The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department’s Center for the Arts currently is accepting entries for all four of their juried annual exhibitions – Photography & Kiln Worked Glass Show; Metals & Jewelry Show; African American Vibes of the City; and Arte Latino en la Ciudad. The entry deadline for submissions is Sept. 2, 2008.

Exhibitions are open to artists of all levels of experience, media, style and technique, allowing emerging artists the opportunity to exhibit and make connections in the local art community. Submitting artists must be Arizona residents and 18 years of age at the time of application and exhibition. Submissions must consist of work completed with the last two years.

A complete application packet must be submitted for each exhibit entered and must include:

• A current resume and artist statement
• Five to 10 digital images on a CD labeled with artist name and show title
• Thumbnail printouts/small images of all digital images on the CD
• A list including title, medium, and size of all images
• A self-addressed envelope with adequate postage
• A $40 application fee (payable to City of Phoenix)

Upon selection, each exhibit fee is $40. Fees are nonrefundable.

Entry forms are available at the Phoenix Center for the Arts, 1202 N. Third St. Additional information is available by calling 602-262-4634.

Information about the Phoenix Center for the Arts and a complete listing of the classes offered, are available online at phoenix.gov/parks

I happened to be driving down 1st St today and noticed some activity at Taylor Place, the ASU Downtown Residential Towers.  Alas, it was students and their parents, unloading the young students and their gear.  Today, was the first official move-in day for the new students.  Tomorrow will be another big day for the same.  Many of the new students will be attending the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, just across the street from the Residential Towers.

School starts next Monday.

You would have to be deaf, dumb, blind & locked up somewhere to not know that our country is going through and has been going through a "housing crisis" in large part due to the large amount of "lousy mortgage programs" that proliferated during our country's real estate "run up". 

In the midst of all the craziness, a "recovery" has begun, led by "first-time homebuyers" obtaining 30 year fixed rate loans at very low interest rates.  Just as we were gaining some momentum, Congress and our President, recently passed some legislation that will discontinue what we call DPA or Down Payment Assistance programs.  Programs like Ameridream, allowed first-time buyers who have to meet all normal underwriting guidelines but who did not have "down payment" money set-aside, to obtain FHA loans.  These programs are scheduled to end on October 1st because of the recent legislation that was passed.

Having realized that they may have been wrong, a new bill called H.R. 6694, the FHA Gift Downpayment Reform and Risk-Based Pricing Authorization Act of 2008 has been introduced by Congressman Al Green, (Texas).

You can help the Housing Recovery by contacting your Congressman and Senator and letting them know that you are in favor of H.R. 6694 and in continuing the Down Payment Assistance programs and that you would like to see them pass H.R. 6694 on or before September 26th, 2008.

If H.R. 6694 is not passed prior to September 26th, as many as 25,000 FHA qualified homebuyers monthly, including many first time homebuyers, minorities and women, will lose access to homeownership opportunities,

Find out more about the urgency to act

If you are a first-time homebuyer and are seeking more information about buying a home with zero down, contact Lyle Plocher with Urban Connection Realty at 602 373 3725 or lyle@urbanconnectionrealty.com

Burton Barr Central Library will host a free reading and discussion with author Matthew C. Whittaker from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 1221 N. Central Ave.

Whittaker will discuss his new book, “African American Icons of Sport: Triumph, Courage and Excellence,” offering an examination of African Americans in sports from a variety of perspectives and through a lively range of rhetoric styles. It also explores the extent to which modern mass media and popular culture have contributed to the rise, and sometimes fall, of these powerful symbols of athletic, individual and group excellence.

Whitaker is associate professor of U.S. History, African and American Studies, and Justice and Social Inquiry at Arizona State University. He is also the author of “Race Work: The Rise of Civil Rights in the Urban West

A hard to find, 3 bedroom, 2 full bath home in a Downtown Phoenix Historic neighborhood.  This charming Brick Bungalow on a nice street in Coronado, was professionally remodeled earlier this year adding a dining room, family room and master bedroom suite with stained concrete floors.  The original part of the home, features hardwood floors, living room with fireplace, interior french doors, baseboards and crown molding. There are ceiling fans and cable hook-ups throughout the home.  Exterior features include historic double-hung windows and shade trees in both front and back yards.  All the major items in the home have been updated either in 2008 or in 1998.

Asking price is $269,900.

For more information or to arrange a viewing of this home, contact Lyle Plocher with Urban Connection Realty at 602 373 3725 or lyle@urbanconnectionrealty.com

See additional photos of this home on our website's Properties Page

Although the big move-in days are Wednesday & Thursday of this week, some students apparently are already moving in to the new 13-story Dorms (south Tower) in Downtown Phoenix.  Many of the 1500 new students for this year will be living Downtown, unlike the last 2 years where many students commuted.  School starts on August 25th. 

More to come this week I'm sure.

Read an extensive article by Jahna Berry at azcentral.com

Photo is courtesy of Cheryl Evans/The Arizona Republic

A historically designated building at 441 W Madison in South Downtown Phoenix is being transformed into an Event Center.  Malcolm and Pearle Marrs who own the building and operated a business at the property for nearly forty years are turning the 12,000 sq ft, single story, brick building into an Event Center. 

read more about the new Venue at azcentral.com

to inquire about renting the facility, send an e-mail to madisoneventcenter@gmail.com or call 602 258 1189

Top Photo is courtesy of Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic

Bottom Photo is courtesy of Lyle Plocher/Downtown Phoenix Journal

Ride your bike to work or take the bus or in a few months, the Light Rail, then if you need a car for an hour or two or for a day, grab a Zipcar.  A car-sharing service called Zipcar is expanding to the ASU Downtown Campus this month which allows members to rent a Zipcar by the hour for $9 or by the day for $65. 

read more about it at azcentral.com or visit www.zipcar.com

According to a Press Release from our good friend Doug Bale, the last time that the Drip will host "last Saturday night" musical happenings is the last Saturday of August.  I hope I haven't confused you, but apparentlly, Saturday night August 30th is when the event is happening.  8:30 PM - Admission is $3, plus $5 if you bring your own wine.  for more info contact Doug Bale at predure@hotmail.com .

Perfoming on Saturday night, August 30th at the Drip Coffee Lounge will be Jump Back Heart Attack, Mike Montoya & Doug Bale.

Watch for a soon coming Italian Dining experience at the Drip.  That's what I heard.

There is... One more month for purchasing with 0 Down FHA loans.

FHA is allowing until the end of September for accepted contracts with appraisal and underwritten approval to be allowed under the Down Payment Assistance through the Seller.

However... there is a provision not being discussed that allows the home buyer to still have Down Payment Assistance through a family member.  And the Government is willing to pay this loan back.

The IRS will be coming up with the money at tax time in January 09, to pay the Down Payment back to the family member, who actually is allowed to borrow the funds for the buyer's down payment.

And when you figure that now, the 6% Seller Contribution (that used to create the 0 Down can now create a BELOW MARKET FIXED RATE, possibly in the high 5%s, you have the potential to have $100 lower monthly payments on a typical FHA loan.

Amazing what the Government can do with numbers!

Andrew Schmidt - Nations Home Funding, Inc. BK0905991

Contact me at acschmidt4@aol.com for more information