You are back from Memorial Day weekend and are looking for some June events and good reads to help you transition slowly in to the actual work you are being asked to do again.

I see you.

We’ve been there.

You can’t just jump directly in to reading that dry report that’s been sitting in your inbox for a week.

We’ve got your back. Read, plan, procrastinate.

—–

An Electrifying Proposition. Solar United Neighbors came up with a creative way to lower the cost of solar panels and batteries. They build a co-op of home owners who get together and negotiate as a group for lower prices. They are taking that to the next step with a webinar on “electrification“, or ridding your home of dirty fossil fuel, such as methane gas. “Electrification is yet another way to divest ourselves from world energy markets. The path to true energy independence starts with solar panels, but ends with full electrification powered by renewable energy. Joel Rosenberg from the Special Projects team at Rewiring America will explain why this matters and what steps you can take to electrify everything in your home.

Common Ground on Guns. Surprised to see guns mentioned in a real estate newsletter? Well, you know me. I’m a policy dork who is always looking for solutions to problems that plague our neighborhoods. But I’m also an American who sees that there is room for common ground on guns. And this article points to where that common ground could be –treating guns like we treat cars will preserve gun rights, but also increase safety. (The article is behind a paywall. But, you may be able to access a few free articles. And, of course, good journalism costs money.)

First Friday at the Heard Museum. When people visiting Phoenix ask me what to see, I almost always point them to the Heard Museum. But many people who have been here for years have either never been or might like to re-visit. First Friday is great for that, since it is free on that day. Dedicated to the sensitive and accurate portrayal of Native arts and cultures, the Heard is an institution that successfully combines the personal stories of American Indians with the beauty of art. M-Sat 9:30am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm.

Basement Tapes. In memory Maurice ‘VEX’ Brown… Basement Tapes is a mix show featuring the best in independent music from the soulful side of the spectrum. Come out to be immersed in African American Culture and hear classic & contemporary HIP HOP, SOUL, FUNK, AFROBEAT, R&B, rare groove & dusty beats straight from the crates. Hosted by DJ Rikkie Tee + MyGodComplex + featuring guest artists & selectors! Free in the music hall.

Girls In STEM. Explore the ‘E’ in STEM with an engaging half-day #GirlsInSTEM event, Tech N’ Tinker: Inspiring Tomorrow’s Engineers! Using the six-step engineering design process, participants will build, test and tinker their way through engaging engineering challenges. Presented in a trial-and-error-positive environment, participants will learn the benefits of “failing” in order to create a stronger end-result. With the help and mentorship of #WomenInEngineering from WiMCO, these #GirlsInSTEM are sure to leave inspired to take on the world of engineering. $5.

Ideation Part 2 – Thursday Gathering, June 9th. Meaningful ideas and big changes are sparked when serendipitous connection collides with intention.

Every week at their flagship program, the Thursday Gathering, they connect creators, entrepreneurs, investors, coworkers, students and visionaries to build strong, inclusive and equitable innovation ecosystem. Free.

Building Community with Entrepreneurs. Join Local First Arizona and State Forty Eight Foundation on June 8th for a collaborative evening to hear stories, inspiration and ideas for building a better Arizona. Featuring 4 entrepreneurs and business owners sharing their unique journeys and experiences. Admission is free. Small appetizers will be served and an open bar available.

Something Rotten! Not content to let William Shakespeare get all the attention, the conniving but clueless Bottom brothers hatch a plan to cook up the next big stage hit. After an ill-advised trip to see Nostradamus’s food-obsessed nephew, they risk everything to produce what they believe will be the show of the future: the musical! Combining everything you love about Broadway—big dance numbers, bold costumes, and eye-rolling off-stage antics! Through June 18th.

Carnival of Illusion presents SKULLDUGGERY! STEP RIGHT UP as Carnival of Illusion shares a Magical Night Out of devious deceptions and lovely lies with SKULLDUGGERY! This top-rated show is “Revitalizing Magic” by blending old-world prestidigitation with all the charm of a Vaudeville-inspired roadshow. Travel up-close with the national recipients for “Excellence in Magic” and catch a lively slice of magical history! 

Donna Reiner has written many articles over the years for the Arizona Republic and others about Phoenix history and memorials.  She is a regular contributor to our newsletter. This month, Donna tells us about the The Rose of Coronado.

Surrounded by towering Palm trees, you might drive by and miss this charming two-story brick apartment building in historic Coronado neighborhood.

Coronado is one of the larger early Phoenix historic districts. This district encompasses a number of small subdivision plats. Many of these smaller subdivisions were originally portions of Syndicate Place, Homewood Tract, and Ranchitos Bonitos subdivisions as people would buy just a portion and then subdivide it. Los Olivos Heights, the subdivision where these apartments are located, was directly across 7th Street from Los Olivos, a higher end subdivision developed by Dwight B. Heard.

Los Olivos Heights consists of 188 lots covering 8 blocks for a total of 44 acres. The subdivision opened the morning of February 14, 1912, the day Arizona became a state. J.W. Stacy and Oscar Irvin, local real estate developers, had Phoenix Title and Trust subdivide this acreage which originally belonged to J. A. R. Irvine. Stacy and Irvin actually sold three lots that first day of sales (perhaps a few people were more interested in real estate than the statehood festivities).

Sylvan C. Ganz, a bachelor and a member of an early Phoenix family, purchased this corner lot in June 1916. Based on a 1914 promotional ad for the Los Olivos Heights Subdivision, he may have purchased other lots. After all, this was considered to be an up and coming area to live. However, Ganz merely held onto the property until he sold it to Josephine Nova in March 1920 for $550. Josephine and her husband didn’t build on the lot either. But they did not sell it for seven years.

Rose Bachowetz bought the lot in April 1927. Shortly thereafter, Rose and her husband, Wladimir, applied for a building permit for this empty corner lot. Wladimir, or Walter as he was often called, was the contractor. A 1938 ad lists some of the apartment complex’s amenities. Being within one block of the Brill Streetcar line made it ideal for the workers who presumably occupied the units.

The brick vernacular building began as 8 apartments and was considered to be quite modern. It was certainly different from its neighbors. The exterior brick work even demonstrates some creative detail on the part of the builder and we have no idea where Bachowetz got his building experience.

As the property was very near Emerson Elementary School, it presumably was appropriate to call the place The Emerson Apartments. At least that was the name used into the 1960s.

Did the Rose and Walter Bachowetz build other things that you should know about? Actually they did construct some small homes, but nothing as large as this small apartment complex. Whether those structures still exist is another issue. Like Rose and Walter Bachowetz, they have disappeared from Phoenix records.

The current owner, in tribute to Rose Bachowetz, renamed the apartments The Rose of Coronado. As Shakespeare wrote in “Romeo and Juliet,” “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Coronado neighborhood has this Rose nestled amongst majestic palms which provide a small haven in the bustling “hood.”

Our June listings include one price drop and an affordable, move-in ready Glendale home. Watch our listings page for more information and photos on both.

New This Week. 18427 N 36th Ln, Glendale 85308. 2br/2ba, 1,283sf. $395,000

It’s difficult to find a home under $400,000 these days. This seller is happy to present an affordable option in this challenging market.

This home is move-in ready, with newer kitchen appliances and quartz counter tops. It boasts a large master suite with sliding doors leading to the large covered patio. The patio will make a shady space for relaxing or gardening.

The yard is beautifully landscaped, irrigated, and includes a sliding RV gate for your fun toys. The two-car attached garage includes a plethora of additional storage cabinets, and a workbench to fix the aforementioned toys.

The home includes a newer roof and security shutters. It is close enough to the I-17 and the loop 101 to be convenient, but far enough away so that you can enjoy a quiet neighborhood.

1802 N 7th Ave, Phoenix. 3br/2.75ba, 2,275sq on a 10,400sf lot. $950,000

The sellers dropped the price on this huge, beautiful, total remodel.

The home has massive accordion glass patio doors, a luxurious living room and expansive kitchen with lots of storage and counter space.

GE Cafe Line white & copper appliances bring together the kitchen.

The owners have put extensive attention and expense in every detail of this renovation, down to quality doors, flooring and accessories. Don’t miss the separate laundry room and kitchen pantry.

The bedrooms are roomy and the bathrooms sparkle. The front door has been moved to Coronado for more privacy and the garage has been vastly improved.

Many visitors at the Encanto/Palmcroft Historic neighborhood home tour commented on how refreshingly quiet the home is.

In this part two of a multi-part series. I’m exploring at how investors and other factors drove driving up home prices and what we should do to keep it from happening again. See part 3, here.

So, detractors are saying that investors are causing this market crisis. The private equity firms will tell you that they have nothing to do with it. If anything, they are helpful to fixing up older properties.

I neither think that private equity firms are the sole problem, nor are they as benign as they like to believe.

There are some undeniable facts.

First, while private equity firms “only” account for about 400,000 SFRs out of tens of millions of homes, it is clear that they have be buying up larger chucks of the market in recent years –just as the other factors we’ve discussed have been driving prices as well.

I’m confident that a talented economist could show that private equity firms and individual investors are fueling speculators and contributing in an out-sized way to high prices.

Second, private equity firms or individual buyers (renters, flippers or STR owners) are all targeting those neighborhoods where home prices are lowest. They buy the cheap property, fix it up and make a profit from the improvements.

An economist would say they are finding previously unseen value. But, like many things in the study of economics, this analysis is blind to the downsides to neighborhoods. And, I’m not just talking about the (very important) social damage of moving people out of affordable homes.

By increasing the value of the home and selling it (cost + improvement + profit margin), they are forcing the new owners or new renters to pay a higher price. Those new owners or renters are padding the profits of people who probably already have money and reducing the chance of the new owners or renters to build their own inter-generational wealth. This is especially true of people trapped as renters.

The private equity boosters are painting a rosy picture of the value that they’ve added to the market, without considering the affects on people who are, in all likelihood, significantly less privileged than themselves.

And now, as interest rates go up, more first time home buyers may exit the market, leaving more buyers who can purchase with cash.

So, what should or could be done? Here are my suggestions:

1. Call me a radical, but neighborhoods are not the stock market. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, plus state pension funds should not be investing in the housing market in this manner. We don’t need equity money to infuse cash in to homes. Americans are saving more money than they have in years, and there is plenty out there for individuals to invest in SFRs to meet the demand.

2. STR companies should implement “one owner, one home” rules or similar policies in more major markets around the country. According to this article, AirBnB has implemented such policies. But those not only need to be applied in other market. In addition local governments need more control over STRs, especially in Arizona.

3. There should be similar restrictions on how many homes other investors can purchase. Neighborhoods were never designed to be a commodities market. They should first and foremost be there for families to live peacefully and with long-term stability.

4. Raise awareness about the affect of SFR investments on BIPIC communities. The National Association of Realtors is not really fulfilling its pledge to equal opportunity unless it is going the extra mile and helping minority families to build inter-generational wealth. As long as black and brown families are disproportionately forced in to rental arrangements, we are not addressing inter-generational wealth building.

5. Fix immigration policy so builders can hire more workers. Yeah, I know. I might as well be asking for unicorns to deliver my groceries. But it’s true, so it’s on the list.

6. We need some reforms to protect condo developers and owners from defect litigation.

7. NIMBY neighbors, who are often the same privileged people who benefit from exclusivity in the housing market, need to stop being the same people who prevent others from accessing the same wealth, security and quality of life that they’ve enjoyed. (Here’s an interesting defense of what some folks incorrectly term as “gentrification.”)

8. We need to reform the euclidean building codes that favor inefficient SFRs that contribute to climate change, sprawl and unhealthy communities.

Like I said. No simple explanation for the problem and no simple answer. But, like other things, it takes all of us getting more involved in our communities and thinking of the greater good as much as we think of ourselves.

In this part two of a multi-part series. I’m exploring at how investors and other factors drove driving up home prices and what we should do to keep it from happening again. See the last article here.

Many of the counter arguments to the idea that investors are to blame for high home prices point to supply shortages, cheap money, work-from-home and zoning laws that make it difficult to build multi-family infill projects.

As mentioned in the last blog entry, boosters of investment buyers (private equity firms in particular) will tell you that they make up a dramatically small portion of the market.

“Institutionally owned SFRs represent less than a half of a percent of this market. If we were to narrow our focus solely to the rental market of single family homes, of which there are 16 million, institutionally backed firms only own 2.5% of the market. While investors purchase 20% of all homes nationally today, only 1–2% of homes are bought by larger investment firms. Most rentals are owned by small investors.“

And they would probably say, despite the anecdotal evidence of Realtor Ken in Phoenix, that most investors do infuse a lot of cash in to renovation all across the market.

To be fair, I don’t have and can’t point to any data to demonstrate that there is a trend of sub-par renovations out there. The converse may be the same for the other side.

They would tell you that cheap money encouraged many people over the last decade to buy new, bigger and second investment homes. Covid encouraged people to work from home and buy bigger homes that make working from home easier.

Layered on top of that, city codes and zoning ordinances that have favored SFRs over the last century make building multi-family (either owner-occupied or rental) even more difficult.

There is a great case to be made that, as a country, we decided almost a century ago that we would favor SFRs, despite the higher energy, road, water and land costs that go along with them, and we’ve hamstrung our ability to build more dense housing.

The NIMBY crowd is as strong as ever. You know what I mean if you’ve seen downtown neighborhoods’ social media blow up recently whenever a developer suggests a new project.

Further, developers I’ve met over the years will tell you that they can’t develop condo communities because the are unable to get liability insurance. Condos are the most likely to end up in construction defect lawsuits as soon as the warranty period ends.

That’s a whole other debate about litigation rights.

In the end, the equity-firms-are-not-the-bad-guys crowd might say, “blame the supplier, not the buyer.”

“So,” they would say, “don’t blame the less than 2% of buyers that are equity buyers for prices that were moving up dramatically, regardless.” They would argue that we are not in a bubble and that, given the long-term demand for homes, we are nowhere near it.

These arguments are pretty solid, in my mind. But, as I’ll cover in my next post, policy makers and realtors need to address them as part of a whole.

In this part two of a multi-part series. I’m exploring at how investors and other factors drove driving up home prices and what we should do to keep it from happening again. See Part 1 here.

Let’s start with some perspective. There are about 86 million single family residences (SFRs) in the USA. About 16 million of those are rentals. (About 44 million households, total, are renters. That includes SFRs and apartments.

Really only about 400,000 of those are owned by private equity firms, according to this article, which seems to want to down-play the role of private equity firms.

The Marker Media article above is eye-opening in that it describes how state and university pension plans invested heavily in these equity firms. They are chasing profits to prop up often under-funded retirement funds, drained after years of growing numbers of state retirees and shrinking state budget contributions to those same plans.

But the author’s defense of equity buyers misses the point. The number of sales to equity firms has been increasing, according to the New York Times from the end of 2021. That trend has not slowed.

Equity firms are gobbling up single family residences are to private equity firms (anywhere from 1 in 6 to 1 in 4 sales, depending on who’s reporting). And, by the way, those same equity firms have been coming after apartment buildings, as well, for the last decade.

So, what’s the problem with that? Lots, actually. Don’t investors help infuse money in to fixing up properties?

Well, your run-of-the-mill pro-market economist would say so. But the reality –at least what I’ve seen in person– is entirely different. The investments in the properties tend to be more superficial, “lipstick on a pig” renovations. That’s true for both rentals via equity investment and the quick flips; aging A/Cs remain in place, construction errors are painted over and structural challenges ignored.

The reality is that investors are looking for steady profit every month and a hefty profit when it sells. Those desired profits tend to be higher when an equity firm is involved, as opposed to a smaller rental company that has a buy-and-hold strategy.

That dynamic disadvantages renters. “Well, I think that what we’re seeing is that these companies are acting in ways that are problematic for tenants in order to meet their investment goals.”

I’ve shared previously a great On the Media episode on eviction.

As opposed to nearly faceless equity firms, local landlords have more flexibility to work with tenants who miss a rent payment.

Further, equity investors are more likely to rely on management firms or on-line payment systems, which are less forgiving or willing to work out payment plans. So, renters are more likely to get a late payment or eviction history, which makes it harder for them to find a new place to live.

In this article, a former longtime housing director testified in congress that, “Unlike mom and pop landlords, large out-of-state investors typically don’t have much empathy for their tenants,” she said. “Residents can be a day late in paying rent and face an eviction notice.”

But, it does not stop there.

As you might guess, there is a clear harm to low income neighborhoods and communities of color.

See this map of Phoenix, where homes in lower income areas are scooped up by investors in greater numbers by investors, leaving fewer affordable for new home buyers. Anecdotally, we’ve seen people being pushed out of neighborhoods that have been affordable for decades.

According to the Motley Fool investor website, SFR investors prefer lower-priced homes, which give them greater profit opportunity. The part of the picture they don’t share is that this strategy is specifically what deprives low-priced neighborhoods of low-priced homes.

So, investor share of the SFR market is increasing; whether that be equity firms or individual investors; short-term rentals, flips or flip-to-rent. Investors come in, pull a profit out of the home –either through a flip or a higher rent–, and the new home owner or new renter pays the bill. The neighborhood is deprived of affordable homes and the dominos fall from there.

In the next installment: The case for investors in neighborhoods.

In this part two of a multi-part series. I’m exploring at how investors and other factors drove driving up home prices and what we should do to keep it from happening again.

Home prices are up dramatically in Phoenix over the last few years. The price per square foot today looks down on the seemingly manic days of 2005 like a quaint hill across a valley, as if viewed from a mountain top.

The available inventory, seen below in different colors representing the last four years, is a weak shadow of the flood of homes we feared in 2009 would sit empty for a generation.

It’s gotten to the point that new home buyers are dropping out of the market. Or, they are signing up for mortgages that may be unsustainable in the long term, which are also driving up rents for those who can’t think of purchasing a home, and which are ultimately contributing to increases in homelessness.

We have a huge problem, and no clear end in sight.

Let me begin this series by saying that, if you are looking for a single enemy or scapegoat to pin this problem on, you won’t find it.

This is a layer cake of contributing factors. Some is outright institutional greed. Some of it is political and some of it is downright short-sightedness. To be sure, there are reckless actors who care little about the health of our communities. But they are playing in the ball park that we all built though countless small actions.

If you are a regular reader, you might have heard this: the number of homes available for re-sale has been shrinking every year since the Great Recession.

The Layer Cake of Causes

First, investors bought homes in the tens or hundreds at a time, sometimes reselling, but often turning them to rentals.

Second, over the decade, mom and pop investors got in the game, lapping up even more.

Third, political fights over immigration prevented the US from having a working visa program so home builders could meet labor demands.

Fourth, both individuals and companies got in to the short term rental (“STRs”) game, draining even more homes out of regular market rotation.

Fifth, house flippers were grabbing 40% profits on their often meager renovations, which added to price increases.

Sixth, private equity firms –fueled by massive pension funds from states and universities– got in to the game, turning hundreds of thousands of homes in to permanent rentals.

Seventh, the ability of condo developers to build lower-cost owner-occupied homes was curtailed because they could not get insurance to cover the increased amount of post-build litigation.

Eighth, NIMBY neighbors have successfully resisted in-fill projects for low-to-moderate income housing.

Ninth, as we approached 2019, empty nesters –who would normally sell their homes to down-size– found that they would be paying more to live in a smaller home. So, those homes did not cycle on to the market.

Tenth, COVID supply chain shortages have delayed projects, raised costs and pushed otherwise new home buyers to the existing residential markets.

So, the reasons are many and the solutions are complicated.

But, we need to look at ourselves, as voting citizens for the answers. The market investors won’t solve this any more than they solved high price issues in 2006. In fact, if we rely on market actors, we will see the next Great Recession.

In this multi-part series, I’m going to focus mostly on private equity firms, other investors and STRs. I’ll look at the arguments against them, the arguments for them and finally some suggestions for how we can get out of this mess.

So, stay tuned in this newsletter and on the GetYourPHX.com blog roll for the next installment.

You never know what you can find right under your nose. Well, in this case the cedar wood shingles on my neighbor’s roof, which now serve as a beautiful ground cover in my garden as wood chips.

First, do you know that cedar wood chips are not only helpful in keeping bugs away from your plants, but that they are really expensive? They are the Cadillac of ground cover for gardeners.

It so happened that my next door neighbors were renovating their guest house, which had an old cedar shake roof. It was not in great shape after probably 50 years up there, to the point that a strong wind would sometimes blow an old shingle or two in to my yard.

Being a total recycling/composting nerd-ball, I was eye-balling that roof for years. I knew from speaking with roofers and reading a bunch of articles that the shingles are non-toxic, assuming they are treated with things like linseed oil. Local roofers told me that typically in Phoenix they are.

I have a small garden wood chipper to manage the huge ironwood tree that provides shade to my garden. I hatched a plan, a scheme, a vision.

My neighbors were generous enough to tell their roofers to give me some of the shingles, rather than sending them to the dump. With only about 1/4 of the shingles from that guest house, I covered most of my back garden area.

I could have used more, but I only have so much time.

I didn’t use them in the planter boxes. Not because the cedar wood chips are toxic, but that wood chips can actually pull nutrients away from plants as they break down. But, it is still wise to play it safe unless you are pretty certain the shingles have not been treated with toxic stuff to only use them around non-edible plants.

It looks great back there and even my friend Greg Patterson of The Urban Farm gave me his stamp of approval.

As I stood there with my little wood chipper, I thought what a great “circular economy” business it could be for somebody in town with a wood chipper, a truck and contacts with roofers and urban gardeners.

Well, a bigger wood chipper than I have, that is.

It is a great way to keep wood out of the landfills, where the anaerobic conditions just make methane, which is 80x more harmful to the earth than CO2.

And, by my estimate, I probably got anywhere from $400 to $600 worth of good wood chips for only the cost of my own labor.

Which brings me to this important question. Do the British call them “wood crisps?”

Donna Reiner has written many articles over the years for the Arizona Republic and others about Phoenix history and memorials.  She is a regular contributor to our newsletter. This month, Donna tells us about the Arrow Motel.

For most of us driving along Grand Avenue in either direction, we notice the train tracks, lots of commercial buildings, and a scattering of motels/hotels, some derelict and some showing new life. Once a major highway to the west (Highways 60, 70 and 89), the businesses and motels catered to the automobile for many years. But it was not always that way.

In the early days of Phoenix, farmland lined the road once called the Phoenix-Glendale Highway. One of those farms was owned by Abraham Lincoln Andrews on the eastern side of the highway near what is now Encanto Boulevard. Better known as A.L. Andrews, he died in 1936 and his widow, Olive started to sell off part of their holdings. A particular parcel, now listed as 2262 Grand Avenue, was sold to Earl Zion in 1937.

Often in trying to establish dates, researchers rely on permits. But when a property was built outside the Phoenix city limits, finding a permit is often futile. And in this case, we suspect that this cute tourist court at 2262 Grand Avenue was built in 1937 with six units.

Not familiar with the term tourist court? It is what historians call small, one room units with a space between each unit for a car. A tourist court appealed to the traveler for its simplicity and convenience to a highway. And the new Arrow Motel fit the bill. Zion owned the land. Did he have this small motel built? Probably, but we cannot be sure. We do know that he sold the property to Joseph and Mary Castellano in 1944 and there were buildings on it.

Another mystery appears as documents indicate that the Castellanos lived at 2402 Grand Avenue at the Polly Auto Court which only appears in the Arizona Republic in 1944 and 1945. Were these two auto courts the same place as street numberings did change and neither address appears in the city directories at the time? Probably not.

In 1951, the Arrow Motel was listed in the Phoenix city directory at 2262 Grand Avenue. Yes….and Joseph Castellano is the owner. The pieces are beginning to fall into place. But, the Castellanos sell this small enterprise in July of 1951 to two couples: John McCarty and Oney Varbel and their respective wives, Ella and Fay. The 1961 historic postcard shows additional units constructed on the west side of the property and the spaces between the east units have been filled in. And, the new owners have renamed the property The Rainbow Motel.

So, what’s the big deal about this small tourist court? To be bold, it is a rare surviving example, in Phoenix, of this property type. And, it’s in great condition!! At the request of the owners, this property is a “member” of the Phoenix Historic Property Register. If you see some construction on the site, it will all be in accordance with historic guidelines.

Here’s our curated list of upcoming May events and good reads.

Oral History at the Phoenix Trolley Museum. Phoenix Trolley Museum is doing an oral history project, with a grant from the Arizona Humanities Council, interviewing people who remember riding the streetcars that ran here prior to 1948.

There will be a public premier at Phoenix Trolley Museum, 1117 W. Grand Avenue, on First Friday in May. Afterward, they’ll have a panel discussion with Betsey Bayless, Terry Goddard, Scott Smith, and Jessica Bueno. Like all events underwritten by Arizona Humanities, it is free.

It’ll be outdoors.

Gas in the home. It’s tough as a realtor to discourage folks from having methane gas stoves and water heaters in their homes –even when it means saving money and breathing cleaner air. After all, we’ve all been told for years how great they are. But the more we learn, the more important it is to switch to induction. See this entertaining article from Scary Mommy. “Very simply, burning natural gas produces toxins like nitrous oxides, carbon dioxide, and formaldehyde, which in turn have a significant effect on our health when we breathe them in, even in small doses that we don’t notice at all.”  Also, you are not likely to burn down your house with an induction stove.

See also: Heat Pump. While we are talking about money-saving home improvements, consider the all-electric heat pump. Basically, it is an A/C unit, run in reverse in the colder months. They work best when you also increase your insulation in your home. You can get a home energy audit to help there. As I know from personal experience, you will see savings immediately. You may even pay off your new heat pump and energy efficiency improvements in the first few years of savings.

Which brings me to a question. When I talk about getting a new, energy efficient appliance, friends ask “how long will it take to pay that off?” But I never hear them ask that same question when they buy a new car or re-landscape their back yard.

Mother’s Day at the Japanese Friendship Garden. Give the gift of a unique memory, relaxing activity and mini Japanese flower arrangements this Mother’s Day. Miniature ikebana was first introduced by the second head master of Sogetsu school Ikebana, Kasumi Teshigahara. It is composed of several ikebana works which feature and focus on the beauty of certain small parts of plants. Observe carefully the different shapes and textures of tiny plant materials including petals, pistils, stamens, berries, leaves, branches and stems, to make new discoveries about their distinctive appearance which you may not have noticed before. Make several of arrangements (five or more) in the same way, and display them on a base plate, a tray, a piece of Japanese Paper, or a table center so that movement or flow is felt by the way they are arranged. Ping Wei will teach and guide all guests through the Japanese flower arranging process. The workshop includes all plant materials, 5 small ceramic containers and Garden admission for the day! $80.

The Workshop at the Children’s Museum. In the Workshop, children are invited to invent and build through self-facilitated, open-ended discovery. This NEW makerspace exhibit offers a hands-on, creative space where children can gather materials, create a blueprint, use tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, saws, nails, measuring tapes, wrenches, levels, wires, drills and more! Young inventors can wear protective goggles, hardhats, and safety vests; workspaces offer workbenches, tables, stools, and recycled materials in addition to other repurposed materials. Finished product possibilities are endless! All inventors will gain confidence and stretch their imagination in a safe environment for risk-taking and prototyping. The Workshop is a space that will empower children to create through inspiration. Free with general admission. Tuesday – Saturday.

Desert Rider at the Phoenix Art Museum. Desert Rider explores the sociopolitical realities and imaginative interpretations of automotive and skateboarding subcultures through diverse works by local Arizona and regional artists, focusing almost exclusively on Latinx and Indigenous perspectives that have defined the identity of the southwest.

Free with general admission.

The Never Sleepy Fish at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater. Join Great Arizona Puppet Theater for the debut run of their latest production, an original story of “The Never Sleepy Fish“.

Recommended for ages 3 and up. $8 – $12.

Arizona Speaks: What You Need to Know About Elections in Arizona. ASBA will host our signature AZ Speaks event with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. They know a number of businesses view voting as part of their vision of what it means to be a socially responsible business, and the virtual event will be an opportunity to learn more about election laws, voter registration, and election administration from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and Elections Department. Join them for a non-partisan, fact-based, and interactive discussion moderated by former Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels to learn more about our voting system in advance of important 2022 primary and general elections. Free online.