John Karadsheh, ABR, CRS, ASSOCIATE BROKER | Coldwell Banker, Trails & Paths Premier Properties | 602-615-0843 3766 East Halifax Circle, Mesa, AZ Incredible Custom Estate In Mesa, Arizona 7BR/9+BA Single Family House offered at $3,000,000 Year Built 2000 Sq Footage 8,176 Bedrooms 7 Bathrooms 10 full, 0 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 4+ Car garage Lot Size 1.58 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION La Casa de los Milagros literally translates into "The House of Miracles". This grand estate soulfully combines only the best of old world Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish and Mexican details. Sitting on 1.58 acres of orange groves this 8,731 square foot home boasts Seven Bedrooms, Ten Bathrooms, Two Full Separate Guest Quarters, A Game/Theater Room, Home Gym With Steam Room, Formal Din... 01/22/2009

Has there ever been a time in your life when you produced more ideas than results? Lately I've been very frustrated with myself because I know I can produce more positive results. I want to see at least one of my grandiose visions become reality. Before I climbed into my king-sized bed, I went online to see what was going on in the news. I saw was that Barack Obama already started "The Change". I read a few articles on what our president Barack Hussein Obama was able to accomplish on his first day in office; even while he was at the presidential parades and fancy balls. It didn't matter who I voted for, I realized what I was doing wrong.  The articles, made me realize why 80 percent of the time I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. Before I went to sleep, I wrote... 5 Powerful Ways... 01/21/2009

OK, I need to be upfront and honest with you. Recently, I had no idea what those little orange buttons on websites were all about. Until I viewed an How To Use RSS Feeds video to learn how powerful they were to help people like me, "information hogs." In one sentence, an RSS feed is like having a subscription to your favorite gossip magazine -- expect it's totally free. If you’d like to keep up-to-date with new information in post, like this site, you can subscribe to an RSS feed. What is RSS And How Do do I use it? RSS is a way of having people that you trust automatically send information to you... without having to go to their website. Using this free feature has saved me hours of having to check 20+ websites to see if they have updated. When the site is updated, the new content is a... 01/20/2009

Happy New Year! Listen to our monthly podcast: January podcast on “The Halle Group’s 2009 Real Estate Predictions!”: http://myrealtalk.podbean.com/ View this month’s FEATURED LISTING: http://www.flexmls.com/link.html?ona1sb31od6,12,1 View more listings at http://www.katiehalle.com View Katie’s “deal of the month: http://www.flexmls.com/link.html?ona1skqgbhl,12,1 Here’s this month’s e-newsletter: http://images.kw.com/docs/1/1/5/115375/1231732163852_January_2009_Newsletter.pdf This month’s “Green” tip: During sunny days use a clothesline. Line-drying makes your clothes smell fresh and clean, and can prevent 600 lbs.of CO2 over a six month period. Vendor of the MONTH: Find a new “Halle Group tested and approved” vendor each month: Over 50 years ago, Shaklee started a revolution, helping to... 01/18/2009

Mountain Vista Medical Center is located at Crismon and North of the 60. In July 2007, I took photos of the new medical center and shared them on a post here. The post was later commented on by the architect. Pretty cool! Mountain Vista Medical Center is offering special education events for all of those 55 and older. I've posted the events and the dates and times below, but be sure to click on the link above for the Medical Center for further information. Heart Healthy Day - Saturday February 28, 8-11 a.m. Seminar Series - FREE health seminars are designed to help us stay healthy. Rotator Cuff Repair - How This Can Help You Reach the Top Shelf - Tuesday, January 27, noon-1 p.m. Varicose Veins - Causes and Treatments - Thursday January 29, 6-7 p.m. Heel Pain - catch the Wave in New Ther... 01/18/2009

I was asked from a client in Canada. I thought about this and decided to "show" them. I took an hour out of my day to hit some spots near my home/office. This is how the weather looks in the dead of winter I replied: (click on pano the links below) http://www.artwerkscreative.com/pano http://www.artwerkscreative.com/pano2 http://www.artwerkscreative.com/pano3 http://www.artwerkscreative.com/pano4   01/16/2009

Once you have identified a rental property, negotiated the contract and closed on the deal, there's one main component left. You have to find a renter. I work with investors who like having two individuals pay their mortgage payments. The first being a reliable renter.  The second the American taxpayer.  Add those two individuals together and you have...a Section 8 renter.Hopefully, you already read my thoughts on why you should add section 8 renters into your real estate investment portfolio  and then you should have skimmed through my guide which discussed how to protect yourself from bad renters. Now you must attract a renter to your property.There are many ways to find qualified renters. Here's the marketing tools I use to lease vacant residential rental properties in 2 weeks or les... 01/15/2009

My dog needs a job. I'm serious. She's an outdoor dog and she seems, I dunno, fairly happy. She's got a half acre to roam, a small collection of toys, and birds to chase. But there's something missing. I can sense it. Anytime I approach the back door she jumps to attention. She's eager to do something. Anything. And I'm at a loss for what to do. ----- I wonder if animals have dreams of doing more in life. Does my dog dream of Lassie-like adventures? We don't have a nearby mine-shaft... so she has no one to rescue. My dog clearly wants a job. And... Until I figure out what that job can be I'm looking for clues. And I now have something to show her. ----- America's cities are cash strapped. That's no secret. America's cities have landscaping issues... these include keeping our roadsides ... 01/15/2009

In 2004, my first real estate client was an investor. This investor got his start in real estate by purchasing HUD homes and turning them into lease-options. As the options were executed, he wanted to use the available funds to invest in more properties. A few months before, I read somewhere about a local investor who was very successful in a small niche. He rented solely to section 8 renters.  I did more research in my area of expertise and found this niche had huge potential and lots of low-hanging fruit. There are many different types of residential renters: corporate road-warriors, college students, military families, assisted-living "seasoned" citizens, the list goes on and on.  However, if your a real estate investor, here are three reasons why you should think about renting to go... 01/14/2009

Are you watching? Are you paying attention? Now that I have your attention, here's the deal:  I have a TON of electronic "stuff." I suspect that most of us are aware that even though our computers or other electronic devices are turned "off," but plugged in, they are still drawing power. The electric company refers to them as "vampires." Computers are among the energy vampires in many homes; however, we can contain their energy appetities by using the new power strips which automatically turn off the printer, scanner and monitor when the computer is shut down. I generally leave mine on, but will rethink the idea of having a vampire in my home. SRP in the Phoenix, Arizona Valley has a list of retailers who sell these new energy-saving power strips. Visit their website to learn more about... 01/13/2009

When I was in junior high school, I heard my first horror story about the danger of renting to a section 8 renter.  A friend of my father, who had recently divorced, decided to rent out his too-large-for-one-person home. He wasn't a real estate investor, or expected to be the next Donald Trump; he was just a regular Joe the Plumber type-of-guy in a tight spot. He felt that if he rented out the property it would fix some of his cash flow problems. He put an add in the local paper. In a few weeks, he found a family that he thought would be a "gold mine." The prospective tenant told him they had section 8 vouchers. The vouchers paved-a-way for the government to cut a landlord a check for a large portion of rent payment, they would be responsible for the small difference. Eighty percent of ... 01/13/2009

A few months back, I posted a blog about a house swap that my client and another seller/buyer had consummated here in Mesa, Arizona. It was a wonderful experience. There were no problems, and the other agent and I worked seamlessly with one another. As in many instances, my client was looking for a larger home, and the other a smaller home. They loved each other's homes, financed through their own lenders, and closed on time. Last night I heard on the news that many homeowners are swapping homes, that it's the new rage! Could it be they are swapping homes without the benefit of a Realtor! Wow, does that sound scarey to anyone else but me? The news was focusing on a homeowner here in town who was hoping to swap with someone else from out of town since his home was not selling or even get... 01/12/2009

There's always a house in the neighborhood that seems to have multiple homeowners and / or renters. That house in my neighborhood is directly across from my home.  I have been in my home since 1995 and have seen various types of people in the house across the street.  There was the elderly couple that lived there in 1995 that put up security cameras outside so they could snoop on the neighbors.  Then there was the young couple that would take their domestic fights out into the front yard to share with the public.  Whenever I put bags of clothes or household items outside for the Veterans Association, or Big Brothers and Sisters to come by and pickup, the wife across the street would come and ask me if she could have the items for her garage sale.  But, I never saw her have a garage sale... 01/12/2009

I've said it before... there's no such thing as one market. [Q. How's the Market ... A. Which One?] I like to focus on areas that show the most potential for those who bargain hunt. That means I spend a great deal of time finding properties for first time home buyers and investors. The first-timers want as much home as they can afford that is as close to work, family, friends, etc. as possible. The investors want a bargain home that they can rent or flip. Since there is so much inventory on the market today, we usually have no problem finding properties that fit the needs. However, the bargain properties move briskly. Last week one of my buyers, an investor, had to move very quickly. We spotted a home in the mid-morning, made an offer that afternoon and received an acceptance the next d... 01/12/2009

I've posted an article or two warning potential tenants in and around the Phoenix Valley and Mesa, Arizona that some of the landlords are upside down - thereby creating foreclosure proceedings. One of the unintended victims: the tenant. I have been searching for a way for the tenant to protect themselves in this situation. I've listed four ideas below: Try and find out just when the home was purchased. Sometimes you can do this through a Realtor or the title company, or on line with the Maricopa County Recorder's Office. Finding out the year (2004-2006) could be a red flag. Better yet, if you can find out what the mortgage amount is, that will help as well. True, it is difficult, but being diligent in this regard can save stress down the line. Have a clause written in the Lease that wil... 01/11/2009

Las Sendas & Red Mountain Ranch Market Report Sales For The Month Of December 2008 Address Square Feet Community Sold Price Short Sale Or REO 7353 E. Norwood St. 2,680 Grayfox $209,050 X 7322 E. Minton Cir. 1,848 Grayfox $215,000 X 6514 E. Sugarloaf St. 1,526 Red Mountain Ranch $230,000   6611 E. Sierra Morena St. 1,886 Red Mountain Ranch $238,900 X 7209 E. Nora St. 1,567 Trailridge $255,000   7417 E. Odessa St. 1,756 Ironwood Pass $260,000 X 3564 N. Tuscany 2,451 Rolling Hills $275,000 X 2739 N. Sterling St. 2,000 Grayfox $276,950   2517 N. Raven Cir. 2,219 Grayfox $280,000 X 3448 N. Boulder Canyon Cir 2,325 Ironwood Pass $286,500 X 3706 N. Barron   2,226 The Highlands $294,000 X 6333 E. Viewmont Dr. #79 1,864 Red Mountain Ranch $327,000   6334 E. Viewmont Dr. #30 2,030 Red Mountain Ra... 01/08/2009

Every year, I create motto.  Last year's motto was "Get It Straight In 2008!" I just returned from overseas.  I spent over a week traveling through the villages, cities, and hamlets of Ireland. After driving over a thousand miles through the beautiful historic countrysides, I found my inspiration for this year's motto. The motto for the year will be:  Let It Shine In 2009 What does that mean to me?  To me it means the following: To be more authentic.To be more fun.To be more friendly.To communicate my feelings more freely and clearly.To allow my spirit and my will to be freed from pessimism.To allow others to see the joy in my life. Many of you have done resolutions, some of you have already broken them.  I don't have a resolution for this year.  I just have my motto.  I will use this m... 01/08/2009

Listen to our January podcast: http://myrealtalk.podbean.com/     Katie Halle REALTOR® EcoBroker® Certified The Halle Group Mobile: 480.250.0023 Office: 602.476.1942 Fax: 480.889.3695 http://www.katiehalle.com Listen to our January podcast: http://myrealtalk.podbean.com/ Ask about my FREE foreclosure list or my “green” homes! Keller Williams Integrity First Realty 2500 South Power Road #121 Mesa, AZ 85209  01/07/2009

Some Arizona Energy Saving Tips!Those of us who live year round in Arizona, are fairly energy efficient during the summer months because of our higher electric bills; however, during the winter, we need be equally as diligent in exercising care. Just a few small tips will save us the money we would prefer spending on food, clothing, and necessities:1.  Set your thermostat between 66-68 degrees (health permitting) - and at night, turn your thermostat off....stay warm under comforters and blankets. We wear longer sleeved shirts, and flannels around the house during the day to stay comfortable.2.  Keeping our window blinds open during the day with the sun shining in, and closed as it cools down.3.  Change our heater/furnace filters regularly.4.  Weatherize your home including caulking and... 01/07/2009

For those living in Mesa, Arizona, the City of Mesa offers an array of recycling programs as well as options for the disposal of solid waste of large amounts of trash. Be sure and check out their website to learn of the services offered by the City of Mesa. Curbside bulk item and appliance collection is available upon request for a minimal fee. The City of Mesa provides roll-off trash containers suitable for home remodeling/demolition projects and special events at competitive prices. Household hazardous waste disposal options available. Some of the acceptable items include paint, pesticides, batteries, electronics, appliances, tires, etc. Customers can even sign up for an automatic email reminder Recycling not only saves the planet, but an additional benefit includes money for the libr... 01/03/2009