Fourth of July 2008

Take time and celebrate the 4^th of July in Phoenix , Arizona .  The city starts the great festivities on Thursday, July 3^rd at Maryvale Baseball Park .  There will be crafts, free rides, carnival games, water slides, a d-jay, prizes and many more activities. Fireworks begin at 9:30pm.  This event is sponsored by Arizona Chrysler Jeep & Dodge. 

 

Freedom Wireless Fabulous 4^th in Phoenix begins Friday, July 4^th at 6:00pm at Steele Indian School Park .  The city has held this great event for 23 years.  This event will feature inflatable rides, entertainment from local artists, food, drinks, free shuttles, and a water spray zone provided by the Phoenix Fire Department. 

 

The biggest display of fireworks in the state will begin at 9:30.

 

I hope you enjoy the fireworks as much as I have over the years.  And when you are in need of a real estate agent to show you around some of Phoenix ’s homes for sale, contact me.

The Valley Of The Sun – Phoenix , Arizona

It may be 115° but this is one cool city.  Phoenix is enclosed by mountains on all sides with the sun illuminating the entire city, giving it the nickname, “Valley of the Sun.”  The city is the fifth largest city in the nation and the largest in the state.  In my opinion, Phoenix is the best city in which to buy a new home. 

 

Phoenix has been in a growing boom since 2000, making it the second fastest growing city in America following Las Vegas which grew 5% faster than Phoenix . 

 

The area was once dependant upon citrus and cotton farms, but now the city is filled with telecommunications and high-tech companies that help the city’s economy to thrive.  Between the city government and these great companies, they have employed hundreds of thousands of Phoenicians.    Phoenix schools are also a large employer in the community.

 

The city has done a great job of adding bus routes, highways, freeways, and expressways to keep traffic congestion to a minimum during rush hour traffic.  You will also find sidewalks and bicycle lanes for non-motor travel.

 

After work always comes play, so Phoenix residents relish in the abundant outdoor and indoor activities that are available.  There are several public parks to enjoy a leisure afternoon or to take the kids to play.  Golf is another great outdoor activity since there are over 30 great courses to choose from.  Both public and private courses are available for every skill level.  For indoor fun, there are many art, history and science museums.  And for the sports lover, there are several professional sports games to catch throughout the year.

 

Phoenix real estate is a great choice when you’re in the market to buy a new home.  Contact me anytime for a showing.

Using A Realtor To Sell Your Home

When you’re trying to sell your home, remember there is more to selling a home than putting a sign in the yard and crossing your fingers. 

 

I am asked all the time if selling your own home is a better way to sell it.  I am here to tell you, no.  A real estate agent knows what it takes to market your home and exactly how to do it.  Realtors also have endless resources for marketing your home.  The average person wanting to sell a home uses only yard signs and maybe an ad in the local paper.  That’s definitely not enough exposure to sell any home.  There are also legal documents such as disclosure sheets, sales agreements and more that a real estate agent will know all about.

 

A real estate agent will help you choose the right price to start your sale.  Setting the right price can make a huge difference.  The most common problem with homeowners trying to sell their own home is that they set their asking price too high.  A Realtor® will do a comparison with similar homes in your area that have sold in the last three months and ones currently on the market, usually within a three to four mile radius.  The market changes frequently so you need to know the most recent sales.

 

Remember, you should never set the sales price for your home before this research has been done.  If you set the price too high, the home will sit on the market longer and potential buyers will buy the home similar to yours down the road for much less. 

 

So find a Realtor® and let them do what they do best for all their clients.

Get Out Of Debt And Buy A New Home

These days having a credit card seems almost like a necessity, not so much a luxury anymore.  This has caused many people to get themselves into debt.  So how can you save enough money to buy a home if you’re in debt?

 

A great way to start getting yourself out of debt is by paying more than your monthly minimum amount due on your credit cards each month.  If you really try to save, you can come up with the extra cash needed to get your credit cards paid down.  Some ways include bundling packages for your phone, cable, and internet, family cell phone plans, eating out less often, etc.  An extra $20 or more a month savings can really help pay those cards down quickly.  Also, ask your credit card company to lower your interest rate to help you out.   

 

Once you’ve paid down your credit cards and you’re out of debt, it’s time to look into buying a home.  Owning a home is the single best investment one can make and Phoenix , Arizona is a great place to start.  Home values will soon be on the rise again.  Buy your home now and get valuable equity for a lifetime.

Outdoor Living Space

Many homeowners are looking more and more at the great outdoors for a better quality of living.  Outdoor living is not just a noun anymore, it’s now a verb.

 

What better place to entertain your guests than outdoors?  There is so much more space than inside your home, no matter what size home you have.  So, now more people are doing their entertaining outdoors in their outdoor living rooms and outdoor kitchens.

 

With today’s economy more and more homeowners are finding themselves spending more time at home and eating at home, so in turn they want to have their friends and family over to enjoy that time with them. 

 

Not only does an outdoor living space increase your quality of life, it also increases the value of your home.  The outdoor living trend has become a lifestyle for many and you can thank a few things for fueling this new way of life.  Healthier lifestyle, affordable all weather furniture, and top of the line appliances have made outdoor living what it is today.

 

Phoenix , Arizona has a variety of homes for sale with outdoor living space available.  Contact me and I’ll help you reconnect and relax with friends and family in the great outdoors.

Kitchens Of The Future

If you think your kitchen is up-to-date with all new appliances, then you better think again.  Today’s kitchens are just not complete without the new wave of the future itmes such as ecipe finder, a universal charging station, a programable thermostat, and a digital calendar.

A recent survey was done about kitchens of the future and these were among the most desired out of 22 items presented.  The survey was created to help put together the ideal digital kitchen for the 2008 Kitchen and Bath Industry spring show. 

Other items chosen to show in the kitchen of the future were – Whirlpool’s “Centralpark Connection Refrigerator” with a port connection for electronic devices like a satellite radio, a DVD player, or a digital picture frame.   LG offers a side-by-side refrigerator with a 15 inch high-def screen on one door and a LCD  screen on the other to display local weather.  This fridge of the future also includes 1000-preloaded recipes, a calendar, a digital photo album and a day/time display.

So ask yourself, “Am I keeping up with the future or the past?”

Avoiding Bad Financial Habits Is Good

It’s easy to pick a single event in your lifetime that will explain how you got in debt; but most of the time it’s more than a single event that led to your debt.  Usually, it’s many events or bad financial habits that got you over your head.  Some of the most common bad habits are not having a budget, not having an emergency fund, making the minimum payment on credit cards, and missing payments.  These bad habits lead to a downward spiral.  Here are some tips to get you into good financial habits:

 

Have a financial budget – It’s easier than you think to budget.  It helps you plan how you will spend your money the best possible way and save for unexpected expenses.

Have an emergency fund – Unexpected disasters will occur at some point in life.  It could be a job loss, medical emergency, death in the family, or one of those months when everything breaks down. 

Pay more on your credit cards – Paying only the minimum on credit cards will only increase the amount of interest you pay.  Paying more than your minimum will keep the interest amount down and pay down your balance. 

Don’t use your credit cards – If you want to keep your credit don’t use your credit cards until they’re paid off, then put less than $50.00 on them monthly.

Don’t miss credit card payments – Paying your bill late will just add late fees on top of increasing your interest fees on your bill.   Pay your bill in advance to avoid being late.

The Great City of Maricopa

Looking to move to Maricopa, Arizona?  Well, you will be impressed.  The City  is proud of its diversity and cultural wealth.  The city continuously strives to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity of its residents, making it a great place to live. 

 

The residents of Maricopa are very friendly and the schools are the best.  The city just started a commuter service to Downtown Phoenix, making everyone’s commute much easier.  The area is also the perfect place for outdoor activities and adventures.  

 

When you’re ready to find your next home, contact me and I will make sure you find the home of your dreams.  You can also visit my website for some great moving tips that will come in handy when it’s time to pack up and move.

Mother Earth 2008

Mother Earth has been around for a long, long time.   The Earth provides food and shelter for us to survive just like a mother provides for and protects her children.  Though Mother Earth looks and feels tough and, she is also very fragile in more ways than we know.  Mother Earth’s ecosystem, is one of the most fragile features of Mother Earth.  It helps her stay in balance.  When just one thing damages part of our ecosystem, it hurts other parts, too. 

 

Some have recently asked  “Can Earth ever become extinct?”   And, that’s a good question if you look at it like an animal that has problems surviving and becomes endangered.  If we don’t do something to fix the problem, they can become extinct.  We should also look at Earth like that.  If we all don’t do something to help fix the problem, there is a big chance she could become extinct.  Mother Earth has always been a natural environment but, over the years, she has had a hard time keeping up with what we have done to her.  Some of the most common problems are factory smokestacks that pour pollution into the air. Cars, trucks, planes, trains, and other vehicles add even more pollution to the atmosphere. 

 

Humans have taken Mother Earth’s natural environment and turned it into an un-natural one.  We need progress in our lives so we know we can’t completely stop pollution, but what we can do is find better ways to help Mother Earth survive with us.   That’s why we have “Earth Day”.  But shouldn’t everyday be “Earth Day”?  Why not start today to “Go Green”.  It’s up to you to make that very important decision.  If you’re interested in purchasing a green home or any other home, call me or visit my website today.

Hello world!

Welcome to my blog.  I am joining the blogging community so I can share with you a wealth of knowledge about Phoenix , Arizona and surrounding areas such as community information, events, schools and current market conditions on local and national levels.  I believe that sharing this information with you will help you build your personal wealth in Phoenix real estate.  Are you looking to buy or sell real estate?  Are you considering a move to Phoenix or one of its surrounding communities?  I am here to help with all your real estate needs.  Visit my website or email me at: mlhickson@russlyonse.com or call me at: (480) 503-5122