Paradise Valley, Arizona

Paradise Valley Mayor, Vernon Parker, is running for the soon-to-be vacant seat in Arizona's 3rd District.  Currently held by Republican Congressman, John Shadegg, the open seat has plenty of eyes affixed on it.  Candidates range from Arizona State Senator Pam Gorman to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, so the competition is expected to be stiff.  One of Parker's advantages could be the fact that Paradise Valley actually lies within the boundaries of the 3rd District of Arizona, giving him a possible edge within the community.

While this blog is not intended to be largely political, it is important to watch over those that watch over us.  This will surely be an important Congressional race to track for a variety of reasons.

So you're eligible for one of the two 2009 - 2010 home buyer tax credits, now what?  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new guidance last week on the two tax credit programs - the $6,500 credit for repeat buyers, and the $8,000 first-time home buyer credit.  Filing for the tax credits isn't as simple as telling your accountant that you bought a house recently, but it's also not as hard as you might think the government could have made it.  The Washington Post filed this report about the new guidelines, and did an excellent job outlining them for you.  As the article says, the large number of repeat buyers and first-time buyers expected to file for these tax credits coupled with the IRS's increased monitoring and need for documentation will slow down the processing time.  Don't expect your $6,500 or $8,000 overnight; it should, instead, come to you approximately four to eight weeks after filing.  Still, not bad for a sizable stack of free money in the mail!

If this is the first time you're hearing about the tax credits available to home buyers this year, or if you need help getting under contract on a home before the tax credits expire on April 30, 2010, give us a call or visit The Hill Group's website here.

The Arizona landmark and Paradise Valley favorite, El Chorro Lodge, reopened on Thursday, February 18, 2010 to a sold-out dinner crowd, according to this report in the Phoenix New Times by Wynter Holden.  After changing ownership in June of 2009, and closing for a number of renovations and additions, it seems that El Chorro Lodge has managed to modernize the floor plan and its features, while maintaining the charm for which it was always known.  While the new menu now offers healthy lifestyle dishes created with the help of its new on-site organic vegetable/herb garden, it still contains many of the comfort classics it has always had like their famous sticky buns.  If you haven't been to El Chorro Lodge yet (I won't tell anyone), now is the perfect time to do so.  After all, operating partner Kristy Moore says, "It's not just a restaurant, El Chorro is a gift to the community."