Tucson Festival of Books Starts Today

Tucson Festival of Books

The Tucson Festival of Books is a two-day event with hundreds of authors available at the University of Arizona Campus. Beginning at 9 am. visit the campus to ask questions, have gooks signed, and take in the hundreds of exhibitions and events!

In addition, tonight at 7 p.m. the festival will be screening Paul Newman's 1963 film, "The Hud". It will be shown on a 30 x 30' screen in the Main Gate Square, just west of the main campus.

For more information, you can visit the Tucson Festival of Books website to learn more. Enjoy this informative, fun, family event.

And, don't forget about the food! Beyond Bread, Choice Greens, Zivaz, Brush Fire BBQ, and Create Café will be offering their specialties, as well as additional treats such as Frost gelato, kettle corn, roasted corn, Shaved Ice, and Sonoran-style hot dogs.

Plenty of things to enjoy at the Tucson Festival of Books this March, 2012.

Weekend Loan Rates in Tucson; the Weekend Awaits!

Weekend Loan Rates in Tucson; the Weekend Awaits!

Loan rates continue to stay amazing with Long Mortgage, a branch of Long Realty, here in Tucson, AZ.

If you are a home buyer with good credit, take a look at the chart below and enjoy some of the links here pointing out homes for sale in the greater Tucson area.

Homes for Sale in Tucson

Homes for sale in Marana

Homes for sale in Oro Valley

Foreclosure homes in Pima County

Whatever your criteria, I'm happy to set up a personalized portal or virtual home finder search through Long Realty for you.

Spring awaits! Let's buy a house. :)

For more information on Long Mortgage and Long Mortgage rates and programs, please contact me. If you need to sell your home, I'm happy to provide a free, personal CMA today.

Other interesting statistics about Tucson Residential Sales include"

Total Sales Volume up 16.65% over January

List Price Average is up 4.75% from January

Transactions under contract (Active Contingent, Active Capa, Pending) are also

up 9.17% from January

Unit sales are up almost 16% from a year ago

Days on Market for Listings has decreased

Active Listings Inventory continues to drop

This means there are less homes available, with more buyers buying, selling more quickly, than in January.

Don't be left behind. Discover your own dream home today, investment project, or

get a current CMA to find the approximate market value of your current home today.

Conventional/Conforming:

To $417,000

30 Year Fixed

4.0% w/0 Points or
3.875%w/1 Point

15 Year Fixed

3.375% w/0 Points or
3.125% w/1 Point

Conventional/Jumbo:

$417,000 and Up

30 Year Fixed

4.25% w/1 Point

Niche Products:

Interest Only 30 Year Fixed

N/A

Investor Up to $417,000
30 Year Fixed

4.5% w/1 Points

FHA to $316,250:
VA to $417,000:

30 Year Fixed

3.875% w/0 Points

Taking a Vacation in Arizona - Things to Do and See!

Taking a Vacation in Arizona - Things to Do and See!

Salt River along the Apache Trail - Canyon Lake

A friend of mine from rural Green Bay emailed me a short while back, sharing her intention to visit Arizona. She and her husband love hiking, walking, and exploring - and wondered what high points I thought she shouldn't miss.

Wow...Hiking and walking....so many choices! So many things to do! I told her that she will love their visit. Here's a few of the thought's I'd shared...and trust me...this is just a FEW. As a (lol) professional tourist of Arizona...I love day trips, weekend trips, and discovering what's down another dirt road. Only...one of these days I need to get a truck! My poor Toyota Camry has been through mountains, dead end roads, washes, and worse.

Driving the dusty roads of Southern Arizona

Anyway, I digress. Here's a few thoughts when taking a Vacation in Arizona:

Southern Arizona along the Mexican Border

If you plan to stay in the Phoenix area -

I recommend Sedona at the top of the list.

For a nearby oddity, taking in the mining town of Jerome (google arial photos!!) is pretty interesting when you think about the days of horses and wagons...

If you are into space - The Crater is 30 minutes west of Flagstaff

Also close to that is the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest and Teepees - very cool

Grand Canyon ...it takes about an hour to get to Monument Valley in Utah from the Eastern stop at the Grand Canyon... but if you go there, you'll want to get there no later than mid day so you can actually drive in amongst "the monuments"

Montezuma's castle is great for Indian Ruins about 30-40 minutes North of Phoenix along the main freeway to Flagstaff as well. There's a beautiful preserve called Boyce Thompson Arboratum that's gorgeous, and going out by the Superstition Mountains or Salt River is fantastic.

If you come down Tucson way...hiking at Picacho Peak (check out who took a bunch of photos!!) is a must. (30 minutes north of the city)

If you type in hiking trails Tucson, you'll get maps of many great places - Gates Pass, Sabino Canyon.

There's an outdoor museum that really acquaints you with desert living in NW Tucson called Saguaro National Park West. Nearby is Old Tucson where all the movies were filmed from our early, early childhood

If you like caverns...Kartchner Cavern is a must see - especially the Big Room.

If you like mines - traveling down to Tombstone will give you a real cowboy wakeup - those folks are proud of their heritage and there's a brief mine tour that gives you a taste. I recommend the stage coach tour just to get the history, and OK corral.

One of my faves in SE Arizona are the Chiracahua Mountains - 3 hours south of Tucson.

IN Tucson you might like the see the airplane "bone yard" 1000's of old military craft and there's a museum.

It's very cowboyish, so things like Pinnacle Peak and the Trail Dust town are hokey fun.

Sabino Canyon is a huge tourist draw with lots of hiking.

Golf is big here...tons of golf courses from which to choose.

We've also got an incredible Catholic Mission in South Tucson that is a must see for history!

So all in all - folks planning to visit Arizona should plan to visit it twice...or more. It's a beautiful, diverse state - and I'm happy to share it with you.

Thinking about turning that vacation into a winter escape or something more permanent -- I can help with that too! As a Tucson resident since 2000, I love helping you find homes for sale Tucson, Marana, and vicinity.

St Patrick's Day is Coming to O'Shaughnessy's Steakhouse and Song Hall

St Patrick's Day is Coming to O'Shaughnessy's Steakhouse and Song Hall

St Patrick's Day is Coming to O'Shaughnessy's Steakhouse and Song Hall

If you've a WEE bit of Irish in ye', you might be thinking of downing the corned beef and cabbage at the yearly EVENT at O'Shaughnessy's Steakhouse and Song Hall.

It's not your average experience - irish drinks, irish coffee, irish singers...and those that wish they were.

In the last years before my marriage to my wonderful husband, I bar-tended for "fun" at this out of the way place. My mother had visited the establishment with friends and thought I should come along to join the fun.

After 2 glasses of wine, yes...I was quite nervous...up I got to sing with the pianist and entertain the other diners a bit. I think I chose something easy...probably vintage Olivia Newton-John and Barbra Streisand...but it took only moments for the owner to come by the table and ask about my bar-tending skills. Next thing I knew I was singing part-time and pouring drinks on the weekends for Sam and his restaurant crew.

It was a fun couple of years, but I've moved clear across town now...it takes over 45 minutes to get to the Songhall from our home. But, every once in a while we stop in for a song and a dinner.

So I was surprised to find an email asking for help this week, and I really only deliberated for...5 minutes. I haven't sung in years...but I'm sure I can still bar-tend.

And..recollecting the arm-twising skill of the owner, I'm bringing my old song sheet and music chords just in case.

If you're looking for some good old fashioned fun come March 17, I invite you to O'Shaughnessy's for their Irish fest. Here's an easy map and reviews of the place!

My mother celebrated her 75th birthday there on March 16 five years ago and her friends are still talking about it.

Stop in for a wee bit o' cheer!

I'll pour your beer for ya!

Taking a Walk Among Spring Blooms in Marana

Taking a Walk Among Spring Blooms in Marana

Ahh, Spring. Perhaps it seems doubly nice since our 5 day visit to Green Bay, WI, but to me, there's nothing like discovering new blooms and beauty when out for a daily walk.