I just discovered this really cool document entitled the Home Buyers' Bill of Rights for home buyers and renters in Mesa, Arizona.  The Bill of Rights' for consumers in Arizona begins with a statement as follows:

"THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE, IN COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND THE PUBLIC, CREATED THIS “BILL OF RIGHTS” TO HELP EDUCATE YOU, THE CONSUMER, OF YOUR RIGHTS WHEN PURCHASING OR RENTING PROPERTY.  AS A REAL ESTATE CONSUMER IN ARIZONA, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW MATERIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY.

THE FOLLOWING LIST REPRESENTS SOME OF THE IMPORTANT MATERIAL FACTS YOU SHOULD EDUCATE YOURSELF ON BEFORE PURCHASING ANY TYPE OF PROPERTY IN ARIZONA."

In an effort to better acquaint home buyers and renters with their "rights", I have included a link to the information above, and shared the material below as well.

BUYERS AND TENANTS: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW:

• If the property is located in an incorporated city or unincorporated part of the county.
• If title insurance is available and if fire insurance can be acquired.
• If you will have fire and police protection and, if so, who provides this service.
• If the roads provide access for fire protection and police service.
• If the roads are maintained, and by whom.
• If utilities are available, and who provides them. (Water, Electric, Gas, Sewer, Trash)
• If the water supply is adequate.
• If the jurisdiction the property is located in has conservation restrictions and policies.
• If the property is located in a school district, and the distance to the closest schools.
• If there are any natural or geological hazards, pests or wildlife.
• If there are essential services near the property such as grocery and medical services.
• If there is crime in the area and the crime rate.
• That you have a right to equal housing opportunity free of discrimination.
• If the property is affected by a military installation.
• If there is an Arizona Subdivision Disclosure Report, an Affidavit of Disclosure or a Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement.  You should read these disclosure documents before you purchase or rent.

THERE MAY BE OTHER ITEMS NOT LISTED ABOVE THAT YOU SHOULD EDUCATE YOURSELF ON BEFORE BUYING OR RENTING PROPERTY.  FOR A LARGER LIST, PLEASE REFERENCE THE BUYER’S ADVISORY GUIDE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE.

Visit www.AZRE.gov to begin answering your questions! We are here to protect you and the public.

The more informed the buyers are here in the Mesa, Arizona and surrounding areas are, the more informed their decisions can be.

Those of us living in the Phoenix Valley, are well aware of the fissures running throughout various parts of our valley. The Arizona Geological Society has just completed updated maps from April showing new fissures in Queen Creek in Maricopa and Pinal County. I've included a link "here" for access to the new map. Queen Creek is located in the southeast valley and straddles both county lines.

For an indepth story on these newly discovered fissures, I've provided a link to the story provided by the East Valley Tribune just today.  An excerpt taken out of the Tribune is quoted below to explain to buyers, sellers, Realtors, just "what" a fissure is.

"Fissures are cracks in the earth caused by groundwater pumping. Geological survey officials call them "serious geological hazards" and say they are found in the valleys of central and south-central Arizona. Pinal County is home to three-quarters of the state's known earth fissures."

Home buyers need to be especially cautious when purchasing in this area. I've included a link to the Arizona Geological Society Fissure site "here" for Mesa, Chandler Heights, and Scottsdale, etc.  Be sure to check it out.

I received an email from a home buyer recently asking me whether I'd heard anything about problematic radon in kitchen granite countertops. I replied that I had not heard, but would do some research. I was surprised when I googled it because there were several articles dealing with that issue, most of them dated July 2008.

I searched around and came across an article in snopes.com, the website that provides us with the inside information of whether a rumor is true or not true. Well, it is true; however, I wanted to know if there was a test, or a way to tell whether the granite you have in your home/and in mine, is emitting this radon. This article provides information for inexpensive kits ($20-$30) to determine whether your granite is "hot."  These kits can be purchased from hardware stores or online as indicated in the article.

This is great information for buyers who are considering purchasing a new home into which they will be adding granite, or resale homes with granite.

As with many other things in this world, I had no idea. If you google "granite countertops radar," you will find a bevy of related articles.

The Official Website of the Arizona Department of Real Estate has placed on its website a list of builders experiencing financial difficulties. I've provided a link of the pdf file provided by the Department of Real Estate for those purchasing new homes and for their Realtors! - Builders Experiencing Financial Difficulties. As Realtors, it's my duty to be "informed."  This list would is particularly useful for our buyers, this the reason I am posting this on my blog.

This is not just happening in Maricopa County, but throughout our state. Yet another good reason for buyers to use the services of a Realtor instead of going out on their own.