Christmas on Comstock

Christmas on Comstock

 

Who is ready for a light fight?

 

Check out this amazing areal footage I found on ABC.

 

 

Who doesn't love driving around looking at Christmas lights? Next time you are out at night and in the Gilbert area, you need to make a special stroll down Comstock.

 

You can walk around or you can drive by. If you drive, make sure you turn your radio to 93.9. Why? You might be asking. This amazing street has their lights connected to the radio channel. It is absolutely amazing. One trip through wont be enough. I promise.

 

Here is a map and directions on how to get to Christmas on Comstock.

 

 

PLEASE READ and FOLLOW TRAFFIC MAP and DIRECTIONS BELOW: In coordination with Gilbert Police, we need everyone to patiently abide by the following directions and attached map to help reduce traffic congestion.  We encourage people to park and walk at Basha's or San Tan Charter School to reduce the traffic:

 

Here is what you need to know in the graphic below:

1. You can ONLY enter the light display from EAST bound ELLIOTT where you will turn right.

 

2. No light traffic will drop onto Weather Vane at either Colt, Kenneth, or Highland Glen.  This is for residence only.  There will be signs to indicate this.  If you try to bypass the signs, a police officer at Cole and Elliott will forbid you to enter Cole.

 

3. No left hand turn onto Cole coming West bound.  That will be blocked o

 

4. As you enter Cole, it immediately goes into a two-lane one way road at Weather Vane.

 

5. The two lanes on Cole will go right into two lanes onto Comstock to drive the street and enjoy the lights

 

6. Signs on Comstock Dr. will inform drivers to not stop and to please keep moving.  

 

7. After Comstock, the cars flow onto S. Arroyo Ln and then follow the road to Marlene Dr.

 

8. At Marlene and Cole, cars must exit right (NO looping back around to Comstock.  If cars want to see it again, they must re-enter line on Elliott)

 

9. Cars can either exit West or East on Morrison Ranch Pkwy to exit the neighborhood.  There will be a do not enter sign on Cole and MR Pkwy and a Comstock neighbor is taking shifts to man that post throughout the night to enforce it.

 

10. Residents who live off of Cole on Comstock (East side), Sierra Madre, and Marlene will be allowed to enter/exit from MR Pkwy and Cole.

 

11. For those who want to walk the display (outside of MR residents), we will encourage them to park in Basha’s or San Tan Charter School parking lots and enjoy a nice walk to Comstock.

 

 



Check out footage I shot from the car as we drove by. Please excuse my 11 year old and his "Ding Fries Are Done" version of Carol of the Bells.

 

 

 

 

 

Event in Gilbert, Arizona - Riparian After Dark

Looking for something fun to do during the month of December? Check out the Riparian After Dark, below is the information found on www.gilbertaz.gov

The Riparian Preserve comes alive with a holiday glow!  Stroll around the candle-lit trail at Water Ranch lake with hundreds of luminaries as well as numerous festive light displays at every turn. This is a rare opportunity for those who appreciate nature to experience the thrill of  nighttime at the preserve.

In addition to the lighted trail, we will feature a variety of school choirs, carolers and other live holiday entertainment.  There will be light refreshments available for purchase.  All trails are ADA accessible.

Event Dates

Each night of the event Gilbert partners with a local non-profit agency and collects items for that group to distribute to those in need.  Please consider bringing a donated item to the event as your way of supporting those in need during the holiday season.

December 8th - Open Arms Food Bank- Donation: Hearty Canned Soup

December 9th- Maricopa Animal Shelters- Donation: Dog Food, Blankets and Supplies

December 15th-AZcend-Donation: Canned Goods

December 16th-Gilbert Fire and Rescue- Donation: Children's Toys and Games

Event Times- 5:30pm-9:00pm

Event Sponsorship

Event sponsorship opportunities
Or contact Mike Leppert at 480-503-6235

Event Parking

Parking is available at the Southeast Regional Library.  Entrances to the library are on both Greenfield Road and Guadalupe Road.  Event entrance is located on the Guadalupe Road parking lot side.  If parking at one of the local businesses, please be courteous of the site, and do not leave trash or block customer parking.

Event Accessibility

This event is held on the paved trails around the preserve and is fully accessible by strollers, wheelchairs and walkers.
Pets on leash are welcome at the event. Please do not allow children to climb on light displays.  Violators will be asked to leave the event. 

Hope to see you guys there!

Sellers Market in the Gilbert, Arizona

You have heard these words before. It's a sellers market! It's a buyers market! 

What does that even mean? 

Right now, November 2017, in the Metro Phoenix area, we are in a sellers market. That means there is very few listings on the market. Why does this matter? In a buyers market, the buyer has multiple places to pick from. In a sellers market though, the seller has multple buyers to pick from. 

In the highly sought after subdivison, Ashland Ranch, in Gilbert they currently have 3* house for sell. That might not seem that bad but considering the subdivison has 667 houses in it, I would say that is extremely low for that subdivsion. 

What does that mean for you though? Let me tell you. If you have been thinking of selling your house, now is the time to do it. Most people think that with the holiday season upon us the Real Estate market slows. The truth is this time of year is amazing for sellers! Everyone is either having company over which means your house is already "showing ready." Or, you will be travel this time of year which means your agent has more oppoutunity to show your house and sell it. Noone but your realtor needs to know that you are out of town. It is the perfect time to list your house, decorations and all! And that new updated kitchen you have been wanting? Why not make it your gift to yourself in your new home.

Don't wait until it is a buyers market and you are having to compeat with your neighbors. Corner your market, the time is now!!!

To get a FREE home valution click here!

*Please note that the number given as an example is the number of houses on the market at the time this blogpost was writenon 11/20/17 @ 5:30pm

Home Value Estimator by Kristie Rodricks

Have you ever wondered what your house was worth? What about your neighbors? What about an ex?

Get three FREE estimates, and see buyers currently searching for a home similar to yours.

 

 

 

The market is always changing so if you register with Buyside you will receive an email once a month with new estimates on what your house is currently worth.

Home Value Estimator by Kristie Rodricks

Rocket Fizz

Suitcases full of candy.

Walls covered with tin signs.

The biggest box of Beanboozle you have ever seen.

Soda’s with the funniest labels you realize you are laughing out loud. 

These are only a few of the amazing things I have to say about Rocket Fizz in Gilbert. I love this store so much I have taken friends and family of all ages and each time everyone leaves with a huge smile on their face.

Rocket Fizz has become one of our favorite places to go while in Down Town Gilbert. You walk into the candy store and you are transformed into your adolescent self. Stories are told of buying taffy for a nickel, candy cigarette off the ice-cream truck, and circus peanuts that always seem to be at your grandparents. This is a place where your bag of candy is not paid per the pound so load it up!

I can stay in this store for hours reading all the signs, flipping through the old movie posters, looking at all the different types of candy, soda, and gum they have from all over the world. The best part this store doesn’t break the bank. Whoop-whoop!

Next time you are in Gilbert stop by Rocket Fizz, I promise it will not disappoint. 

350 N Gilbert Rd #150, Gilbert, AZ 85234

 

May's Newsletter

Guest Bathrooms

Do you have that awkward half bath that is normally downstairs, next to the kitchen, that you send your guest to when at your house? I do! I have always had an issue with decorating it. After all it is a tiny room with just a toilet and a sink. 

Over the years I have always had issues with the awkward half bath. When over at someone's house I would always look to see how they would decorate it. Some had the same issues I did, others did not. Here is what I have found over the years that helps to make that awkward half bath not so, well... awkward. 

Accent Wall:

Tile, Shiplap, Paint

 Pick a wall to be your accent wall. Think of the theme in your house: contemporary, farmhouse, industrial, ornate? Make your accent wall pop with your theme. Don't be afraid of colors either. See example above. They painted their walls and ceiling BLACK and accented with whites. It works. 

One of my favorite bathrooms I have ever been in was a purple bathroom with a faux brick wall as the accent wall. It was a girlfriends house in high school. I was only in there once and 15 years later I still remember it. 

Once your accent wall is done think of how you want to style the room. I recommend not changing the sink, mirror or toilet if you aren't wanting to spend a lot of money. You can dress up your awkward bathroom by fancy hanging towels, art work, accessories, light fixtures. Make it warm and inviting. Make it a place where your guest walk out and say "I love the way you did the bathroom." Take that awkward space in your house and turn it into a statement. 

April's Newsletter

What Color to Use Inside?

Over the past couple of weeks I have gotten this question a lot from people who are getting their house ready to sell. "What colors should I use on the inside to give it a fresh new look?"

Great question! Browns are out right now. Neutrals are the way to go. There are two hot trends right now in home decor; Farm House and Industrial. Both of these styles go great with a neutral  Color palette. Remember, when you are painting your house to sell, you are preparing it for the next family that will be living in your home.

Don't be afraid of color. There are some amazing colors out there that will attract many buyers. To see more color palettes please follow me on pinterest as I have many different color options on there. Here are two of my favorite palettes right now.

 This Seeds palette shows you great options for the industrial look. Different shades of Greys and Blue-Greys.

PPG Modern Farmhouse colors are seriously a work of art, and I don't say that because my mom works for PPG either. It truly gives you many different colors to work with and they all go great together. The color "Polaris" is just stunning on walls. I know, because my parents just re-did their house in this color. It is fresh and clean looking. Anyone will love that color.

Don't forget to sign-up to this blog to receive first hand tips for updating your home. 

Love Your Home $50,000 Sweepstakes

 

LoveYourHomeSweeps.com 

No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 21 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes ends at 5:00 p.m. ET on June 16, 2017. For full official rules and to enter, visit www.LoveYourHomeSweeps.com. Sponsored by BHH Affiliates, LLC, 18500 Von Karman Avenue, #400, Irvine, California 92612. 

Kristie Rodricks Sales Professional kristie.rodricks@bhhsaz.com berkshirehathawayhs.com/

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©2017 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Information not verified or guaranteed. If your property is currently listed with a Broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Granite VS Quartz

 

 I get many seller's and buyer's who keep asking me which is better, Granite or Quartz? So before you go remodeling your kitchen I wanted to give you the pros and cons of both. If you click on the picture above it will take you to my pinterest board that has more information and examples of different counter tops.

If you are looking to upgrade your kitchen for selling purposes remember this statistic. 95% of the people looking to buy your home will be younger than you. Today's trend is the modern grey/white look. Clean lines, fresh, open, classic but yet simple. Go with colors that you can pair easily with other colors. Give your buyers a natural starting point. They can always come in add their own touch of color by rugs, hardware, wall art, light fixtures, decor, plates, flowers, curtains, etc. 

Here are some great examples. 

Now, concrete counter-top's, that will be for a different blog post on a different day.

Agritopia

(Click Here to see what is for sale in this community)
Agritopia® community is something of a modern day village set within the urban fabric of the Phoenix metro area. The name says it all: Agritopia® is about preserving urban agriculture and integrating it into the most neighborly, well-designed community possible. It is a principle-driven development that puts people and relationships ahead of money and trendiness. We believe that a simple life with friends and family is a rich life. The design of the community is intended to breakdown traditional barriers between people to encourage formation of real community among people of varied backgrounds .

During the early 1900’s, Gilbert was known as the “Hay Capitol” of the world due to the dominance of alfalfa hay on the local farms. In 1927, the Reber family homesteaded a farm on the dirt roads named Higley and Ray. They built barns, sheds, and a small home and began farming hay. By 1960, when the Johnston family bought the farm, the crops of choice had changed to cotton and wheat. Jim Johnston and his wife, Virginia, thought that this farm would be the perfect size for a family farm and an ideal place to raise their three boys, Joe, Steve, and Paul.

They built a home on the farm (which is now Joe’s Farm Grill) and lived a very rural, independent life. The boys all attended Higley Elementary School and Gilbert High School and worked on the farm during the summers and as needed by Jim. After Steve and Paul graduated from University of Arizona, majoring in agriculture, they returned to the farm and continued the family farming tradition. By the late 1990’s, Gilbert was growing rapidly and it became clear that the farm would soon be surrounded by housing. The family made the decision to start planning what would become of the farm after nearly 40 years of farming.

They now have four different places for residents and non-resident's can enjoy. 

• Barnone AZ - A Craftman Community 
• The Coffee Shop 
• Fire & Brimstone
• Joe's Farm Grill

Today, all of the homes in the residential portion of the community have been built, as well as some of the commercial properties. The Johnston family still lives in Agritopia®.