Check out this review of Joe's Real BBQ

"Who would think you could get good BBQ in the middle of the Arizona desert?  Today I was driving through the Town of Gilbert and passed by a little place in an old brick building called Joe’s Real BBQ.  I’m immediately intrigued..."  (go to Good Greasy Eats article)

Joe's Real BBQ is located in downtown Gilbert AZ at 301 N Gilbert Rd. and is open year-round from 11 AM to 9 PM.  Also see this Phoenix New Times review of Joe's Real BBQ.  For information on other restaurants in the Gilbert area, check out UrbanSpoon.com.

Biking in Gilbert, Arizona

Anyone who know me knows that I love to ride my bicycle, and one of the best ways to stay in shape here in Arizona is to get into biking. Not only is it a great place for road biking, but mountain biking as well (that's me to the right, racing at McDowell Mountain Park). My favorite way to ride, though, is on my old Napoleon Dynamite-style 10-speed with my sister's kids on the canals and around the neighborhood. Gilbert is also a great place for night riding. Just get some lights, get on the canal, and go.


Here are some biking resources that I've found:

Road biking

1. Bikely routes in Gilbert AZ These are routes uploaded by local riders
2. AZ Brumbys Riding Club (of Mesa) These guys are really fun to ride with if you like to get up early. It can be good to find a fun group that you enjoy riding with.
3. GABA group rides and route maps

Mountain biking

1. If you're in to mountain biking, you'll need Cosmic Ray's Fat Tire Guide. There aren't really good internet resources available on this topic that I know of.
2. Also check out MTBR trail reviews

Leisure riding

1. Gilbert AZ bike trails map
2. A cool place to stop off during your ride is the Gilbert AZ Riparian Preserve. On Friday and Saturday evenings you can go in to the observatory and hang out with the local astronomy club. Also check out Freestone Park.

Wherever or whatever you end up riding, just be sure to keep it safe: drink plenty of water, wear a helmet, use lights if at night, and obey traffic laws

New Massage Studio in Mesa-Gilbert Area

Okay, so technically, Denae's new massage studio, DNA Massage, is located in Mesa, but since it's on Baseline Rd, I think it qualifies as a Gilbert-based business as well, so I thought it would be good to mention it here. I've known Denae Schmid for about 2 years now, and she's always been a great friend and hard worker. She is a certified adrenaline junky who worked for about 10 years in Taos, New Mexico as a ski instructor/river guide/firefighter. She's been working as a massage therapist ever since she moved to Arizona a couple of years ago, and she has built up quite a client base.

We are all benefited by having small, locally run businesses like Denae's massage studio, and I hope that everyone can get out and support local business. Plus, she's offering $25 massages for the next month or so as an introductory offer. That is a good deal!

Who's tired of the oppressive Arizona heat?

I know that talking bad about Arizona weather won't help me sell more houses in Gilbert, Arizona, but the truth is I love Arizona weather. It's just that sometimes I need a little break in the middle of the summer.

This is a shout out for my mother who manages this beach house property in Yachats, along the Oregon coast. My mom is a great designer and you can see from looking at this Oregon beach house listing that she has put a lot of work into making it nice. It sleeps 6-10 people and rents for $205 per night in the summertime. I was up in that area visiting her last September and it was so much fun. We actually ended up hanging out in Ashland, Oregon for a couple of days with my cousins and got to see my Granny one last time before she passed away. I am a big fan of Oregon (I was born there). Check it out if you get the chance.

Gilbert Gaining New Niche Clothing Store

Shade Clothing Store, a boutique that specializes in womens' clothing that is fashionable, yet modest, is relocating from Chandler Fashion Square to SanTan Village in Gilbert.  The new store is scheduled to open on Thursday, July 30th.  The store is immensely popular with Gilbert residents already, and is expected to open to immediate success.

The storms have finally arrived

Menacing monsoons have threatened the valley for several weeks, but last night they finally struck. Tree services in Gilbert and other towns throughout the valley are hopping to get to all of the tree damage caused by high winds coupled with a little bit of rain. Although Gilbert only got a quarter inch of rain, which is not a lot by any measurement, the accompanying wind helped to maximize the storm's destruction. Storms are supposed to continue through Monday night.

AZ Central article

Arizona Is 2nd Only to Nevada in Foreclosure Rates

Realty Trac just released their foreclosure report. Arizona registered the nation’s second highest state foreclosure rate in the first half of 2009, with 3.37 percent of its housing units (one in 30) receiving at least one foreclosure filing. That made Arizona second only to Nevada where one in 16 units received at least one foreclosure filing in the first half of 2009.

Arizona also came in third in total properties receiving a foreclosure filing in the first half of 2009 with 89,799. This was a 55% increase over the first half of 2008. California and Florida both posted higher foreclosure totals (391,611 California and 268,064 Florida).

In June, both quantity of sales and median home sale price saw upward momentum in the Gilbert home market.

Additional Information

• Arizona has second-highest foreclosure rate East Valley Tribune
• AZ has 2nd highest foreclosure rate in U.S. AZFamily.com
• Gilbert AZ Foreclosures
• Foreclosure Heat Map

Burglars Lure Homeowners Away by Posing as Realtors

Listing your home for sale can make you very vulnerable to burglary. There are photos of your interior on the internet, your key is in a lockbox hanging by the door, and people are continually coming and going. Be sure to check out the tips below from the Chandler Police Department to find out how you can avoid becoming the next victim.

ABC 15 Story/Interview of Victim

Chandler Police Department Official Informational Release
July 9, 2009

The Chandler Police Department is investigating two cases of burglary of homes during real estate showings. Suspects are posing as either 'buyers' or as real estate agents, gaining access to homes and then burglarizing them. Police believe there may be more cases that have not been discovered or reported.

Recently, a homeowner received a call from a woman claiming to be a real estate agent who requested to show his house to a client. The victim left his house at the appointment time. Upon his return an hour later, he noticed a newer model white Honda S-U-V was parked in front of his home. The victim presumed the vehicle to be that of the real estate agent. The victim saw a caucasian female and male exit his front door and quickly walk to the SUV and drive away. Once inside his home, the victim noticed small items moved and a key missing off of his mailbox key ring. A check of the data recorded on the real estate key lock box showed that no one had used the box that day to obtain entry into the house. It appears the suspects obtained the victim's house key at an earlier date while being shown the house by an actual real estate agent or the suspect may be a real estate agent who accessed the home.

On a separate occassion, another victim's house was burglarized during a supposed real estate showing. That victim's listing real estate agent received a call from a female stating that she was an agent who wanted to show the house to a client. The listing agent gave the suspect the front door key code and scheduled a showing for the house without the victims present. When the victims returned home they noticed jewelry and coins missing.

The Arizona Department of Real Estate has been contacted and is notifying agents/ brokers of this criminal activity.

Here are some tips to prevent this from happening to you:

• Get the name of the real estate agent and company along with the phone number and call back the number to verify.
• Secure any valuables, to include keys, guns, jewelry and medications.
• Be sure that YOUR real estate sales person is present when the home is being shown.
• Be present while your home is shown.
• Copy down the license plate number of any vehicles driven by the real estate salesperson and the "buyers".
• Get a good description of the people who are looking at your home.
• Verify if a person is an active real estate agent or broker by contacting the Arizona Department of Real Estate on line at: http://www.re.state.az.us

To keep your family and property safe, you should also consider contacting a Gilbert, Arizona home security company.