Competence, efficiency, and ethics. According to the All America's Real Estate Book by Carolyn Janik and Ruth Rejnis, good agents take the time to qualify buyers and show properties in their price range. They plan showing routes carefully and have pre-inspected most properties. They have a thorough knowledge of financing options, are up on the latest housing trends, and share with prospective buyers data on the local housing market and home sales. While more buyers now use the Internet to gain access to listings, or available properties for sale, it is still a good idea to use an agent. The agent brings value to the entire process: he or she is available to analyze data, answer questions, share their professional expertise, and handle all the paperwork and legwork that is involved in th... 02/06/2010

Spring frenzy activities are already in the air in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.  And residents learned thrifty spending habits for their arts and crafts hobbies in the "Dollar Bin Bonanza" during Tuesday afternoon's 10th Annual Spring Frenzy. The Lake Havasu City Aquatic Center celebrated the 10th Annual Spring Frenzy with classes hosted by crafts specialist Barb Steffan from Michael's Arts and Crafts, who showed everyone just how easy it is to make great arts and crafts with inexpensive items. With everyone hurting for every dollar they make, it's important to find ways to spread it thin.  And that's what Michael's Arts and Crafts is trying to show the residents of Lake Havasu City.  Michael's just opened its doors to the community last year, so this is a great way for them to show our c... 02/04/2010

Punxsutawney Phil has officially spoken and it looks like bad news for the US.  Phil emerged this morning to see his shadow before hundreds of freezing onlookers, which means we will have at least another six weeks of winter.  However, for Lake Havasu City, that isn't so bad with temps in the mid to upper 60's. Going by German tradition, hundreds of onlookers hover in freezing temps waiting to see if a hibernating animal will see its shadow on February 2.  If the animal does, winter will last another six weeks.  If the animal sees no shadow, legend says spring will come early. In Punxsutawney Phil's case, there is the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club who annually announces his forecast to the rest of us.  Some states have their own groundhog to do their forecasting, but f... 02/02/2010

Sellers often have a fear of the word staging as they relate that to spending money. I have put together a quick checklist you can feel free to use and share with your sellers that lists some things they can do to stage properly for a good offer and they are low to no cost items but must do's to get it sold in the shortest amount of time.   Cheap Stuff and Must Do Checklist for All Listings •  Light fixtures should have bulbs and working properly •  Increase wattage in hallways and dark corners •  Turn on all lights if possible for showings •  Repair cracks in walls and ceilings •  Replace or Repair broken light switches •  Keep all blinds or curtains open during the day the let in the light •  Pack up the valuables to protect them •  Get rid of houseplants with dead leaves •  Remove fu... 01/20/2010

Just a few short decades ago, the only way you could massage away your worries with steam was by soaking in a hot tub or sitting it out in a sauna.  And most of the time, you had to stay at a luxury hotel or join a gym to do it.  However, today's technology is more advanced and much more affordable, allowing homeowners to purchase this equipment and have it installed in their own home.  So what if you want to have a bath, a soak and a sweat all at once?  Well, you may want to look at steam showers, which have the capabilities of all three and more.  If you're in Lake Havasu City during the peak of the summer, where I'm from, all you have to do is jump in any pool and, presto, you have an instant sauna.  Here are some perks of a steam shower and their capabilities: Steam Shower Capabilit... 01/19/2010

Sellers Selling the Help-U-Sell® way Keep more of your equity Help-U-Sell® marketing plan Save the Help-U-Sell® way Local experts focus on you List your home the Help-U-Sell® way Help-U-Save® Mistakenly, many consumers believe that Help-U-Sell® is a For Sale By Owner company, or, that we provide limited services.  Fortunately for consumers, its not too good to be true and there's no catch. We believe that today's competitive and sometimes rapidly changing real estate climate with more informed Sellers, requires expert Brokers and a realistic cost for services. Expert real estate brokersOur Brokers are fully licensed and members of the National Association of Realtors®. The average traditional real estate agent nationwide typically handles less than 10 transactions a year, while our Bro... 01/15/2010

During the first week of February, some of the world's top water instructors will be in Lake Havasu City to help celebrate the city's 10th annual Spring Frenzy.  This is promising to be the city's largest Spring Frenzy ever, with instructors coming from as far as Japan and Korea. Instructors from Japan's Aqua Dynamic Institute and the Korean Aquatics Exercise Association will be in Lake Havasu City providing instruction to all guests who attend the event.  Presenters will be offering instruction on master swimming, water exercise, Japanese folk swing performance and Japanese choreography swim.  Other instruction that will be offered at the Lake Havasu City Spring Frenzy include Aquatic Tae Kwando, Lian Gong Shi Eafa (a Chinese poster exercise) and instruction on black and white painting... 01/14/2010

Stunning Pool Home Overview Maps Photos Features Description $359,000 Single Family HomeFor Sale Main Features 3 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms1 Partial BathroomInterior: 1630 sqftLot: 10,000 sqft Location 3255 Desert Sage DrLake Havasu City, AZ 86404 Liz Miller Keller Williams Arizona Living Realty(928) 208-5184millerlizabeth@yahoo.comhttp://havasuareahomes.com Listed by: Keller Williams Arizona Living Realty Our recent listings Stunning Pool HomeSouth Side CutieUltimate "Lifestyle" Home!Exceptional One Owner Pool Home!Sure to Please! Subscribe to our listing feed See more Lake Havasu City, AZ real estate for sale 01/05/2010

Lake Havasu City was recently selected to receive grant funding for the Transportation Enhancement program to help beautify the city.  This is very pleasing news to community members. Funding for all projects will be coming from the Arizona Department of Transportation. The Kingman District's application for State project for the Lake Havasu Landscaping Project, Phase III at Mulberry South will be included in the funding along with the city owned planter strip on State Route 95 near Palo Verde North.  The City will landscape the parcels adjacent to SR 95 and supply infrastructure to future landscaping on the highway right-of-way. The city will also landscape the areas of SR 95 south of Mulberry Avenue with state and residential properties fronting it.  ADOT is also working on the Phase ... 01/05/2010

As partygoers hit the streets, the local Lake Havasu City police are beefing up their patrol for New Year's Eve.  Police all across America want to keep drunken drivers off the roadways.  But Lake Havasu City will be going the extra mile to keep their streets safe and crowds controlled during Lake Havasu's first ever New Year's Eve public party. There will be the regular amount of patrol officers on their regular shifts, but there will also be additional officers from the street crimes unit and special assignments unit helping out.  Patrol officers will be downtown to help control the crowds during the "Uptown Countdown" and all over the roads.  So, while you're out ringing in the New Year, be safe on the roads.If you have to, make reservations with shuttle services to get you to and fr... 12/31/2009

Okay party goers, get your party hats on, your noisemakers out and maybe even the aspirin bottle ready because Lake Havasu City is having its first ever public New Year's Eve party.  On Main Street, there will be at least 1,000 kisses exchanged during the city's first "Uptown Countdown."  The buzz all around town is huge.  There have been over 1,000 tickets sold to the event already. Instead of the traditional ball being dropped, like most cities, Lake Havasu City will be lowering an olive into a 15-foot lighted martini glass.  The glass itself will be suspended over 15 feet in the air and the rim of the glass will be 10-feet wide.  The olive drop will be held in the empty lot on McCulloch Boulevard and Querio Drive, across from the nightclubs BJ's Tavern and Desert Martini.  Free party... 12/31/2009

As Christmas nears, you can feel it all around you in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.  Everyone is getting into the spirit of the holiday season all around town.  Even the children of Lake Havasu City are sharing their holiday spirit. The kindergarteners from Guiding Light Christian and Education Center sang with other fellow students to the residents of Prestige Care LLC senior living community on Smoketree Avenue on Monday.  They will have another performance at 7:00pm today, Christmas Eve, at Lake Havasu City High School.  So, bring your family and friends and come enjoy the holiday fun. As you're out and about looking at Christmas decorations and lights, don't forget to go by the Lake Havasu City sign at Wheeler Park.  It is set aglow with Christmas lights and decorations galore, adding ... 12/24/2009

As it gets closer and closer to Christmas, there will be quite a few great events going on around Lake Havasu City that will be great for the whole family.  Therefore, I am compiling a list of those events and their details so you can take complete advantage of them during the Holiday season.  * 12/18/2009 - 12/20/2009 - The Wizard of OZ (Grace Arts Live Performance) - A live theater production about little Dorothy of Kansas who dreams of what lies over the rainbow, when one day a twister hits her family farm and carries her away to the end of the rainbow and sets her down in Munchkinland.  Play begins Friday & Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:00pm at 2146 McCulloch Blvd.  Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for children.  For more information, contact (928) 505-ARTS. * 12/19/2009 - 12... 12/17/2009

Recently, three Lake Havasu City teachers received national education certifications.  It's the most that the district has received since 2002.  The district now has nine National Board Certified teachers who have completely finished the program, which has been described as the most difficult achievement of their lives. This is no easy certification to prepare for.  Over 200 hours goes into compiling the teacher's portfolio and then another 100 hours is spent preparing for the test itself. The test is completely voluntary and will never be required.  So, those teachers who have set the goal to get this certification should be recognized in a special way.  The Lake Havasu City teachers who have chosen to take the certification have done so because they want to better themselves as teache... 12/17/2009

Admit you are powerless over what the market is willing to bear related to price. It does not matter what you think your home is worth, nor does it matter what you have invested. Not all upgrades get you top dollar. It matters only what the buyer thinks your home is worth. Price your home right for the market today. Hire the right representation. You need to interview more than one Realtor before you hire your seller agent. A common error in a small town such as Lake Havasu City is that often the seller knows someone and just hires who they know, not the agent who is most qualified to get top dollar in the shortest amount of time. Sit down and think about what you want your agent to do for you. It always comes down to just one thing and that is to make you money. Are you willing to give... 12/15/2009

Tis the season when homes around the world will be covered in a sea of crumpled paper and bows that have been tossed aside without another thought.  That's right, wrapping paper from those much anticipated holiday gifts are largely to blame for a 25% increase in our curbside trash volume between Thanksgiving and the New Year.  So, what is the eco-minded gift giver to do when it comes to wrapping the gifts they have to give?  As your Lake Havasu City real estate professional, I have found some unique ways to give a thoughtfully wrapped present while also giving back to the earth. Eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas: * Recycled aluminum foil - When looking for that shiny metallic feel, recycled aluminum foil is the perfect choice.  Just tie on some colorful hemp twine, raffia or recycled sil... 12/15/2009

Lake Havasu citizens will get the chance to give their opinions and possibly select future businesses that set roots in Lake Havasu City next month.  So, get ready Lake Havasu citizens and shout it loud.  This is your town and Lake Havasu City real estate is a hot spot.  Therefore, get your opinion on the table, too. The City of Lake Havasu City will be doing a Retail Recruitment Survey that is being organized by the Partnership for Economic Development.  Residents will receive the survey along with their water bill.  And, depending on the response rate that they receive, lucky national retailers could select Lake Havasu City as their home destination.  Over 26,000 survey forms were sent out to see what kind of reaction the citizens will be giving.  The survey will give insight for eigh... 12/11/2009

When the tree lighting ceremony in Lake Havasu City was canceled to help balance the budget, many Lake Havasu residents were very disappointed.  There just isn't the holiday spirit around town without the annual tree lighting ceremony. After an article was published last month announcing the cancellation, citizens began to swamp city officials with phone calls in protest.  City officials had no other choice but to find a way to fit the ceremony back into its budget and back into Lake Havasu's place in history. Now, with volunteers tending to all the last minute details, Lake Havasu City's 29th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held as usual in Wheeler Park.  The ceremony will begin December 10th at 6:30 p.m. with a whole new lineup of entertainment this year. The City of Lake Havasu... 12/10/2009

The Thanksgiving Regatta in Lake Havasu is always a huge event which turns out many eager racers.  Therefore, I would like to share some of the high points about the race with anyone who wants to get in on the fun and action. When visiting Lake Havasu, you’ll soon find that no matter what time of year, there are always people on the water having tons of fun. So, November is no exception and a regatta is the perfect time to enjoy lots of action. Regatta Host The Thanksgiving Regatta will be hosted by the London Bridge Yacht Club. Regatta Rules Sailing instruction will govern only in the event of conflict. You can get sailing instructions and course maps at the skipper’s meeting. Entries One design (Holder 20, Catalina 22, Catalina 25, Santana 23, etc.). A minimum of 4 boats is required t... 11/25/2009

Most people love to get out and mingle with their fellow neighbors throughout their communities during the holidays and in Lake Havasu, there will be a few holiday events going on that will help make that happen. 21st Annual Turkey Trot 11/21/2009 - Come join the fun in the 5K race / 2 mile fun run or you can just walk.  Race begins at 7:30 a.m. at Sara Park.  The entry fee is now $27.  For more information, contact the Lake Havasu City Parks & Recreation at (928) 453-8686. Western Welcome Club of Arizona Holiday Boutique 11/21/2009 - Bring the whole family for this free event at the Community Aquatic Center on 100 Park Avenue from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  For more information, contact Willie at (928) 855-2238 or Carolyn at (928) 855-5583. London Bridge Thanksgiving Regatta 1127/2009 - H... 11/19/2009