Op Ed

Some people have a bigger impact than others

Op Ed

  Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011) Chris Butterworth is: Realtor. Analyst. Husband. Father. Writer. Amateur Photographer. Triathlete. Soccer Dad. Big fan of technology, efficiency, and the Arizona Wildcats.

6 October 2011 Read the full article →

Evernote – part 2 – How I Organize and My 10 Best Uses

Op Ed

Last week I wrote about Evernote Basics – what it is and some samples for how to use it.  Today I’ll dig a little deeper and share how I use it personally – both how I organize my digital notes and what purposes I use it for.  But before I dig into the details, I [...]

28 September 2011 Read the full article →

Evernote – part 1 – The Basics

Op Ed

I don’t know about you, but when I love a product, I tend to talk about it.  (sometimes a little too much!)  Evernote is one of those products.  I’ve talked it up enough that more than a few people have asked me what it is & how they should use it, which gives me a [...]

20 September 2011 Read the full article →

Metro Phoenix: cheaper to buy than rent

First Time Buyers

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Trulia regularly tracks the buy vs. rent equation and reports again that it’s cheaper to buy a home than to rent in metro Phoenix. See full story here: http://explore.trulia.com/datavis/rentvsbuy/Q2-2011/ Meanwhile, mortgage rates are in free-fall, according to an Inman.com interpretation of Freddie Mac’s rate survey… Rates on fixed-rate mortgages declined for a seventh week in [...]

3 June 2011 Read the full article →

Memorial Day

Op Ed

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While you’re grilling and drinking today, raise a glass to toast the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. (photo credit to Stock Exchange user linder6580) Heather Barr is a Realtor and a happy workaholic. She eats more than someone her size ought to be able, and is a runner [...]

30 May 2011 Read the full article →

Rentals, Investors, and the Future of the Market

Market Analysis & Stats

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Viewpoint 05/27/2011 Rentals, Investors, and the Future of the Market First of all, I need to come right out and say it – there will be some over-simplifying in this Viewpoint.  We’ll be discussing very complicated concepts with lots of variables and moving parts, yet this isn’t a Harvard reviewed journal – my goal has [...]

27 May 2011 Read the full article →

Pleasant Valley – Neighborhood Spotlight

Market Analysis & Stats

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Viewpoint 4/28/2011 Pleasant Valley – Neighborhood Spotlight Sometimes a single neighborhood can act as a microcosm for the city as a whole.  Yes, this is contrary to my normal disclaimer about market conditions varying greatly from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood.  But hear me out.. Pleasant Valley is a medium sized subdivision in [...]

28 April 2011 Read the full article →

Income and Wealth Distribution in the United States

Op Ed

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These numbers are staggering, and I’ve now seen them in 2 different sources. The Wealth-Income Pyramid, from zerohedge.com: “The key to understanding “recession” and “recovery”:  The Wealth Pyramid The top 20% are prospering and spending money; the bottom 80% are not, but thanks to vast wealth disparity, the top slice of households can keep consumer [...]

12 April 2011 Read the full article →

The Fed’s 10-Year Projections

Op Ed

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It’s easy to make projections; it’s a bit more difficult to make accurate projections.  And far more projections are made than accurate projections.  So why do we listen so intently to the experts’ opinions, giving ourselves an emotional roller coaster, when they’re probably no more likely to be right than you or me? Let’s take [...]

8 April 2011 Read the full article →

Are Property Taxes a Perpetual Liability?

Op Ed

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I thought this was interesting.. Economist Mish Shedlock published an email correspondence with a reader, where they discuss the concept of property taxes being similar to a mortgage you can never pay off. Imagine the perpetual loan, a loan that no matter what you do, you can never pay off. To help conceptualize the idea, [...]

1 April 2011 Read the full article →

Should we privatize education?

Op Ed

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Via Freakonomics Radio, with guest Edward Glaeser, who  recently published a book called “Triumph of the City:  How Our Greatest Innovation Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier.” The author makes a couple interesting points: 1. Cities are green.  Contrary to the first impression most people have of equating cities with smog and suburbs [...]

30 March 2011 Read the full article →

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