Those of you who know me know that I’m very in to sustainability and protecting our environment. So, I figured its about time that I team up with a locally-owned business to bring you some tips about green cleaning to sell.

My friends at GoinGreenHouse.com are practicing what they preach in house cleaning and I’ve been impressed with their efforts. And they’ve got some good tips for you.

So, here is the first of many articles that we’ve collaborated on. This issue: green cleaning to sell your home. Enjoy.

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Not many people know this, but you can lose a sale in the first 30 seconds that a buyer is in your home.

You’ve often heard that cleaning and de-cluttering any room appear more spacious and attractive to the buyer, allowing them to visualize how their own items would fit.

But cleaning works more at the subconscious level, which can be much more dangerous for your sale.

If these folks can’t keep the countertops clutter free for showing, what kind of clutter do they allow in the pipes?

If you don’t clean and de-clutter, you are signaling to the buyer a red flag that there may be other things that you are also not maintaining, like the air conditioner or the plumbing.

However, the easiest, cheapest and most-recommended DIY improvement for sellers is to CLEAN AND DE-CLUTTER. It’s easy to begin by removing clutter and personal items.

To get the most bang for your buck, you need to focus on the FOUR rooms that buyers are most interested in:

• Living Room
  • Store remotes, magazines, blankets, and other personal items
• Dining room
  • Streamline décor
• Kitchen
  • Keep out ONLY appliances that are used every few days, make sure to wipe them clean
  • Maintain a spotless stovetop and clean, dish-less sink
• Bathroom
  • Scrub grout free of mold and mildew
  • After each shower, towel dry or use a squeegee to prevent water spots on glass
  • Clear off countertops of non-essentials and store them in containers

In order to give the overall impression of a well-maintained home:

• Dust and wipe all surfaces, making sure not to forget baseboards, windowsills, and fans
• Wipe away dirty fingerprints from light switches, doors, handles, cabinet and drawer fronts
• Mop floors and vacuum carpets regularly
• Polish wood floors to a shine and be sure to clean grout on tile floors

But, don’t stop there. If you are going to go through all of this effort, I suggest that you green clean using environmental friendly and heavy chemical-free cleaners.  I’ve been in homes many times, especially renovations, where the chemical smell is overwhelming.

Buyers are increasingly aware of the negative health impacts of VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) and, just as in the case of an unclean house, it sends a subconscious signal that this space may be unsafe.

If all of these things are maintained on a daily basis, you’ll be ready for any buyers that come your way! So, if you are thinking to sell in a few months, or if you just need help, contact April at GoingGreenHouse.com and she will hook you up.

Then, once every couple weeks while the house is on the market, they can help you keep on top of the cleaning chores. This will make it easy to have the house ready for that final walk-through before closing!

And, as usual, if you need help building a successful strategy to sell your home, please contact us at 602-456-9388.

We have another world premier movie at the August Get Your PHX.

NOTE: We are starting this event later than our usual events. We will start this event at 7:30.

A few months ago, we highlighted a local filmmaker, Matty Steinkamp, and a the documentary that he has produced called Play, The Documentary.

So, naturally, we called dibs on hosting one of his two upcoming premiers for the August Get Your PHX event on the 18th. Since seating is limited, we are asking you to buy your tickets right away.

Play The Documentary is a  film created in hopes of inspiring more people to play music. The documentary was shot in locations all over the US, in addition to captivating footage from Ireland, over the course of two years and features over 40 musicians each playing their particular instrument and discussing their perception of the personal impact of playing music.  The film also touches on US budget cuts to music education in recent years and what is being done to combat the cuts. In particular, the film delves into the work of game-changing national nonprofit Little Kids Rock program.

First time filmmaker Matty Steinkamp is excited to see the impact the film is having locally and looks forward to seeing similar impact in other cities across the US.  Steinkamp says, “I want to help create a positive change in my community, and throughout the world if possible. This film, I hope can achieve that change.”

The screenings will help raise funds for Arizona School of the Arts and there will be a silent auction with proceeds directly benefiting Phoenix-based music and arts programs.  Tickets for the screenings are $12 and are on sale now.

What: August Get Your PHX
When: August 18th, 2016 at 7:30pm
Where: FilmBar at 815 N 2nd St., Phoenix
Tickets: Please purchase your tickets directly from FilmBar for this one.

You’ve probably seen the north east corner of Camelback and Central transforming, with new restaurants, and such.

But have you noticed the changes on the west side of the street, as more businesses move in?

Modern home décor shop For the People just snagged a spot there, along with local favorites like Stinkweeds, Frances, Practical Art, the Upwards Project Concepts, Curious Nature Shop and Cowtown Skateboards. The new shop offers functional home furnishings and unique one-of-a-kind pieces.

Rows of handmade products line walls and tables and is just enough to make even the most experienced window shopper step inside for a purchase. Pillows, photography, jewelry, and mid-century style furniture are neatly grouped together and there’s even an interesting reading area near the back of the store.

For the People first launched their small business at the Union inside the Biltmore Fashion Park in 2012. Although the 500 sq. ft. space gave owners Shawn Silberblatt and Chad Campbell a great start, their new space offers 2500 sq. ft, which is a massive upgrade that opens the door for more local artists and collections.

“I think we went from about 13 [local artists] at our old space to about 20, or 21, and that’s just in a month,” boasts Campbell.

Shawn and Chad feel right at home in their new space, which is centered on community, walkability and local with neighboring businesses that have helped to transform the once abandoned area into a flourishing destination.

Says Campbell, “We didn’t think a bike rack would be one of the first things we would need to have, but we need a bike rack. You don’t realize how neighborly this area is until you’re actually here every day.”

Step inside the newest creative space to hit downtown Phoenix this month! As always, sign up below.

Date: Thursday, July 21st
Time: 5:30PM – 7:30PM
Location: For the People: 5102 North Central Avenue
RSVP HERE

Look for us on Facebook here.

I’ve had several folks say to me “I think the economy is going downhill because people are freaked out by the election.” Are we pitting elections vs home sales?

Personally, I have heard this in previous election years. But, let’s dig in to this a little.

I called the famous Tina Tamboer of the Cromford Report, who is always a great source of analysis and information.

So, I asked, “Is there an impact on the market, due to fears about the possible outcome this election year?”

According to Tina, a resounding “No.”

She gave several reasons.

First, if you are hearing negative news about jobs numbers in Arizona, remember that our jobs are often very cyclical and the jobs numbers often drop around this time when people leave for the summer. So, its not likely that things are as bad as the daily news makes them sound.

Second, the real estate market is not likely to respond quickly to speculation about the up-coming presidential election. The fact remains, says Tina, that people make real estate decisions based on need more than what the candidates promise.

In other words, the typical annual rhythms of the market do more to influence price and availability than campaigns.

Third, if you look at the diagram, you can see that the contract ratio still shows that things are good, even better than last year. This is the ratio of all listings that get under contract. We are still in a “hot” market. If you are going in to the summer hot, then you will probably stay that way.

Questions like these often permeate the news, and especially social media. I think the key is to speak with professionals like Tina or we-truly to help weed out the hype from the facts.

If you have any questions about buying or selling, please let us know at 602-456-9388.

I love to see articles like this, from the New York Times, which describe what we’ve known for a long time: Phoenix is a great place to live and start a business and our downtown is getting better all the time.

What we need to continue to watch, however, is affordable housing. Specifically, I believe that we have learned over many decades that affordable housing cannot be simply built in isolation and stacked atop each other, as in Chicago.

Nor, can we only put affordable housing alone, out in the suburbs.

The same motivation to live close to work is apparent in all income levels. Indeed, years of research indicates that the best approach is to encourage affordable housing right along side those shiny, feature-rich new-builds that we’ve seen going up recently.

The same goes for creating a good mix of rentals and owner-occupied homes.

Its, you know, diversity. Diversity helps any system thrive, whether ecological or economic.

So, I’ve been concerned in recent years about the ratio of apartment units to owner-occupied units have been build in CenPho. Last I checked, it was a six to one ratio. That means that the only owner-occupied units being built are mainly only within reach of those earning over about $70,000 per year.

Its just my personal opinion, but if we are going to continue our revitalization in Phoenix, we need a good mix of options for all kinds of folks.

If you are thinking of buying a home, whether that is a condo or detached house, whether in downtown or elsewhere, give us a call at 602-456-9388. We can help you put together the right strategy.

I don’t like to get political in this newsletter, but this issue affects all of us, regardless of your political leaning.

Dark money –undisclosed money that is funneled in support or against candidates and elected officials in Arizona– is a corrupting influence. Not only do you not get to see who is trying to influence your vote, but dark money is also used to pressure politicians from the governor level all the way down to school board –even obscure water district boards.

And that is the connection to real estate and the economy.

Imagine that a water company wants to use its money muscle to influence a local water district board –the board members of which seldom spend more than $200 to get elected. That company could over-whelm and control that board with a couple thousand dollars!

If you hope that policies will be made on the basis of the merits of laws, rather than who can pressure whom with dark money, then you will want to understand more about the effort to repeal SB1516, “The Dark Money Act.”

Go to StopCorruptionNowAZ.com to learn more.

If you favor an open market, for real estate or almost anything, then you don’t want policy decisions made based on this kind of pressure.

Here’s a video to explain more.

The June Get Your PHX at Tuft & Needle is just a few weeks away. I’m excited to tour an actual manufacturing facility in downtown Phoenix –in an era when manufacturing seems to happen only in other countries.

Tuft & Needle has just moved into the historic O.S. Stapley building on Grand Avenue and Get Your PHX will be one of the first to take a look inside and tour the new headquarters.

Daehee Park and JT Marino met in college and were hired at the same startup company in Silicon Valley. The two were working long hours, barely seeing their families and yet even with all of their time and effort, the business was barely eking by.

“We worked more hours per week than what seemed humanly possible. One colleague joked that we were “burning vats of midnight oil”—and this was a boast, not a complaint,” says Park & Marino.

Amid exhaustion and striving for success at work, JT and his wife began shopping for their first piece of furniture together – a new mattress. Pushy salesmen, unnecessary upgrades and a $3,300 mattress later, the newlyweds were stuck with an uncomfortable mattress they couldn’t even return. JT along Daehee decided to do something about it and in 2012 they launched Tuft & Needle.

Since then, T&N has grown into one of the most successful businesses in the market. In just nearly four years they’ve grown their initial investment of $6,000 to over $100 million in revenue while employing over 100 people.

The decision to move their headquarters to Phoenix was not only an easy choice, but also one that has helped their company continue to reach new goals. From the cost of living to business climate, Park and Marino have found Phoenix and its residents the perfect place to raise a business.

“… It’s been our experience that people here want to build careers and businesses—not resumes. They aren’t hopscotching around, waiting for the latest startup to close a round so they can go off and join the next big thing. No, they’re committed: When equity vests, it’s not time to leave. It’s time to continue to make that equity worth something. They’re fighters, and they’re in it for the long haul. If you’re a founder, you can’t put a price on that kind of loyalty.”

Join Get Your PHX and Local First Arizona for tours inside Tuft & Needle’s new space! As always, please RSVP below.

Date: Thursday, June 23^rd
Time: 6:00PM – 8:00PM*
Location: 735 Grand Ave., 85007
RSVP Here
Follow us on Facebook!

This is a cross-post about a venture some friends of Get Your PHX are taking on. We are particularly interested in this because it signifies that redevelopment is beginning to move eastward on Van Buren from downtown. Keep an eye on this one!

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PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 3rd, 2016) – A team of downtown Phoenix advocates have purchased the historic Roland’s Market building in Downtown Phoenix, and will restore it to create an iconic space in the growing Eastlake Park and Garfield neighborhoods.

The 4,800 square foot, multi-use property at 1505 E Van Buren St. was purchased for $270,000.

Roland’s Market is available to lease, and the team is hoping to find a user who is passionate about housing their business in a unique, historically significant location. “There are so many young, exciting companies looking for cool, untraditional work space,” says Kevin Rille, real estate investor and developer with KLMN Properties LLC., leading the project.

The City of Phoenix has plans to revitalize Van Buren, which, in combination with established businesses like Co-Hoots, exciting new projects like The Pickle House by Chicanos Por La Causa, new multi-housing developments by Mike Lafferty, and plenty of light rail stops nearby, the Roland’s Market’s location will become even more desirable over the next couple of years. “Roland’s Market is just outside the downtown Phoenix hub, so it’s going to be really affordable, while also being super close to everything downtown Phoenix has to offer,” says Rille.

The property was built in 1917, and it operated as a grocery store until 2008. It became the iconic Roland’s Market in 1941, when Chinese immigrant Roland Ong bought the building and turned it into a Chinese market, fitting in with the robust, Chinese ex-pat culture in downtown Phoenix in the 1940s.

Rehab on the building will start soon, with plans to bring the warehouse-style building back to its original glory. Even after its many previous tenants, the team was happy to discover that most of the original elements that make the building so beautiful are still intact, including the tin ceiling, exposed brick walls, and wood trusses. One of the most exciting original elements is the vintage sign on the front of the building, a bright red typographic neon sign that has made Roland’s Market a landmark along the Van Buren strip.

The purchasing team of Roland’s Market LLC. is made up of Kevin Rille of KLMN Properties LLC., a broker and real estate manager; Celine Rille of Rille & Co., a creative studio that will handle the branding and marketing of the property; Brian Cassidy of CCBG Architects Inc., who will design the project; Kees Rietsema, a Phoenix entrepreneur, and two silent partners.

The team’s dedication to the development of Downtown Phoenix is a pivotal part of this project. Having recently served as president of the Evans-Churchill neighborhood association, Kevin Rille’s passion for downtown Phoenix led him to find this deal; Rille & Co. has been fundamental in projects around Downtown Phoenix, working on interior design, branding, and culture creation in spots like DeSoto Central Market and The McKinley Club, the co-working space and social club in the heart of the Roosevelt Row arts district; and CCBG Architects Inc. have been influential in the revitalization of the warehouse district, designing many of the adaptive reuse office and event spaces in the neighborhood, including their own work space.

The team hopes to make Roland’s Market a staple of the up-and-coming Van Buren hub.

We’ll be hosting the May Get Your PHX at Palabra.

In 2012, Jorge Torres first opened Palabra Hair. Art. Collective. in downtown Phoenix and in January of this year, the creative hub launched its new location on 1^st Street.

Since breaking out on his own, Torres’ vision for Palabra has intentionally brought together hair, art, fashion, music and performance. The idea is to cultivate growth in others and to infuse creativity into all aspects of the business.

Inside the stark white building, Futuro coffee welcomes guests with a rich wafting aroma of espresso, and behind it to the left is a dedicated gallery space, to the right is Torres’ hair studio.

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Greyhound Pets of Arizona is an organization that, obviously, helps with greyhound fostering. It has received word that the Tucson Greyhound Park will be closing this year. The best word they have at this time is that the closing is likely to be the end of June.

GPA, along with other adoption groups in the area, is mobilizing to start bringing retiring greyhounds into foster programs so that they can live with loving families.

The legislature has finally voted to end greyhound racing in Arizona (thankfully) and the park will be closing.

So, GPA is in need of additional greyhound fostering homes over the next three months. If you think you might like to foster a greyhound, call 1-877-545-3647.

The hounds will be coming directly from the track.

• They may or may not be spayed/neutered when you get them
• They will not have been tested with small animals and cats
• They may have parasites such as ticks although the kennels are
  working hard to make sure the hounds are clean.
• They will not necessarily be house broken

Of course, it begs the question of what they will do with all of that park space. Could that be turned in to urban housing, or a huge festival space? Its yet to be seen. I hope that the park does not sit empty for years, as that would be a sad situation for our positive urban development.

I used to want a greyhound when I thought they could run long distance with me. But then I learned that, while they are great at short speeds, they are not good at distances and are generally very calm dogs.

It was a bummer, because they are such beautiful and sleek dogs. If you are a lover of art nouveau or art deco design, you will see them and Afghan Wolfhounds depicted everywhere. But, I digress.