Carefree Property Blog

City Sun Times September, 2010

“The ‘Taste’ is a
celebration of all that is
wonderful about Cave Creek”
– Town Mayor Vincent Francia

September 29-30  Stagecoach Village

The Taste of Cave Creek is slated this month with delicious tastings from more than 25 restaurants, cooking demonstrations by chefs Kevin Binkley and Aaron Geister, live jazz presented by Arizona Musicfest, a fine art marketplace from the Sonoran Arts League, wine and tequila tastings, craft garden beer, hot- air balloon glow and more.

The two-day festival takes place at Stagecoach Village, 7100 East Cave Creek Road in Cave Creek on Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30 from 4-10pm, presented by the Town of Cave Creek. Tickets are $10 per day and available at the gate or from participating restaurants. Food tastings range from $1 to $4. Information is available at tasteofcavecreek.com.

Tags: Buy home in Arizona, Homes in Carefree, property in Carefree Cave Creek, Vacation home in Arizona
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MARKETWATCH AUGUST 29, 2010 Paying Off the House in 15 Years By AMY HOAK
A growing number of homeowners are choosing to pay down their mortgages at a faster rate–even if it means a substantial jump in their monthly payments.

Between January and June, 26% of homeowners who refinanced chose a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, according to data from CoreLogic, a provider of financial, property and consumer information. During all of 2009, 18.5% of borrowers who refinanced opted for a 15-year term.

Andy Rash
What’s prompting the shift to shorter loans? Historically low interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages.

Homeowners are doing the math and realizing that rates have fallen enough so the increase in payment between a new 15-year mortgage and their current loan is no longer unbearable for their budgets, says Bob Walters, chief economist at online lender Quicken Loans.

The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.86% for the week ending Aug. 26, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of conforming mortgage rates.

A Change in Thinking
The financial situation of those capable of refinancing today is a factor in the shift, Mr. Walters says. These people typically are homeowners with the best credit and the most equity — and, therefore, most suited for a shorter-term loan.

But there might be some other psychology at work. “We’re seeing a different view on debt than maybe we’ve seen in the past,” he says. Today, homeowners are saying, “I really want to pay this off. I’m going to bite the bullet and take the payment and work toward paying this down.”

A 15-year mortgage also acts as somewhat of a forced savings account for homeowners, says Leif Thomsen, chief executive of Mortgage Master, a privately owned lender, given that the higher payments help a borrower pay down the principal at a quicker clip.

This is a huge shift in borrower thinking. “There was a drive a couple of years ago to take out the biggest mortgage that you could and use all of the money you would have otherwise had in the house and put it into stocks and bonds–to think of your house and mortgage as part of your entire investment portfolio,” says Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist for Freddie Mac.

“That worked for people who do investment finance for a living and are good at managing accounts,” she says. “But for the average person, debt is a drag on their psyche as well as their overall budget.” Many Americans have reverted to the goal of paying off their house and getting rid of their mortgage, Ms. Cutts adds.

Doing the Math
Refinancing into a shorter-term mortgage isn’t a strategy for everyone, however.

Choosing a shorter term usually means you’ll get a better rate–and you’ll pay much less interest over the life of the loan–but a shorter time frame ramps up monthly mortgage payments.

For example, with a 4.5% interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of $200,000, you would have a monthly payment of $1,015, including principal and interest, Ms. Cutts says. The monthly payment jumps to about $1,480 with a 4% interest rate on a 15-year fixed-rate loan.

Of course, if the refinancing borrower’s current 30-year loan has a higher rate, the difference between the monthly payments could be lower. Still, you should count on some increase in monthly payments.

In general, Mr. Walters says, those who choose 15-year fixed-rate mortgages are older and have more equity and less debt than other folks. They also earn higher incomes and don’t have some of the added expenses that younger homeowners typically do.

“People who are taking these loans are financially stable and can afford the payments, but at the same time are planning on staying in their home for an extended period of time,” Mr. Thomsen says.

Mr. Walters says you shouldn’t take on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage unless you have substantial savings, including at least a year’s worth of living expenses in liquid accounts.

Also, he recommends having a debt-to-income ratio below 35%. So if you have a gross salary of $5,700 per month, for instance, your monthly debt–including any mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, homeowners-association dues as well as auto and student loans and credit-card debt–would have to be a max of $1,995 to get a 35% ratio.

Make That Extra Payment
Journal Communitydiscuss“ I was about 12 years ahead of the trend to minimize the dollars flying out of my pocket to pay for a house. I know the trend for the last 30 years or so has been “Me now!” There’s at least a faint possibility that delayed gratification is a better choice. ”
—William Skiba Borrowers who don’t meet those standards, or are worried about future loss of income, might be better served taking a longer-term mortgage but making extra payments on the principal to pay off the loan faster, says Mr. Walters.

For instance, if you refinance a $200,000 mortgage into a 30-year loan with a 4.5% rate, and then apply $100 of the savings to the principal payment each month, you’d save $31,700 in interest over the life of the loan, Ms. Cutts says. And you would pay off the mortgage in 25 years, instead of 30, she adds.

What’s more, you would have the flexibility of not paying that $100 in months when money gets tight. “Maybe today you’re feeling flush with money. Maybe you’re worried in the future that income might change,” Ms. Cutts says. With a 30-year mortgage, you have more flexibility. “Shortening to 15 years is a pretty big bump in payment.”

—Read more at marketwatch.com.
Write to Amy Hoak at amy.hoak@dowjones.com

Tags: Buy home in Arizona, Homes in Carefree, Vacation home in Arizona
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By Tara-Nicholle Nelson | Broker

 1.  “actually Get – and stay – clear on what “bargain means. Learn the difference between the asking price and the fair market value of a home. Many buyers think a bargain is any sale price below the asking price. But a home’s asking price is an indicator of the seller’s intention, and can be roughly the same as, greater than or less than the actual market value of the home. In fact, a bargain is a home that you buy at a discount from the fair market value, or one you get with some other perks. If the list price is set high, a below-asking sale price could still be above-market, and if it’s set low, you could pay more than the asking price and still get a great deal!

Also, get clear on what “bargain” means to you. Are you looking for the biggest home at the lowest price (i.e.,low price per square foot)? The lowest price in the best neighborhood? A home in move-in condition for the price of similar homes that need work? A home with all the furniture and electronics thrown in? There are many ways to skin the “bargain” cat.

2. ‘Regular’ sales may present better bargain opportunities than foreclosures and short sales. Contrary to popular belief, individual home sellers have more leeway and, often, more motivation to accept a lower offer than bank negotiators do. (In a short sale, the bank is the ultimate arbiter of how low the seller can go.) The banks often must adhere to guidelines, including that they may only accept an offer X below the fair market value – many banks have a policy of slightly reducing the list price and re-market the home before taking a lowball offer.

Individual sellers have no such limitations, and often take bargain-priced offers because they must move quickly, or are otherwise motivated. Also, individual sellers have the ability to bargain on other transaction points, as well – you might pay the fair market value to an individual seller, but get them to agree to paint the place, complete the pest repairs and fix the furnace. Chances you’ll get a bank to do that for you? Somewhere between slim and none.

3. Look for sellers who have demonstrated their flexibility on price. When you house hunt online, don’t limit your search criteria to beds, baths and square feet. Search for price-reduced homes or, at the very least, sort and prioritize your search results by the dollar amount or percentage by which the price has already been cut.

These discounted digs might already be a bargain, and in some cases, the sellers might be willing to deal even more!

4. Find a motivated seller – look for homes with longer-than-average Days on Market (DOM). Talk with your broker or agent and have them educate you about the average number of days a home in your area stays on the market. Homes that are lingering on the market for much longer than that may hold the potential for negotiating an even deeper discount, as their sellers might be very, very antsy and ready to take even a below-asking offer.

5. Don’t insult the seller. It might feel like you’re an ace wheeler and dealer when you make a lowball offer on a home for sale. Buyers can get bravado, like, “Ha, Seller, you want X? Well, I’m only paying X minus 40% – deal with it.” Or, you might think, “I’ll offer you 40% less, then we’ll go back and forth 7 or 8 times, and I’ll be happy with a 20% discount off the asking price.”

But when those bottom of the barrel offers come in, both agents often detect a novice buyer at work. What they know – that you may not – is these two things. First, many sellers on today’s market don’t even have that much room to negotiate – they’re already selling at a loss or very, very close to what they owe on the place. If they have to write a check to sell it to you, they’d simply rather not sell.

And, second, many a seller will simply refuse to sell to someone who they feel has insulted or disrespected them. That insult can be inferred from a lowball, below-market-value offer, or from a buyer’s running commentary on all the things they would change about the place if it was their house. (Note – you already know not to rave and gush to the sellers when you see a house you like. Neither should you trash it.)

And it’s not any different when it comes to institutional sellers, like banks selling foreclosed homes or approving short sales. They don’t take lowball offers either – most lenders say a 10% discount off the market value – not the list price! – is about as low as they’ll go.

6. Give to get. Have your agent interview the seller’s agent to glean as much detail as possible about why they are selling, what their priority is (e.g., fast close or most cash?), and what the motivating facts are surrounding their sale (e.g., are they upside down, relocating for work, getting divorced, or any other facts that may be relevant)?

Then – especially if you’re going to ask for a big chunk off the asking price – give them what they want! Try to close when they want, if possible (trust your real estate pro for a reality check on this – short escrows are nearly impossible for all but cash buyers these days). Go as-is, if it makes sense, without waiving the right and the time to obtain inspections. Decide what is most important to you, and if it’s a discount, give the seller what they want on the rest of your the transaction’s terms.

7. Sell yourself. Even when they have multiple offers, today’s sellers will take a lower offer that looks certain to close over a higher offer that has no chance of closing. No seller wants to waste their time on a buyer/offer who can’t close and then have to put their home back on the market 30 or 40 days later.

If you want a bargain, sell yourself and your offer – make a convincing case that you are likely and able to close the deal! Make sure your agent presents a polished, computer-prepared offer (if that’s the standard in your area) – this demonstrates that they have the professionalism and up-to-date market knowledge it takes to get a sale closed these days. Make sure the offer package presented to the seller includes a polished, thorough loan approval letter, which confirms that your credit, employment, income and down payment funds have all been verified and approved for a home loan.

Tags: Buy home in Arizona, Homes in Carefree, property in Carefree Cave Creek, Vacation home in Arizona
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Jewel of the Creek Preserve

by Philip Haldiman The Republic | azcentral.com

Desert Foothills Land Trust has received a $22,000 grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. The grant will allow the organization to enhance its volunteer and land-stewardship programs.

Land Trust executive director Sonia Perillo said the money will go toward creating a comprehensive training program specific to volunteers’ interests.

With three full-time staff members managing a 600-acre system of nature preserves, the trust relies on volunteers. Perillo said most volunteers want to do field work.

“This grant offers an opportunity for the Land Trust to better engage our community in direct land conservation work, while at the same time increasing our capacity for land stewardship and other programs,” she said. “The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust’s support of our work will allow us to capitalize on this opportunity, and we are tremendously grateful for their investment with us.”

ABOUT DESERT FOOTHILLS LAND TRUST

Desert Foothills Land Trust works with communities and partners to protect, preserve and steward sensitive land and species for the survival of the Sonoran Desert. The Land Trust has protected more than 600 acres in the north Valley, including Carefree, Cave Creek, north Phoenix and far north Scottsdale. Perillo said the grant will help the organization recruit and train volunteers in these communities.

ABOUT THE NINA MASON PULLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST

The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust seeks to help people in need, especially women, children and families; to protect animals and nature; and to enrich community life in the metropolitan areas of Indianapolis and Phoenix. Since the trust began grant making in 1998, it has awarded more than $87.3 million to 390 Arizona non-profit organizations.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2010/07/28/20100728sr-landtrust0729.html#ixzz0wDbEBaxZ

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Aug. 5, 2010 07:55 AM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level in decades for the sixth time in seven weeks, offering the most attractive opportunity for those who qualify to refinance or purchase a home.

Government-controlled mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.49 percent, down from 4.54 percent last week. That’s the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed loan dropped to 3.95 percent, down from 4 percent last week and the lowest on record.

Rates have fallen since spring as investors seek the safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. That has lowered the yield on Treasurys. Mortgage rates tend to track those yields.

The last time home loan rates were lower was during the 1950s, when most mortgages lasted just 20 or 25 years.

Low rates have sparked some activity in the weak housing market, but not a massive boom in refinancing.

Applications to refinance loans increased 1.3 percent and those to purchase homes increased 1.5 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Nevertheless, high unemployment, slow job growth and tight credit have made it difficult for many to purchase homes. The housing industry received a boost this spring when the government offered home-buying tax credits, but housing activity has plummeted since they expired in April.

The number of buyers who signed contracts to purchase homes plunged in June to the lowest level on records dating back to 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors.

To calculate the national average, Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day.

Rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.63 percent, down from 3.76 percent a week earlier. Rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to an average of 3.55 percent from 3.64 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. One point is equal to 1 percent of the total loan amount. The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac’s survey averaged 0.7 a point for all loans.

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Peter Corbett, The Arizona Republic

Existing-home sales in Scottsdale jumped 36 percent in the first half of this year, and home construction picked up slightly from its glacial pace.

Housing-industry observers remain cautious about where the market is headed because prices have not stabilized and foreclosures accounted for a quarter of the 3,215 homes sold in Scottsdale through June, according to Arizona State University Realty Studies reports.

“I see a very definite pent-up demand for things, people wanting to buy,” said real-estate agent Bob Morris of John Hall and Associates. “There’s still hesitancy to buy in the marketplace, some fear and hesitancy.”

Foreclosures and short sales continue to put downward pressure on prices.

Scottsdale’s median-home price in June was $378,600, up less than 1 percent from a year earlier. But it was the first year-over-year monthly increase during the first half of 2010. The Valley median price in June was $147,500.

New homes are just a fraction of the Scottsdale housing market. The city has issued 100 single-family building permits from Jan. 1 through this week and is on pace for about 171 new homes in 2010. Last year, Scottsdale approved just 130 home permits, down from 3,100 a decade earlier.

Pulte Homes and Lennar are building a total of 790 homes at Lone Mountain just west of Scottsdale Road. Most of the new-home permits are going to custom and green-home builders, said Michael Clack, Scottsdale’s director of development services.

Windgate Ranch, one of the city’s only large subdivisions, has several homes under construction, said Linda Rossi, Toll Brothers Southwest region marketing director.

Toll Brothers has completed 237 of 633 planned homes since it started sales in March 2006 at the subdivision northwest of Bell Road and Thompson Peak Parkway.

Prices start at about $500,000 for a 2,750-square-foot home, Rossi said.

“We certainly are seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” she said of the housing market.

Shadows prices rebound

Other observers are optimistic as well.

Bob Bell, an insurance agent who tracks the local market, said he is seeing an increase in prices for condominiums that have been refurbished.

He and his wife, Glenda, own two condos at Scottsdale Shadows, a large, formerly age-restricted community at Hayden and Camelback roads.

“I watched it when it went down and I wasn’t happy about it, and I’ve watched it start to inch back up,” he said.

The Bells bought their first Scottsdale Shadows condo in July 2004 for $91,000, which they lease out for $950 per month. They bought another unit in March 2007 for $159,000. Both are 1,200 square feet.

At current prices per square foot, Bell figures the second condo is worth about $137,000. He is upside down on it, but prices are up from $80,000 to $90,000 per unit and he can afford to wait for the market to recover.

ASU’s June report showed Scottsdale condo sales up 35 percent from a year ago, but the median price slipped 8 percent to $145,000.

In the resale-home market, sales are concentrated at the lower end where it is far easier for buyers to get financing.

Only 5 percent of the Valley homes that sold in June went for more than $500,000, said Fletcher Wilcox, Grand Canyon Title Agency vice president.

The upper limit for conventional loans in Maricopa County is $417,000.

“Homes in north Scottsdale keep dropping in price until they get under that number,” said Jay Butler, ASU Realty Studies associate professor.

However, buyers are still showing that they want to live in Scottsdale, he said.

“The idea is if you want to live in a particular area, now is the time to do it,” Butler added. “Prices have dropped so much.”

Prices down 36%

Butler’s ASU colleague, real-estate professor Karl Guntermann, in his repeat-sales index, reports that Scottsdale’s home prices fell 36 percent from April 2006 to this past April. That is less than the decline in Tempe of 42 percent. Chandler’s decline is e, 45 percent with Gilbert’s at 47 percent.

John Rapasky, Counsel Mortgage Group president, said he is seeing some hopeful signs for a housing-market recovery even if there is some downward pressure on prices.

On conventional loans, lenders have cut the minimum down payment to 5 percent from 10 percent with private mortgage insurance.

“I think as much as you can use the lenders as a guide, after going through all this pain, they’ve decided to loosen up a bit,” Rapasky said.

Buyers with good credit, assets, proof of income and a down payment are in a good position to buy, he added.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/02/20100802scottsdale-exisiting-home-sales-up.html#ixzz0vZDEDTzQ

Tags: Buy home in Arizona, Homes in Carefree, property in Carefree Cave Creek, Vacation home in Arizona
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According to recent rankings by two popular magazines, Parenting and Money, Scottsdale is one of America’s best cities to call home.

Parenting magazine ranked Scottsdale the eighth best city for families, while Money magazine ranked Scottsdale 71 on its list of the top small cities to live in.

In order to compile its list, Parenting conducted a nationwide survey of women from Parenting’s MomConnection research panel to pinpoint their top criteria in choosing a place to raise their families, according to Parenting.com.

Their top criteria were (in order of priority): quality of schools; affordability and availability of quality housing; low crime rates; job availability and growth; number of registered sex offenders; recreational opportunities; quality/quantity of pediatricians/family physicians; commute time and distance; proximity to a good children’s hospital; quality/quantity of childcare facilities and preschools; and air quality.

Parenting ranked Scottsdale as the safest city in America based off its low number of violent crimes in 2008 and low number of registered sex offenders, according to the state sex offender’s registry.

It also ranked number three in terms of recreation, with the proximity of the McDowell Mountain Ranch Park and Aquatic Center. Scottsdale ranked 46th in education, 59th in economy, and 82nd in health. Other cities that made Parenting’s list were Phoenix, 44; Tucson, 52; and Mesa, 62.

Money magazine looked at crime, schooling and the local economy, when creating its best cities list.

Money pointed out Scottsdale’s “zillions of golf courses”, upscale shopping, top-notch restaurants, and resort spas in its reasoning for ranking the city of 235,000 on its list.

The hot, dry climate and proximity to the Sonoran Desert and McDowell Mountains also set Scottsdale apart for Money magazine with exceptional desert hiking.

Parenting’s top three cities for families were Arlington, Va., Austin, Tex. and Madison, Wis.

Money magazine’s top three places to live were Eden Prairie, Minn.; Columbia/Ellicott City, Md., and Newton, Mass.

Purchasing a home is a big decision with many factors to consider before signing on the dotted line. Recent data reveals now is a good time to buy, as well as build. Sereno Canyon is a secluded North Scottsdale, Arizona gated community offering estate-sized home sites averaging an expansive 2.5 acres in size. Take an online tour of the community today or schedule an in-person tour and discover the desert paradise that is Sereno Canyon.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Phoenix Business Journal – by G. Scott Thomas Contributing writer

Over the past 10 years Arizona has added more jobs than every state except one, according to new figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Arizona added 119,100 private-sector jobs from May 2000 to May 2010. Texas has enjoyed the best decade of any state, adding 661,000 private-sector jobs.

But even the two leaders have been seriously affected by the recession.

Arizona gained 336,600 in the first eight years of the decade, followed by a loss of 217,500 from 2008 to 2010, yielding an overall increase of 119,100.

Texas gained 1.02 million private-sector jobs from May 2000 through May 2008, then lost 359,400 in the past two years, resulting in the overall gain of 661,000 for the decade.

Michigan is dead-last with a 10-year decline of 790,600 private-sector jobs. Close behind is California with a loss of 719,600.

Other states that have lost more than 200,000 jobs since May 2000 are Ohio (down 595,200 private-sector positions), Illinois (down 450,500), Indiana (down 245,500) and Georgia (down 207,000).

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The Arizona Republic

Two elementary schools in the Cave Creek Unified School District will offer Mandarin Chinese instruction this year, joining a nationwide trend in teaching the language spoken by a large portion of the world.

All kindergarteners through sixth-graders at Horseshoe Trails and Lone Mountain will learn Mandarin, with a focus on speaking and culture, said Janiene Marlow, principal at Horseshoe Trails.

Two young teachers from Sias University, a Chinese-American college in central China, will come to the district and stay with families while they teach, along with a teacher already in the district who is fluent in Mandarin.

Horseshoe Trails’ PTO paid for Marlow to travel to China last spring to get the program going. The district is waiting to hear if it received a five-year, $1.5 million federal Foreign Language Assistance Program grant. This year, Mandarin lessons will be funded through tax-credit money, the PTO and donations, including $4,000 recently received from Wells Fargo.

Eventually, Mandarin will be taught at Sonoran Trails Middle School and Cactus Shadows High School, she said.

Horseshoe Trails is applying to join the International Baccalaureate Early Years Program and must teach an international language to qualify, she said.

“We started looking at the languages that are best for our kids, and one out of every four people on this planet speaks Mandarin. It’s the fastest-growing language in the world,” Marlow said.

In 2006, President George Bush began the National Language Security Initiative to fund the startup of programs, from kindergarten to college, for languages considered critical to national security. FLAP offers grants only to schools that teach Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and languages in the Indic, Turkic and Iranian families.

The Mesa Unified School District has been teaching Mandarin for a few years. Deer Valley Unified School District added it at some schools last school year, and Scottsdale Unified School District’s high schools will have access to Mandarin instruction this year via distance learning.

The U.S. Foreign Service and Defense Language institutes rank languages in four categories based on the hours English speakers must spend becoming fluent. Spanish and French and other Romance languages are considered related to English and are Category I, requiring up to 24 weeks or 600 hours of study. Chinese is Category IV, requiring 44 weeks or 1,100 class hours to learn.

Chinese is challenging in part because it has tones that affect the meaning of words. Plus, it has thousands of characters for writing. The Cave Creek students won’t tackle writing for a while.

The district is partnering with Arizona State University’s Confucius Institute, which promotes the understanding of Chinese language and culture.

The two Chinese teachers haven’t arrived yet, as the district deals with passport and visa red tape. When they get here, they’ll get a full Arizona experience, with a trip to the Grand Canyon, Marlow said..

Marlow is enthusiastic about the program because she grew up in an Air Force family and learned Chinese while living in Taiwan in first and second grade.

“It kind of goes full circle. You have those ‘aha’ moments in your life, and that was one for me.”

Arizona Republic reporter Emily Gersema contributed to this story.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2010/07/20/20100720cave-creek-mandarin.html#ixzz0uHK21EY1

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Reminder from Arizona State Parks:

A campfire provides light and warmth and represents the tie that binds people together in the wilderness. The fire keeps us warm, cooks our food, dries our socks, and provides glowing warmth for storytelling. But consider the severe drought in the southwest. During the summer season, campers in Arizona should use only propane stoves. Developed campsites may not even be safe when the wind comes up blowing coals across the forest or desert. If a storm is brewing, quickly put your fire out.

Near Slide Rock State Park in Sedona, the Brins Fire burnt 4,300 acres during the summer of 2006. This photo is of the cliffs above the Slide Rock parking lot.In 2002, devastatingly hot fires burned approximately 600,000 acres of Arizona’s timber, most of which were human-caused wildfires quickly extinguished by the wildland firefighters. In 2003, there were 725 human-caused wildfires but most were extinguished before they spread through Arizona’s communities. The sad part is that escaped campfires and discarded cigarettes were usually what started these wildfires. For this summer the state is looking at another dry fire season. Campers, hikers, and all outdoor enthusiasts should be cautious when they start campfires anywhere in the southwest. Arizona’s communities are at risk because campers must relearn how to properly manage and extinguish a campfire.

Most wildfires in the Southwest get started when a campfire escapes over the top of the rock rim or fire-ring into pine needles or under the soil along dry roots. Campers leave for hiking or fall asleep and don’t drown fires. They erroneously believe there is no danger because there may not be wind at that time. Unfortunately, it takes only a small gust of wind to send embers flying around the forest or desert.

Fire Restrictions change daily.
Review each park’s current Fire Restictions in this site: http://azstateparks.com/find/f_act_fire.html.

 Also, “How to extinguish a Campfire.”

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