Flagstaff Blog - Real Estate and All Things Flagstaff: June 2008

With one of my team members on vacation, it's been a busy week for me. Also, it gave me the opportunity to show homes to a few buyers, which I don't usually do. I had forgotten how much fun that can be (though sometimes it isn't, it was this week). I love introducing new people to Flagstaff because I love Flagstaff.

It's been hot in Flagstaff this week, and with more than 14 hours of daylight this weekend, it's going to be really hot during the day (perhaps in the low - 90s -- I know my friends in Phoenix think that's cool....) There are many fun things to do in Flagstaff this weekend, so come on up. I'll be attending a brunch with my friends from the American Association of University Women in the morning and a block party for one of my favorite political candidates tomorrow afternoon.

If you're looking for an update on the Flagstaff real estate market, check this out:

Mid-Month Flagstaff Real Estate Market Report

Want some tips on saving money on energy in spite of high gas prices? Check this out:

Energy Prices May Drive Us Green!

For my little take on the mortgage fraud news today:   Know Your Mortgage Broker

Have a great weekend, and if you want to buy or sell Flagstaff real estate, contact Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties.

If you'd like to follow the news about Flagstaff, visit and subscribe to Flagstaff Real Estate and Community News.

I couldn't have said this any better than my friend, Harriet Young, Chair of the Coconino County Democrats. I haven't had a bumper sticker on my real estate vehicle ever. This year, I do.

I'm also devoting every Saturday morning between May and November to registering voters. This is an election that will change the country for generations. Get involved!

Reprinted from the Arizona Daily Sun, Letters to the Editor.

We have a wonderful NPR radio station in Flagstaff, Arizona. This week, I was privileged to attend a small reception with other underwriters and supporters at the station to learn the latest and to celebrate the station's 25th anniversary. (There will be many more celebratory events throughout the year!)

I got to chat with some old acquaintences who work for the station and learned of their coverage of an upcoming event that I had already planned to feature in my blog: Internationally-Acclaimed Speaker Friday Night.  As part of the Flagstaff Exchange Club, I spread the word of this important event in our community by annoucing it at our club meeting on Wednesday and sending a link to the my blog post to all the members on Thursday night. I received such postive response that it seemed to merit another post today, and I was able to include links to the KNAU interview with the speaker, Rosalind Wiseman, and local commentary about bullying in our schools: Mean Girls Update.

Read more about our award-winning NPR radio station, and listen to on-line streaming audio:

KNAU and KPUB in Flagstaff

For Flagstaff real estate news.

To buy or sell Flagstaff real estate.

You're invited you to a Block Party to meet my friend, Howard Shanker, one of the candidates for Congressional District 1. The primary vote is September 2. 

Ten candidates are vying for the rural congressional seat being vacated by indicted three-term Republican Rep. Rick Renzi, and the wide-open spot is drawing national attention. Changing the party that holds this District, where registered Democrats and Independents outnumber GOP voters nearly 2 to 1, should be easy in a year when Democrats are favored over Republicans nationally. But it's not been easy in the last elections in spite of the overwhelming voter registration advantage. We need a strong candidate to inspire our district's Democrats to get to the polls.   

Andy Bessler has been kind enough to organize a Block Party for Howard on June 21.

We would love to see you there and introduce you to Howard. Details are below.

 If you cannot make it to the Block Party on the 21^st, please make a donation to Howard's campaign. June 30 is a critical fundraising deadline, so do it now by clicking here: 

Donate   

The Block Party begins at noon and is scheduled to end at 3 p.m.

Location: 3405 N Grandview Dr. in Flagstaff (behind the Safeway on Cedar Ave.)

For further details please contact Mattea Kramer, mattea@shanker2008.com, 928-607-0076.

Graphic courtesy of the Arizona Daily Sun, June 8, 2008. 

Why Ann Supports Howard in this Important Primary Race 

1)     We need a vigorous candidate who will fight hard. Howard has been campaigning hard for many months - take a look at the odometer on his website - over 30,000 miles of campaigning so far. Howard is well-known throughout our large Congressional district and has support in every part of it.

2)     Howard has an unequivocal position on Iraq - get out. This is one reason he got into the race over a year ago.

3)     Howard supports civil rights for everyone, including gays and lesbians. He does this from the heart and not because he had to be educated about it as part of his political development. For him, equality is a matter of principal.

4)     Howard is a Georgetown-educated environmental lawyer who understands the complicated issues that face us in dealing with global warming, water allocation, and energy independence. He has fought uranium mining and for water and other environmental causes in CD-1.

5)    Howard is an unflinching patriot who tests all of his positions by the standard: Is this good for America? This is a man who cries when watching the movie 1776 each year on the 4^th of July. (Ann heard this last part from his wife.)

6)     We've seen Howard in a candidate forum stacked up against his opponents. Howard had most clearly thought out his positions and was the most forceful in presenting his views. This is the kind of campaigner we need.

Please visit the website now and make a contribution using your credit card so that it counts toward the June 30 quarterly numbers. Of course $2000 would be great. But make it at least $10.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

www.howardshankerforcongress.com

Rich Quigley tagged me for the Super 8 Me-Me game. Here are the questions and my answers: 

1-   Who is your favorite Musical Artist? My taste in music is eclectic and uneducated. Right now, I love the Dixie Chics Taking the Long Way Around album, and especially, Not Ready to Make Nice.  The Beatles, Donovan, Beach Boys are old favorites, and Bob Dylan, of course. In the last 10 years, I've learned to enjoy and appreciate classical music and love the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra performances. My one regret is that I did not take a music appreciation class in college.

2-   Who is your favorite Artist? I should have taken an art appreciation class in college also. While I have some understanding and personal appreciation of music, I am at a total loss with art. I like things, but can't describe what they are. My favorite artist is Shonto Begay because he does good stuff and he makes wonderful contributions to Flagstaff communities. On the right is his painting, Reception, the rights to which he donated to our local public radio station, KNAU.

3-   Who is your favorite Blogger? I'm not going to touch this one with a ten foot pole! 

4-   If you could meet anyone (alive or dead) who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them! I wouldn't want to disturb any dead people. I guess I'd have to say, Dick Cheney. I'd like to try to figure out his twisted view of public service. 

5-   What did you want to be when you grew up?  First, a fireman. There was a small volunteer fire company in my little Iowa town of 2000 in the 1950s. When I first expressed my desire, my mother told me I couldn't because firemen were, by definition, men. It's the only time that my mother suggested that I couldn't do anything I wanted to do with my life, so I think she must have been taken very off guard, or that it was a very calculating answer because she wanted me to have a college education and assumed fire people didn't. So, I moved on to wanting to be a veterinarian. But I was not fascinated by science and had some doubts about my ability to wrestle with large animals like our local vet did, so by 8^th grade I knew I wanted to be a lawyer and that's all I ever wanted to me for the next 34 years. Then I became a Realtor® because I wanted not to travel from my home in Flagstaff. I've had a very fortunate life, occupation-desire-wise. 

6-   What is the most interesting piece of Trivia you know? I try not to remember trivia. I have enough trouble remembering the important stuff. 

7-   If you could live in any period in History...when would it be and why?  Now. I am amazed that people lived under the hardships of the past and I'm sure I would have died either in childbirth (my own) or from one of the childhood diseases I had that miracle drugs saved me from. It would be great to live in a future time with even greater prosperity and medical advances, but I'm not optimistic about global warming and economic fairness in the future - it may not be such a great place to be. I hope it is, because I've got two lovely grandchildren, and I'm working hard to make it be good for them and every one else. (Elect Democrats!) 

8-   What is the most interesting job you have ever had?  When I was a lawyer, I had a lot of interesting cases that allowed me to meet and interrogate a wide variety of people. I learned about the amazing array of personalities that make up the human race. 

Part of this game is that we tag eight more people and say why.  (I've done Me-Me before in a little different variation!) 

Here are my eight: Tag, you're it:

Kevin O'Shea:  Kevin hasn't been with Active Rain very long, but he's off to a great start and posts some very good stuff. 

Patty and Scott Carroll: For their great blog about Clark County Washington.

Rosario Lewis: My moral support from the East Coast. 

Mike Jones: My favorite Arizona blogger. 

Jennifer Fivelsdal: Eternally optimistic and professional. 

Melissa Connell: My favorite (and only) stager and one of my favorite people in the Flagstaff real estate industry. 

Kathy McGraw: A tough gal with a different kind of outlook on real estate and life. 

Joyce Reid: Who runs a great internet-based business from Flagstaff, participates in Active Rain, The Flagstaff Exchange Club, and writes the Flagstaff Woman Blog. 

(For those of you who are tagged here, the idea is to post your answers to the questions, and then tag 8 more people. Send the people you tag a message to make sure they know that you have done it.) 

If you need Flagstaff real estate, contact Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties! 

And for Flagstaff Real Estate and Community News, visit my other blog!

Thanks, Rich. I'll be back to Active Rain later this weekend. I have something more to say!