new house in phoenix
Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:51:29 -0400
Next time you decide to purchase a house, one of the key things you should look out for is the availability of close public transport. This is central as it will provide numerous advantages.
Most of all, it’s very convenient. Living near public transportation, you are able to hop on a bus or train in matter of minutes to get you where you need to go and you don’t have to worry about driving to the destination.
Public transportation allows for easy access to an unlimited amount of destinations. Malls, parks, markets, places of employment, hospitals, and schools can be easily accessed thanks to public transportation.
The beauty is that if you live near convenient public transport then you will not need to own an automobile. If you already own when, then you will not want or need to use it as often thus saving you money on gas and parking amongst other things.
With lesser cars, there will also be less gas emissions, which is a good thing for the community’s respiratory health. Good public transportation will also be good for one’s general well being as there will be lesser stress from driving, long commutes, or traffic jams.
A reliable and well-maintained public transportation system is also an indicator of how the local government values maintenance of public infrastructure. The chance that other public services from the local government will be as good is high.
Communities near public transportation services have a lower foreclosure rate. This is proven by research performed by the Natural Resources Defense Council. They conducted research in cities across California, Florida, and Illinois to find the affects of public transportation on communities.
One probable reason for the correlation between foreclosure rates and public transportation is that savings on transportation costs from not buying a car turns out to be that significant. Not having to spend much on transportation means that you can actually divert your resources to spending more on making your house a home.
I know that REALTORS(r) have been advising their clients for years to either video or take photos of their belongings to make a record of the things they own. I also know that most of you probably have not done so. I would like to share with you what my brother is going through as I write:
He lives near Atlanta, Georgia and a few days ago they had horrendous thunderstorms. My sister in law was at home with their two boys when they heard a huge clap of thunder and the lights and phone went out.
A few minutes later a neighbor came knocking on their door to let them know that their attic was on fire due to being struck by lightning. Being a major storm, there were 5 other homes in the area that had been struck by lightning and also on fire. Theirs was the last one to get hit and the last one the fire department was able to get to. The home has been deemed a total loss due to fire, smoke and water damage. They will have to strip down to the foundation and rebuild a brand new home. Nothing was salvageable.
So now they have the daunting task of digging through each room and taking photos and an inventory of their belongings that are now soaked, smoked and ruined. Each day they are working on this task brings more and more emotional turmoil - finding video recordings of the kids and other family that are ruined (and of course irreplaceable) bringing up even deeper feelings of loss. The insurance company is requiring them to do this in order to have their things replaced. Their kids have been with them and they just completed their rooms today. The emotions they must be feeling right now must be terrible.
This is probably the hardest way to have to deal with the aftermath of a fire or other great property loss. Imagine not having to go through that after such a loss. This is why I am now passionate about the idea of logging all your belongings via videos or photos. Having this done already would prevent having to go through what my brother and his family is going through right now.
Lynn Otlewski, SRS, CSSN, CDPE
RE/MAX Integrity REALTORS
lynn@valleyreadvisor.com
www.valleyreadvisor.com
623-238-3875
Posted via email from Phoenix Home Rescue
