UPDATE: Town of Gilbert has postponed the opening until mid-late September! Darn…

Cosmo Park in Gilbert, Arizona (Ray & Greenfield Rd), which is a retention basin that was transformed into a 17 acre park for dogs and their owners, is named after the town’s first police dog is scheduled to re-open this weekend!

My daughter and I are so excited since we have spent quite a bit of time there with our dogs and it is with in walking distance of our neighborhood, Greenfield Lakes!
Once I get a little sharper with my computer skills I will show you our video of our first visit to Cosmo Dog Park with “Snickers” our Pomeranian. He was not so sure what to think and spent quite a bit of time avoiding the large dogs. But it was great training ground for him to learn to mingle with other dogs and learn to play!

‘Bella’, our little mixed long haired chihuahua/pekinese pup loves the park and thinks she’s tough stuff! We are so looking forward to the new improvements and repairs to be done to get back to the park and give our little ones a place to run free!

Cosmo Dog Park, 2502 E. Ray Road in Gilbert opened originally in July of 2006 and was a hit from the beginning for dog lovers in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa and surrounding cities. Cosmo Park dog park has been closed since July 15 for a repair and a renovation project. The project will include expansion of the lake shoreline, and landscape and turf area improvements.

We take our dogs there regularly and enjoy watching the much larger dogs enjoy the lake and doggie obstacle courses. Our little dogs are not much more than an appetizer for the much larger dogs that frequent the park however we love the atmosphere and enjoy the entertainment it provides. The variety of dogs is just amazing that you will encounter and the friendly interaction with other dog owners is so much fun!

Cosmo Park features doggie exercise equipment, a fire-hydrant drinking fountain, basketball court, tot lot, lighted fenced dog park. There is a lake where dogs may swim and two dog wash stations! The park also features a tribute to Cosmo the dog, who served with Gilbert Police from 1993 to 1999 and died in 2002, and more than 1,000 commemorative bricks dedicated to pets.
Cosmo Park is located at the northeast corner of Ray Road and the San Tan Loop 202 in Gilbert. Hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Timid dogs are directed to use the northern part of the park. Call for information 480-503-6200.

If you live in the Greater Phoenix area, chances are there’s a dog park within 20 minutes of your home where you can take your dog for a romp off leash. These are fenced dog parks.

Dog Parks in the Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert Area:

Chandler

• Snedigar Park, 4500 S. Alma School Road
• Shawnee Bark Park, 1400 W. Mesquite Street
• West Chandler Bark Park, 250 S. Kyrene Road

Mesa Dog Park

• Quail Run Park, 4155 E. Virginia

Tempe Dog Parks

• Mitchell Park, 900 S. Mitchell
• Creamery Park, Una Avenue and 8th Street
• Papago Park, 1000 N. College Avenue (College Avenue and Curry Road)
• Jaycee Park, 817 W. 5th Street (5th St and Hardy Drive)
• Tempe Sports Complex, 8401 S. Hardy Drive (Hardy Dr and Carver Rd.)

Gilbert Dog Parks

• Crossroads Dog Park, 2155 E. Knox Road
• Cosmo Dog Park, 2502 E. Ray Road

It is amazing how just a little attention to the details will add that special appeal that the buyer is looking for!

• Clean up the outside.
  Curb appeal is the first impression of your house. Keeping the grass cut and the area tidy will help make a great first impression.
  Paint or wash the exterior of the house (including window casings, shutters, and doors).
  Wash the windows inside and out.
  Check the gutters and chimney.Remove sunscreens from home (especially front elevation) to allow more natural light in and curb appeal.Purchase color potted flowers for entrance or plant some potting plants to add a little color!
• Touch up the interior.
  Put a fresh coat of paint in the most used areas of the home. This will clean as well as brighten up the rooms.
  Wash the walls where paint is not appropriate (i.e. wall paper, paneling).
  Wash all floors and bathroom tiles.
  Shampoo dirty carpets.
  Get rid of clutter. Clean out your closets, garage, basement and attic. Use self storage if necessary.
  Replacing air filters will help keep the dust down.

• Replace bathroom and kitchen fixtures that are worn or leaking.
  People will notice a leaking or worn-out faucet. By replacing these items, you will give a new look to the room.
  Clean under the sinks. If there is any leaks fix them. Then clean up the damage using contact paper or paint. Find and research local contractors, get free no obligation quotes on your home improvement projects.

• Get rid of any bad smells in your home.
  Pay attention to pet or cigarette odors.
  Place scented potpourri around the house.
  On the day you’re expecting a potential buyer, pop a batch of frozen cinnamon rolls or home-made bread into the oven for a great aroma.

Having your home inspected by a professional home inspector before you list is a recommendation from Ron Kohatsu of World Inspection Network (WIN). Eventually your buyers are going to conduct a home inspection. You may as well know what they are going to find by getting there first.
One way to make your home appeal to all buyers is to conduct a pre-listing inspection. A pre-listing inspection helps sellers discover flaws in their home that they might want to address before sale. Since the buyer will use his or her inspection to gain information on issues that could justify renegotiation or even abandonment of the purchase, it’s important for you to know your home’s condition — even if you don’t plan to do work on the property. A pre-listing inspection also creates a positive marketing tool that you or your agent can use to promote your home. Each WIN pre-listing inspection includes marketing materials alerting potential buyers that your home has been pre-inspected and is move-in ready.
Pre-Listing inspections also help you prepare your home for the best possible results during a buyer’s inspection. Some inspectors complain that sellers often don’t think about how to best present a home to the buyer’s inspector, who may draw conclusions about a home’s structure based on minor issues the seller could easily address. Gestures as simple as changing burned-out indoor and outdoor light bulbs or scraping windows that have been painted shut could prevent the mistaken impression that the house has electrical flaws or outages or that none of its windows open. Replacing filters in furnaces and air conditioners, cleaning ducts, and adjusting door knobs and locks can all help with your buyer’s inspection. You’ll also need to provide keys to exterior structures, and unblock access to attics, and crawl spaces.

Having an inspection performed ahead of time helps in many other ways:

• It allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical third-party.
• It helps you to price your home realistically.
• It permits you to make repairs ahead of time so that …
• Defects won’t become negotiating stumbling blocks later.
• You have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if you are qualified.
• It may encourage the buyer to waive the inspection contingency.
• It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation (not all inspectors offer these extra services, you can check for radon yourself).
• It may relieve buying prospect’s concerns and suspicions.
• It reduces your liability by adding professional supporting documentation to your disclosure statement.
• Alerting you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.

Copies of the inspection report along with receipts for any repairs should be made available to potential buyers. Be sure the inspector you use is insured and licensed or certified (if your state requires) or at least belongs to a professional organization such as NACHI, ASHI, NIBI.

What’s in a WIN Home Inspection? View Tour

WIN Gateway

Ron Kohatsu
Phone: (480) 844-2882Fax: (480) 833-7287

E-mail: rkohatsu@wini.com
Schedule a Home Inspection

Buying a home is the largest purchase most people will ever make. Homeownership has great benefits. Homeownership also comes with certain responsibilities.
Are you ready for homeownership? Look at your current situation and determine if:

• You have a continuing and reliable source of income prior to applying for the loan.
• You have a credit history that shows you’re ready for homeownership.
• Your total debt is manageable and you can afford to take on the costs associated with homeownership.
• You have money saved or a down payment and closing costs.
• Once you fully understand your current situation, it’s important to look at the pros and cons of homeownership to make the best decision for you and your family.

Credit and Homeownership

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should also be thinking about your credit. The first step in the homebuying process is understanding your credit.
When you apply for a mortgage, lenders will review your credit report. Your credit report is a history of how you’ve managed your finances: it’s a record of money you’ve borrowed and your history of paying it back.
Your credit report is a record of all your credit transactions whenever and wherever you’ve used credit to purchase goods and services. Your credit will have a big influence on whether or not you can get a mortgage, the terms of that loan, and the interest rate. If you have good credit, you may have a much wider range of mortgage offers with lower rates.
So how do you better understand credit?

• Be aware of how important your credit history is to the process.
• Establish good credit and protect your credit.
• Look at your credit report and credit scores.
• Make sure you correct any mistakes on your credit report right away.

What Are the Risks?

Overall, homeownership is a good investment for most people, but there are risks. If you understand the benefits and risks of homeownership, you can make the best decision about when to buy a home.

So what are the risks of homeownership?

Monthly housing expenses can increase.Your monthly mortgage payment may be larger than your rent. These higher monthly payments may be offset by a tax benefit at the end of the year. Talk to a tax professional to understand your particular situation.

You become your own landlord.If an appliance breaks, you will have to pay for its repair or replacement. You are also responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of your home and your property.

You must sell your house to move.Depending on the local real estate market, you might not be able to sell your home quickly. You should also factor in the likely expense of hiring a real estate professional. Fees can be negotiated and vary across regions. They also vary from professional to professional.

Property values can depreciate.You can lose value in your home for a number of reasons, such as a recession, the condition of your home not being kept up, or a drop in a neighborhood’s home values. If your home loses value and you have to sell it for less than you owe, you will be required to repay the full mortgage.

Down Payments and Closing Costs

When you buy a home, there are several up-front costs you should be aware of, particularly down payments and closing costs.

Down Payments

A down payment is usually between 3% and 20% of the total cost of the home. The amount of the down payment depends on your credit history, income, the cost of the home, and the type of mortgage you choose. Some lenders also have loan options that allow for no down payment at all. If your down payment is less than 20%, you will need private mortgage insurance (PMI). This is insurance you pay to protect the bank if you don’t repay your loan in full. PMI is added to your closing and monthly mortgage costs. When you apply for a home loan, many mortgages require you to also have at least two month’s worth of mortgage payments saved, called reserves. However, there are mortgages that do not require reserves.Most lenders want to know the source of your down payment and have restrictions about how much can come from gifts from your relatives. In most cases, these gifts will need to be documented. Ask your lender for more information.

Closing Costs

Closing, or settlement, costs are fees you pay when you actually get your loan from your financial institution. These include points, taxes, title insurance, financing costs, items that must be prepaid or escrowed, and other settlement costs.Closing costs generally range between 1.5-7% of the loan value. You’ll receive an estimate from your lender after you apply for a mortgage. You must pay these costs at the time you close on your loan.