The Hill Group

13 Best Day Trips to Take from Phoenix

Doug Hill — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:44:05 +0000

If you read the article Joshua Hill wrote earlier this month, Do you want less stress and a better social life? Move to Phoenix!, you know one of the reasons we love the Phoenix area so much is because of all the fun things to do in AZ. In keeping with that theme, here below is an alphabetical list I made of spectacular day trips you can take across our great state!

1. Bisbee. An old mining town located 5,000 feet above sea level in southeastern Arizona.

2. Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The mission of this arboretum is to instill in people an appreciation of plants indigenous to the region and across the world. There are miles of easy walking paths. You can bring your picnic basket and your pets, too.

3. Casa Grande Ruins. Submerge yourself into the history of the Hohokam settlers.

4. Flagstaff. Home to Northern Arizona University, the San Francisco Peaks, Arizona’s tallest mountain Mt. Humphrey’s at 12,633 feet, Beaver Street Brewery, Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort, and a rich Native American tradition.

5. Jerome. A 100 year old copper mining town known for it’s ghost stories. Fun for people of all ages to explore.

6. Lake Powell. A picture perfect paradise for boating, fishing, camping, geology, and archaeology.

7. Organ Pipe National Monument. The Sonoran Desert’s plants and wildlife create a fascinating ecosystem.

8. Payson. Lake and hiking country in the heart of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

9. Prescott. This was the original capitol of Arizona. Walk through the town of Prescott and return to a quieter, simpler time in history. The downtown area is filled with antique shops, restaurants, court house square, and the historic Hassayampa Hotel.

10. Red Rock State Park. Located in Sedona, unbelievably beautiful red rocks surround this 100 year old town. Twenty minutes away is Slide Rock State Park, home of nature’s own made smooth sandstone water slides.

11. Route 66. One of the original U.S. highways, also known as the Will Rogers Highway, is a fun trip down memory lane with attractions to stop and explore along the way.

12. Saguaro National Park. Located in Tucson, see the world’s most iconic cacti in this protected 143 square mile park.

13. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. This crater was formed through a series of eruptions sometime during the 9th century.

We hope you enjoy taking some of our favorite day trips Arizona has to offer. And if you’ve been to any of the sights above, tell us in a comment what you thought of it!

5 Steps to Making Your Own Man Cave

Guest Contributor — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:48:08 +0000

This is a guest post by Andrew Hill of NewHome Source.

Many new homes come with bonus rooms that most people aren’t quite sure what to do with right away. They could always turn it into another spare bedroom, or a home office, or a den… But usually it just sits there, filling up with knick-knacks that never seem to fit anywhere else.

Men, don’t let this happen to your home! Make it a man cave!

**DISCLAIMER: If you’re sharing your home with someone, then you should discuss it with your significant other first. Ignore this advice at your own risk.**

Putting a man room together can be pretty easy, too. Here are five steps to get you started:

1. Decide what your focus is going to be, whether it be football, movies, or billiards.

Then, work around this theme as you add in other items. For example, if your favorite football team is the Arizona Cardinals, the rest of your man cave should be full of Cardinal’s football paraphernalia.

2. Walk through the room and decide if there will be a need for any plumbing or electrical work.

If you are not a professional plumber or electrician, please hire one. Don’t ruin a good thing here. If you can do any of the work yourself, write a list of the adjustments you will be making and what tools you will need. For the tools you don’t have, you may be able to keep your costs down by borrowing them from friends and family. Just be sure to return them once you’re finished with the project.

3. What good would a man cave be if it didn’t have a mini-bar?

So, go ahead and set up some shelves and install a mini-fridge. Try to decorate the bar area so that it matches your theme, too. And don’t forget the bar stools!

4. Now add in plenty of comfy chairs and couches for you and your friends.

La-Z-Boy recliners are still some of the best out there! If you have a baseball theme, though, you may want to find some vintage baseball stadium seats instead.

5. If you do share your home with someone, think about sound-proofing the room.

This is a great idea especially if you want your man cave to serve as a music room as well. There are many simple soundproofing solutions if you want to avoid spending loads of money on a professional job.

Now that your man cave is finished, invite your friends over, sit back, and start relaxing!

Ladies, you deserve your own room, too! So, tell us in a comment below what you would use your room for and what your theme would be.

Image Credit: sufinawaz on stock.xchng.

‘Tis The Season For Spring Cleaning

The Best of Arizona A to Z in Honor of its 100th Anniversary

Doug Hill — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:12:33 +0000

Arizona is turning 100 this year!

But if you ask me, it doesn’t look a day over 92…he he.

In honor of its statehood day tomorrow, February 14th, I put together this A to Z list of reasons why I love and appreciate AZ, my home. Enjoy!

A – Arizona. Arizona is our nation’s 48th State. Arizona’s statehood date is February 14, 1912, and on that day, it became the last contiguous state to be added to the union. Happy Valentine’s Day, Arizona!

B – Bisbee. On January 9, 1902, the City of Bisbee was incorporated. Bisbee became popular for its copper mining and is, now, a well-known artist community, too. Yes, hippies are alive and well in Bisbee.

C – Canyon de Chelly. Canyon de Chelly is a national monument in northern Arizona and has some of the most colorful rock formations you will ever see. Jeep tours can be taken through the canyon for views of some of these natural wonders and Native American ruins.

D – Diamondbacks. The Arizona Diamondbacks is our state’s only baseball team and, in 2001, became the fastest expansion franchise ever to win a pennant and a World Series.

E – Eden, Barbara. Barbara Eden, of I Dream of Jeannie fame, was born in Tucson, Arizona in 1934.

F – Flagstaff. If you think Arizona is always hot, think again. Flagstaff, Arizona is only a 2½ hour drive north of Phoenix, and is home to Arizona Snowbowl, where you can ski, snowboard, or do some good old fashioned sledding.

G – Grand Canyon. The south rim of the Grand Canyon is only four hours north of Phoenix. There you can explore the sites by hiking, riding a mule, boating down the mighty Colorado, or by visiting one of its museums.

H – Hopi Indians. The Hopi Indians of Arizona are a branch of the Pueblo Peoples who, at one time, inhabited a large part of the Southwest. Their culture can be found in abundance in Arizona.

I – Isabella Greenway. Isabella Greenway is best known as the first U.S. congresswoman in Arizona history.

J – Jacaranda. Jacaranda trees can be seen all over the Phoenix area. Their purple fern-like leaves are beautiful but, unfortunately, only flower for a couple of weeks in May.

K – KFAD (now KTAR). KFAD was the first licensed commercial radio station in 1922.

L – Las Vegas. I know this list is supposed to be about Arizona, but I had to mention the fact that you can get to Las Vegas in about an hour by plane or about six hours by car. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but I always return to Arizona!

M – Monument Valley. Monument Valley provides some of the most amazing images of the American Southwest and encompasses the three major canyons of de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument.

N – Northern Arizona University. NAU is one of the three state universities in Arizona, and is located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The other two universities are Arizona State University and University of Arizona.

O – OK Corral. The Gunfight at the OK Corral is one of the most famous gunfights of the old west and happened in Tombstone, Arizona on October 26, 1881. Famous participants of the fight were Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday.

P – Prickly Pear Margaritas. Prickly Pear Margaritas are a trendy drink found in restaurants across Arizona. Yummmmmm……

Q – Queen Creek Olive Oil. The Queen Creek Olive Mill can be found at the base of the San Tan Mountains and is Arizona’s only working olive farm and mill.

R – Retirement. According to World Facts & Figures, Phoenix, Arizona has 211 sunny days per year. Couple that with hundreds of golf courses and lake communities, and you have the perfect place to relax after years of hard work!

S – Suns. The Phoenix Suns is the only professional basketball team in Arizona. It was founded in 1968 and is part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the NBA. In 43 years of play, they have made the playoffs 29 times.

T – Temperature. Okay, it can get hot in Phoenix… The hottest it has ever been in Phoenix was 122 degrees on June 26, 1990 (“but it’s a dry heat”), and the coldest recorded temperature in Phoenix was 29 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, though, the average temperature in Phoenix in February is 71 degrees. And that’s a number I can love!

U – University of Arizona. The UofA is located in Tucson, Arizona, and is a public research university that was founded in 1885.

V – Valentine’s Day. Maine may be for lovers, but we like to think of Arizona as The Romance State. Founded on February 14, 1912 (Valentine’s Day), Arizona certainly has earned its title.

W – Winery. When most people think about wineries, Arizona is usually not the first state that comes to mind. But it should be! Some of our favorites include: Alcantara Vineyards, Echo Canyon, Jerome Winery, and Oak Creek Vineyards. There are many more, so check them out, too. Cheers!

X – Xpress, Polar. I took some liberties with this one, but check out the Polar Express Train Ride with your kids during the holidays. It starts at the Williams, Arizona Depot and takes a scenic trip through the wilderness to the “North Pole.” Make this one a holiday tradition.

Y – Yuma. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Yuma, AZ is the sunniest place on earth.

Z – Zebras. Out of Africa is a Wildlife Park located 1½ hours north of Phoenix, where you will find zebras, tigers, giraffe, rhinoceros, black bear, camel, ostrich, cobras, exotic birds, tortoise, wildebeest, jaguar, leopards, wolves, hyenas, and oh my, more! If you can’t make it to Out of Africa, there’s the Phoenix Zoo, too.

Now that you’ve read my list, I want to hear from you! If you could change one of the letters above to represent a different word, which letter and word would it be? Let me know in a comment below!

Do you want less stress and a better social life? Move to Phoenix!

Joshua Hill — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:44:17 +0000

Okay, maybe a move to Phoenix can’t make you as cool and stress-free as Zack Morris overnight, but moving to one of the top 20 cities for healthy living could help you surround yourself with happier, more active people!

“Aging is inevitable, but the rate of aging is not,” says RealAge.com’s Chief Medical Officer Keith Roach, MD. The company’s patented RealAge Test asks questions about its test taker’s cholesterol, smoking habits, marital status, eating habits, stress, employment, and social life, and has been taken by more than 28 million people since 1999. After analyzing the results from the tests taken in 2011, RealAge announced the Youngest & Oldest Cities in America rankings.

What did RealAge have to say about Phoenix?

Here’s an excerpt:

“Hot, dry, and rugged Phoenix is America’s sixth-largest city and ranks right smack in the middle for exercise (number 25), which is surprising in light of the ample hiking, mountain biking, river rafting, and golfing available in this desert metropolis. [...] Phoenix-Mesa is nonetheless home to an optimistic, largely anger-free population — putting it in the number 18 spot on America’s youngest cities list.”

River rafting near Phoenix? That’s right! And you can read more articles about things to do around Phoenix here.

Fridays Around Phoenix – Independence Day Fireworks 2011

Super Bowl Trivia Quiz – 2012

Joshua Hill — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:18:42 +0000

Where are you planning to watch Super Bowl XLVI this year?

Whether you’re heading to a friend’s house, watching it with family, or having everyone over to watch the BIG game on your BIG screen, here’s a 12-question Super Bowl quiz for you to share during the party!

To make the most of it, I’ve come up with three fun ways for you to turn the quiz into a contest no matter where you are or how many people you’re with:

1. Have a small prize on hand for all 12 of the questions. Then, award the first person to raise their hand and answer each question with one of your 12 prizes.

2. Instead of bringing 12 prizes with you, choose one mystery surprise to give to the one person who answers the most questions correctly. To prevent a tie, only ask the first 11 questions to the group, saving the 12th question as a Lightening Round Tie Breaker!

3. For even more excitement and friendly competition, divide your party into two or three groups. Then, as you ask each question aloud, have each team agree on an answer and write it down on a piece of paper – remember, no help from mobile phones! After you’ve asked the 11th question (saving the 12th question as a tie breaker), check each team’s answers, and either announce the winning team and or proceed to the Lightening Round!

Since the commercials and the Half Time Show are often the most watched parts of the Super Bowl, make sure you choose the right time to start your Super Bowl Trivia Quiz and have fun with it!

Image Credit: Jayel Aheram on Flickr. CC Licensed.

Our 3 Words for 2012

How to Calculate Your Monthly Mortgage Payment [Video]

Joshua Hill — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:21:00 +0000

I was meeting with a home buyer earlier today, and she asked me how to figure out how much the monthly mortgage payment would be on a house she saw online. Now, without speaking to her mortgage banker, I can’t give her or you an exact amount, but let me tell you what I told her.

I recommend keeping a mortgage calculator app on your phone and or at least on your computer for quick reference. There are a ton of mortgage calculator apps and websites out there, but the one I have on my phone is Matt Baker’s Mortgage Calculator. It’s a free app, and I found it very quickly in the Android Market. I don’t have an iPhone, but if you do, I’ve been told it’s also in the iTunes market.

Now, once you have your mortgage calculator in front of you, plug in as many of the details about the home as you know. The more you know up front, the more accurate the calculator can get. Here below are the six most important items you should know about the home before you can calculate your monthly mortgage payment. For more information about each item, watch this video or feel free to post a comment below!

1. Loan Amount

2. Mortgage Term

3. Interest Rate

4. Annual Property Taxes

5. Annual Homeowners Insurance Premium

6. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Rate

So, there you have it. Those are the six most important numbers that will impact your monthly mortgage payment on any given house here in the Greater Phoenix Area. But there is one other important number that won’t be wrapped into your monthly mortgage payment that you should still keep in mind, depending on what kind of house you are planning to buy.

If you are planning to buy a home in a community with a homeowners association (HOA), that HOA will charge a monthly assessment in addition to your monthly mortgage payment. I’ve seen this number as low as $15 – $20 per month, and as high as $500, $600, even close to a thousand dollars for some luxury condominium communities. If you’re going to consider homes with HOAs, make sure you talk with your Realtor about how much you can afford and setting a limit now before you get your hopes up about a home with monthly HOA assessments you can’t afford.

Thanks for watching. If you have any questions about buying a home here in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area, please feel free to contact us here, or post a comment below!

Phoenix Area Real Estate Update – January 31, 2012

Joshua Hill — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:18:50 +0000

In our ongoing effort to post consistent and timely real estate market updates, here below is a Concise Market Snapshot from The Cromford Report, and my own short commentary afterward. For a frame of reference on this month’s numbers, you may want to take a quick look at last month’s post, “Phoenix Area Real Estate Update – December 7, 2011.”

No matter who we’re talking to, almost all of our initial conversations with new clients revolve around two main topics: the number of houses for sale, and the average home sale price. And, for good reason! They are two of the most important market indicators of supply and demand. Using the chart above, let’s look at these two statistics and how they’ve changed over the last month.

Number of Houses for Sale

At 25,275, the total number of houses for sale is approximately 1.5% lower today than it was on the same day last month. As inconsequential as that may seem, we are now hovering around the lowest total since October 2005. While some may call this a “supply shortage,” we must remember that many neighborhoods act independently of one another, and most price ranges (e.g., <$100,000, $250,000 – $350,000, $1,000,000+, etc.) do, too. In the Phoenix area, for example, some price ranges are averaging 33 sales per month, while others are averaging 750. This drastic difference in monthly sales is naturally going to have a greater impact on the number of houses for sale in certain price ranges more than others.

Average Home Sale Price

The average home sale price took a slight dip over the last month, but it is still higher today than it was last quarter AND last year. This is an important distinction to make, because the Phoenix real estate market often slows down during January and February. In this post last year, “Phoenix Area Real Estate Update – January 4, 2011,” I pointed out that the average sales price had fallen from December to January also. Despite this seasonal slide in pricing, I actually believe we’re going to see the average home sale price across the Greater Phoenix Area rise during the spring months of 2012 – especially on the homes priced below $350,000.

Have you noticed any changes to the real estate market in your own subdivision or community? If so, leave a comment below!

**If you would like a chart, similar to the one above, prepared for your own city or zip code within the Greater Phoenix Area, just post a comment below, send us an email, or, give us a call the old fashioned way! We would love to hear from you.**

Source: The Cromford Report

Phoenix Open 2012 is Nearly Here

Joshua Hill — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:03:48 +0000

Although I couldn’t bear calling it by its proper name in my post title, I should clarify that the Waste Management Phoenix Open is nearly here!!

Sponsors, gotta love ‘em…

By returning to the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Scottsdale, this year marks the 25th consecutive year and the longest continuous stretch a Tournament Players Club has hosted a PGA TOUR event. While the first practice round begins on Monday, January 30th at 10:00am, this year’s main event starts on Thursday, February 2nd at 7:30am and will conclude with the fourth round of play beginning on Sunday, February 5th at 9:00am.

While Saturday is, historically, the most popular day of the golf tournament, tens of thousands of spectators are expected to pass through the front gate of the Phoenix Open on each of the four main days. Last year, the total attendance topped 364,000… So, if you’re planning to join the party this year, I suggest you buy your tickets soon and get there early!

Did I just use the words party and golf in the same paragraph?

I sure did. The TPC Scottsdale is considered by many to be the most fan-friendly venue on the PGA TOUR, and because of that, it consistently attracts the largest galleries of any golf tournament in the world.

What makes the TPC Scottsdale so fan-friendly?

I can think of a few reasons…

1. The Coors Light Birds Nest entertainment tent will host live music each night from Wednesday through Saturday by famous artists such as Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, the Grammy award winning Goo Goo Dolls, an 80s cover band named Flashback Heart Attack, and more.

2. The skybox seats surrounding the 16th Hole create the most unique stadium-like setting around any hole on any course in the world.

3. Don’t forget, the Phoenix Open is a PGA TOUR event, and that means you may spot a few Hall of Famers like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Vijay Singh, and Phil Mickelson.

4. And, of course, our warm Arizona winters! As of the writing of this post, the high temperatures during the Phoenix Open are forecasted to reach 73 degrees during the day with zero chance of rain!

Speaking of our beautiful, winter weather, it’s also a great time of year to buy a home in the Phoenix area. If you’ve thought about buying a second home or possibly your first rental property here, please give us a call or visit our Contact Us page!

For even more information about the tournament’s history and records that have been broken during the Phoenix Open, go visit the Statistics & Records Book here.

What: Phoenix Open 2012
Where: TPC Scottsdale
How: 888.400.4001

More Short Sale Success in Phoenix

Joshua Hill — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:45:42 +0000

Over the last year, short sales here in the Phoenix area have been picking up momentum, and in November and December of 2011, they broke two new records!

…not Guinness World Records…but records I believe you should know about nonetheless…

Record #1

November 2011 was the first month – in the history of Phoenix real estate I believe – when more short sales closed escrow than lender owned properties. According to the latest statistics from our Arizona Regional Multiple Listing System (ARMLS), in November of 2011, 2,009 short sales and 1,888 (approximately 6% fewer) lender owned properties successfully closed escrow.

Record #2

December 2011 marked the month with the highest number of closed short sales, which, according to ARMLS, hit 2,386.

Why is this important?

Short sales are considered distress sales, and because of this, most people associate them with lower average sales prices. However, the average sales price of a short sale today is higher than that of a lender owned property. So, if short sales continue to outnumber lender owned sales, as we expect them to, the average sales price in the Phoenix area should rise with them.

And it’s beginning to happen already.

Just last month, I got to report in my post, “When will the Phoenix real estate market bottom out?”, that the average monthly sales price per square foot hit a low of $78.76 in September of 2011!

Why are we seeing more short sale success in Phoenix?

There are a number of exciting factors at play right now, but we’ve noticed two dramatic shifts.

First, homeowners are continuing to learn more about short sales, and as they do, many are realizing a short sale is their best financial alternative to a foreclosure.

Second, many banks improved their short sale processes in 2011, which is starting to result in faster approvals. Getting your offer on a short sale reviewed by a bank is still taking longer than it does with a lender owned property, but faster is better (in this case). And we’ll take better.

If you have more questions about buying a short sale or how to sell your house as a short sale, contact us!

Before You Consider Buying a House For Sale By Owner…

Joshua Hill — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:31:23 +0000

We’ve talked a lot about the home buying process here on The Phoenix Real Estate Blog over the years, but most of our home buying tips have assumed you would use them to buy a house for sale by a real estate brokerage with the assistance of a REALTOR®. Maybe it’s because we’re biased…

Nevertheless, I realize there are houses out there that are for sale by their owners, and this week, I heard about a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) transaction I have to share with you.

Here it is…

The house involved in this transaction is located in Phoenix, AZ – in the Arcadia district along the Camelback Corridor – and it sold earlier this month for $253,000 in cash. With only around 200 homes for sale and approximately 50 – 80 homes selling each month in the Arcadia district right now, I’m sure these buyers had a tough time finding something they liked in their price range there. So, in my always curious way, I set out to determine how well priced the home was at $253,000.

After all, the owners sold it themselves without having to pay a commission to any REALTORS®, so the buyers had to have gotten a GREAT DEAL, right? I mean, I’m sure the sellers relayed a portion of those savings on to the buyers, right??

In order to determine a fair market value for the home, I did what I would do for any client of ours who wants to know what the sales prices around a particular house have been lately. I searched the Multiple Listing System (MLS) for any single level single family home, built within 10 years of the house in question, that has within 20% of the square footage the house in question has, sits on a similarly sized lot, is located within the surrounding two mile radius, and sold within the last three months. I added a few other criteria to weed out the oddballs, but rather than bore you with every last step, I’ll just tell you I used similar methods a home appraiser would use to identify four to six of the closest comparable sales. I can do this with fairly resolute accuracy, because I make it a point to study every one of the home appraisals that come across my desk.

After all of this, do you know what I found?

I found that, over the last three months in the surrounding two mile radius, the sales price of the For Sale by Owner house in question tied for the highest sales price, was 25% higher than the average sales price, and three of the four currently active listings are priced below $253,000.

In fairness to the transaction, I obviously do not know what the inside of the home looked like (because it was never listed on the MLS by another brokerage), or what the terms of the sale were. Maybe the walls inside were painted with gold leaf or the garage washes your car while you sleep. Maybe the sale of the home came with a rare but valuable set of baseballs signed by the only three Baltimore Orioles teams to have won the World Series. Maybe…

Home Buying Tips I Do Know

1. Your buyer representation should not cost you anything. If you are thinking about looking at a house for sale by the owner, let your buyer’s agent call the owner first to see if he/she would consider working with a REALTOR® on the buyer-side of the transaction. This way, the seller can still save half of the commission he/she was trying to keep from paying, and you get free advice from a real estate professional who has access to a great deal of information and statistics a FSBO seller probably cannot and will not provide to you.

2. I’m sorry to say this, but it is from many years of seeing homes for sale by their owners. Many FSBO homes are priced the way they are, because the owners cannot afford to sell the home for its current market value. By selling their homes FSBO, many sellers are hoping to avoid many of the costly contingencies involved in a traditional Arizona Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract (e.g., the home inspection contingency, the appraisal contingency, the repair of seller warranted items, etc.).

3. Before you buy any home, you should see and be given time to review a list of four to six comparable sales that was prepared by someone other than the seller or the seller’s representative, preferably by your REALTOR® or home appraiser.

If you have any questions about buying a home, houses For Sale By Owner in particular, or the Arcadia district, please post a comment below, send us a message on our Contact Us page, or give us a call!

Image Credit: stevendamron on Flickr. CC Licensed.