Buy VS Rent

Buying a house VS Renting a house

It's the big question. Phoenix is in another big housing boom. 

Check out Channel 12 News Video here.

With rent rates going up, most rent rates are the same as a mortgage rate, why be stuck pay someone else's mortgage when you could be paying for your own? 

I love this flyer. 

It has some great points! And let's just be honest for a second,

the last point is why you really should buy VS rent. (Heavy sarcasm here) 

It is no longer cheaper to be a renter. So if you would like to talk about how you can purchase instead of rent please give me a call. There are great programs out there and I would love to tell you more about them.

MLK Weekend

The National Park Service is waiving entrance fees on Monday, 

1/16/2017, Martin Luther King Day. 

What are your plans on this 3-day weekend? Are you looking for something that is cheap AND beautiful? This is one of my favorite times of the year in Arizona, because of the weather. With highs only being in the low 60's in the metro area it is a great time to go exploring, hiking or visit one of our many national parks.

What is your favorite thing to do on MLK weekend? And what is your favorite Park to visit?

Here is a list of Arizona's parks: 

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Montezuma Castle National Monument Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Petrified Forest National Park Pipe Spring National Monument Saguaro National Park Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Tonto National Monument Tumacácori National Historical Park Tuzigoot National Monument Walnut Canyon National Monument Wupatki National Monument

 

Click on the link, (Click Here) to be taken to The National Park Service website to see what states and parks are participating. 

Why Gilbert is HOME

There are many reasons why I picked Gilbert, AZ to be the city that I raised my kids in. Here is one of my favorite reasons.

 Growing up just a few miles North in Mesa, AZ; Gilbert was "far" for those of us who grew up in the orange grooves. Gilbert, is where my dad would take us every October for Gilbert Day's Rodeo. As I sat in the backseat watching the sunset, I loved how the rows of houses turn into farm land. It meant we were close. It wasn't until we turned onto the bumpy dirt/clay makeshift parking lot that the smell would hit. My dad, who is from Texas, would say it smelled like home. To my brother and I, it smelled like dirt, cow poop, hay, fumes, fried food and smoke. We would step out of the car on those cold/wet October nights and I was always shocked by the amount of people who had the same plans as us that night. We would make our way to "our spot", by the pin that held the bulls after they finished with their 8 seconds in the ring, and my dad would go get us hot chocolate. 

It was a night full of fun memories and laughter. We watched the clowns run around the ring, people jump onto baby calf's, men TRY to stay on the wild horses or the bulls, kids chasing calf's around the ring while trying to catch the red ribbon. My favorite though, was watching my grandpa show up unexpected every year and he would act surprised to see us.

I'm smiling as I write this because the ironic thing is my house is built on those old rodeo grounds that helped shape my childhood. Every day when I take the turn onto Val Vista I remember those days when Gilbert was "out in the sticks" and feel totally blessed to call this place home.

Gilbert is still known as a town, not a city, and it is considered the largest TOWN in the country. Normally, when population goes up, so does the crime rate. Gilbert, however, has dodge that bullet and it was named the #2 safest city in the country. (click here to see article). Even though there are over 200,000 people who call Gilbert, AZ their home we still have amazing small town events; local farms markets, an amazing downtown, and we even still have Gilbert Day's Rodeo - it has just grown a little.