Our neighborhood has a few traditions: A neighborhood chili cook-off before Halloween Luminarias on Christmas Eve Flags out front for every holiday. The last part, the flags, are provided by the local boy scouts. They deliver a large flag to your front yard… a flag that flies from dawn to dusk. Since my son has been a boy scout for several years now that means I drive while he posts. It's amazing how different the neighborhood looks during the holidays. The neighbors smile that much more. They wave as you deliver or take down. More importantly, this act raises questions among the very young. When they ask why we put the flags out front we're able to explain what the flag means to us. We explain that it's more than a decoration- it's a symbol… and, a feeling. A symbol that this nation s... 07/04/2008

John Karadsheh, ABR, CRS | Russ Lyon Realty Company | 602-615-0843 4644 East Farmdale Avenue, Mesa, AZ Active Adult Golf Community of Sunland Village! 2BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $180,000 Year Built 1982 Sq Footage 1,580 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 6,991 sqft HOA/Maint $30 per month DESCRIPTION This Is A Wonderful 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Home In The 55+ Active Adult Community Of Sunland Village. This Home Features A Huge Living Room & Dining Room With Solar Tube Skylights, Family Room With Wet Bar And Large 240 Square Foot Arizona Room (Not Included In The Total Square Footage) With Window A/C. The Big Eat-In Kitchen Has A Built-In Microwave, Refrigerator & R/O System. The Master Bathroom Boasts Double Sinks, Lots Of Counter Sp... 06/30/2008

Sometimes it is easy to forget, or not realize, all of the great things you love to do in your home town or home state. As a real estate professional these expereinces are so important to remember as a good portion of our business is with those clients that are relocating. It does not matter if it is an expereince at a major event in Glendale, like this past winters Superbowl, or a trip to the local diner. All of these activities are important to those that are new to the area or are considering many different locations to plant roots. I have recently made a new goal to make sure that I take my digital camera with me every where I go. Regardless of the fact that is a good and important practice as a father of 2 and a husband, I am quite certain that there are many out there that would l... 06/30/2008

Mesa Arizona has several opportunities for residents and their families to keep cool during the hot summer season. Mesa boasts five pools and six aquatic complexes. Its Carson/Westwood Aquatic Complex reopened after a major overhaul that made it into an eight-lane racing pool with a zero-depth area (beach entry), two large water-slides and a children's slide, geysers and tumble buckets. Last season this new re-done facility drew 47,000 users. There is basically something for everyone at this facility. By contrast , Brimhall Pool, which does not have comparable features but has well-established team programs, also draws large crowds - about 84,000 - during the last season. Overall Mesa has 11 public pools: Brimhall, Carson, Fremont, Kino, Mesa Jr, Poston, Powell, Rhodes, Shepherd, Staple... 06/28/2008

  We purchased a tree for the edge of our lawn because we loved the yellow flowers that sometimes bloomed. It was a narrow tree with a single trunk that barely managed to sustain the weight of the foliage. A violent wind blew and we watched from the front window. First the tree bent back and forth. It bent further, then broke... ...leaving nothing more than a pointed stick in the ground. Lazily, I snapped the remainder of the trunk from view and told myself I would dig out the roots later. Then branches emerged from the ground. These branches looked bush-like, so I let it go. Now we have a multiple trunked tree which is always green- with occasional yellow blooms. This tree, with its multiple trunks, is impervious to the strongest winds. So much in life hinges on such strength- the abi... 06/28/2008

Search Las Sendas Homes Contact Brandon Hunt with Remax should you have any real estate questions about the community of Las Sendas in Mesa, Arizona. Las Sendas is bordered by the beautiful Usery Mountains and Tonto National Forest in Mesa's northeast corner. Residents of Las Sendas are surrounded by spectacular mountain and vistas views that are enhanced by the natural desert surroundings. It is not uncommon to see roadrunners, baby quail, geckos and jackrabbits in Las Sendas. Las Sendas has several amenities that include; a public golf course, club house, pools, hiking and walking paths, parks and tennis courts. The community name 'Las Sendas' means 'The Paths' in English. These trails are spread throughout the 2,400 acre community and coil through large areas of desert flora. Las Se... 06/27/2008

While the down turn in the market has affected tens of thousands of people negatively, there is an upside.  I want to be very sensative to those that have taken great losses in this market.  If it's any consolation, I took a very big loss myself in more ways than one as the market tanked. I am happy say that I had no part in any of the shady loans that were written over the past several years.  I had people on more than one occasion tell me about this person or that person who made all of this money as a lender, wondering why I wasn't lving like a king.Well, some of those people are actually headed to jail, and thankfully I have a very clear conscience. So now it's rebuilding time for both those that lost homes and those that never were able to invest in a home of their own.  There are ... 06/25/2008

The Bowl-A-Thon to benefit Bill and Cindy Flowers (click here for original post) was a huge success. With the efforts of the local KW community, our preferred vendors, and our clients and friends we were able to present the Flowers with a check for $12,000. All told I believe the amount was almost $15,000. It was great to see Bill & Cindy and watch our community assist some of it's finest in an hour of need. Here is the note that Cindy posted on their CaringBridge journal: Dear Loved Ones! Bill and I are still trying to recover from the tremendous outpouring of love shown to us at the Bowl-a-thon yesterday! We are grasping for words that will describe the overwhelming appreciation we have for what you did for us. The money you raised will pay for some dreams I've had for Bill since this... 06/20/2008

If you are thinking of moving to the Mesa Arizona area, or anyplace in the entire Southeast Phoenix Valley, and you have children or are expecting a new baby you'll be interested in knowing that Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center is expanding its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to 104 beds as part of the larger $350 million expansion program. Arizona has a growing number of multiple births and the new NICU will include private rooms that are capable of hosting multiple births. Nationally the number of premature births are rising. The new facility will be equipped to handle these needs in a more expanded way. Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center will open it's new 7 story patient tower in late 2009 expanding its capability to 248 beds. So if you... 06/17/2008

If you live in the East Phoenix Valley you may not have yet noticed, but the Costco that was located at Southern Ave and Power Road in Mesa has moved to a much larger and new location at 1444 S Sossaman road in Mesa. This happened on June 5th. The new location is much much bigger with more offerings and also includes a gas station, which the old Mesa building did not have. There is a huge amount of parking which will make it better than the former cramped little parking lot that never offered enough parking space. The new location is just south of Southern Ave on Sossaman, just north of Highway 60. 06/14/2008

John Karadsheh, ABR, CRS | Russ Lyon Realty Company | 602-615-0843 1510 East Jensen Street, Mesa, AZ Incredible Central Mesa Home! 4BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $317,000 Year Built 1979 Sq Footage 2,166 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 10,942 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION BEAUTIFUL CORNER, CUL-DE-SAC LOT AND GREAT LOCATION MAKES THIS HOME VERY DESIRABLE. PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP IS REFLECTED IN THIS MOVE IN CONDITION HOME. NICE FOYER WITH DOUBLE DOORS, VAULTED CEILING IN LIVING ROOM. UPGRADED KITCHEN WITH NEWER APPLIANCES & SLAB GRANITE COUNTER TOPS. FAMILY ROOM WITH BRICK FIREPLACE. LOVELY BACKYARD WITH FENCED POOL, DOG RUN, EXTRA PARKING SLAB. NEWER A/C UNIT. THIS HOME IS WELL MAINTAINED THROUGH OUT. see additional photos belo... 05/30/2008

John Karadsheh, ABR, CRS | Russ Lyon Realty Company | 602-615-0843 1924 East Hope Street, Mesa, AZ Incredible Custom Home In Mesa@! 4BR/4BA Single Family House offered at $670,000 Year Built 1979 Sq Footage 4,000 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 4 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 14,867 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Beautiful Custom Home In Orangewood Estates! As You Enter This Home Through The Grand Foyer You Are Greeted By An Elegant Formal Living Room & Adjoining Formal Dining Room. The Split Master Bedroom Features A Gas Fireplace, A Large Master Bathroom With Large Closet & Seperate Tub & Shower. Connecting To The Master Bedroom Is A Large Office That Could Be A Perfect Nursery Or Workout Room! All Of The Large Guest Rooms Have Their Own Bathrooms. The Huge Kit... 05/30/2008

7 Reasons to Own Your Own Home In general, a person's home is their single biggest investment.  Purchasing a home can be a rewarding experience if it is done with the right expectations.  Here are just seven of the many advantages to owning your own home.1. Tax breaks. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, the property taxes you pay, as well as some of the costs involved in buying and selling your home.2. Gains. Real Estate, should not be looked at as a short term investment, it is cyclical, but over the long term is has appreciated.  Nationally, housing has appreciated every year since 1997 (with the exception of 2007) According to the Office of Federal Housing Oversight. 3. Equity. Money paid for rent is money that you'll never see again, but mortgag... 05/29/2008

This is a copy of the article that I wrote and was published in both the Las Sendas Up Close Newspaper & the Red Mountain Ranch Up Close Newspaper, June 2008 Editions.   "I am waiting for the market to bottom out".  This is the most common statement that I hear when consulting with potential buyers.  While it is always best to follow the old saying "Buy Low, Sell High", there are multiple variables to consider.  First, we won't know when the real estate market has hit the bottom until it starts to come back up.  Second, if the housing market were to decrease by an additional five percent, and interest rates rose by one percent, your monthly mortgage payment would be higher than if you purchased today.   Purchase Price Interest Rate Monthly Payment (P/I Only) $1,000,000 6.00% $5,995 $950... 05/29/2008

There is still time to enjoy the Mesa Arizona Swap meet while it is still operating on winter hours which are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7am until 4pm. You can start your day with a breakfast for a low as $2.50. There is free parking and live entertainment. More than 1600 booths and 55 acres make this one of Arizona's largest covered swap meets. In July and August the facility is only open on Saturdays and Sundays when the temperatures soar. But even then you can enjoy the event as there are giant misters located throughout the facility making it an enjoyable experience even if the temperatures might be more than 110 degrees. There is something for everyone at the swap meet. There is everything from native Indian art and treasures to collectibles, jewelry, silk plants, native c... 05/26/2008

This writing is designed to try to better educate and inform buyers and sellers in our Phoenix, Arizona valley home buying and selling market. Purchasing or selling a home on your own can sometimes turn your world upside down. Listed below are basic tips on educating yourself as a buyer or seller so you will know what initial steps you need to take to prepare! For Sellers: 1 - PLAN to be ready to have your home on the market for a possible six months+ NO MATTER WHAT a friend or another Realtor may tell you!!! If you sell it sooner, so much the better - just plan on it being on the market for awhile. 2 - Do NOT overinflate the value of your home simply to get it listed. You will miss your potential buyer that is looking in a different price range when you choose to "test" the market. GET... 05/24/2008

As a buyer, have you ever wandered into a new home community to "look" at their models? Did you happen to notice the sign on the door that read something like this: "If you come into this community without a Realtor, you will not be able to have Realtor representation," "Or if you don't bring your Realtor the first time....", or "Your Realtor must accompany you....." Bottom line, the builder is trying to warn you that if you come into the models without a Realtor, you will be on your own - without personal representation! In the Phoenix Valley, there are so many new home builders with builder agents ready to assist you with your purchase, that it doesn't occur to many home buyers - that THEY need a professional Realtor to help them with the transaction and purchase of a brand new home.... 05/21/2008

For those that haven't heard of the Mountain Bridge community in the foothills of North Mesa, it's worth taking a look.  The builder had people camping in their RV's and cars for days waiting for Saturday's grand opening with special pricing, which was good for Saturday only.  I've got to hand it to the builder, they fed the campers three meals a day and added more available lots to meet the demand, when I left just before closing they had sold 101 lots that day.  The setting is picturesque and beautiful with the mountains to the north and city lights to the south and west.  My clients are very interested in this area and they fell in love immediately.Blandford Homes has 16 models built that are finished beautifully, the builder went all out with cobblestone streets and beautiful landsc... 05/19/2008

Though I spend most of my time working in Tempe and Scottsdale, I'm a resident of Mesa. For those keeping track, I'm also been interested in seeing who our next mayor would be. Here are the posts I've written about this: Mesa to Choose New Mayor Mesa Mayor Race Way Too Close to Call Mesa Arizona Mayoral Run-Off Election to be Held May 20, 2008 The time has finally arrived for this city of more than 450,000 residents to decide who wins the run-off election between Scott Smith and Rex Griswold. It's also time to choose a few pivotal council seats. Polls will open from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m. For a list of polling places go here: Mesa Polling Locations 05/19/2008

For those that haven't heard of the Mountain Bridge community in the foothills of North Mesa, it's worth taking a look.  The builder had people camping in their RV's and cars for days waiting for Saturday's grand opening with special pricing, which was good for Saturday only.  I've got to hand it to the builder, they fed the campers three meals a day and added more available lots to meet the demand, when I left just before closing they had sold 101 lots that day.  The setting is picturesque and beautiful with the mountains to the north and city lights to the south and west.  My clients are very interested in this area and they fell in love immediately.Blandford Homes has 16 models built that are finished beautifully, the builder went all out with cobblestone streets and beautiful landsc... 05/19/2008