Time for Nick's Annual Turkey Drive

Once again, it's time for our annual turkey drive! On Sunday Nov. 23rd , I will be delivering turkeys to help the Phoenix Rescue Mission feed the homeless on Thanksgiving Day. I believe that many people have a desire to help others this time of year but find it difficult to do so because our lives are so busy. This year, the need is sure to be great! If you would like to help by making a financial donation, we will do all of the work for you! I'll be purchasing frozen turkeys Sunday morning to deliver to the Phoenix Rescue Mission. (I can provide receipts from the mission if needed) Please feel free to contact me with any questions or donations.

Last year, with the help of my friend Rob, we were able to deliver over 100 turkeys for needy families! I want to give special thanks to Rob Sell at Sell Home Inspections for all of the help he has been the last couple of years. The first few years, I did the Turkey drive mainly by myself but with the generosity of our family and friends (and the addition of 3 small children) it became quite a task. Thankfully, Rob has really stepped in to be a huge help to me in hauling all of these birds! We have a BLAST delivering them and want to thank everyone for your donations to such a great cause.

Please help. It can be a dollar or a hundred dollars (or more!) but every single penny is GREATLY appreciated. We want to make it easy for everyone to help others this Thanksgiving.

I would like to wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season!

Sincerely,
Nick

Hey Chase - "Really?!"

I have been thinking of doing a new series here on the "Just Call Nick!" blog. You may have seen the SNL skits where they poke fun at stupid stuff... "Really?!" - Well, I tend to see, here or come in contact with some pretty interesting stuff in my real estate business and in life in general. So, I'm going to start writing a few of em' down.
The first example happened on a recent weekend when we successfully negotiated a cash sale on a really nice home in the east valley. As part of the contract, we agree to provide a "proof of funds" letter from my client's bank. On Monday, she called Chase and told them the amount we needed to give to the seller's. The account manager offered to provide an account balance but would not write a letter. Feeling that the seller's really didn't need to know how much more money was in the account than necessary to purchase this home, the "legal" department was contacted. After another offer of providing a balance of the account, we still did not have the letter we wanted. The next morning, several hundred thousand dollars was removed from Chase and I had a letter, exactly as it had been requested. From a different bank.
So, Chase... How hard can it be to provide a proof of funds letter for a stellar client? Was that a smart move?
Really!?

Free ASU football tickets!

RailLife.com is giving away 2 free ASU football tickets for next Saturday's game. All you have to do is visit the Rail Life Blog (<---click there) for more information...

Tempe residents care about their community!

Saturday, October 18th is "G.A.I.N" night which stands for Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods and is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness in neighborhoods.

Lori and I will once again be joining several of our neighbors in participating in this fun event with our kids at Stroud Park in Tempe. The Camelot Village Neighborhood Association is involved and they describe the night as a partnership effort between the Tempe Police Department and Neighborhood Watch Programs, Neighborhood Associations and Apartment Communities. During G.A.I.N. residents lock their doors, turn on the their porch lights and spend the evening outdoors with their neighbors.

We walk to Stroud Park often and enjoy the playground, basketball hoops, large grass areas and of course the "sea shells" along the canal. I took this pic of the boys playing with a neighbors dog in the park last week. Come on over and join us! There will be food and a lot of fun people to hang out with. Feel free to bring a dish to share or to just come check it out!

October is Breast Cancer awareness month!

For the month of October, we have gone PINK in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. This is a great opportunity to tell our friends about FREE mammograms.

Most of you know that, for many years, I have sponsored teams for the "Climb to Conquer Cancer" as it is a cause very near and dear to my heart. There are many other great ways to get involved in helping raise money and awareness. In fact, a friend of ours is helping with a "Relay for Life" event this month. Take a look!

You should also know that the Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammograms in exchange for advertising.

We can all do a lot to help!

Nick Bastian Talks Real Estate With Fox 10

Recently, I was invited to the Fox 10 studios to talk about real estate and my business. Interviews are always kind of interesting and it is interesting to see the final, edited version. I had a really good time shooting this and want to thank Fox for the opportunity to talk about real estate with them.

Tempe Ribbon Cutting at Fidelity National Title

I was really glad to have been invited to the ribbon cutting to celebrate Fidelity National Title's relocation to the Hayden Ferry Lakeside building. This is one of the most impressive spaces around and they occupy the entire 11th floor of this gorgeous building. As you cross the Mill Avenue Bridge or pass by on the freeway on the North side of the lake, you can't help but look at these beautiful buildings. Basically, you have the commercial space closer to the bridge and the residential towers of Bridgeview and Edgewater directly to the East. Talk about a cool lifestyle! Imagine working in one of these buildings and living in the residential towers? This is some of Arizona's finest urban design and is located just north of the Mill Avenue District's light rail stop at 3rd St/Mill Avenue.
Mayor Hallman spoke and truly seemed to love having Fidelity move their corporate offices from the 24th St and Camelback location. I have talked to several Fidelity employees and they seem to love the new building and the location. I spoke with marketing representative Jennifer Weller about how fun it will be to take the light rail to a baseball or basketball game while not having to fight traffic or find parking.
Overall, it was a great night with some nice people, some really good food and a lot of celebrating.

Nick Bastian Joins Tempe Realty Executives Office

After 16 years in the real estate business, I feel more proud of my job and enthusiastic of my future business than ever before. Yesterday, after a long process, I made a decision to join what I feel is the best real estate firm in Arizona. That firm is Realty Executives. Over the past couple of months, I have weighed my options very carefully and have met formally and informally with several brokers, large and small. While my normal business practices will not change much and most of you will not notice a difference, I believe the corporate structure, the ability to "run my own business" and the convenience of many valley wide offices will help me to serve my clients even better in the future. My phone number, email address and web site address will all remain the same and this will be a VERY smooth transition for all of us. It is late and I have had a very long couple of days but I will be updating more in the near future. Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have any questions.
The real estate market has changed and I have decided to embrace change while growing my business. I am very happy to make this announcement and look forward to talking with you soon. Thanks again for your continued support!

A New, Improved MLS Search for Club members!

We are glad to bring you a new way to search for homes (<---click there) on our web sites. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Feel free to play around with it but, as always, when you want or need any help with buying or selling real estate... "Just Call Nick!" This can also be found on our "Buyer's page" on my web site.
Thanks for checking it out!

More Down Payment Assistance info.

Recently, I wrote about some of the potential changes coming up for down payment assistance. My friend Tammy wrote an article and posted this video yesterday with some more information. I thought it was pretty interesting.

8/8/88 - 20 years later

I recall the day vividly. As a young man, I had a lot of choices ahead of me. At the time, one of my big choices was, "how long will I get to hang out at mom and dad's house?" My brother and I are very close in age and we were having the time of our lives living in a really cool house that my mom and dad had raised us in. I was 20 years old, my brother 19 and we worked at a family business. We both had been taught to save some money instead of spending each of the few dimes we made at the time. One day, dad came home and said, "You bought a house today." Of course, if you know my mom, you know that she cried. :-)
For many "old timers" in the business, you might remember the days of the assumable, without qualification, VA loan. (I could go off here about our current lending environment but I'll refrain) My brother and I gave some very nice people $4000.00 to purchase a nice little 2 bedroom home in a great Mesa location, a couple blocks south of the Superstition Freeway near Gilbert Road. The experience helped to shape who I am today.
Soon, we added another bedroom on to the home as we often seemed to have a "roommate." Our mortgage payment was about $500.00 and was manageable with 3 people sharing the "rent." :-) Home ownership was exciting to us as 99% of our friends were at home or renting but it really did feel good to own a home!
Within the next couple of years, the RTC collapse was upon us (the famous"crash") and I began hearing of some of the deals in the market. (kind of like now?) As I began calling on ads or on signs, I was amazed at how poorly many of the real estate agents worked. None the less, in a few short years, I had purchased two 4-plex properties which basically began my long term plan of investing in real estate. This also gave me the inspiration to begin a career in real estate. I have now been licensed for the past 16 years and feel very fortunate to have been able to help so many people with their real estate decisions. I am able to help, to share in my experiences and it is the biggest pleasure I get out of a business that has been such a joy to me.
Today is 8/8/08, twenty years to the day after my brother and I closed on our first home. The gift we received from our father was not monetary when we bought that first home; it was a gift from a man that has taught us some very valuable lessons and life experiences. Thanks dad, for so many wonderful gifts. They have been priceless.

Free tickets to the Home & Garden Show!

Hey club members! I have some tickets left for this weekend's Maricopa County Home & Garden Show being held THIS WEEKEND at the University of Phoenix Stadium. I sent out an email a while back and had a really good response but we still have tickets left. This is a really great show. You will get tons of cool home improvement tips and ideas. If you would like to go and would like some FREE tickets, "Just Call Nick!" .

sad, but true.. Harry doesn't appear to have a clue

The changes in the mortgage industry have been coming at a break neck pace. Unfortunately, some of the people that vote on the bills don't appear to have time to pay attention. When my friend Gary Miljour wrote to our Congressman Harry Mitchell asking about Down Payment Assistance loans, such as "Ameridream," did he really say;
"Unfortunately, some companies that provide down payment assistance were helping lenders to make predatory loans in the height of the housing boom. The down payment assistance provided by some organizations allowed sub-prime lenders to persuade home buyers to assume more debt than they could otherwise afford. As a result, both the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued rules to prevent this kind of coercion." (emphasis mine)

I found this language on the Ameridream web site. "Those programs, operated by charitable organizations in accordance with current law and HUD guidelines, have helped more than one million FHA qualified, low and moderate income families and individuals buy their own homes since 2000." The emphasis on "HUD guidelines" and "FHA qualified" is mine.
Who exactly runs HUD? Who determines FHA guidelines? Are these considered sub prime lenders? hhmmm.

click here to read Gary's post and all of the comments..

A Referral Based Business

I am very fortunate to have built a business in real estate that is focused on the trust of past clients and on personal relationships. In this challenging market, I believe it will be the agents that didn't recently jump in for a "fast buck" that will come out on top. Not only do I enjoy keeping in contact with past clients, I also enjoy keeping in contact with top-notch agents and lenders from all over the country. These relationships help me to keep up on trends, industry news and ways to constantly improve my business. I recently attended 2 real estate conferences in San Francisco and was blown away at the quality of people I met. The main focus of the groups I attended was how to better serve our clients through social media, blogging and networking. The picture below is of one of the gifts that some of us received from REBarCamp. BarCamp is kind of a "un-conference" where we all got together, chose topics to discuss and then broke in to discussion groups. This was a good way to connect with some great minds in the business. These "blogger trading cards" were given to some of us as gifts which we were able to share with each other. I have now been able to add to my list of highly qualified agents to refer business to all over the country. As many of you know, I am able to help you with your real estate needs anywhere you go by helping to find a qualified agent who is willing to look out for your best interest. (sound familiar?) So, if you are moving locally or across the country, "Just Call Nick!" and I'll be glad to help.

The people in the photo are listed as follows...

Nick Bastian, Dustin Luther, Joseph Ferrara, Jeff Turner, Todd Carpenter, Derek Overbey, Rick & Ines Garcia, David Blockhus, Grant Freer, Andy Kaufman, Daniel Rothamel, Mark Eckenrode, Diane Cohn, Marc Grossman, Jay Thompson, Gia Freer, Rudy Bachraty, Jon Minnihan, Eric Bryant, Brad Inman, Mike Mueller, Heather Elias, Pam Buda, Kelley Koehler, Michael Price, Jason Berman, Robin Fenchel, Ginger Wilcox, Kris Berg, Nicole Nicolay, Reggie Nicolay, Jeff Corbett, Linda Davis, Brian Block

Free Diamondbacks vs. Cubs tickets!

Our friends at Wilde Wealth Management have invited Lori and I to see the Diamondbacks play the Cub's on Wednesday, July 23rd. Unfortunately, I can not attend the game but Trevor was gracious enough to ask if I have a "favorite client" that might like to use the tickets. Since I have hundreds of "favorites," I decided to contact "club" members to see who would like the tickets. I have sent an email to most of you so, here's the deal. Leave a comment on the blog if you can go. I will draw from the list and notify the winner on Monday! Any questions? "Just Call Nick!"


* update.. I have had several people email this am, not familiar with blogs and comments. Sorry! :-) Just click on the little comment button right under these lines. (directly below here) This will take you to a screen where you can type a comment followed by a word verification box (to eliminate spammers) and then a box that will ask who you are. If you don't use Google or "G-Mail" you can just use the box that says "name/url." - it is very easy. Thanks!

Some new "Buy and Bail" info

I have talked to many people recently about one area of major concern in the lending industry. The term is "Buy and Bail" and it can have an effect on all of us. On Wednesday of last week, I received an email from a friend at Wells Fargo that talked about some of the coming changes dealing with people that want to buy another home while keeping their current home. The problem, in case you are not aware, is where people that purchased a home at the top of the market and are now "upside down," go out and buy another home, at a lower price and then "give the keys" back to the lender for the original home, allowing it to be foreclosed instead of the owner fulfilling their obligation.
Part of the new guidelines are as follows.

The new Fannie Mae BUY & BAIL policy states that a buyer planning to retain and rent out their current residence must: 1) prove 30% equity in the property, 2) provide a copy of the new lease agreement, and 3) provide a copy of the renter's security account. If these criteria are not met, rental income may not be used to qualify and a reserve requirement is also added. Buyers who plan on keeping their current residence as a second home must qualify on both payments and show 6 months reserves for both house payments.

If this is "clear as mud" to you, please feel free to "Just Call Nick" for a better explanation. As always, I will be happy to discuss current market conditions and some of the "hot buttons" in the industry right now.

Say Thanks

Take a look at the video in this link..
http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php
I like the line.. It's not about politics, it's about service.. Thanks to my friend Irene for sharing..

Hey guys... Happy Fathers Day!

Just a quick note to wish all of the dads out there a very Happy Father's Day! The boy's and I are going to hang out and have some fun today and that is a great gift in itself! Of course, I want to send an extra special Happy Father's Day wish to my dad.. Thanks for being the best dad and friend we could ever have hoped for! Glad you and mom could "sneak away" to the cabin.. See ya soon.

Nick's kids are going green!

Many of you, my friends, seem to enjoy the fact that I occasionally put pictures of the boys in our newsletter. I thought this little video of them showing grandma their garden was pretty cute. Kind of fitting since they are growing like weeds. Funny thing, they are even learning about trends in the real estate business. If you care to read about that, just click here. :-)

Nick talks about web 2.0

The real estate business is ever changing. I understand that many of my clients and past customers are not exactly on the "cutting edge" of web 2.0. The whole, social networking side of blogs and on-line networking is still foreign to a lot of people. A few weeks ago, I attended a 3-day conference at the Heard Museum that focused on social media, real estate and how to market our business on line. Below is a video from the conference where I was asked about social media. I thought some of yo might get a kick out of it..

real estate videos

I try to read a lot of real estate blogs to keep up on things. For most of you, the reading I do would bore you to tears. I do find some really good marketing tips, market information and industry specific items to help keep me "on top of my game." Every once in a while, I find some pretty funny stuff as well and I should probably share some of it with you. This past week, I have seen a couple of real estate related videos that kind of cracked me up. The first video is one I found by following Justin Smith. Justin is a great guy and works with agents at "TomatoBlogs" along with helping business owners at "Searching Solutions."
The second one was posted by my friend, Shailesh aka: The Arizona Mortgage Guru. Yep, he is the same guy that shared this funny video back in December.

"Free" Ice Cream for "Club" members - Tomorrow!

This morning, I am sending out an email to "Club" members to join Lori and I at the Tempe Baskin Robbins (located at 1715 East Guadalupe) tomorrow night at 6:00 PM. Call me a big spender, but I'll be glad to buy you and your family an ice cream cone! :-)

Here's the deal.. Baskin-Robbins (31 Flavors) is out to help and honor America's firefighters. Participating stores will reduce prices of small ice cream scoops to 31 cents (at some locations) on April 30th.
According to their web site..
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation remembers America's fallen heroes and assists their families. The organization provides firefighters with training to prevent deaths in the line of duty and offers the public information to prevent fires in our communities.
A donation of $100,000 will be made by Baskin-Robbins® to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. At select local stores throughout the country, you may also have a chance to donate to your local fire station.
Baskin-Robbins is proud to support this worthy cause. We encourage you to learn more about the foundation by visiting www.firehero.org.

How "cool" is that!? Heck, it is already getting hot and it will give us a great opportunity to have some fun and to support a great cause. I hope you can join Lori, Luke, Cole, Will and I for this fun evening of ice cream! Please leave a comment below to let us know if you can make it. or, "Just Call Nick!" so we know to watch for you. Of course, if you can't make it to "our" Baskin Robbins, you should find one near by and enjoy this great "excuse" for a treat on Wednesday, April 30th from 5-10PM.

Our very good friend, Ryan, happens to be a firefighter at OUR station. We are also very fortunate to have other friends that are firefighters. This is something that we can all participate in!

I hope you can make it!
Nick

btw.. Special thanks to my friend, Candace, for letting me know about the ice cream!

"Suite" view of Diamondback's new "Big Screen"

Chase field has always been a great place to watch a ball game. This years addition of a HUGE "video monitor" that is the widest in the major leagues, measuring 136 feet wide by 46 feet high, or about eight times the size of the "old" screen makes it even better. Throw in a luxury suite, right behind home plate stashed with all kinds of great food and refreshments and you have yourself a pretty decent day. If you want to add to the fun, turn on the plasma tv by one of the big cushy chairs and watch a golf tournament at the same time! Not just any tournament but the one played in Augusta Georgia. You may have heard of it? Yep, it's called The Masters. Guys, it is hard to beat a Sunday like this! :-) Lori and I had a great time with some very good friends!

If you get a chance, you need to go to the ball park and see this HUGE screen. Heck, even from the "cheap seats" you will be amazed. :-)
I have a couple more pics on another blog. If interested, check out Nick's "Active Rain" blog, where we keep in touch with people and other agents from all over the country.

Remember.. If you are buying or selling real estate... "Just Call Nick!"

Mesa Riverview to welcome Toby Keith..

It has recently been announced that Toby Keith's "I Love This Barr & Grill" will be opening this fall at Mesa Riverview. The Riverview project seems to be gaining some ground and attracting several types of businesses, restaurants etc. Of course, the biggest anchor for the project has been Bass Pro Shops. The proximity to the upcoming Mesa Waveyard project that we have discussed, probably doesn't hurt any of them. Keith's two-level restaurant will seat 850 people and occupy 16,400 square feet on the first level with an 8000 square foot mezzanine which will have "virtual bowling" and an 80-foot guitar bar! This place might just be an upscale, redneck heaven. :-) The following picture is from the Oklahoma restaurant. There is also one in Las Vegas where, I must admit that Lori and I stopped in for some chicken fried steak one night. :-)

The location of the upcoming restaurant is accessable from most of the valley with easy access off of the 101 and 202 freeways. The project sits near the Tempe, Mesa and Scottsdale borders and is a short drive to Sky Harbor airport. There has been a lot written about the proximity to and competition with Tempe Marketplace. While they are close together and basically just separated by the 101 freeway, each project has some great qualities. We continue to watch real estate in Tempe and real estate in Mesa very closely as several large projects are under way in both cities. We will keep you updated on many of them in the future.
It will be interesting to see the finished product. Maybe we can meet there for lunch in the fall. Think they have karaoke? I hope not.. :-

Nick's having some fun with Fox!

Here is a copy of the new commercial we shot a couple of weeks ago at the Fox 10 News studios. Most will run as a 15 second commercial during news casts, sit-coms, sporting events etc. Some will be 30 second commercials with another "featured" agent. So, "Just You Watch" to see your friend, Nick on tv this year! So far, these guys have been a lot of fun to work with. Also, please take a look at the new page of mine on www.myfoxphoenix.com. My direct link on their site can be found by clicking here.. You know what they say.. The camera adds 10 pounds and I really do wish they wouldn't have used so many cameras! :-)
We are looking forward to promoting real estate in a positive light over the next twelve months. Having the media do some "positive press" might help get a few people off of the fence. I really do believe there are some good opportunities in the market right now and look forward to promoting our valley's real estate market along with Fox 10 and My 45 news channels. Thanks for stopping by!

Spring has Sprung! - A couple of helpful hints

We all know, it is hard to beat Arizona this time of year. We enjoy some really beautiful weather and have a ton of outdoor options available to us.
Another thing we ALL know is that summer will be here before you soon! Yep, those 100 degree days are right around the corner. With the change in weather, you might want to check a couple of things around the house to be ready.
1. Your landscaping system should be checked for leaks, broken sprinkler heads etc. and the timers will probably need to be adjusted soon.
2. If you have a pool, it is normally a good idea to have it checked out. Make sure to check the timer as you will want it to run longer in the summer months. Also, make sure any gaskets are in good condition. These are easy and inexpensive ways to prolong the life and save you some money in the long run.
The investment in your home is an important one. Routine maintenance is always a good idea.
Have a great Spring and please keep me in mind if you want to take in a ball game. :-)
For more helpful hints, please feel free to visit the Home Improvements & Helpful Hints page on our web site!

What is your "Walk Score?"

There are many factors that will go help in the decision when you purchase your next home. Of course, location plays a major factor in most sound real estate purchases. To help find out how "walkable" a neighborhood is, you can check out this nifty web site that will give your neighborhood a "score" based on the amenities near by.
My neighborhood in South Tempe scores a "decent" 66. At 70, a neighborhood is considered "very walkable" according to the guys at Walk Score. Here is their break down..

90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car. 70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car. 50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

Most of our valley is pretty spread out and the thought of walking to conveniences isn't even a consideration. Give your house a try.. It is kind of fun..

Thanks to my buddy Brad at TechKnowBabble for the find!

Hoops, Real Estate and Politics

One of the all time best dunks by anyone wearing a Suns uniform was Kevin Johnson going off on Hakeem Olajuwon. I always liked Kevin as he played hard, had a lot of talent and seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Since retiring from basketball, he has been involved in real estate development and has now decided to run for mayor of Sacramento. When I read this, I was a little surprised but not entirely. I wish him well but mostly, I wanted to share this video with you. :-) I remember watching this game and literally jumping to my feet when he dunked on the big guy..

Turning the Corner?

We have discussed, at length, the real estate market and the fact that the media has basically been telling people NOT to buy real estate for quite some time. Just as the market had been "over-hyped" into an unhealthy frenzy a couple of years ago, I have felt the same thing has been happening over the past several months, or so.
Recently, I have seen a couple of articles that have mentioned the fact that, gasp, some homes are actually selling! I also had an opportunity to meet with some nice folks at one of the large news channels recently to discuss a new series that will be talking about real estate. Wow, imagine that, they are actually going to promote real estate! There will be television commercials and featured space on their web site for several different areas.
Will this be enough to get people off of the fence? Are they really waiting, as some have suggested, for the media to tell them it s "ok" to buy real estate again? Only time will tell but it looks like a step in a new direction to me. Let's watch.. In fact, check back soon for a special announcement! :-)

Has the ATM machine quit working?

Tens of thousands of people have been getting letters informing them that their HELOC loan is no longer available or has been substantially reduced. Yep, fine print at it's best. You may recall how these same banks offered these loans at "no-cost" and marketed them as a great tool for you to use for college, cars, home improvements and even credit card debt. It sounds like their irrational exuberance has come back to bite their tails just a bit.
Those that don't have or didn't get a "second" loan on their home will now find it much more difficult to do so. Countrywide, Chase, Wells Fargo, BofA, WAMU appear to be "reviewing" their guidelines in this market. Before, they made it almost too easy, now, they might be too difficult but hopefully, we will soon be back to "normal."
If you have questions about the availability of your funds, you might want to call your bank. This is relatively new and a lot of them are just getting started. The fact that you haven't received a letter yet, doesn't necessarily mean you still have all of your funds available.
MSN recently ran this story about lenders cutting off the home equity tap that had some pretty good info. Take a look..

Nick Bastian.com getting a new look

We are getting close to having the "new and improved" version of NickBastian.com ready for your opinions. The conversion started a few weeks ago and my lovely assistant (ok, my right arm) Michelle, has been working really hard to fix some of the kinks. In the next couple of weeks, we will have better home search pages, more customization and the ability to make even more custom changes as we go. We will add pages of information on neighborhoods we like and areas of town that we feel are great places to live etc.

Old and new versions of "Nick's News" will be added over time as well. And yes, the famous (or infamous?) "Nick's Picks" restaurant reviews will be available one of these days too. It is amazing how many of you guys call or email me about the restaurant choices. Thanks because we have a lot of fun with that one. :-)

This blog will always remain a focus for my favorite people; Those of you that are "members" of the "Just Call Nick" club. We hope to add more fun events and drawings for cool things in the near future. I hope you will visit both of the sites often and continue to provide me with feedback concerning how I can better serve your real estate needs.

Anyone that cares to read even more of the things I write about can visit my Active Rain Real Estate blog.

Thanks again for your continued support and referrals. 2007 was a great year for my business. That probably sounds crazy as it was a "horrible" market but, because of many of you people in the "Just Call Nick" club, I have been able to really stay on top of my game!

Thanks! I'll let you know when the "new" web site is ready..

Green Stuff - Condos to Commodes

So, since it has been the big buzz for quite some time to "go green," I thought I'd start a series of topics related to green living. Green living means different things to different people. I will report on some energy saving tips, green construction techniques etc in hopes that people find it interesting. While I have probably never been called a "bark biter," I am always looking for ways to improve my quality of life and to save a buck or two along the way. There is a "green marketing group" within a blogging community where I read up on a lot of these things. If I find any good tips, I'll pass them along here and on NickBastian.com
Green living can be as simple as installing low water use toilets to complete construction plans. This week, the paper had an article about a new community called Aura. I was recently invited to preview the new AURA at Camelback project in Phoenix. (Aura calls itself "Sustainable Luxury Living") Basically, the developer ran some video renditions of the new development and had drawings/ plans etc. available for us to check out. It was one of those things where pretty people pass out fancy little finger foods and offer you wine so we will fall in love with the community.. Some one has to do it.. The concept was very interesting and this upscale condo project that will be in the beautiful "Camelback Corridor," has a lot of features that will give it the "green effect" they want. According to their web site, " One exciting, environmentally conscious outcome of Aura at Camelback will be to leverage solar technology in ways that the Valley has never before experienced. Aura at Camelback is on track to be the benchmark and set the stage for solar residential power projects in Arizona. Aura at Camelback is so unique because every single home in the Community will have immense solar capacity, saving up to 75 percent on electricity costs. Residents will have all the power they need and it will be power from the sun." The solar aspect was interesting to me as I was able to meet and talk to people from Agenera. These are the guys that provide the Solar power for the units. They had a true passion for the project and brought along a "sample panel" that looks nothing like the old style panels from back in the 80's. Aura's brochure mentions "saving up to 75 percent on electricity costs." Other features of the project were dual flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, loe-E windows, underground parking, private elevators and the use of a lot of "open space" within the community. Pave stones will be used around the exterior of the development instead of concrete or asphalt to keep from adding to the heat-island effect. These 36 townhouses should break ground soon with first occupants moving in around mid-2009. Current pricing was quoted in one brochure as being from the $800's to $1.2 million. The units range in size from 2469 - 3147 square feet. - wanna take a look? I have some brochures etc.. So, "Just Call Nick" and I'll give you some more of the scoop. :-)

Arizona embracing the Paperless transaction

I found this interesting video talking about the Arizona Association of REALTOR'S embracing the paperless transaction. Stewart's Sureclose transaction management system should be an interesting change. Sounds pretty cool to me but I am sure there will be some challenges getting cooperating brokers, buyer's, seller's, escrow companies, inspection companies, appraisers etc. all on the same "page." Granted, this shouldn't be rocket science and it could be very beneficial to many of us. I just know that change can be difficult for some people. :-) Heck, even when we have changes in our contract, it is sometimes hard for people to keep up.. Arizona will probably be watched closely to see how we react to these changes. So, what do you think? Ready to sign on the dotted line/screen?

inman Connect - NYC 08 - Travis Wright and Craig Sanford

Boulevard of brokers' dreams

I just watched an msnbc video talking about the "fallout" from the real estate market and mentioning that "an entire army of Realtors are struggling to get by." They went on to say that a Fla real estate school's enrollment is down by 50% and that many agents are "shell shocked."
The video also featured an agent that has traded real estate for roses by turning her office into a flower shop to gain "steady" income. This lady mentions that she had stars in her eyes and wanted to make big money. I missed the part where she mentioned that she actually wanted to help people or be a source they can count on to give professional advice. I love the angle on these stories that show and talk about how many people flocked to real estate when the market was "good" so they could "make some money."
Guess what folks... Much of our nation was under the mis-guided analysis that real estate was the equivalent of a .com stock. Any agent that is in the business just to make a bunch of money is probably NOT looking out for their clients best interest, but looking to their bottom line. My grandpa had an old saying that went, "hogs get peanuts." - This has never been more true. Those that simply looked for an easy way to make a quick buck are leaving the industry and that is probably not a bad idea.. Maybe they are now asking... "You want fries with that?"

Tempe's Parks and Trails - Western Canal Project

I'm thankful to live in a city that has a lot of cool stuff to do. Today, I read some more about the upcoming "Western Canal Project" in Tempe. I recall hearing about this last year and thinking, "how cool, that's right by our park!" (We often take the kids to near by Stroud Park where my "mad hoop skilz" are coming back in a big way!)
According to the City's web site, "The project will extend for six miles connecting parks, schools, and other destinations in Tempe. The project includes a path with lighting, landscaping and public art." A link to the map is here...
From the 101 Freeway, the path will link to Kiwanis Park, Stroud Park, Redden Park, Ken McDonald Golf Course, the YMCA and end near Arizona Mills Mall and the I-10 Freeway.
Basically, they are going to spruce up the canal banks and make it more pedestrian and bike friendly. I often see people on these canals now so, for ten million, I guess it better be pretty nice. :-)
Truthfully, I like the idea of the improvements and it is nice for South Tempe to get some love instead of the constant attention given to the areas surrounding the campus. Hey, I LOVE downtown Tempe but I choose to live in South Tempe. I/we feel this is a great place to raise our family and it is a rockin' location for my business as I can get to most parts of town pretty easily. :-)
One reason I like this project is because I think it will benefit our community. Another reason is that I could probably use some more exercise and this might help get me off of my rear end to take the kids on some bike rides etc. :-)

Arizona's Priciest Properties

While I sometimes disagree with Catherine Reagor of the AZ Republic, I found this video of the valley's most expensive homes to be very interesting and well done.

There was also an interesting piece tracking the sales of million dollar + homes since 1998.
The growth of these sales is pretty impressive. I can recall a time where million dollar sales were a really big deal in Arizona.. Happens all the time these days..

Want to know the recent values of homes in YOUR neighborhood? Would you like me to send list of multi-million dollar home to you via email? It's easy.. "Just Call Nick!"

DMB coming to Mesa Gateway Area

Because so many of you live in the east valley, I thought you might like some more information about the changes occurring at the "proving grounds" and the surrounding "Gateway" area.
A recent article gives us a glimpse of some more information concerning DMB's plans for their new community in the Gateway area of Mesa. The mention of 2 new golf courses, 3000-4000 new hotel rooms, a large park system and mixed use developments of commercial and residential sounds like quite a change to the landscape. If you take a look around and notice the proximity to two freeway systems, an airport, an ASU campus and a rail system you begin to have one of those "ah-ha" moments that DMB has already figured out. This project appears to fit in very well with the master plan for the economic engine that is the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport . As far as developers go, the guys (and gals) at DMB are kind of like rock stars of real estate development. They have built some very high quality communities here locally and elsewhere. According to DMB's web site, the proving grounds project is "Located adjacent to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and ASU Polytechnic campus, the 3,200-acre Mesa Proving Grounds is the largest remaining parcel of contiguous land within the Mesa planning area and is of tremendous importance to the future of Mesa and the entire region."
In the past, I have written about some of the changes coming to the Gateway Area and have been telling people about some of these projects for quite some time. Of course, we will continue to watch this and many other parts of the valley that I believe have good growth potential in the future.
The housing options in the surrounding area of the Proving Grounds and the Gateway Area are many. From condos, to large homes, modest homes and horse property, you can find em' all.. Should you be interested in taking a look around, or know of anyone that might be interested, please feel free to "Just Call Nick!" or visit our web site at NickBastian.com.
Thanks again for your continued support!

Autism Speaks

My cousin sent this email to me today and it really made me think.. I am so fortunate to have healthy children.. So, as she asked me to do in the email, I am passing this along to my friends and family.. Please take a look..

The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.40 to Autism
Speaks for *each time* the video is viewed the funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family.
Click Here for the What Kind of World video.

Nick's Annual Cancer Climb

Once again, I have sponsored a team for the annual "Climb to Conquer Cancer" that is held at South Mountain. I hope that you can join me and participate in this very fun event that will be held on Saturday, February 23rd. The "climb" is actually a walk up the mountain and is a great way to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. The cost to participate is $35.00 and includes registration, t-shirt, food, drinks and lot's of fun. I will be glad to register you and pick up/deliver your t-shirt so that all you have to do is show up the day of the event and have fun! If I register or donate for you, you don't get on any more mailing lists. :-)

Another option is to join "Georges Team" which is a team our family sponsors in memory of my father in law who lost a very courageous battle with Cancer last February. To join or to donate online, click here.

I am sure that all of us have been effected by cancer, either by a friend, family member or co-worker. Together, we can help! If you are not able to participate but would like to make a donation, please let me know and I'll be glad to help with that! Please feel free to contact me for any information. I have registration forms, information packets etc, that I can deliver or email to you. If you have any questions, just give me a call or leave a comment here on the blog..

Thanks so much!
Nick

Maricopa County Home & Garden Show

Since we have a Home Improvements and Helpful Hints link on our web site, I thought it would be a good idea to add some information about the Maricopa County Home & Garden Shows that occur a few times a year at the Fairgrounds and at the U of P Stadium. According to their web site, this years schedule is as follows.

January 11, 12, 13, 2008 - Arizona State Fairgrounds
April 25, 26, 27, 2008 - Arizona State Fairgrounds
August 1, 2, 3, 2008 - University of Phoenix Stadium
September 26, 27, 28, 2008 - Arizona State Fairgrounds

You can always get a lot of good information and ideas at these shows. Home Improvements and re-modeling are big business as many people are deciding to invest in their properties in many different ways. It might be a park-like back yard, a gourmet kitchen or anything else.
You can talk to all kinds of industry experts for your home improvement ideas and should also be able to come away with some very helpful hints.
Of course, you can always stay tuned to my blog and to the web site as we promise to add a lot more info in the future.

Sensationalism,The Media and McDonalds

Last week, I saw at least five different articles mentioning the closure of Re/Max 2000. The blogs on az central have had a bunch of comments and they love that stuff. The fact is, the poor decisions and media nightmare for this guy (Kline) effect a very small percentage of people in real estate. I know that there were (are) many very good agents that work(ed) at Re/Max 2000. Much of the public doesn't realize that each of these offices are independently owned and that, Re/Max as a whole is NOT closing down. Yesterday, I met with some clients to go over some things pertaining to our transaction. It just so happens that the buyer's agent works for Re/Max so "mrs. seller" asks if "we" should be concerned. Once I explained that (most) agents are independent contractors and that many offices are franchised, they got a better picture of the situation. Funny thing, she compared him to a McDonalds employee! :-)
I personally know brokers and agents from the company and have a lot of respect for some of them. You see, agents have a license and unless they choose to be a broker, their license must be "under" a broker to practice real estate.
If this is all clear as mud and you want to know anything about the real estate industry or about the market in your area.. "Just Call Nick!" - I'd be glad to help..

Home Maintenance - A couple more ideas

Home ownership, in my opinion, is a great idea. With the responsibility of owning a home, or just about any other asset, there are things you can do to protect your investment. We will add to the list often so be sure to follow along. :-)
A couple of important and routine things you can do are:

1. Replace your batteries (do it today!) in your smoke detectors. This should be done at least once a year. Yes, I know that most of them have the little annoying "chirp" when the batteries are low but, it is better to be safe than sorry.

2. Replace the filter in your heat pump / air conditioner. This should be done monthly but many people in AZ forget it in the winter time. Saves wear and tear on the unit, helps the system to work more efficiently.

For more Home Maintenance and Home Improvement tips, you can always visit this link on our web site..