I ran in to a new phrase this week, “tactical urbanism.”

I imagined night patrols of hipsters with pocket knifes attached to their suspenders, raiding GMO-free urban gardens with night vision goggles.

But I was wrong.

In reality, its a pretty cool idea. Individuals, organizations and sometimes governments use temporary materials to transform specific urban areas as a way to show how spaces could be improved positively for the long-term. A very informative website on tactical urbanism uses the following description:

“Cities around the world are using flexible and short-term projects to advance long-term goals related to street safety, public space, and more.”

I think of it this way: citizens us temporary and inexpensive materials to demonstrate to their city leaders and bureaucrats that an idea for some local change is viable, prior to going through long, drawn-out planning processes. I suppose you could use the term “pilot project”, but that implies that the project is lead by the government, whereas tactical urbanism is more citizen-driven.

This is not to say that the government is never involved. The literature speaks of a program in New York City called the NYC Plaza Program, in which the city takes little-used streets or alleys and turn them into people-friendly spaces.

I love this idea. If you’ve followed my rants, you know that I am concerned that the recent development of massive apartment block in downtown (what I call Roosevelt Canyon), have been stripping the humanity away from our main arts district.

I think that tactical urbanism has the potential to push back against these formulaic, corporate developments and bring some humanity back to where it belongs.

So, I think you’ll want to watch for this phrase to be used more in Phoenix in the coming couple years.

Here’s how you can support your favorite charity: refer us!

Please support our Charity Referral Network.

Hunter, in Phoenix, did just that. Last week, we helped his friends Shawn and Charlie close on the home shown in this video. True to our word, we will make a donation to Hunter’s favorite charity.

You can to. Its simple. When you are talking to friends at a party, at the office or that family dinner you’ve been avoiding for months, and when somebody mentions they need a realtor, kindly remember us!

This is our attempt to focus positive attention on those charities that you care about, and which do so much good work here in Phoenix.

Here is how it works. If you send us a referral for a home sale or purchase, and that transaction closes, we will make a donation to the charity of your choice. We will post on our blog and on Facebook that your referral was instrumental in making that donation happen.

Meanwhile, enjoy this pre-renovation tour and try not to get seasick from the selfie stick I had to use to get this video.

It is as simple as that. Thank you!

Please give us a call today at 602-456-9388 for more.

As many of you know, I’m a fan-boy for the Phoenix Public Works Department’s efforts at building a circular economy.

Here’s the difference between the two. And, yes, the difference is huge for not only our sustainable future, but also for our local economy.

A linear economy is wasteful, expensive and does not create as many jobs as it could. It costs more money and jobs to ship raw materials here from out of state, or out of country and it adds carbon emissions.

Click here to see the video that these screen captures come from.

A circular economy takes advantage of materials that are already in our waste stream, and re-uses them in a way that creates new jobs and businesses.

When you think about waste streams, think numbers. Over 7 million people in Arizona are all throwing away trash every day. We currently recycle less than 20% of our trash, despite all of those blue bins that we see in our neighborhoods. Office and industrial waste is often passed right in to the landfill.

Hey, just imagine what is happening to all of the metal, wood and concrete that comes off of those many homes that you see being renovated right now.

So, I’m particularly interested in the work that ASU is doing in collaboration with the city to find ways to extract the monetary and employment value from this waste stream. Check out the Resource Innovation and Solutions Network, which has just started its “Call for Innovations.” This will result in an demo and expo day, which will certainly lead to new business opportunities.

At a time when there is a lot of talk about bringing jobs back to the US, these folks are making it happen. After all, the more basic materials we can re-use here, the less we need to import from across the ocean.

Watch these folks. They are certain to have more to report as they are building a circular economy.

For the September 2017 Market Update, we check in again with Tina at the Cromford Report.

“Supply remains lower than last year, but the gap closed slightly compared with last month in terms of active listings with no contract. We are starting to see more new listings than last year. The third quarter is up 2.5% from last year and up 5.5% from 2015. So far the extra supply is not having much effect, but if it continues for several months finding a property could start to get a little easier for buyers.

The monthly sales rate is up only 1.8% compared with a year ago. Both August 2016 and August 2017 had the same number of working days (23) so we have a fair comparison to draw. Since the year over year growth was 5.7% in June and 3.0% in July we again see a continuing slow downward trend in the advantage that 2017 has over 2016 in sales volume. Growth in the annual sales rate has almost stopped with 95,000 proving to be a difficult line of resistance. All these point to a gradual fading of demand. The serious shortage of supply obscures that fade.

We experienced a seasonal price drop between June and July, but prices have already bounced back during August and are likely to remain on an upward track for the rest of 2017 at least.

We still have a seller’s market in most locations and price ranges, but the current trends means the seller’s advantage has very little momentum. Before buyer`s get too excited, the trends are very mild in nature. As such we do not currently see major increases in buyer’s bargaining power coming anytime soon.

Of course, the market could change quickly, as it did in the summer of 2013, but there is not much sign of this in any of the numbers at the moment.”

Anecdotally, we are seeing a huge number of renovation project that seem to dominate the market. I would go so far as to say that they are probably driving prices upward, as the investors are seeking high profit margins and buyers are willing to pay, given a lack of options in CenPho.

In a way some renovations are sad for the historic neighborhoods. I’ve heard many concerns from neighbors that the renovators are taking this historic souls right out of the homes –turning them in to trendy replications of an Anthropology clothing store.

If you are thinking of purchasing a renovated property, please be certain to have a realtor represent you, even if its not us. Many people don’t know that renovators are still responsible for disclosing the condition of the property, even if they claim they never lived in it. You need an agent to protect your interests.

Call us and we can give you more details at 602-456-9388.

I’m calling this post the Get Your PHX Find for September 2017. I like this idea. Maybe I’ll do it more often –its an excuse to eat tasty food and they write about it.

I’m not sure that I’ll find a great new spot like this every month, but I’ve got one for this month!

Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you about this Get Your PHX Find for a few months. Novel Ice Cream impressed me right away. Not only are they serving unique and well-made ice cream downtown, but they regularly have lines –despite having done NO advertising!

For the past six months Novel Ice Cream has been serving up ice cream stuffed donuts in the form of their signature Dough Melts from a little red cottage in the Grand Avenue Arts District. Boasting 12 unique flavors of small batch handcrafted artisan ice creams, retro cereal toppings, and craft glass bottle sodas by local supplier Pop the Soda Shop, all served in a colorful and quirky space featuring mural art by local artist Joe Gonzalez. Given its fun and decidedly  different take on a dessert staple, Novel isn’t your typical ice cream spot… which is exactly why it fits in perfectly among the buildings on Grand canvassed in some of the most unique art in Phoenix.

Since opening in March, Novel has experienced firsthand our city’s love for the homegrown small businesses that are shaping local food and art culture by bringing high quality, unique items to Phoenix’s burgeoning food scene. This positive reception culminated in Novel being named the 13th Best Ice Cream Sandwich Shop in America by BuzzFeed and Yelp in July.

Owner/operators Brandon and Jennifer Douglas love the fact that Novel not only serves as an outlet for sharing their obsession with ice cream, donuts, cereal, and soda with their customers, but also love that their shop continues to bring people from all over the metro area (and all over the state) to Historic Grand. In addition to Novel, the Grand Avenue Historic district is home to several other well established and unquestionably unique food stops such as ThirdSpace, Grand Avenue Pizza, and Treehouse Bakery. All of which have embraced the community’s well known art-centric history. Many believe the recent influx of creative start ups making the downtown section of Grand Avenue their home mean it is primed to continue its path to becoming a major hub for exceptional food and art culture in our state.

Novel Ice Cream is located at 1028 Grand Ave #6 on the Southwest corner of 11th Ave. and Grand in the Red Cottage behind ThirdSpace. Their hours are Tuesday-Thursday 12pm-10pm, Friday & Saturday 12pm-1am, and Sundays 12pm-5pm, Closed on Mondays.

The Urban Farming Tip for September 2017 is close to my heart. Y’all who know me, know that I’m a fan of solar energy.

Well, before there were solar panels and the utility company battles to stop their distribution, there was solar cooking.

For years, folks looked with on with smirks as solar enthusiasts cooked food in their back yards in the sun. Well, that was the beginning of a movement which looks much different now, but which comes from the same ethos –independence, sustainability and creativity.

So, for this Urban Farming Tip, we check in again with our favorite urban farmer Greg Peterson, as they give you the details on how to use a solar cooker. Below is an excerpt.

“Sunlight—we all get some or a lot, but besides turning it into a nice tan, heating water or making a few hundred watts of electricity, what else can you do with the brilliant sunshine? How about channeling it into a cost-effective, energy-saving tool for cooking? Yep, I am talking about one of the greenest practices custom-made for us: the solar oven.

Believe it or not, solar cookers can be as fancy or as simple as regular kitchen ovens. Well, OK, most kitchen ovens are not quite as simple as an insulated cardboard box pointed at the sun, but there is quite a gamut of solar ovens available. In fact, my first solar oven was made by the Kerr-Cole Sustainable Living Center in Taylor, Arizona. Talk about basic: it was a cardboard box inside another cardboard box with insulation in between. But boy, did it work. Its internal temperatures regularly exceed 325° F. A little fancier and made from sturdier materials, my new solar oven is a Sun Oven, and can easily get up to 375° F.

Even better, solar ovens are a little like a two-for-one deal. They can serve as either a crockpot, where the temperature rises slowly, slow-cooking food throughout the day, or as a regular oven, baking, steaming or boiling all types of food. Plus the even temperatures of a solar oven help prevent overcooking. In fact, using my solar oven almost feels like cheating – no electricity, so no fear of burning my dinner and it couldn’t be more natural.

I know we’ve had some interesting weather, but don’t be fooled. Even though the sidewalks aren’t hot and it is brisk outside, the sun is bright enough to cook food. In fact, “a 40-degree, low-humidity day will allow food to cook faster than a 100-degree day with high humidity,” according to the makers of the Global Sun Oven. But remember that the days are getting shorter, so cooking hours will be somewhat limited.

If you’re considering a solar oven, here are some points to consider:

• Sunlight is free. This goes without saying, but it’s important to consider as the economy continues to shift. The initial investment can vary from under $100 up to $300 or $400, depending on type and model, but there’s absolutely no cost beyond that.
• Pots and pans. Feel free to use your regular kitchen pots and pans in these ovens, just keep in mind that shinier materials like aluminum will reflect light rather than absorb it, so darker, thin-walled pots are best.
• TLC. Using a solar oven can require a little more tender loving care. If you intend to use your solar oven like a conventional oven, it is recommended that you reposition your oven to point at the sun every 25 to 30 minutes to ensure a thorough cooking. This might be problematic, but remember, there’s no stirring or other attention needed.
• Lazy cooking. For those of you who are lazy like me, you can also use your solar oven like a crockpot. Load it up in the morning and point it south, then go to work and let the oven slow-cook your dinner.
• Taste. They say it has to do with the lack of air circulating through the solar oven, but whatever the scientific reason, I have found food cooked in a solar oven to taste simply incredible. Even breads taste better baked in a solar oven.

There are many types and models of solar cookers available, so check around and ask questions as you consider this investment. I have enjoyed both my models – especially since they have been such a pain-free way to help the environment.

And to be honest, since it’s hard to burn anything in a solar oven, it has dramatically improved my cooking skills, too.”

We made a solar dehydrator at our house recently, and we’ve hd some good luck using that. We used it to dehydrate food that we took on a hiking trip with us. Amazing thing: it tastes so much better than dehydrated food from the store. So, maybe our next Urban Farming Tip will cover that process.

Here’s your Green Cleaning Tip for August 2017 from Going GreenHouse.

Indoor air pollutants such as: dust mites, mold, pet dander, hair, secondhand smoke and common household cleaning products, can trigger asthma and other allergy symptoms. However, by using “green” cleaning products and processes, you can reduce the affects that pollutants have on allergies and asthma symptoms in your home.

The American Lung Association states that many standard cleaning products contain dangerous chemicals, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs have been linked to occupational asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and can be found in cleaning products such as: bleach, ammonia, floor cleaners, bathroom and tile cleaners, air fresheners, polishes and more!

Not only are green cleaning products better for our environment, but they can also help reduce triggers that may worsen your symptoms. Below are a few examples of how you can keep your home green and free of allergens.

In your kitchen:

Baking soda is going to be your best option for a cheap, all-purpose, green cleaning solution. It is best to break down your cleanings and keep a regular cleaning schedule. Each week, floors should be mopped, and cabinets and appliances should be wiped free of dust and build up. Seasonally, wipe down the inside of your fridge/freezer as well as the inside of utensil drawers. In order to prevent moisture and fumes in your kitchen, remember to use exhaust fans while cooking and keep all food in sealed containers, making sure to dispose of expired and moldy food.

In your Living Areas:

Many living areas consist of bookshelves, tables, and little knickknacks. Be sure that these items are being dusted regularly with a microfiber rag, which will trap and remove dust without sending it in to the air.

In your Bedroom:

Dust mites are your bedrooms worst culprit. Do your bedroom a favor and invest in dust mite-proof covers for pillows, mattresses, and box springs. In addition, be sure to wash your bedding and blankets regularly (recommended once a week) in at least 130 degree water, in order to kill dust mites and remove allergens.

In your Bathrooms:

Start by making your own green cleaning solution of either 50/50 water and vinegar mix or baking soda and water paste. Bathrooms see their fair share of moisture. You can help control the amount of moisture in your bathroom by using an exhaust fan to eliminate moisture/steam and reduce fumes caused by aerosol sprays, such as hairspray and bathroom deodorizers. You may also reduce moisture retention by eliminating the use of carpeting in bathrooms and opting for wood, laminate, or tile.

Maintaining a green and clean home may seem like a daunting task, but when broken down into a weekly routine you may find it to be quite manageable. If not, your friends at Going GreenHouse are happy to help. Green cleaning is what we do best!

Thanks again to Phoenix urban gardening guru, Greg Peterson, here’s your urban gardening tip for August. This time, its about composting –whether you want to do it with the help of chickens or a tall pile of compost is up to you.

But, before we re-print excerpts from Greg’s article, which you can see in full at this link, I want to share my old video from about ten years ago. In the video, I reviewed the types of composters that I built back then while I showed off my terrible taste in clothing.

None of the composters, of course, are as successful as Greg’s. But, they were fun to build and I learned a lot. Currently I use a two-step box method, which has two open boxes that I can use to mix the composted materials back and forth in to keep it all aerated.

Here’s a few things Greg has to say on the topic:

Most of the time the heat and desert soils seem to consume organic material faster than we can add it. Building healthy soil by adding compost is the key to growing healthy plants…

Start by looking at the amount of organic material that you have to compost. If all you have are your kitchen scraps, traditional composting may not be your answer, as it requires a lot of organic material, which the typical homeowner generally does not have. Do not fret however, as there are several other ways to “compost” that are much simpler and still accomplish the same results.

My favorite way of noncomposting is to feed it to the chickens. I know, your first reaction is “I can’t keep chickens in my yard.” Now I am not talking about roosters, just hens and they are very easy to keep, are effective at weeding and controlling bugs, they eat your kitchen and yard scraps, provide lots of great compost material, and give you the added bonus of the occasional egg or two for your breakfast enjoyment. (See the full article for tips on owning chickens.)

Now if you aren’t quite up for keeping chickens, you might try worms, which are much more innocuous. They do their own kind of digging, provide their own kind of manure and do a really good job of munching on your kitchen scraps. They are as easy to keep as putting a bucket under your sink with some shredded newspapers and worms. Or, you can add an old bathtub in some corner of your yard and vermicompost away (the fancy word for worm composting).

One of my favorite methods of noncomposting is called lasagna gardening. It is a process by which you build the soil in your garden and compost at the same time. The name says it all. Start by putting down a layer of dry material usually 1 to 3 inches deep. I like using dried leaves, hay or straw. Then add a layer of manure to facilitate the slow composting, then another layer of dry material and manure. You can add layers to your heart’s content and if you want to plant right away, dig a little hole, add some soil and plant. Over the course of a few months the layers break down and create awesome slow-cooked composted soil. The added bonus, is that you can take your kitchen scraps and tuck them into the lasagna garden and let nature take over.

Now if you still want to take a stab at traditional composting, the first thing to know is that you need a critical mass of organic material in order for the compost process to begin. The minimum size for effective composting is a cube of material 4 x 4 x 4 feet. The organic material used needs to consist of approximately 25% green/nitrogen such as manure, kitchen scraps and green grass clippings and 75% dry/carbon such as dried leaves, hay and chicken yard litter. Next you need to build the pile by thoroughly mixing your items, making sure they are fluffed appropriately so the pile can breath. Then add just enough water so that when you squeeze the wet material like a sponge a little water comes out. Add water once a week and watch the compost happen. A great item to use for building the compost holder is old pallets. Wire three of them together in a “U” shape and add a fourth on the front to hold it all in. This makes harvesting it easy when it is done, as all you have to do is unwire the pallets and use the compost.

The composting process works when bacteria eat the organic material in the pile. This causes heat (and boy does it get hot, up to 160 degrees). As the bacteria eat the compost, the pile shrinks, up to 50% in just a few weeks. After about six weeks the temperature drops dramatically and the pile needs to be turned and watered and the process starts again. Turn the pile one more time and let it sit for an additional six weeks and you will have wonderful compost. As a general rule the smaller and more uniform the pieces of material going into the pile the faster the compost will cook.

One of the most abundant materials to use in composting as well as in my noncomposting examples is leaves, which fall abundantly in most neighborhoods. Alfalfa hay is high in nitrogen and is another great material to use in your composting and lasagna gardening. When using kitchen scraps I suggest only using vegetable matter as dairy and meat products don’t seem to break down as readily and can attract pests.

Noncomposting is easy it just takes some work to get it set up and running. At the Urban Farm composting happens, with chickens, worms, lasagna gardening and composting. The fruits of our labor arrive in great tasting food that we harvest just about every day of the year. Using one or all of these methods just about guarantee you a great crop. Remember though, composting takes time as does raising a great garden. Be patient and compost away.

This article was written by Greg Peterson and originally published in Edible Phoenix Issue 2, Summer 2006.

If you need help finding the perfect urban property so that you can compost, raise chickens, garden and still make it downtown quickly for First Fridays, give us a call at 602-456-9388. We know all the best urban garden spots.

The Low Income Historic Housing Rehabilitation Program was created to encourage the repair and rehabilitation of historic residential properties providing housing opportunities for persons and families with low-incomes. The program funds critical building maintenance; structural stabilization work; repair and rehabilitation of historic exterior features such as roofs, walls, windows and doors.

All projects are required to meet city historic preservation guidelines, as well as the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The city will pay 70 percent for eligible work when the 30 percent match is paid by a non-profit organization and for projects where matching funds are provided by an outside agency or other city assistance program. The city pays 80 percent for eligible exterior rehabilitation work on projects where individual grant recipients do not receive funding assistance from a non-profit organization, another agency or assistance program to cover the remaining costs.

The minimum request the city will consider is $3,000 and the maximum funding amount is $30,000. In exchange for receiving funding assistance, owners convey a conservation easement to the city for a period of 15 to 20 years depending on the funding amount.

If you are interested in obtaining the complete application packet about the housing rehabilitation program, which includes the application, program guide and preservation philosophy, call 602-261-8699 or download the packet items from the City of Phoenix website here.

If you need help finding a property that you can fix up and make your own using this grant, give us a call at 602-456-9388.

Here’s your Green Cleaning Tip for August 2017 from Going GreenHouse. Their focus is often on green cleaning products and how to green-ify your home. However, it is important not to forget one important element to cleaning… YOUR LAUNDRY! So, people have been using these laundry detergents for years- is it really THAT big of a deal?  Well, let’s look a little deeper and let you decide for yourself…

Regular detergents contain chorine, phosphates, and other artificial additives that are dangerous to human health. Not to mention, the synthetic dyes and perfumes that can be harsh on your skin and cause allergic reactions and skin outbreaks. Chemicals found in conventional laundry detergent emit fumes that are constantly inhaled throughout the day. Breathing in chemical fumes, even at minute concentrations, may have damaging consequences on endocrinological and neurological health.

Further, we need to halt the damaging effects of phosphate– a common chemical added to detergent for its ability to enable the cleaning components of detergent to act, by preventing interference by the “hardness” of water (mineral ions). This chemical has done significant damage to our environment in last 40 years, mostly due to the poisonous effects on fish and the environment.

Enough with the “problems” what about a “solution”?

Here is where you do your part… for your sake, your family’s sake, and the environment’s sake, let’s make a change. What if we stayed free and clear of these harmful ingredients and switched to a more natural option? You can find natural/organic detergents at just about any grocery store these days, but if you are looking for a more resourceful option, try making your own at home. We even have a recipe for you!

Natural Laundry Soap:

1. One bar of Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Bar Soap (try lavender, tea tree, or peppermint)- grate in a food processor until finely ground
2. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup washing soda (find in the laundry section of your local store), 1 cup Borax, and 1 bar grated soap
3. Store in a closed container (like a 1 quart or half gallon mason jar).
4. Use 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup per load of laundry.

If your loads of laundry need an extra boost, try these helpful tips:

•  – Remove musty odors from fabrics by adding ¼ cup white vinegar to the wash cycle
• – Revive dingy whites by adding about ½ cup of baking soda 0r ¼ cup white vinegar to each load
• – Soften clothes by adding distilled white vinegar during the rinse cycle (try sing a fabric softener ball for easy dispensing)
• – Pre-treat stubborn organic stains, such as yellow caused by sweat, with a paste of baking soda and water before washing