Donna Reiner, a local historian and a good friend of Get Your PHX, has written many articles over the years for the Arizona Republic and others about Phoenix history and memorials. We use her services when we list properties of historic significance to help us tell the stories behind the homes.

We are happy that Donna is allowing us to re-publish some of her articles on a monthly basis. If you or your business ever needs a historian, let Donna know at laydeescholar “at” hotmail.com.

The design and placement of memorials and monuments is fundamentally about choices – choices about what gets remembered, how it gets remembered, what stories are told, who is perceived as the primary audience, and whether the memorial’s story confirms existing beliefs about an event or person or challenges the public about what they think that they know.

Conflicts can arise when the monument or memorial contradicts public memory or is viewed as no longer relevant or appropriate. Indeed, is there more value in remembering a horrific event or a notable person?  Ultimately, it becomes an issue of whether and/or how these edifices help people interact with the past and reinforce our vision of what it means to live in America.

Is there a difference between a monument and a memorial? A memorial may be a day or space, but it need not be a monument. A monument on the other hand is always a type of memorial. A memorial is often erected to honor those who have died including spontaneous memorials we see created in the immediate aftermath of tragedy and may only have a temporary life.

Few Phoenicians may be aware of the vast number of memorials and monuments found along Washington and Jefferson Streets from Central Avenue to 17^th Avenue.

But they are there. And the style of these memorials and monuments varies from a simple plaque to a mammoth gun. Now that the weather is more ideal to be outdoors, it’s time for you to discover these little recognized places.

Start with the plaques from the former Patriots Square now on a wall in CityScape which are easy to miss. These are Arizona patriots. Head down Washington Street to the Historic City/County Building and look for the plaque dedicated to Jack Swilling on the fountain.

Cesar Chavez Plaza by the Calvin Goode Building and a time capsule on the south side of the Goode Building are next. Head to Phoenix City Hall and check out the plaza area or go to the Maricopa County Building to see the Pillars of Honor. Did you know about these?

Keep heading west until you reach the Pioneer and Military Cemetery on Jefferson. That has a number of gems besides the gravestones for some very interesting people.

When you reach Wesley Bolin Park and the capitol grounds across the street, you will have reached the greatest cluster of monuments and memorials in downtown Phoenix.

Over 25 in Wesley Bolin and four in front of the capitol. Each have a reason for its existence and all have a connection to our Arizona history: a person and/or event not forgotten.

When we meet a new client, especially a first time home buyer, we grab a cup of coffee and preview the home buying process.

Nobody explained the process for me when I bought my first house and I paid for it. It makes a huge difference to know what to expect next in the process; what to be ready for.

You deserve better, and we deliver.

So, it’s high time that I put the home buying process in writing so you can read about it in the comfort of your home, in your jammies with a cup of your favorite beverage.

If you want to see the previous installment in this series, see Part 2 at this link.

Part 3: Prequalification

First, we don’t prequalify you. Your mortgage broker does. So, let’s start with them.

We recommend to our clients that you don’t go with the big national banks as a lender, if you can help it. We have had better experiences with independent mortgage brokers and locally-owned credit unions.

The big banks are massive bureaucracies and we have found that our clients can feel that in how they must inter-act with them. Expect phone trees and wait times.

We find that independent brokers often have more latitude to help you and more time to spend with you.

Regardless, we recommend that you compare. We typically share a list of several lenders with our clients. You will find that interest rates are often time very much the same between lenders. Naturally, you should compare that.

But, what varies quite a lot is how the lenders relates to you. We suggest that you call several lenders. Ask them about their process, how much they charge for you to get a loan, etc.

See this handy document for some good questions to ask. Here’s a handy HUD document on FHA lenders.

As you are doing this, especially if you are a first time home buyer, ask yourself, “Is this a person I connect with?” Are they brushing you off to an assistant? Do they return your calls? Are they patient with your questions?

Only then should you give them your social security number to run a credit check. If they all run your credit, it can drop your credit score, and that could affect the loan you get.

We are just suggesting that you make certain you are ready to work closely with a person for a month before you make a decision.

Next, we like to tell our clients “Let there Be No Surprises.” In other words, tell your chosen lender everything they need to know about your income and your savings.

We had one client years ago who’s deal fell apart because he failed to disclose that he was still co-signed on a car with his ex-girlfriend, and she would not let him off the loan.

This is important. If you get to three days before close of escrow and only then find out that you can’t get the loan, you may lose your earnest money deposit.

Finally, as a practice, we don’t go out looking at homes until your prequalification is done.

It is the worst feeling in the world for you if you get excited about a house after looking at many homes, only to find that you were never prequalified to buy it.

Sometimes clients want us to get out there with them while they wait for “a last few documents that I have to get out of storage for my lender.”

Sorry. We just can’t. We know how that often goes.

We believe that it is better to be prepared before you start. That is why we are sharing this home-buying process with you and why we recommend you have all your ducks in a row before you set foot in a home.

Next up: The search process using the Multi-Listing Service.