Heidi A

I’m Back!

by Heidi Alexander on October 22, 2007

in Heidi A

heidi and baby oliviaYou may have noticed that I’ve been slack on blogging the past few months.  I do have a good excuse – i really do! 

On July 30th, we welcomed our newest member into the family.  Olivia Rain was born at home at a nice 7lbs 11oz. – whew that was a relief!  My last two girls were 8.8 and 9.2, so i was a little worried about having a 9 1/2-10lb baby!  She’s been keeping me a little busy, but generally is a happy, mellow baby that actually sleeps at night!  woohoo!

We’re back in the swing of things now and I’ll be posting again, so you’ll be seeing more of me.


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Sex Offender Registry for your Neighborhood

by Heidi Alexander on July 17, 2007

in Buyer Help,Heidi A

I know that when I was looking for a new house last year, one of my main concerns was the proximity of sex offenders. Many buyers have also asked me how to check into this particular subject – even those without children.  As much of an unpleasant subject as it is, many of us start thinking about the subject when looking for a new home.

The Arizona Dept of Public Safety has a public web-site where you can enter your zip code and receive information on the sex offenders in your neighborhood, including their name, address, a photo and types of offenses, as well as which schools they live in close proximity to. 

During your 10-day inspection period of buying a new home, research into schools and sex offenders can top your list if you have school-age children.  To find information for your neighborhood, visit www.az.gov/webapp/offender/main.do


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Comparing Valley Schools

by Heidi Alexander July 16, 2007 Buyer Help

School time is almost here for the Valley!  My daughters start next week, which seems so early, compared to the September start dates of my school years – we have a hard time believing that summer vacation is almost over! If you have just moved, are planning on moving, or want more information on your [...]

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The Low-Down on Tankless Water Heaters

by Heidi Alexander June 26, 2007 Green Living

My sister’s water heater just died on her this week, so she’s been researching the advantages and costs of transitioning to a tankless water heater.  If you’ve been thinking about switching to one when your water heater poops out, here’s some basic info to think about. Advantages: 1.  Tankless water heaters only heat water as [...]

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Death – The Ultimate in Recycling

by Heidi Alexander June 23, 2007 General Musings

Catchy, eh? I was watching a program yesterday on the death rituals of Tibetan Buddhism and couldn’t help but agree with their philosophy on the body after death.  Now, I’m not an expert in Buddhism by any means, so hopefully I understood their beliefs correctly - they believe that once the soul leaves the body, the [...]

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Phoenix and Seattle comparisons

by Heidi Alexander June 21, 2007 General Musings

Earlier this month I took a trip to Seattle with my daughters to visit a friend there, and to escape the Phoenix heat (if even for just a little bit this summer!).  It was our first visit to Washington and boy were we amazed at the differences between the Northwest and the Southwest. First, everywhere [...]

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Gilbert Rated 4th in the US for low crime rates

by Heidi Alexander June 14, 2007 East Valley

Go Gilbert Arizona!  While reading Time magazine this week, they had a small article rating US cities which were highest and lowest in crime.  Gilbert came in 4th for crime safety according to the article.  Not suprisingly, Flint and Detroit Michigan were two of the highest cities for crime rates (1st and 4th if I remember [...]

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Dual Agency or Not?

by Heidi Alexander June 1, 2007 General Musings

For those of you not familiar with the term, Dual Agency refers to an Agent who is working for both the Sellers and the Buyers in the same transaction.  Recently we were speaking with a Seller who was concerned that we didn’t have a Buyer ready to go in their area of town, so that [...]

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Thinking About a Greywater System?

by Heidi Alexander May 24, 2007 Green Living

Greywater systems are not widely used here in Phoenix, but could provide a fantastic opportunity for water re-use and conservation here in the dry Phoenix desert.  Greywater systems re-use water from your shower, laundry, sinks and dishes (pretty much everything except the toilet), rather than sending it down the sewer system.  The most common use of greywater is [...]

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Whole Foods coming to Chandler and Scottsdale

by Heidi Alexander May 23, 2007 East Valley

If you haven’t been to Whole Foods in Phoenix or Tempe yet, you’re in for a treat!  Whole Foods is expanding into two new locations this year – one in Chandler on the corner of Ray Rd and the 101/Price Freeway, and the other in Scottsdale at Scottsdale Rd and Mayo.  Word has it that [...]

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Water Play in the East Valley

by Heidi Alexander May 23, 2007 East Valley

Now that summer is here and school is just about out, are you wondering what in the heck your kids are going to do all summer long?  Water always keeps them entertained and wears them out.  My favorite place is the Kiwanis Wave Pool in Tempe – it’s heated, it’s indoors (so you don’t bake [...]

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School Safety

by Heidi Alexander May 3, 2007 Buyer Help

With the latest shooting at Virginia Tech, it got me to thinking about how schools have really had to alter their responsibilities, compared to the previous decades that we all went to school.  It’s amazing how small-time bullying (from the “good old days”) has escalated in recent years into shooting deaths.  I don’t know if [...]

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