New Year, New Opportunities

I have not written here much lately, mainly because there have been so many other things going on! I "need" to try and do a better job of writing more often as I really do enjoy it.
I wanted to quickly say that the new year has begun with a lot of really exciting things. The phones are busy, interest rates are great and pricing looks to be creating some real opportunities in some areas. While I feel many areas are still facing severe challenges, I do believe others are stabilizing and looking like a real bargain.
I hope you had a great holiday season! If you have any questions concerning sales, values, using our free mls search or would like my opinion of the market in your area... "Just Call Nick!" - I'd be glad to help. :-)

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!