Sky Center at Mt. Lemmon

This upcoming season at the SkyCenter promises to be truly memorable. The Schulman telescope is now fully operational with significant improvements in image quality. In terms of both visual views and CCD imagery, once the clouds clear from our monsoons, SkyCenter will be raising the bar in public outreach offerings.

There are some specific big events coming within the next year as well. On November 8th asteroid 2005 YU55 will pass *very* close to the Earth (astronomically speaking). SkyCenter will host a very special program to watch this near earth object fly by. Here is a good article about the event:

http://www.universetoday.com/85360/take-a-look-huge-asteroid-to-fly-by-earth-in-november/

Mark your calender for summer 2012...June 5, 2012, as a significant event will be occurring! It will be the LAST CHANCE for anyone alive today to see Venus transit across the disk of the Sun. For most people this is a once-in-a-life-time event. The western US is fortunate to see a good fraction of the transit during the sunset. Also fortunate is that this is the time of year it is most likely to be clear atop Mount Lemmon. The 9,157 feet will give us an advantage to witness Venus crossing the Sun that few can equal.

Also, SkyCenter has released some fantastic lightning photography and videos from the recent storms in Tucson.

http://www.caelumobservatory.com/gallery/aug_lightning.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11rSAIuZOH8&fmt=37


To contact the SkyCenter for more information:
520.626.8122
www.SkyCenter.arizona.edu

August events and activites around Arizona

Along with the monsoons, August also offers various events and activities around Arizona.

Vigilante Days
August 12-14, 2011
Tombstone

Happy Birthday Tucson
August 20, 2011
Various Events Throughout Tucson

EMVIA Prickly Pear Festival
Rillito Downs Park
520.290.4770

Canoe Days
August 6-7
Sahuarita Lake Park

Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball
Chase Field - Phoenix

Breaker's Water Park
May-September
Marana
520.682.2304

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Tucson
520.883.2702

Castles-N-Coasters
Phoenix
602.997.7575

Colossal Cave
Tucson
520.647.7275

KCM Report August

I always think that KCM- Keeping Current Matters has important information that is worth while to read. This current link has 5 quick tips to know for August.

Check it out!

What is Happening to Home Prices?

Great information from Kevin Kaplan!

What is Happening to Home Prices?

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Kevin Kaplan

We've all seen the news. "Home prices slide", "Risk of a double dip in home prices" etc. But is it worth a few minutes to better understand what is happening to home prices here in Arizona? I do, so here we go.

The Product Mix
First of all, real estate is a very localized affair and needs to be evaluated as such. So while we see articles on the national housing market, let's take a closer look in our backyard here in Arizona.

Pricing in its simplest form is a function of supply and demand (remember those college economics classes? I am lucky enough to hold a degree in Economics….). But what many people seem to overlook in housing is that you also need to understand the type of product being sold, and what impact that has on overall pricing metrics.

We did some analysis on MLS data to determine the product mix of residential homes being sold in Tucson and in Phoenix for the time period January-May 2011. Specifically we wanted to know the mix of distressed (REO and short sale transactions) and non-distressed closed sales. Here are the results:

Tucson – 43% REO (Bank owned) sales, 9% short sales and 48% non-distressed sales
Phoenix – 42% REO (Bank owned) sales, 20% short sale and 38% non-distressed sales
52% of closed sales in Tucson and 62% in Phoenix were distressed.

Impact of Distressed Sales on Pricing
So now that we know more than half of residential properties sold were distressed, let's take a look at the impact that has to pricing.

We see a stark difference in pricing from distressed to non-distressed homes.
The product mix is driving down the overall home price sales. As this distressed inventory gets absorbed (which is happening now at a good clip) the product mix will start to shift back to more non-distressed sales, which means we may have a more instant uptick in home sales prices – just because of the product mix.

Another reason to work with an educated Long Realty agent who can help you understand local housing dynamics.

For a copy of our latest Housing Report to see market trends in your area, visit our website

New 2011 Flood Insurance Rate Maps

Brought to you by Pima County Regional Flood Control District:

New 2011
Flood Insurance Rate Maps

What is a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)?
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) identify federally recognized flood hazard areas and reflect insurance risk designations for flooding. The maps are issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

When will the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps become effective?
The new FIRMs are scheduled to become effective JUNE 16, 2011. Any modifications to the scheduled effective date will be posted on the Pima County Regional Flood Control District's (District) website www.rfcd.pima.gov/dfirm.

Where an I go to view the new maps?
You can view the maps on the District's website at: www.rfcd.pima.gov/dfirm using your address or tax code parcel number. If you do not have access to high speed internet you may access the website from computers at any branch of the Pima County Public Library. You may also view the maps at your local floodplain management agency (see the Local Map Repository contact information at the bottom).

Local Map Repositories

The Town of Marana
Marana Development Services Center
11555 W. Civic Center Drive
Marana, Arizona 85653
(520)382-2600

The Town of Oro Valley
Oro Valley Community Development Department
Department of Public Works
11000 N. La Canada Drive
Oro Valley, Arizona 85737
(520) 229-4818