Blog
Latest NewsN. Mark Kramoltz, JD, GRI, CIPS writes blog articles on the metro Phoenix, Arizona, national and global real estate markets. Written from his perspective as a designated broker and real estate attorney, his articles avoid the inaccuracies and vacuous industry propaganda common to most real estate writings. Due to his love of animals and military history, he also frequently writes about dogs, cats and horses that have played a role in military conflicts. Subscribe to his blog now!
Simon the Sea Cat.
Since the establishment of the Dickin medal in 1943 (see Animals Deserve Medals Too) , almost half the recipients have been dogs. But the medal has also gone once to a cat. “Simon” was adopted by the crew of the HMS Amethyst. Simon excelled in his assigned duty of rat...
Phoenix is Getting Browner.
Front yard grass is almost non existent in new and newer homes in the Valley of the Sun. And in the back yard, the great majority of those homes have limited or fake grass. Desert or natural landscaping is the preferred choice. This is the reverse of homes built in...
Secret Street Naming Codes.
Do you know what the difference is between a street, an avenue and a road? The city of Phoenix uses a grid system for roadways, with suffixes organized according to location. That means that numbered streets west of Central Avenue will use the suffixes Avenue, Drive,...
Your Home May be Giving You Lung Cancer.
The second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. (smoking is #1) is Radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas in the ground. When Radon has accumulated in a structure in sufficient quantities, it may present health risks over time. Homes with basements...
Suicide Dogs.
In WWII dogs were used to sniff out mines, carry messages, scout trails and guard camps. But a novel use was by the Russians to destroy tanks in the early years of the eastern front. Desperate to stop the German advance, they trained dogs to go under tanks with...
Resolving an HOA Complaint.
I’ve written a couple of blogs (the latest being Do You Have an HOA Dispute? Part 2) about how a homeowner to contest a notice of violation or fine by a Homeowner's Association. It is an alternative to the civil court system administered by the Arizona Department of...