BlogArizona Category: Just for Fun!This page contains all BlogArizona posts related to Just for Fun!. Read a specific post by clicking on a title below, or scroll further down the page to read through all posts in this category.Thursday, April 10, 2008Don't Install Satellite on Your Roof This WayThis is bizarre but sad. Don't try installing satellite TV like this guy did. He used a gun to shoot a hole (from inside the house) through the exterior of the house instead of punching it another way. His wife was apparently on the roof when it happened and she was shot. Even dumber, he shot twice and it was the second shot that killed her. This happened last month but they just recently decided that no charges are being filed against the husband. Moral of the story: Use the right tool for the job, and don't start shooting guns through the house when your wife is on the roof (or any other time, really).
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on April 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack Saturday, March 29, 2008Beware of Red Light Camera at Gilbert & McKellips in Mesa!A couple years ago when I had to go to driving school, I was told the cameras in intersections can catch you either speeding or running a red light. Some are set for red-light only while others are set for speed. But the cameras are all the same, it just depends on how they're programmed. Well apparently, the red light running camera at Gilbert and McKellips in Mesa has recently been re-programmed to catch speeders too. Don't ask me how I know this! :(
Considering the fees they're charging for speeding tickets these days, I don't know how the City of Mesa is losing money on the photo radar program. Perhaps this recent re-programming of cameras is an attempt to get a better return on Mesa's investment. Obviously, I have mixed feelings about that! As a Mesa resident and taxpayer, of course I want the city to keep the roads safe, and I want them to maximize the return on investment when they spend taxpayers money...but not at my expense! If you're wondering where other Mesa traffic cameras are located, the City of Mesa's website lists all the intersections with red light cameras, along with the locations of Mesa's photo radar vans. Also, here's some more info on Arizona photo radar tickets. Remember, slow down at the intersection of Gilbert & McKellips and drive safe! :) Related Articles you may also find interesting:
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on March 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack Sunday, March 23, 2008Arizona Snowbirds in my Swimming Pool?Okay, these may not be the type of 'Arizona snowbirds' you were expecting... But early this morning, we found an Easter surprise in our swimming pool. These two ducks decided to use our pool as a free hotel. They spent a couple hours drinking, bathing and resting in our pool before continuing on their journey. I'm no bird expert, but we figure they probably needed a place to stop and rest as they were migrating home (heading back north after flying south for the winter?). My kids were hoping they were an Easter present. My cats were hoping they were dinner. And although they were kind of fun to have as guests for a couple of hours, I'm just glad they're gone!  Happy Easter to you and yours!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on March 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack Saturday, March 15, 2008For Sale By Owner in Phoenix, AZOkay, this has nothing to do with real estate, but I love this "Best of Phoenix" Craigslist ad anyway - what an interesting way to get rid of scorpions and termites. And can you even believe those pesky City of Phoenix lawn police are forcing the poor guy to sell...! Craigslist's "Best of Phoenix" also has this interesting take on driving in Phoenix. And this guy has a unique idea for a home security system... or at least to keep the neighbor kids off his lawn. Enjoy!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on March 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack Tuesday, March 11, 2008Foreclosure Rates and Neighborhood CrimeHere's an interesting statistic: For every 1% increase in a neighborhood's foreclosures, violent crime increases 2.33%.
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on March 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack Monday, February 25, 2008AZ Home Inspector Licensing Board going away?Arizona Home Inspectors need your help! Arizona's home inspector licensing agency, the AZ Board of Technical Registration (BTR) is inefficient, expensive and allegedly corrupt. In fact, Arizona lawmakers are thinking about eliminating the BTR altogether (SB1171), and moving home inspector licensing to the Registrar of Contractors (ROC). As most of my readers already know, I'm co-owner of Homewerx Home Inspections, one of the Valley's leading home inspection companies since 1999. As such, I sincerely appreciate your support on this matter. While I do NOT support eliminating the BTR, it definitely needs some change - starting at the top with the guy in charge. It's unfortunate, but AZ home inspector licensing seems to be alot more about money and power and industry organizations than it is about quality home inspections. There are some real problems and conflicts of interest that have just been ignored at the BTR, and we all know that problems don't just go away when they're ignored...they get worse! Now, the BTR is so inefficient and lacking accountability that I think the whole idea of protecting homebuyers got lost somewhere along the line. Home Inspectors don't trust the BTR, consumers kind of laugh at them. And the cost of inefficient government regulation is real... look at how much it costs to be a home inspector in Arizona compared to other professionals licensed by the same agency. And look at how much Arizona home inspectors pay compared to home inspectors in other states. "Wow" is all I can say! Home Inspection companies inevitably pass these ridiculous costs onto the homebuying consumer, who is already strapped for cash in case the BTR hasn't heard. And a home inspection is an out-of-pocket expense - those are the ones that really hurt and will be a deal-breaker alot quicker than borrowed money will. So please Help support the 'little guy', and you will help keep Arizona home inspection prices down plus eliminate government incompetence at the same time. Thank you again for your support!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on February 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack Wednesday, February 20, 2008Arizona MLS Listings I Don't Quite UnderstandAs I pull up various AZ properties on MLS, I'm frequently amused. Sometimes it's the price that makes me laugh. Sometimes it's the directions that get you nowhere near the home, which makes me go hmmmm. And sometimes it's just a comment about the house that catches my attention. Here are a couple that have recently caught my interest: 1. Found in the comments of a MLS listing: "Buyer proof of funds or prequalification letter from a Wells Fargo Mtg. Consultant must accompany all offers." As a Realtor®, I would never dream of requiring a potential buyer to get prequalified or have their funds verified by a specific mortgage company. I'm not sure if that's even legal from a mortgage perspective, especially if the mortgage company owns the house. According to the MLS, this property is "corporate owned". Public records don't show the new owner yet, but the house was sold at auction in December to "US Bank National Association as Trustee Asset Backed Pass Through Certificates Series..." (that's a mouthful and doesn't really tell me who owns it!). But the tax statements are being forwarded to "ASC for Wells Fargo Home Improvement". Hmmmm.... 2. Found in a Flyer Heading: "20% Co-Broke! / Attention All Investors" Call me crazy, but I wonder if this agent ever thought about recommending a price reduction to their client, instead of a HUGE co-broke. Perhaps, I dunno...maybe a 17% - 20% price reduction? Work with me here...! And what real investor isn't going to realize that a 20% co-broke means they're paying 20% too much? These are just a few of my thoughts... enjoy your day! Past BlogArizona articles you may also enjoy:
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on February 20, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack Tuesday, February 19, 2008Selling Your House? Don't Take the Curtain Rods When You Move.By the title of this post, you might think I'm getting ready to talk about the difference between personal property and real estate fixtures, and what you can take with you when you move versus what has to stay with the house. Nope. This post is actually just something funny my Dad emailed me, which I thought my readers would enjoy. By the way, don't do this! She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases. On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things. On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water. When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked!!! People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move. A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local real estate agents refused to return their calls. Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place. The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back. Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day. She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork. A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.... And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!! I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU? ORIGINAL SOURCE: UNKNOWN
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on February 19, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack Sunday, January 20, 2008Arizona Wants Change Too!Normally, I don't post on purely political topics. But this video I found on YouTube is classic...and it's something both Democrats and Republicans can laugh at. Enjoy! Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on January 20, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack Friday, December 14, 2007Maricopa County Sheriff Has New DUI Chain GangArizona's favorite Sheriff, also known as America's Toughest Sheriff, is making national headlines again. This time, Sheriff Joe Arpaio is being criticized for his DUI chain gang. Much like Sheriff Joe's other chain gangs, his DUI chain gang cleans up streets and performs other community services while wearing eye-catching outfits. The DUI chain gang wears bright pink shirts which say, "Sheriff D.U.I. Chain Gang" on the back, and "Clean (ing) and Sober" on the front. According to Sheriff Joe, "Maybe this will warn people — knock it off, don't drink and drive. You'll end up in pink underwear on the chain gang". While critics have always denounced Sheriff Joe's pink attire, the services performed by this new chain gang have critics especially upset... -- because the chain gang performs burial services for homeless alcoholics at an indigent cemetery. However, it's important to note that all of the members of the DUI chain gang are volunteers who want to participate. And homeless alcoholics need to be buried too, right, so what's the problem? Sheriff Joe is getting even tougher on Arizona's drunk drivers because last year, Arizona had a 15% increase in alcohol-related fatalities from the previous year (according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records). This increase made Arizona number six in the entire nation for alcohol-related deaths. Sheriff Joe is also known for having the nation's first female chain gang. And apparently, the DUI Chain Gang is the first ever 'crime-specific' chain gang. Of course, Sheriff Joe is already planning to extend the idea, possibly creating chain gangs for those convicted of auto theft and identity theft. According to Sheriff Joe, "Hey, it's unlimited what we can put on a shirt". I say go Sheriff Joe, and thank you for at least trying to keep Maricopa County safe! Sheriff Joe is dealing with a serious problem in a creative, yet common sense way. He's getting community services performed for free by people who owe a debt to society. In the process, they're learning an important lesson about the consequences of their actions, while also making a statement to the community about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk. Even if you haven't seen the chain gangs, you've heard about them on the news. In fact, just about every national news channel had a story today about Sheriff Joe's new chain gang "digging graves" for homeless alcoholics. So not only is Sheriff Joe's getting work done in the community, he's got everybody talking about the serious problem of drinking and driving - without spending any taxpayer dollars! He's a marketing genius if you ask me! I'm sure other government agencies could spend millions of dollars to form a committee and do a study, and issue a report, and come up with a plan and blah, blah, blah... Meanwhile, the DUI chain gang is getting work done while also sending a very clear and effective message to the public: Drink and drive and you too could end up dead, homeless or on a chain gang. This is possibly the most common sense and efficient use of tax dollars I've ever seen! Too bad we don't have more leaders like Sheriff Joe. Related posts from the past:
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on December 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack Thursday, December 13, 2007HGTV Looking for Phoenix Real Estate Agents & First-Time Home Buyers!Here's something that might be kind of fun (or not!). I received an email today (see below) from Cole Schneider who's currently casting for an HGTV show called "My First Place". He's looking for first-time Phoenix home buyers and their real estate agents. 'My First Place" is an HGTV reality-type show about the trials and tribulations faced by first-time home buyers. If you know somebody who might be interested in appearing on this show, please pass this information on to them. Here's the email...
HGTV's hit series 'My First Place' is seeking first-time homebuyers (and their agents!) in the Phoenix area! NOTE: Agents! This is an EXCELLENT opportunity for exposure! Don't miss out! My First Place airs at 8:30 PM Mountain Time on Sunday and Tuesday nights. Even if you're not interested in appearing on the show, it should be fun to tune in and watch anyway. I know I look forward to watching Season 4 of "My First Place"!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on December 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack Thursday, November 15, 2007Is Your AZ Realtor® a CRS, SRES, ABR, GRI, ALC or CIPS?November is Realtor® Designation Awareness Month... I know, I know - as if anybody really cares! But I have actually received emails in the past from home buyers and sellers who've asked me, "What does the ABR after a REALTOR's name mean?". So I thought it might be interesting to blog about the different designations and certifications Realtors® can earn. There are many different designations and certifications awarded by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and its nine affiliated Institutes, Societies and Councils. Surprisingly, not all Realtor® designations and certifications are for Realtors® - some are for appraisers, brokerage managers and even office assistants. Here's a summary:
The Arizona Association of Realtors® also recently introduced a program to earn the Certified Risk Management Specialist (CRMS) certification. In addition to the national and local Realtor® associations, there are also other organizations that offer designations and/or certifications for real estate professionals. For example, RealtyU.com offers the following designations:
Some real estate agents and brokers take Realtor® designations very seriously, and are determined to earn as many as possible. Other real estate agents and brokers never earn any. So, should you choose a Realtor® based on their designations and certifications? It certainly doesn't hurt, but I wouldn't make a decision solely on their designations. I've known many extremely knowledgable and experienced real estate agents with no designations at all. On the other hand, I've known some very inexperienced agents with many certifications and designations. Anybody can take a class and pass a test, but there are some tough and important lessons that can only be learned through experience. So if you're impressed by your real estate agent's designations and certifications, be sure to look at what they actually mean. Some designations and certifications are very easy to earn by simply paying a fee and taking a class/test, while others are only awarded to those with significant relevant experience. Now that you understand the meaning of all those 'letters' after your real estate agent's name, I'm sure you'll sleep much better at night ... I know I will!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, Arizona Real Estate Agent on November 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack Wednesday, November 07, 2007AZ Real Estate Blog has its Perks!Okay, I'll tell you up front that this post has absolutely nothing to do with Arizona or real estate. And in Dodge and Matchstick are doing a 'word of mouth' marketing campaign for the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. They selected fifty "influential moms" in the Phoenix area to test drive a fully loaded 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan for a week (and I mean FULLY loaded!). I'm not sure how I qualified as an "influential mom" when my own kids won't even listen to me. But for a free tank of gas and the opportunity to put a week's worth of mileage on someone else's vehicle, I'll let Dodge think whatever they want! So they brought me a brand new, fully loaded 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan all gassed up and ready to go. It had just under 500 miles on it when delivered (luckily it was past the break-in period so I could really test drive it!). I got to keep it for a week, and they encouraged me to drive it as much as possible. They even said I could let other people take it for a day or so (as long as they were 21 years old with a valid AZ driver's license). It was fully insured by Dodge's insurance, not mine. They showed me how to use all the features and gave me a list of phone numbers to call in case I had any questions or problems (of course it came complete with roadside assistance). They even left me a camera to take pictures of my adventures, and a list of games for kids to play in the car! All they asked is that I write a blog post about my experience afterwards. As a business owner myself, I have to give Dodge a great deal of credit. Asking me to write about my experience before they knew whether it was a good or bad experience was pretty gutsy. They're obviously very confident they have a great product. And why wouldn't they be confident. This van has everything you can think of. It has all the usual goodies - AM/FM stereo with CD, cruise control, tilt wheel, 3-zone AC/heater, alarm with door remote. And of course it has power everything - you can even open the back (hatchback) door and two side sliding doors with the alarm remote, or by using buttons located inside the van. You can also use the remote to start the van from a distance, to get it warmed up or cooled off ahead of time. From the driver's seat, I have complete control over every door, every window and basically every feature in the van. It has an awesome sound system, satellite radio, satellite TV, GPS navigation with voice recognition, two DVD/CD players and two TVs (both with video game hookups and wireless headsets), rear back-up video camera, a touch screen console, and my teenager's favorite feature - it's IPOD compatible! (complete with USB port for downloading music and pictures to the vehicle's 20GB hard drive). There are music controls on the side of the steering wheel, which makes it easy to change the song or turn up the volume without taking your eyes off the road. The power seats adjust in every way possible. It has sliding doors on both sides, which is much more convenient than the traditional vans that just have a sliding door on one side. It even has good drink holders! One feature that I hadn't seen before which is pretty cool is the power adjustable foot pedals. That's right, not only can you adjust the seat, but if you have longer or shorter legs than usual, you can move the foot pedals back or forward to allow total comfort while driving. And speaking of driving, this van drives great. Of course, most new vehicles drive great. But this van doesn't feel like a van at all. It handles like a much sportier vehicle. It corners well and has more than adequate get-up-n-go. In fact, my husband and I bet on the engine size. I said it must have a V8 as quick as it is, but he said it probably has a V6. I lost that bet - it's a very fast V6. I can't really comment on the gas mileage since I drove it like I stole it (just kidding Dodge!). Actually, I don't know how big the gas tank is, but the computer readout on the dashboard said I was averaging 14.2 miles per gallon. This van also has a very nice turning radius. It's very easy to park even in somewhat tight spaces, and it can make a U-turn just about anywhere. I really enjoyed driving it. But anybody who wants to impress me with a car definitely has their work cut out for them. Since I spend quite a bit of time in my car, I'm accustomed to driving some pretty decent vehicles. To be fair t |
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