Check out what's happening in the NewQuestCity Forums for Arizona .

Snowbowl opening Dec. 9 – 11
12/14/2011

Snowbowl is opening for a bonus ski weekend. In an official press release, Snowbowl announced it is opening its lifts from Dec.9 – Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All three chairlifts will be operational with 100 percent of the Agassiz terrain open and 75 percent of Sunset and Hart Prairie trails. An official opening [...]

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Lomong bears flag again
12/14/2011

The graduating class of Fall 2011 will bear a distinction that few classes have. One of their flag bearers carried the U.S. flag in the 2008 Olympics. Lopez Lomong, originally from the Sudan, has been working toward a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management while still continuing his training here. Matt Sewell, a graduate assistant in NAU [...]

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Phoenix home price up in November, against seasonal trend
12/14/2011

Dr. Jay Butler of Realty Studies at Arizona State University came out with his Phoenix area residential real estate sales and median home price numbers for November 2011. Greater Phoenix – Median Home Price (Single-family resale homes. Excludes repossessions but includes sales by banks after they repossess. ASU calls these “Traditional Sales”) November 2011: $130,000 [...]

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Ah hell! Skyrocketing student loan debt will delay homeownership
12/14/2011

John Burns Real Estate Consulting points out the devastating fact that total student loan debt is now greater than all credit card debt combined! Yikes! Student loans are going to be yet another hurdle for the housing market to overcome. Faced with mounting student loan debt, poor job prospects and stagnant wages, an increasing amount [...]

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This is nuts! I made 165 posts in December 2006!
12/14/2011

165 posts in one month? That’s a little scary, actually. I guess I was new at blogging 5 years ago and trying out different strategies. 165 posts in one month was not a successful one. It’s interesting to me to see how short many of my posts were back then, they were almost like Tweets. [...]

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Phoenix Home Price Index by Price Level – thru September 2011
12/14/2011

Case-Shiller released data today for Phoenix that splits the price index into three price level indices. This Case-Shiller index is the best data available for estimating actual appreciation (or depreciation). The most current data is through September 2011. Tier Breakpoints (September 2011) Low Tier – Up to $94,963 Middle Tier – $94,963 – $167,973 High [...]

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How to find Arizona homes for sale
12/14/2011

I got a call yesterday from a gentleman in Houston who had some questions about how to use a website of mine to find Arizona homes for sale (and, yes, you can find the actual property taxes paid on my websites). I have dozens of websites where you can find homes for sale. Most of [...]

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Interesting take on government housing policies
12/14/2011

Washington Examiner. The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class [...]

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The Most & Least Taxing States to Live and Retire In
12/14/2011

From Bloomberg’s look at state taxes. Arizona Income tax: 4.54% Sales tax: 6.6% Property tax per capita: $1,043 Inheritance tax: None The tax burden in Arizona is small compared to that of other states because of its lower-than-average property taxes, so the decline in home prices has hit Arizona’s municipalities harder than those in many [...]

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The Lost Decade of Phoenix Home Price Appreciation
12/14/2011

Seattle Bubble blog made this great visualization of Case-Shiller Home Price Index data showing the number of years of appreciation that have been “lost” with the real estate bust. Phoenix home prices are where they were in January 2000, according to Case-Shiller data so it’s actually more than a lost decade, 11.7 years. But, in [...]

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How to Extend the Life of Your Bra
12/08/2011

In today’s world, bra shopping can be expensive. Thanks to the economic recession, the average woman doesn’t have $30 to $100 to spend on one bra and is doing everything that she can to extend the life of her bras until they ultimately wear out or she can afford new ones. Prolonging the life of [...]

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Protecting Your Clock from the Tucson Climate
12/08/2011

Some people find it to be a clever turn of phrase to say you live in “Arid-zona”. Those who actually live there understand it to be funny, but oh, so true. The capital, Phoenix, tends to be not only hot as a griddle, but also dry as a bone, with annual rainfall averages of less [...]

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Arizona Car Insurance Resources
12/08/2011

Getting car insurance in Arizona is important for new drivers and for people who have just moved to that state. If you insurance, there are plenty of Arizona car insurance resources that can help you. Consider checking with an independent agent first, because you’ll be able to get quotes from multiple companies that can offer [...]

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Choosing a Commercial Photographer in Tucson
12/08/2011

If you live in Tucson and you’re looking for a commercial photographer, you have options. That’s both good and bad. You want to have people to choose from, but you don’t want to spend too much time sorting through people. How do you know who to choose? There are some things you can look for [...]

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Keep Your AZ Home Running Efficiently
12/08/2011

We all want our homes to be efficient and cool; especially when summer heat begins. There are several great ways to keep your Arizona home efficient and cool. Besides an efficient air-conditioner, fans can also help lower your need for fuel, lower your air conditioning costs, and help keep your utility bills more manageable. When [...]

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Why Choose an Online Casino?
12/08/2011

Throughout world history, in just about every culture, gambling has held its position as the “second-oldest profession”. Some folks prefer to engage in basement poker tournaments. Others prefer the glittering lights of Las Vegas or Atlantic City (or the more sedate environs of smaller gaming towns like Reno or Laughlin, not to mention the many [...]

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Promoting a Smoke Free Tucson
12/08/2011

Since November of 2006, it’s considered illegal to smoke in almost every restaurant, bar, store or office building in Arizona thanks to the Smoke Free Arizona Act. Thanks to this law, Arizona has been leading the way to prohibit smoking in the state and limit the harmful amounts of second hand smoke that have been [...]

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Tucson’s Hottest Jewelry Designers
12/08/2011

If you live in Tucson, Arizona you love the area because, of the wide varieties of recreational and entertainment opportunities that it has to offer. Other people love Tucson because, of its eclectic culture of artists and jewelry designers who live and work in there. Krikawa Jewelry Designs: 4280 North Campbell Avenue #107, Tucson   [...]

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Finding Enhancements in Tucson
12/08/2011

We all know about the wonders of male enhancements. There is so much to be said on the matter that the talk is continuous. Do you know what the most important part of any conversation on the subject is though? Why, where to get them, of course. Male enhancements can make any man more confident [...]

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Women’s hoops stomps Titans, stays undefeated at home
12/07/2011

The NAU women’s basketball team returned to Flagstaff following last Thursday’s a loss to previously winless San Jose State and bounced back with a 64–54 wins against the Cal State Fullerton Titans (3–4) Sunday to remain undefeated at home. Junior center Aubrey Davis grabbed 18 rebounds and scored 12 points for NAU, both career-highs. She added [...]

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Lone senior accepts role of team leader
12/07/2011

This past year, the NAU men’s basketball team had veteran leadership with five seniors on the roster. This season, the team welcomes eight new faces and has nine underclassmen on the roster.  Not only are there a plethora of freshman and sophomores on the team, but there is only one senior on the team ­– Durrell [...]

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Dizzy Hips
12/07/2011

Paul “Dizzy Hips” Blair is not your average street performer. Most spectators who witness his random Friday and Saturday shows at Heritage Square — where he performs outlandish tricks like hula-hooping a tractor tire — would not be surprised about the impact Blair has had on the hooping world. Currently, Blair holds Guinness World Records for the most [...]

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Community Solar Day at Murdoch Center
12/07/2011

Flagstaff celebrated Community Solar Day by hosting an event at The Murdoch Center to help raise money and awareness for their Solar Mosaic project this past Friday.  This project — put on by the Southside Community Association — is the first of its kind in Flagstaff. Jason Lowry, a graduate student in the Sustainable Communities program, [...]

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Education among lowest concerns for Americans
12/07/2011

The New York Times conducted a poll asking, “Being as specific as you can, why do you think the country is on the wrong track?” Predictably, people’s main concern with this country is that the economy is poor. Our economy is suffering right now and that should be a huge worry for us. However, one of the [...]

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NAUPD Police Beat (Nov. 28 — Dec. 4)
12/07/2011

Nov. 28   At 8:57 a.m., staff at Shuttle Services reported barricades and cones stolen from lot 43. The theft occurred between Nov. 23 at 5:00 p.m. and Nov. 28 at 8:30 a.m. An officer was dispatched but the investigation was closed with all leads exhausted.   At 4:54 p.m., a resident of Sechrist Hall reported items stolen from his [...]

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