BlogArizona Category: Arizona Food & DiningThis page contains all BlogArizona posts related to Arizona Food & Dining. Read a specific post by clicking on a title below, or scroll further down the page to read through all posts in this category.Friday, April 13, 2007BlogArizona.com Welcomes the Arizona Mortgage Guru!Those who read BlogArizona.com regularly have probably noticed that I myself have been a blog mute over the past few months! To the many people who read BlogArizona.com each day, I sincerely apologize for my absence. Of course, there's no excuse to neglect your blog :) But I will say (in my defense and in defense of the AZ real estate market in general) that I've been crazy busy lately! No matter what the newspaper or other media may say, BUYERS ARE BACK TO THE ARIZONA REAL ESTATE MARKET! That's why I haven't blogged lately! Now that we've established that the Arizona "real estate bubble" is still not bursting, I want to welcome Shailesh Ghimire to BlogArizona.com. Shailesh is the Arizona Mortgage Guru and a local Home Loan Expert. Shailesh and his wife Aimee are a team at CTX Mortgage, serving the Greater Phoenix area. If you've read Shailesh's first BlogArizona post or visited his blog, I think you'll agree that Shailesh will make a great addition to BlogArizona.com. I have no doubt that his posts will add interesting and current content that BlogArizona readers will enjoy. I also want to say that while I haven't posted much lately, I have been working on some new upgrades/features for BlogArizona. These improvements will be added over time, and that's all I'm saying so you'll have to keep checking back to find out what they are! BlogArizona.com is also looking to add new Contributors. Here's more information if you or someone you know is interested.
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, AZ Realtor & Computer Guru on April 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack Tuesday, November 07, 2006Voting on AZ Ballot Propositions that Affect Real EstateAs a Realtor®, I pay special attention to political and other issues that may affect my industry. I think most Americans do the same, regardless of what industry they work in. With more propositions on this year's Arizona ballot than ever, it's especially important to know what you're voting for before getting to the polls. I voted early from home and it literally took me half a day to vote, and I already knew how I was going to vote on most races and propositions! But it took a great deal of time on the internet to find information on the less publicized candidates, and there's much more to some of the ballot propositions than the signs will tell you. For those of us in the Arizona real estate industry, the Realtors® of Arizona Political Action Committee (RAPAC) usually does a pretty good job of letting us know how different candidates and propositions will affect real estate. This year, however, I think they did a very poor job. They only took a position on 5 of the 19 ballot propositions, and one of those positions was 'neutral'. I will list their positions on those 5 propositions below. I will also provide some information on other propositions that affect real estate, since RAPAC didn't mention them. Proposition 101: RAPAC Says SUPPORT: "Known as the "2006 Taxpayer Protection Act", Proposition 101 will reset property tax levies to their 2005 levels. In doing so, it will remove much of the excess taxing capacity that certain jurisdictions have accumulated since 1980. If Proposition 101 passes, local governments will not be able to make substantial increases to property taxes without first earning voter approval. The Arizona Association of REALTORS® recommends a YES vote on Proposition 101." Proposition 104: This has to do with municipal debt, and affects important local infrastructure which can definitely affect real estate. I'm surprised RAPAC had no opinion on this proposition. Proposition 105 & 106: RAPAC Says OPPOSE: "In previous elections, the Arizona Association of REALTORS® has supported the statewide conservation and reform efforts of state trust lands but is opposed to Propositions 105 & 106. After reviewing both ballot measures and analysis conducted by renowned land use attorneys Robinson & Cole, LLP, the association is concerned that the implementation of either proposition will cause litigation, loss of revenue to the beneficiaries of the trust and negative planning implications of both trust land and private land. Currently there are serious disagreements among the stakeholders (education, real estate, conservation, grazing, etc.) surrounding how our state trust lands should be reformed. When the stakeholders jointly craft a state trust land reform package the likelihood of broad statewide support will increase and the threat of endless litigation will decrease." Proposition 201 & 206: These are the propositions that ban smoking in all public places statewide, including restaurants and bars (with very limited exceptions). To me, these are restrictions on private property use disguised as bans on smoking. I can't believe nobody spoke out against these propositions, not even the real estate associations. I understand why they didn't - it's bad PR to be anything other than anti-smoker in today's day and age. I personally don't smoke, nor do I like smoke blown in my face while I'm at a restaurant. However, I'm even less fond of the government telling me that I cannot allow legal activities on my private property. Why not let the free market dictate whether or not restaurants owners allow smoking in their restaurants/bars? If the place is uncomfortably smoky, people won't go there. But to require business owners to sink thousands of dollars into renovations (and lose money while the renovations are taking place) just to be allowed to keep operating the same way they've operated for years is just plain wrong in my book. At a minimum, existing businesses should be grand-fathered into any legislation that restricts the use of their private property in any manner which was previously unrestricted. RAPAC surprisingly has no opinion on this proposition. Proposition 204: This proposition claims to be about animal cruelty but is really an effort by PETA to ultimately remove all meat and dairy (and their bi-products) from our diets. Step #1 is to put these ranchers and farmers out of business. This is an out-of-state supported initiative that should be voted down by Arizonans. Proposition 207: This is Arizona's eminent domain proposition. RAPAC Says NEUTRAL: "The Private Property Rights Protection Act", has raised a considerable amount of debate regarding its potential impact by both supporters and opponents. The Arizona Association of REALTORS® reviewed the current ballot proposition as well as earlier drafts of the same proposal and an analysis performed by Robinson & Cole, LLP. While there are many areas within the ballot measure that the association finds supportable, the association also found language in the Proposition that is confusing and will likely lead to litigation. The Arizona Association of REALTORS® is NEUTRAL on Proposition 207." Proposition 302: This is the proposition that will raise the salaries of Arizona's 30 state senators and 60 state representatives from $24,000/year to $36,000/year. RAPAC Says SUPPORT. This makes alot of sense to me, as these people do important jobs and we should encourage, not discourage qualified people to run for elected offices. Proposition 100, 102, 103 & 300 all have to do with illegal immigration in some way. To me, this is a clear statement that Arizonans are demanding a solution to the illegal immigration problem. Proposition 200 & 205 have nothing to do with real estate, and they're just crazy as far as I'm concerned! Turning election day into a lottery is what Proposition 200 suggests. Do we really want to contaminate the votes of informed people who made the effort to do their civic duty with the votes of people who just showed up for a chance to win $1 million? How much fraud would there be and what would it cost to send everybody in the state a ballot to vote from home as Proposition 205 suggests? The postal folks can't get my mail in the right box as it is, how could they handle the overload that would occur at election time? And again, do we really want to contaminate informed votes with the votes of people who aren't involved enough to go to the polls or request an early ballot? I had 4 different organizations send me already filled out requests for an early ballot. All I had to do was sign it and mail it back (no stamp was even required). It wasn't hard at all to get an early ballot and I don't think the state should pay to send them to people who are too lazy to care about voting. Well that's my take on the real estate side of Arizona's 2006 ballot propositions. Be sure to read this article about Arizona lesser known candidates. It has several links to helpful background information on some of the less popular races and candidates, such as those running for Central Arizona Water Conservation District and the Mesa Unified School District Number 4 School Governing Board. Bring the proper Arizona voting I.D. to the polls and BE SURE YOU VOTE TODAY!!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, AZ Realtor & Computer Guru on November 7, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack Monday, August 28, 2006Maricopa County Sheriff Says No to Kool-AidMaricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is in the news again. This time, he's being criticized for taking kool-aid away from his inmates, leaving them with only one beverage choice - water. That's right, kool-aid, or "bug juice" as the inmates call it, will no longer be available in Sheriff Joe's jails. Sheriff Joe says that kool-aid is an extra with no nutritional value, and that his 10,000 inmates do not need it while they're in jail. Sheriff Joe began phasing kool-aid out this past July. He estimates that his new policy will save Maricopa County taxpayers $43,000 per year.
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, AZ Realtor & Computer Guru on August 28, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack Tuesday, August 08, 2006Mesa, AZ Ranked 3rd Best Big CityMoney Magazine recently ranked Mesa, AZ as the 3rd Best Big City for 2006. Colorado Springs, CO was ranked number one, while Austin, TX came in second place. Many factors were considered including Financial, Housing, Education, Quality of Life, Leisure & Culture, Weather, Health and other demographics.
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, AZ Realtor & Computer Guru on August 8, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack Thursday, May 11, 2006Mesa, AZ Recommended by "Where to Retire" MagazineThe March/April issue of "Where to Retire" magazine named Mesa, Arizona as one of the top places for political conservatives to retire. This is not just due to its political environment, but the article calls Mesa the "ideal destination for retirees with a conservative outlook". Along with an affordable cost of living, Mesa has great weather almost year round, plus golf courses, restaurants, boutiques, shopping and outdoor activities are all abundant in Mesa. The article highlighted the Chicago Cubs' spring training games at Mesa's Hohokam Stadium and the Mesa Arts Center, which is Arizona's largest arts complex. It also noted the Mesa Southwest Museum is Arizona's most significant museum when it comes to natural and cultural history. In addition to recommendations for conservative retirees, the article also recommends the best places for liberal and moderate retirees to live. For more information, see the March/April issue of "Where to Retire" magazine.
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, AZ Realtor & Computer Guru on May 11, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack Thursday, August 18, 2005Great Mexican Cafe on Main StreetWhile I was taking my kids to their music lessons one afternoon, I found a great little Mexican cafe on Main Street in Mesa. This place is obviously not a secret, as it was packed with customers! But I thought I would blog about it anyway because the food was great. The place is called Mango's and is located just west of Center on the north side of Main Street. Just about everything I've tried is excellent and the food is authentic as opposed to say Taco Bell-type Mexican food! My kids love the food too, so I know it's great! Mango's seems to be owner-operated (although I can't say that for sure), and the service is as good as the food. The prices are reasonable, and they give you chips with salsa while you wait. They gladly refill your soda for free. The only down side is that it's hard to find a place to sit because the space is somewhat limited, and the place is always packed! There is usually plenty of space to sit outside, although it's too hot for that this time of year. It can also be hard to find a parking spot at times, and I don't think they serve alcohol so you can't order a Corona or Margarita with your meal. But the food is so good, you won't miss it! I think Mango's is open every day from 10 am to 8pm, except Friday & Saturday they stay open until 9pm. If you like Mexican food, you should try it out. You'll love it!
Posted by Shannon Hubbard, AZ Realtor & Computer Guru on August 18, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack Sunday, July 31, 2005Official Launch of BlogArizona.com!Today is BlogArizona.com's official launch date! We have been working for several months now to add features and get the site ready...so check it out! There's plenty to see while you are here:
Best of all...you can find out what the heck a blog is! And don't forget to make a comment while you're here (Did I mention that already?!). Check back with us regularly for the latest Arizona real estate news and trends. Thanks for visiting! the BlogMaster Posted by BlogArizona BlogMaster on July 31, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack Wednesday, January 12, 2005Add Your Company Name & Logo to a Product in BlogArizona.com's Online Store!Attention real estate agents & mortgage lenders!! No minimum order. $35 one-time set-up charge per product. Once it's set up, others in your office may also order as many or as few as they would like. Email us with the following information: 1. Name of Product you wish to customize We will respond within 48 hours. Thank you! the BlogMaster Posted by BlogAdmin on January 12, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack Tuesday, January 11, 2005Welcome to the blogosphere!Welcome to BlogArizona.com...an Arizona Real Estate Blog!! Feel free to look around...you won't believe how much you'll find to do here!
But best of all...you can find out what a blog is! Check back with us regularly for the latest Arizona real estate news and trends. And don't miss our Official Launch date on July 31, 2005! Thank you for visiting! the BlogMaster Posted by BlogArizona BlogMaster on January 11, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack |
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