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PEARLS OF GARDENING WISDOM July 2, 2009
Oh the joys of tomato caterpillars coupled with a squeamish family of so-called tough guys!
Nancy Frye-Swope’s Blog: The Frugal Biker Housewife
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1225 E Suffock Avenue Investor’s Special July 1, 2009
Nancy Frye-Swope wrote:
1225 E Suffock Avenue Investor’s Special
From: Nancy Frye-Swope [nancy@nancysvirtualoffice.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 5:19 PM
To: nancy@nancysvirtualoffice.com
Subject: 1225 E Suffock Avenue Investor’s SpecialAttachments: _AVG certification_.txt
I’m selling my rental home in Kingman. Please tell your friends & clients who may be interested in a great rental income. The current renters have been in place for 1 1/2 years and have never paid late or missed a payment and keep the place clean and well cared for.WOW!
INVESTOR’S SPECIAL WITH BUILT-IN RENTER!
At $39,900.00 this won’t last long.
This home has a great tenant already in place waiting to pay rent to a smart Investor!
Loads of Parking Stick-Built 2-story Master Suite Master Suite
Upper deck rear view Mountain View back easement w/ yard access Cute Kitchen
¾ Bath Upstairs Full bath downstairs
OR BUY AS A STARTER HOME AND QUALIFY FOR AN
$8,000.00 Federal Housing Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers.
This home, in a quiet neighborhood of North Kingman, is a 2 story with 1 large bedroom suite and a large den/bonus room! All appliances come with this sale, including dishwasher, washer, dryer, range and refrigerator. The fully fenced lot has plenty of room for RV parking and has a covered carport!
Beautiful views of the mountains from every direction from the upstairs master bedroom deck! Nice wood-burning stove in the living room, a den/bonus room and a cute kitchen with pine counters and a breakfast nook.
Evaporative cooling, ceiling fans, gas wall heater.
Call (928) 692-9872 today and speak to Tori Dye at Warring & Associates West USA Realty for your personal tour or for more information, or email tdye@westusa.com.
June 30, 2009
Buy this as a starter home or Investor can start
collecting rent from good tenant in place! 2 story home
has 1 large bedroom & large den! All appliances
including dishwasher, washer, dryer, range & fridge
included! Fully fenced lot with lots of room for RV
parking & a covered carport! Beautiful views in every
direction from the master bedroom deck.
Nice wood-burning stove in the living room! Call today
for your personal tour or for more information! More
• Large double-wide 1980 manufactured home • Detached garage • Large corner lot • Completely fenced • Less than 1 mile from college • 3 Bedrooms, 2 full baths • Dining room has new hardwood flooring • Refrigerator • Gas stove • New septic • New leveling & skirting package • Swamp cooler • Owner Carry is assumable w/ a down of 4K (no credit check) • Federal Housing Tax Credit for 1st time HOME BUYERS! June 23, 2009
-
- 2381 Snavely, Kingman, AZ 86409
-
- Call (928) 757-8782 for more info
Important health advice for women ;-) May 8, 2009
This Fun & Important Advice comes to me from my daughter-in-law, Heather Anderson:
This makes sense to me! Time to break out the blender! 😉
IMPORTANT HEALTH ADVICE FOR WOMEN
Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.
Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions.
Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you’re ready and willing to do just about anything.
You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live.
Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had.
Stop hiding and start living, with Margaritas.
Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn’t mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.
Side effects may include:
– Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration
– Erotic lustfulness
– Loss of motor control
– Loss of clothing
– Loss of money
– Loss of virginity
– Loss of bladder control
– Attraction to ugly men
– Table dancing
– Headache
– Dehydration
– Dry mouth
– And a desire to sing KaraokeWARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when
You are not.WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and
Over again that you love them.WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically
Converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.*Margaritas are also available in generic form, known as tequila. Just as effective and costs only a fraction.
Why is Nancy’s Virtual Office Your Business Solution? May 4, 2009
THIS is a Tale of Success:
I fell in love with paper pushing at an early age, but it is my father who I credit with the success of my administrative endeavors.
Growing up poor in a coal mining area in the Appalachians of West Virginia and surviving the depression, Dad learned the value of, 1) finding solutions for problems and, 2) having a trade to fall back on. I can’t tell you how many times I heard Dad say, “Don’t say I can’t. Just find a way to do.” On top of this code of belief, from the time I entered Junior High School until I graduated from High School and got married, Dad insisted I learn to type and take shorthand and bookkeeping classes in case something were to happen. I suppose nowadays most people wouldn’t consider excelling in office prep classes as much of an accomplishment as I did, but that’s exactly what I did. I typed like a whiz, took great short-hand (a lost art now) and learned good basic bookkeeping skills. In those days, coming from the “old-timey” background of which I was raised, it was expected that a young girl learned how to take care of a family, husband and house and that’s what I did – I just had something to fall back on just in case.
When my children were aged five, seven and ten, my husband died in an unexpected accident and I realized I had to be the sole wage earner for my family. Providentially, I had the background to get me started. Up until then I hadn’t even thought about Dad making me take those classes. I went out and bought a book on resume writing and wrote a killer resume that nicely presented my meager background of high school honors classes, office prep classes, some volunteer work and my penchant for always having a book in my hand. I landed a job as a receptionist in an extremely busy orthodontist practice in Palm Springs, California – no small feat in the 1980’s when our country was experiencing a stock market crisis and economic downturn that rivals the one we’re in now. I remember I started at $8.00 an hour and felt fortunate.
Soon I was managing a satellite office in Palm Desert and did so well I wanted more. I enrolled in part-time classes at the local college and took Small Business Management and Computer Bookkeeping. With A’s in both classes I decided I wanted to keep going, so I took some general education classes toward a degree. I soon landed a scholarship to Sonoma State University and earned my Bachelor’s Degree. Dad didn’t live long enough to see me graduate from college but he was there in my heart and my mind. He was the one who instilled in me the desire to succeed in life and master the art of whatever I chose to do by finding the right solution.
I carried my degree on to the corporate world and went on to become a first-class administrator. One day I decided that the ultimate success for me would be to be able to do what I enjoyed and was good at, stay at home with my family doing it, and be able to help others find solutions for their own success – So my solution was to establish my own business – And I did!
So now you know why I say, “My Business is Your Business Solution.”
FEMA Flood Zones and the 100-Year Event February 21, 2009
Expert Article Author
FEMA Flood Zones and the 100-Year Event
Nancy Frye-Swope
Each lot, plot, section or tract of land has a designated flood zone regardless of whether it is located in a hazardous flood area. A flood zone is a geographic area that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has defined according to varying levels of flood risk. Each zone reflects the severity or type of flooding in the area. A floodplain is an area subject to periodic flooding. Floodplains are delineated by the expected frequency of flooding. For example, an annual floodplain is expected to flood once each year.
Even the arid desert southwest can have problems with flooding. In Arizona, the County of Mohave Flood Control Division, says that one of the greatest problems the Flood Control District has is convincing new county residents that flooding is a problem. The District says that floods that create major damage in a desert happen for four reasons:
- A large population base;
- Location in a major drainage basin;
- The chance for large storms with greater than normal precipitation; and
- Inadequate drainage conveyance. 1
In rural areas dirt roads and subdivision layouts were often built without taking into account the natural drainage systems of the washes and lands. In the cities, structures, parking lots and asphalt roads do not absorb water like the land as it was prior, resulting in a whole new set of flooding problems.
In the southwest desert areas the most frequent cause of flooding is heavy rain. Intense thunderstorms with heavy rainfall can cause flash floods, common in the desert monsoon months between July and September. Couple these flash floods with inadequate community drainage systems and there is no place for the local runoff to go. This is why adequate drainage facilities must be accounted for when a preliminary plat is submitted for approval.
FEMA maintains flood plain delineations on a set of maps called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). Mortgage companies are required to determine if a property they are financing is located within a 100-year floodplain (any zone designation beginning with the letter A). If so, the mortgage company can require the buyer to obtain flood insurance. This information must be disclosed in most State Subdivision Disclosure Reports.
What is a 100-year flood or event? Contrary to what it sounds like, it is not a flood event that happens once in a hundred years. It is a flood that has a one percent chance (or, 1 in 100) of occurring in any given year. A 5-year event has a 20% odds, a 10-year event has a 10% odds, a 50-year event a 2% odds, and a 500-year event a .2% odds. The few and far between floods tend to result in more deep and forceful water flows. The more frequent floods result in more shallow and less forceful water flows, although damage is still possible. The general rule is that water volume increases as the probability decreases.
A 100-year floodplain is also known as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and if a lender determines that a property is in a SFHA, they must have flood insurance, or apply for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). They may also apply for a Letter of Determination. All of these applications first require the support of an Elevation Certificate. An Elevation Certificate is required in order to properly rate post-FIRM buildings. Post-FIRM buildings are those buildings constructed after the finished flood elevations bring them up out of a flood insurance zone — as in raised house pads. This certificate does not provide a waiver of the flood insurance purchase requirement. Only a LOMA or LOMR from FEMA can amend the FIRM and remove the Federal mandate for a lending institution to require the purchase of flood insurance.
Always determine which flood zone property is located in before you decide to purchase even if the land is located well inland of a body of water. At the very least, you need to know whether flood insurance is going to be a requirement of your lender. In addition, you need to educate yourself as to alternatives that may be available through amending or revising current FEMA maps.
Contact Nancy at nancy@nancysvirtualoffice.com or 928-766-2810 for help in finding flood zone information and other due diligence property research prior to making your purchase.
14 Steps to Take before You Purchase Land for Development February 16, 2009
Nancy Frye-Swope
DUE DILIGENCE can make the difference between failure and reaching success when it comes to any purchase, but especially when buying property for development. I know you wouldn’t do it, but I am often amazed that some people will purchase acreage with the intention of splitting and making some money, without at least checking on whether the proposed split is feasible or even legal. Never rely on someone else’s say so, even your real estate agent’s, that you can easily split land and turn a profit. Even if the proposed split is legal, a developer must still determine whether a state public report will be required prior to lot sales and what getting one issued will involve. Always exercise due diligence before you make your offer; Failing that, certainly before you close your deal.
- START by asking your agent if a public report is available. Among others, this is a good reason to use a licensed real estate agent. All licensed real estate professionals are required to receive training on real estate laws and are required to keep up on that training. In addition, an agent can be considered to have acted in concert when selling property if they knew or should have known that the sale they closed required a public report, so an agent has a high motivation to exercise their own due diligence. If you are not using an agent, most states have Department of Real Estate (DRE) websites with disclosure information available. In Arizona, go to the DRE website, located at www.azre.gov/ and access the public information databases to search for and download a public report.
- ASK your agent for a property profile. A good property profile will include, current ownership and their mailing address, site address, parcel number, census tract, housing tract, lot number, legal description, plat map, property characteristics, including acreage and latitude and longitude, the last transfer date with document recording number, assessment and tax information, transaction history, detailed sales comparables, nearby properties, demographics, public schools, private schools, plat map, flood zone and crime statistics. If you are not using an agent, there are many free sites where you can look up property information yourself such as www.realtor.com and www.zillow.com.
- REQUEST that your agent give you a copy of the deed and any previously recorded Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs). You don’t have to wait for the contract to be written, the property is in escrow and a title search is done to check out these documents. If you are only buying a portion of an existing subdivision, the existing CC&Rs will be important for you to check out prior to purchasing. If you are developing your own subdivision, you will probably be declaring and recording your own CC&Rs.
- AFTER you have received your property profile, go to the property and walk the entire site to determine its suitability for what you want to accomplish. While it is no substitute for being there, many counties now have public GIS mapping systems that will bring up the parcel in question in high resolution orthophotography and give you street names, whether roads are county maintained, show railroads and give recorded dimensions. Mohave County has an Interactive Map Viewer found under their services menu at www.co.mohave.az.us.
- FIND out about the infrastructure – What is in place, are they adjacent or how many feet are they to your farthest proposed lot, can the facilities be extended and what the costs would be to extend to your proposed project. Take measurements from the farthest lot in question to each facility such as electric, telephone, cable, sewer and gas. Then contact the utility companies and find out what the process and fees are to extend service that distance. If you do not know the local utility companies for that area, pull out the local telephone book or contact the local Chamber of Commerce for a list.
- CALL County Planning & Zoning (P & Z) and check on zoning or rezoning potential. Your county P & Z will have a Development Services Department as well, although it may be called another name. Ask to speak to the director about your proposal so they can tell you whether this fits in with the General Plan.
- ASK for a copy of the General Plan and the Area Plan for your project locale. Besides a community history, a Master Plan tracks development trends and projects growth. It identifies county policies and priorities.
- DETERMINE what is required by your local government entity for your land division. Many counties and cities have the regulations available on the internet. If they do not, call P & Z that services the area in which you are interested and ask for a copy.
- FIND more information on flood plains than is listed in your property profile, by pulling up a FEMA map for your area at www.fema.gov. The FEMA website will tell you whether flood insurance is required by lenders for the stated flood plain.
- ALWAYS Determine whether you will need a state public report as it necessitates additional work and fees beyond your land division project. A general rule is that if your split results in more than 5 lots, you will need one but there are other variables such as common promotional plans and what you may already own within that common promotional plan area; Always determine the rules on this requirement prior to your purchase by calling your DRE Development Department.
- CONTACT an engineer to find out what the services may cost to accomplish your proposed land usage and the costs of delivering the items required for your public report, certifications from the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Water Resources and local permitting.
- FIND out what facilities you will be required to install based on the acreage of your proposed split. Many counties have lot split requirement for 1-acre parcels necessitating some or all of the following:
- Private maintained roadway passable by a 2-wheel drive vehicle.
- Public maintained roadway (Primary or Tertiary maintenance passable by 2-wd vehicle).
- Access to electric service or agreement w/ utility company to extend service at your cost.
- Within a fire district.
- Direct access to water service pipelines operated by a water company.
- Adjacent to a paved through road (collector, arterial) serving the area.
- Direct access to paved road.
- Direct access to public sewer.
- DETERMINE ahead of time whether your lender will offer partial release provisions for your deed of trust when you begin financing for your improvements. Once you begin your sales out of your new subdivision you must ensure that each new purchaser will receive his lot free and clear of any blanket encumbrance.
- IDENTIFY the current builders involved in the surrounding areas and find out what the lots and dwellings are selling for and how fast they are moving. Check the re-sale value in the immediate area because this helps determine the sale prices of new construction in the neighborhood. After all, once you develop your property you want to sell it at a profit
SUMMARY:
These 14 steps should be the minimum of your due diligence investigation and merely represent the key issues that should be addressed prior to investing in development property. The principal reason for due diligence prior to buying and developing land is to determine if the land development would be economically sensible. You can go beyond the above-listed steps and search records for pending divorce, bankruptcy or other life changing events that could affect the amount you want to bid or offer on the property. A pending divorce could mean the principals might be willing to accept less.
Public disclosure reports are meant to protect the public. Among numerous disclosures in a state public report are facilities providers, potential hazards and problems in the area, schools, transportation, hospitals and stores. Property profiles used to only be available through real estate agents and title companies but much of this information is now freely available on the internet. Google “property profile” and you will get numerous hits on where to find this free information. If you cannot find a county website where you can find public recorded documents, call your county recorder and request copies. Once you have gathered all of your information and made the educated decision to purchase your property, make sure you call P & Z to make an appointment for you and your engineer to review your plans for developing. Each area has its own subdivision and development regulations and most are available online.
Nancy Frye-Swope is the founder of Nancy’s Virtual Office, a Virtual Assistance service, based out of her home office in the town of Yucca, Arizona. Nancy provides administrative assistant services for small business owners. She specializes in helping real estate investors, subdividers and developers, project engineers and builders. Nancy’s Virtual Office brings a fresh and innovative approach to the use of traditional administrative assistance. Her goal is to exceed the expectations of every client by offering outstanding customer service, increased flexibility and greater value to optimize their business venture so they can achieve success.
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