed. You will, therefore, have to be consistent with keeping your month-to-month financial records current. With the right personal finance software, this does not have to be a big chore like keeping track of every penny you spend, or entering and categorizing every check you write. In an appropriately written personal finance program, most of your record keeping will consist of entering bills when you receive them, entering charges as you incur them, paying yourself once a week, reconciling bank and charge account statements, and paying bills. Typically, all of this financial activity will take two to four hours per month.

Paperwork Flow

There are a couple of habits that Lois and I have developed that simplify tasks like the keeping of accurate records. When any piece of paper is received on which is recorded a financial transaction, that piece of paper is placed in our “In” basket. While most of our financial transactions are handled electronically, there are still items like charge slips, magazine subscriptions and account statements that are printed. By placing all such printed items in one place, they get recorded in our computer records accurately and in a timely manner. It is unusual for one of our paper transactions to be forgotten.

Those pieces of paper that are needed for account reconciliation, like credit card receipts, are put into a “Hold” folder after having been recorded in our personal finance software. Those pieces of paper that are not needed after being recorded are shredded or burned. After reconciling credit card statements, all of the pieces of paper for transactions that have cleared are removed from the “Hold” folder and also destroyed.

It’s a simple system, but, it works for us. As long as everyone in a household knows the “paperwork flow,” and habitually uses that flow, the chances that transactions will be lost, resulting in potential financial errors, are greatly reduced.

Being Big Brother To Your Checking Account

Another habit that I have adopted is the close, online supervision of our checking account. I’m a big fan of online banking which gives me almost up to the minute information about the status of our checking account. As part of my computer startup procedure, I take a look at the activity in our checking account. This may sound a bit paranoid, but, I’ve been able to spot unexpected activity on several occasions. There has been nothing traumatic like identity theft, but, by keeping a close eye on checking account activity I’ve caught unexpected withdrawals shortly after they happened instead of being surprised on the next account statement. The most recent example involved automatic credit card payments that I thought I had cancelled. It took two months working with the credit card company’s customer service staff to straighten that one out. Had I not spotted the first unexpected payment when it happened, our checking account could have been short by $75.00 each of those two months. That may not be a large amount, but, it could have been enough to cause a potential, inconvenient problem if left undetected.

Financial Peace Of Mind

All of the discussed lifestyle habits are so firmly embedded in Lois and my everyday lives that we no longer even think about them. Consequently, our month-to-month finances are smooth with few interruptions. When we do have to discuss financial issues, it’s a discussion over known choices instead of fights over who is doing, or not doing what. Money is not a source of discord in our lives like it can be for couples. Lois and I have been enjoying financial peace of mind for most of the 40+ years of our marriage. This financial bliss can be attributed directly to the unique cash flow techniques upon which our personal finance management software is based.



DEGREE

Bill Gilbert asked:


When North Kingstown was incorporated in 1674, it still had the area of the Narragansett County included in it, encompassing the present towns of North and South Kingstown. It was only until 1722 and 1723 that both towns became separate. The county of North Kingstown is known for its natural harbor and beaches laced with resorts and pleasure boats. Its historic sites still stands well and preserved, the most prominent of which is the Smith’s Castle. Built in the year 1640 by Richard Smith as a trading post, it was later used in 1675 as a meeting place for troops who fought in the Great Swamp Fight.

Gilbert Stuart, America’s premier portrait painter, was also born here. Occupied by Narragansett Indians, the place is marked by the structures of the Rolling Rock and the Queens Fort, which stands for their strong presence in the county. In addition to that, Kings Town also has churches, homes, and shops that date back to the colonial period. Built in the year 1707, the Old Narragansett Church alongside the Episcopal Church building north of Philadelphia, and Wickford Village, a colonial town with well-preserved homes, are all testimonies to the rich past of this county. Another famous place is Quonset Point which also called SeaBees. This used to be a military base that once housed the Naval Construction Battalions.

There are many places of note in North Kingstown. One of the oldest farms in colonial New England, the Casey Farm is one of those places to visit. Another place is the Gilbert Stuart Hall Birthplace and Museum, which displays the works produced throughout Stuart’s career. The Devil’s Foot Rock is a place to visit if you enjoy natural formations and the feel of folklore. This famous petrosomatoglyph was said to be the remnants of the devil who was said to chase a squaw, who fled from Boston. Her pursuer is told to left his footprints in Devil’s Foot Rock before going into the Chimney Hill of South Kingstown and Block Island.

In case you miss these places, it might as well be mentioned the Davis Memorial Wildlife Refuge. With its rich and protected flora and fauna, this place is undoubtedly one of the best protected areas in Rhode Island. This is a 96-acre forest and wetland area which is protected by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. As already mentioned, the historic Wickford Village along the seaside is home to one of the largest collections of homes dating back as far as the 18th century. Together with its picturesque harbor, there is nothing more than Wickford could give. Worth noting is the Quonset Air Museum near the Quonset Naval Station that serves as the keeper of the military naval history.

If there is something about North Kingstown that is worth noting and you’re considering it as one of the places to buy property, you are not mistaken. Coming to North Kingstown was very good experience. With its array of colonial sights and beautiful beaches, you will surely be drawn to it, much more, stay and settle in it for good. If it is a townhouse, cottage, or a simple apartment right at the oldest part of town, North Kingstown is just waiting for you.



HOCKER

Alexandra asked:


taken from www.discoveryrealestate.info

Arizona is a comprehensive real estate and properties. Now, we go to the Phoenix real estate area, and a valuable tool for those looking to get involved in the exciting Phoenix real estate market. For a quick, effective start to your home search, be sure to visit the Phoenix MLS, where you can see all available listings, and narrow down the choices according to property type and price range. If you’re still trying to narrow down which city you want to buy in, our Phoenix Arizona real estate area pages have will help you with local information, and a summary of the investment potential for each city and town.

If you’re ready to enter the market, and want to find the best of Phoenix area real estate, click on the Buying, Selling, and Financing pages for an overview of the real estate process in Arizona.

Search for Phoenix Homes & Condos

Although there are certainly some favored styles in Phoenix homes—the hacienda, the Mediterranean villa, the Southwest rancher—there is, in fact, a wide variety of properties available in the Phoenix real estate area. Phoenix homes & condos include everything from mountain-view villas, to bungalows on tree-lined lots, from 2-story lofts overlooking the city, to exquisite, custom designed desert palaces. For the complete picture and all the details on Phoenix homes and condos, be sure to visit our Phoenix Homes page.

The Promise of Arizona Real Estate

Arizona is the heart and soul of the American Southwest. Here, the arid beauty of the Sonoran Desert meets the Rocky Mountains, and a colorful mix of communities flourishes. There is economic prosperity and unbeatable scenery at every turn, and, with a great deal of Arizona’s wilderness protected, there is the promise of well-being for generations to come. Natural treasures like the Grand Canyon and Saguaro National Park make for wonderful playgrounds, especially on any of Arizona’s 330 days of clear sky per year.

For real estate buyers and sellers, Phoenix, and indeed, all of Arizona presents a wide range of investment opportunities. As new residents descend upon the Phoenix-Scottsdale metro area to compete for top jobs in technology and manufacturing -as well as for great real estate deals- nearby communities like Surprise, Chandler, Gilbert, and Glendale are enjoying unprecedented growth.

Arizona Information

Arizona is named for a small town just south of the American-Mexican border called “Arizonac,” after the O’odham word for “small spring,” where native North Americans have lived for thousands of years. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers mapped the area and renamed the town as Arizona, a name which was later attached to the whole northern part of New Spain. The territory would become the northwest frontier in Mexico’s battle for independence from Spain during the late 1700s and early 1800s, a period which left behind a number of historic fort sites and helped produce cities such as Tucson. Arizona was purchased from Mexico by the United States in the late 1840s, and became the 48th U.S. state in 1912.

Today, Arizona is among the most successful and popular states in the U.S., and is home to the nation’s 21st largest economy. With booming technology and manufacturing sectors, and a traditionally strong tourism economy, Arizona is also one of the fastest growing regions in America. As the state grows, its natural splendor is protected through a network of National Parks and recreation areas, as well as urban natural preserves, helping ensure this state will always be a great place to call home.



KMETZ

Juhlin Youlien asked:


Arizona is a unique place. It’s greatest attraction is it’s weather. That’s right, weather. It’s hard to believe that people are attracted to a desert because of weather but it is true. The dry air and warm winters attract visitors from the north. Some people with asthmatic tendencies respond better to the dry air. Older couples prefer Arizona’s weather for relief it gives them on their joints. And for the rest of the residents it is the fact that they can wear shorts in the middle of the winter.

It does get chili in Arizona, but freezes are rare and brief. The winter afternoons will require a sweater at most. The full sunshine helps a vast amount of plants to and flowers to grow even in the winter. The valley is full of life even in the darkest times of year.

Golfing is a big attraction. Enjoy the luxury south west in Scottsdale while playing 9 holes or so. Their is a variety of landscapes. Fountain hills has mountain vistas as far as the eye can see. North Mesa has views of City lights. And Scottsdale has a bit of everything. Paradise Valley is located right next to Phoenix but has the advantage of mountain side homes. Gilbert is located in the south east and was the fastest growing city in the nation for several years. Once a small rural farming town, it is now a well populated area with all the fancy restaurants and even an outdoor mall. How many outdoor malls do you know that strive during the winter months?

Well what about the heat. The summers are hot, there is no other way to say it. For those sun worshipers that won’t be a problem. For everybody else you will have to find ways to to avoid the heat. There are plenty of ways to avoid the heat, here are just a few.

There are many cooler places in Arizona. Fountain Hills resident’s can get to Payson in about 45 minutes. Payson is loaded with pine trees and is a high enough altitude that it snows in the winter. Some residents even have second homes there at very reasonable prices. If you are closer to phoenix just head north. You will run into flagstaff in about an hour and a half. Flagstaff also is packed with pines and even has a ski lift on on of it’s higher mountains during the winter.

If you don’t want to travel to far than you can stay cool in the lakes by boating. Or do what many of Arizona residents do and get a pool. Pools often or equipped with mechanisms to keep the pool at your ideal temperature. Surrounded by desert palms you can make your own oasis right in your back yard.

Everything is air conditioned from cars to grocery stores to stadiums. There are plenty of ways to stay cool in Arizona in the summer months. And I can bet that the 9 beautiful months a year will keep you happy.



BRANAMAN

Debbie asked:


(mind you, its a rough draft)

Ever heard of the saying, an ugly person stands next to an uglier person so that they’d look better? Yeah, I bet you have. Well, that wasn’t the case for me. I was just…me. Normal, average, boy next door. Nothing interesting about me. I was just there walking in the midst of my extraordinary family. Yeah, you heard me. Extraordinary. I came from the Colbert family. Probably one of the most athletic and well known family in my town of Alpine, Texas. My dad national MVP in his old college football team. My mother, champion kick-boxer in her old town, my brother, plays for the Dallas cowboys, and my sister, the head cheerleader on the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Even once in a while, I’d see her on TV strutting her ass, while I pictured millions of ********* guy viewers watching her. I’d seeth in anger. But me? Me, Keith Colbert? I was not on any team and for that matter I was horrible at sports. I cant even kick a simple soccer ball into the goal right. Of, course, that worried my parents as soon as they saw that my lack of their genes were evident.
“Boy!” my dad used to bark at me. “I want you to give me 20 laps! You need to buff up for the next football season!!”
“But, dad! I **** football! I always get shoved or pushed!” I whined.
“Don’t make me bring out my paddle boy! Get to runnin!!” he’d yell and I’d obey.
That was how it was for my first couple of years in high school. I made the team once just because my brother was on it. But when Coach Gilbert realized I had no football skills whatsoever, I was gently let off the team. I cried in thanks to him. Although, my dad didn’t take it lightly. You see, while my family spent family time, throwing a basketball around in the backyard, I’d prefer it if I was alone in my room trying to find the limit of functions as X approaches a constant. Hard stuff. Calculus. I guess you can see the difference. I loved math. I loved the numbers involved in it and the way you can manipulate it to get different answers. Most people hated math….I breathed it. But my love for the numbers made me only strange to people. Not extraordinary. Even my moods were ordinary. I was always content. If I was angry, I would only stay that way for about 10 minutes then be over the whole situation. When I was sad, I’d be that way for a couple of seconds unless, it was really bad, then maybe for an hour and I’d be the normal optimist and find something else to waste my time with. Emotions were too much energy for me, so why not be content, where it required minimal emotion?
Even though, it seemed that I was pretty content with my life, deep down, in the darkest depths of my heart, I wished I was like my parents, my siblings. I see it like this, when you make something of yourself, you’ll die with your title. Like my family will, when they eventually die in my town. I didn’t want to die as the normal guy that lived his life average. My name would soon fade away. I wanted to stand out for once. When I’d see my brother dive in the air for a football, I’d wish, I had legs like him. When I saw my sister do her crazy double back flips herky’s I’d wish I had a little skirt like that. Hahaha. Just kidding. No, but I’d wish, that I had bravery to do something gutsy like that. In real life, I’d cringe and hit the floor if a ball even tried to come my way.
“Ey! Why don’t you freaking shut up!?” I heard Ryan yell at someone. That interrupted my thoughts abruptly reminding me I had class this morning. I picked myself up off my lumpy bed and trudged into my bathroom. I switched on the light and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My brown flop of curly hair tousled from sleeping. My amber eyes squinting at the bright light above me. Sighing at this terrifying sight, I turned on the water and splashed my face accidentally with hot water.
“ARRRRGHHHH!” I yelled and staggered backwards my back thumping against the bathroom wall. I grabbed blindly for my towel and wiped my face vigorously. I got back on my feet and turned off the steaming water cursing under my breath. After washing up in the bathroom, I walked into my closet and yanked out my clothes while simultaneously grabbing my literature and AP calculus book. It’ been a year now since I’ve graduated from high school, and I currently went to Manhattan College. I even lived in an apartment in New York. It was all a part of my scheme in my quest to become extraordinary. It was working pretty well too. When I first got accepted into Manhattan College, the whole school heard about it, and finally they turned their heads towards me, giving me high fives and slaps on the backs. I felt good, for about 2 hours then soon, I was old news and it was back to my sister pulling off some stunt during a school rally. Most of my school graduated then went straight to Sul Ross State University. It was almost like high school, just with dorms and more privileges. You’d see the same people, and the people would always know me. Kei

MAUS

Eddie Perez-Ruberte asked:


After the very exciting Phoenix real estate markets we’ve had the last few years, I find myself answering the same questions over and over:

* What is the market doing?

* What do I think the market is going to do?

* Where are prices stagnant, falling or increasing?

* What’s the best place to invest in Phoenix real estate these days?

So, in an attempt at a systematic approach to answering these and other lingering questions from my clients, friends and acquaintances, I have decided to prepare a report and write this article. It is by no means a set of fixed rules the reader must follow, but rather a few guidance points that will hopefully enlighten the reader’s view of the current real estate market as well as his/her real estate investment career.

I will begin by giving the reader just some raw numbers that will hopefully help putting the rest of the analysis into perspective.

During 2006, there were 61,055 single-family-home re-sales. The average sale price throughout the year was $362,093. There was very little change throughout the year, starting at $369,000 in January and ending at $359,000 in December. This should come as no surprise, since we knew 2006 was going to be a correction year.

The rest of the analysis divided the whole Phoenix Metro are by zip codes and the main findings are summarized below:

* For an average sale price of $300K and under, Phoenix, Youngtown and Sun City topped the list of appreciating zip codes in the following order:

Zip Code City/Town % Appreciation

85020 Phoenix 38%

85021 Phoenix 24%

85363 Youngtown 16%

85009 Phoenix 15%

85373 Sun City 13%

85008 Phoenix 12%

85013 Phoenix 12%

85033 Phoenix 11%

85035 Phoenix 10%

I advise you to not start jumping up and down and putting all your money in these zip codes, however. A month-by-month analysis showed a lot of saw-tooth (peaks and valleys) behavior. You can find a more detailed chart on my full report. However, the numbers do show a steadier upward swing in sales price for these zip codes.

* For those interested in sale price of between $300K and $500K, Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Surprise and Avondale made my list of highest-appreciating zip codes in the following order:

Zip Code City/Town % Appreciation

85042 Phoenix 22%

85205 Mesa 14%

85251 Scottsdale 12%

85310 Glendale 11%

85379 Surprise 10%

85257 Scottsdale 9%

85323 Avondale 9%

Again, the saw-tooth pattern was observed at this price range, but distinct upward trends can be appreciated.

* Finally, for an average sale price of between $500K and $750K, Scottsdale, Goodyear, Queen Creek and Gilbert made it here in the order below:

Zip Code City/Town % Appreciation

85259 Scottsdale 15%

85338 Goodyear 7%

85242 Queen Creek 6%

85254 Scottsdale 6%

85296 Gilbert 5%

As in the previous price points, a lot of saw-tooth behavior going on here. Appreciating trends can still be observed, but they are less marked.

So, what is the data telling you as an owner or potential buyer of single-family homes in the Phoenix area?

1. The first thing it is telling us should be no surprise to people who have been following our real estate market: 2006 was a period of transition and adjustments. The “saw-tooth” pattern observed is a dead giveaway.

However, where there opportunities and appreciating markets?

YES, THERE WERE! And THERE STILL ARE!

2. A big thing these numbers are telling us is that the bottom did NOT fall off. Even with the oscillations, average prices remained strong, either hovering around the same value at which they started or inching upward a bit.

And remember: these are average numbers. Each investor or buyer’s particular style/approach will produce different results. This is only a guideline to which you may want to refer to get an idea of how our market is behaving, how our Valley is growing and where.

To get your FREE copy of the detailed report I wrote for my clients, complete with tables, charts and my own personal pick of where the growth is and will be for the next few years, please visit



GOBEN

Francis Githinji asked:


You have been single and all over a sudden a bright idea hit you. You just discovered that you searched for a date online you will no doubt that you will get a good number of people sending you mail to tell you they are interested in you. Arizona has got many dating sites where you will find a lot of personals in Arizona. They have sites like mingles, Jlove and many others. That is why it comes as quite a shock when you get none of the mails you were expecting and you start thinking maybe you are single for a reason and that no one quite likes you. Before you start beating yourself about that, it is best to look at your profile. How did you make your profile? Is it worth taking a second look at? Would you reply to that particular profile if it were for someone else? If all your answers are no, you should know that you need to do something about it.

When making personals in Arizona be very specific. If you want to date people from a specific area say so. There are many people registered online and some of them are interested in dating someone who is near their area. If you come from the Gilbert area in Arkansas say so. Make sure you mention it in your profile. This will help the people who are looking for a date in and around that area to find you quiet easily. You might think it is not a big deal but it could be a very big deal to someone and some people in the dating site. Make sure you mention the town you come from and the people you are interested in dating in Arkansas. Be it in the Preoria region, Phoenix or the Mesa area. Whatever place you are, making sure you tell them and you make it clear in your profile that you would like to see people in a specific area.

When drafting your personals in Arizona leave a lot to be desired. This is because people like suspense. If you are an open book there will be nothing left for the people to wonder about you. As much as you would like the people to know something about you, it is always a good idea to leave something out on your profile. It could even be one of your conversation starters when you next meet in a restaurant like Mary Elaine’s, Pisseria Bianco and Tarbell’s. If you live out what you do for a living, when you meet with them, you could start a conversation with that. Do not make the person feel like you do not have anything to talk about with you.

You can always ask your friends to look at your profile while making personals in Arizona and tell you how it sounds. You can also read it out allowed and listen to what it says and if it is interesting or not. There are also many photographers in Arizona that you can go to take pictures of you. There is the BlackMagic Studio, The Hudsons and Evoke photography that you can go to for help in terms of your photo.



BOULTER