Lake Havasu Lifestyle

Show Your Patriotic Flair at Lake Havasu's Fall Fun Fair

Show your patriotic flair at Lake Havasu's Fall Fun Fair on Saturday, October 17th, 2009, by wearing costumes comprised of red, white and blue colors. Lake Havasu's Fall Fun Fair will be held from 3-7pm at Rotary Park. The theme this year is "Havasu - Show Your Red, White & Blue". So, put on your best patriotic costume, bring the kiddies along and you can participate in the special Fall Fun Fair Parade at 5pm. The first 2,000 kids to arrive for the Fall Fun Fair get a special bag of treats courtesy of the Havasu Community Credit Union. In addition to the parade, the Lake Havasu Fall Fun Fair will have games, live entertainment, food and pony rides. Tickets are only $0.25 each for games and activities. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit local PTAs, PTOs and other non-profit groups in Lake Havasu City. Limited parking is availble in Rotary Park, but overflow parking is allowed at the adjacent Aquatic Center.

Donna Ball, Always on the Ball with your Lake Havasu real estate needs

Lake Havasu's London Bridge Days Begin

Lake Havasu's London Bridge Days begin this weekend, October 10th, and continue through til Tuesday, October 20th. There will be several events held around the city. These events include:

October 10th
10am - Karnival for Kids at London Bridge Beach
7pm - Happy Birthday Havasu at Speedway 95

October 11th
3:30pm - Shakespeare in the Park at Rotary Park

October 14th
6pm - Youth Talent Show at the Aquatic Center

October 16th
7pm - Marine Corps Band Concert at Rotary Park

October 17th
7am - Boy Scouts Pancake Breakfast at Pima Wash
9am - Daytona Fun Run on Main Street
10am - 34th Annual London Bridge Days Parade on Main Street
12pm - Soap Box Derby on Main Street
3pm - Fall Fun Fair at Rotary Park
7pm - KJJJ Concert at London Bridge Beach

October 18th
10am - Lions Club BBQ at London Bridge Beach
6pm - Praise Gathering under the Bridge

October 20th
7pm - Taste of Havasu at London Bridge Plaza

To get more information about specific events, please visit Lake Havasu City Main Street's website. I hope to see you celebrating both the Lake Havasu of old and the Lake Havasu of today.

Donna Ball, Always on the Ball with Lake Havasu real estate

Lake Havasu Residents Encouraged to Comment on BLM Lease for City

Lake Havasu residents are encouraged to comment on the City's request for a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lease at an open house scheduled for October 21, 2009 from 6-8pm. The open house will be held at the Lake Havasu City Chambers in the police facility located at 2360 McCulloch Blvd N. The City is requesting to lease 280 acres from the BLM for various proposed recreation activities, including creating an 18-hole municipal golf course, driving range and practice facilities, hiking/nature trails, environmental education facility/visitors center, an official convention and fine arts/performing arts center (currently conducted at the Lake Havasu High School), an outdoor amphitheater, extended utilities, hiking and nature trails and a two lane boulevard. For more information on Lake Havasu's request or the open house, please contact Kirk Koch, Project Manager with BLM, at 928-505-1237 or Stuart Schmeling, Senior Planner, at 928-453-4148. Make sure your voice is heard about how Lake Havasu City handles our finances and whether you think this is a good idea or not.

Donna Ball, Always "On the Ball" with Lake Havasu real estate

Lake Havasu Housing Stats for July 2009

The Lake Havasu housing stats for July 2009 are in and they are looking good. According to the Lake Havasu Association of REALTORS®, the sales of single-family homes, multi-family homes and vacant land in Lake Havasu City were up in July 2009 compared to the same time last year. Sales of single-family homes were up 43% (140 units sold in July 2009 vs 98 sold in July 2008), sales of vacant parcels of land were up 33% (12 lots sold in July 2009 vs 9 sold in July 2008) and sales of multi-family homes were up 150% (5 sold in July 2009 vs 2 sold in July 2008). Single-family and multi-family home sales are experiencing an upswing in year-to-date figures for 2009 compared to the same time period as last year as well, with single-family home sales up almost 25% and multi-family homes up almost 108%. Vacant land sales have remained almost the same. Even though the average sale price for a single-family home in Lake Havasu in July 2009 was much lower than the same time last year (currently at $187,627), it has actually increased from May and June. Is this a leveling out of the market? You would need a crystal ball to tell. But, I can tell you this for sure: with these prices and the expiration date for the $8000 First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit quickly approaching, now is the time to buy your Lake Havasu home. Contact me now so we can get you in that home as quickly as possible.

Donna Ball, Always on the Ball with Lake Havasu Real Estate

Lake Havasu City Family Safety Day and Fire Truck Tug

Saturday, September 26th is the big day here in Lake Havasu City for the amazing Fire Truck Tug and Family Safety Day. The Fire Truck Tug, is exactly what it sounds like: a tug of war. Teams will compete to see who can pull the fire truck 10 feet in the shortest amount of time. Competing teams will be co-ed as well as all male and all female. Each team will be using their brute strength to impress and entertain you while raising funds for the Special Olympics. The fire truck to be used for the event is from our own great Lake Havasu City Fire Department.

Family Safety Day will be held at Rotary Community Park between 9am and 1pm. As the name implies, this is a day in which families can have a lot of fun while learning more about safety. There will be booths on hand with information about safety in vaious areas of your lives. There will even be a place where you can have your child's car seat checked for safety.

The day will include airbrushed tattoos, a bounce house, crafts and prizes. There will also be skate board competitions at the skate park.

*****All funds raised by the Fire Truck Tug will be donated to the Special Olympics*****

Competition forms can be found at the Aquatic/Community Center. Registration must be notarized in order to participate. For more information about the event or participation, call Janice Brown at 453-8686. I hope to see you there!

Donna Ball, Always on the Ball with your Lake Havasu real estate needs

Time is Running Out for the First Time Homebuyer's Tax Credit in Lake Havasu

Time is running our for Lake Havasu first-time home buyers to take advantage of the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit. It is September already! This means you only have a few more weeks to locate a home and close escrow before the November 30, 2009 deadline.

Don't Wait or You May Lose Out

At this time, there is no extension to the tax credit, even if you are in escrow. Sometimes, delays occur and escrow extends the expected timeline. Loan processing may take a little longer than is expected or there may be some issue that would come up in escrow that would take time to resolve. No matter what the reason for the delay, you will lose the tax credit if escrow does not close on or before November 30. So, opening escow as soon as possible is critical.

Tax Credit Advantages

    * Dollar-for-dollar credit - the credit is deducted from the money you owe the IRS; any balance is refunded to you.
    * The money is free - there is no pay back required, ever.
    * In some cases, the tax credit can be applied towards your down payment or closing costs; any remaining funds will be credited to you.

Who is a First Time Home Buyer?

* Anyone who has not owned a home within the past three years.

How Much is the Tax Credit?

* 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000.

Income Limits

    * $75,000 for singles.
    * $150,000 for married couples filing a joint return.
    * The tax credit is reduced for buyers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of more than $75,000 (single) or $150,000 (married, filing a jointly).
    * There is a phase out tax credit for those earning more than the income limit - contact a qualified tax professional to see if you qualify.
    * Partial credits are available for some home buyers whose MAGI exceeds the phaseout limits - contact a qualified tax professional to see if you qualify.

Restrictions

* The home purchased must be your principal residence.
* You must live in the home for three (3) years - if you change residences before that time, you must repay the credit.

There has been much talk of extending or expanding the tax credit. But, as it stands for now, the opportunity to take advantage of the tax credit will soon go away. Remember, you must close escrow on or before November 30. The contract date will not matter. It is the closing date (the date you officially become the owner) that will determine your eligibility for the First-Time Buyers Tax Credit.

Donna Ball, Always on the Ball with Lake Havasu City real estate