For a limited time only there is 2.99% interest on a 30 year fixed loan for first time home buyers or veterans. The income limits are attractive. For a family of two or less it is $71,520.00.

The maximum home loan purchase price is, $288,277.00

Eligible properties are new, existing, townhomes, affixed manufactured  homes located in Pima County and City of Tucson.

First time home buyers are defined as those who have not owned a home in the past three years.

Veterans are not required to be first time home-buyers.

The program is sponsored by the Industrial Development Authority of the City of Tucson and Pima County.

For help in locating homes that qualify contact Steve Sisson with Century 21 Heritage Real Estate.   520-241-0091  email;  “steve7978@msn.com”

With the population of aging baby boomer veterans, one of the largest in American history, it is well known by investors of all sorts that this is a future cash cow for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living facilities. It may be important to know who your Landlord will be.  This is no more than a press release and the reader will have to conduct their own further due diligence.  For the present, I will acquiesce to the work done by former Supervisor Ed Moore.  As always, our readers will have something to offer to either further or refute the veracity of this claim.

$1000 REWARD

At the August 15, 2011 meeting of the Pima County Board of
Supervisors, the following item was on the Agenda:

11. REAL PROPERTY – Unfinished Business (RM 8/2/11)

Award of Purchase Contract

Consent by the Board of Supervisors for Award of Purchase Contract for the sale of Posada del Sol Health Care Center located at 2250 N. Craycroft Road, Tax Parcel Nos. 121-05-0140, 0150, 016A, 017F and 017J, to Hunter Properties Investments, L.L.C, in the amount of $7,800,000.00.  The term of the sale is cash with a $500,000.00 deposit received as earnest money.

Information provided by staff to the Board of Supervisors included the memo dated August 2, 2011 from the County Administrator which stated:

“Recommendation:

I recommend accepting the bid of $7,800,000 from Hunter Property Investments, LLC.  They are the highest bidder to have satisfied the County’s minimum requirements and provide clearly demonstrated ability to promptly close on the transaction to purchase Posada del Sol.”

Among other memos from staff dealing with “Hunter” was the County Administrator’s recommendation dated August 15, 2011 which stated:

“Recommendation:

I recommend accepting the bid of $7,800,000 from Hunter Property Investments, LLC for the purchase of Posada del Sol Healthcare Center.”

The County Administrator made these recommendations after staff did their examination and due diligence on “Hunter”.  The Board of Supervisors accepted the “bid” from “Hunter”.

I paid for copies of the two highest bids received by Pima County for this purchase.  There was NO “BID” from Hunter Property Investments LLC. In other words, Pima County turned down a bid for $9,150,000 and, instead, awarded the purchase to Hunter Property Investments LLC for $7,800,000 – a company that had not submitted a bid. In my opinion, the reasons given by County staff for throwing out the higher bids actually received are suspect.

As a real estate broker for more than 40 years and a member of the Board of Supervisors for 12 years, I believe County staff involved with this purchase recommendation should have been laughed out of the building.

I know the members of the Board of Supervisors and I know that if staff had told them the truth, they would have awarded the purchase that was $1,350,000 higher.

To help expose the truth to our community, I will pay $1000 to the first person who can provide a copy of the bid from Hunter Property Investments LLC. It must be the bid voted on by Pima County.

In my opinion, this entire process has had a “Rio Nuevo” stink from the point of view of the staff and not the Board of Supervisors.   Any bid is public record and easily obtained.  Any County employee is eligible to earn the $1000 reward.

Supervisor Richard Elias is to be complimented for voting against this possibly rigged transaction.

Ed Moore

Former Pima County Supervisor and

Pima County taxpayer.

You may be asking what this has to do with Veterans Affairs. Lots, if you know the history of transportation in America and its respect for veterans. One of the Old Pueblo Trolley cars, the “Belgian,” has medallions above several of the seats. They were placed there for World War l veterans, signifying they could ride for free if they sat in those seats.

As a trained Conductor for Old Pueblo Trolley, I used to invite tons of disabled veterans to come and ride with us on the weekends and I would just pay the tab. The camaraderie was tremendous and mingling with happy riders, including smiling children, was good for the vets. This will be nothing but nostalgia, like the Trolley itself, if they do not survive after the construction of the modern streetcar. Tucson has not been noted for its collective interest in preservation. Nor have the staff and volunteers had much recognition since its founding in 1983.

Few know that Old Pueblo Trolley has operated on an  all volunteer crew, inclusive of maintenance and restoration, since its inception. God bless you all, you have brought many fond memories to thousands of Tucsonans. The hope of your loyal riders is that we will be able to create more of those memories on the rails of the future

PRESS RELEASE

OLD PUEBLO TROLLEY SUSPENSION OF OPERATION

Revised as of 9-27-11

HISTORIC TROLLEY SUSPENDS OPERATION DURING MODERN STREETCAR CONSTRUCTION

LAST RIDES DURING OCTOBER

FREE RIDES ON HALLOWEEN FOR THOSE IN COSTUME

After 18 ½ years of serving the community, Old Pueblo Trolley’s operation of historic streetcars will be suspended at the end of October until construction of the modern streetcar project is finished.  Initial project work will provide an improved drainage system on 7^th Street and 8^th street necessitating removal of the track and overhead electric conductor in early November.  This work is scheduled to be followed by replacement of the single existing track and overhead on 4^th Avenue and University Blvd. with new double track and overhead electric supply system.

Therefore, the last opportunity for the public to ride the historic trolley will be during the five weekends of October.  The schedule will remain the same as it has been – Friday evening from 6 p.m. to midnight., Saturday from noon to midnight, and Sunday afternoon from noon to 6 p.m.  Regular fares of $1.50 one-way, $3.00 round trip will be charged.  Also private charters for groups can be arranged during any week in October.

The month of last rides will be capped off with a special Halloween “last run” night on Monday, October 31, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Anyone in a Halloween costume will be given a free ride.

Old Pueblo Trolley looks forward to operating with the modern streetcar when it commences operation in 2013.  In preparation, volunteers will continue restoration and maintenance work on the trolleys.  Tours of the ongoing work at the trolley barn and of OPT’s historic bus restoration efforts can be arranged by appointment.  The public may also visit the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum and Locomotive 1673 at the historic depot, 414 N. Toole Avenue, Sunday and Tuesday thru Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, or to charter the trolley, check the website – www.oldpueblotrolley.org, or call Tom Gorman at (520) 326-0377.