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To: TH who wrote (36815)	9/9/2005 3:07:03 PM
From: orkrious	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

I would have gotten another one, but there was one universal complaint; it was too small for four people. Don't you mean four people and their golf clubs? <g>

To: TH who wrote (36815)	9/9/2005 3:07:58 PM
From: patron_anejo_por_favor	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

Affordable homes, unaffordable gas? azcentral.com Some afford homes, fret over gas Carl Holcombe The Arizona Republic Sept. 9, 2005 12:00 AM The rush for cheaper homes in the west Valley and Pinal County is catching up to some homeowners feeling the pangs of gasoline costs that have soared past $3 a gallon. Their flight to affordability is now a struggle to make mortgage payments, as families drops hundreds of dollars per month more into gas tanks, enduring 100-mile roundtrip commutes while worrying about losing what will likely be the biggest investment of their lifetime. Newlyweds Jennifer and Samuel Sayles moved from San Diego and bought their first home in late June in Gilbert. With precise budgeting and by limiting personal spending to $40 each per week, they could afford their 1,800-square-foot, $235,000 house - until gasoline prices ripped through the roof of their dreams. "We want to avoid selling; that's our ultimate fear," Jennifer Sayles said. The young couple plans to put their home on the rental market and look to rent a small, cheap one-bedroom apartment closer to their jobs in downtown Phoenix. Even with their fuel-efficient compact cars, the roughly $75 more per month for gas hurts. Gasoline prices have increased about 50 percent Valley-wide since July 1, according to the American Automobile Association's Phoenix office, Still, prices would probably maintain current levels for months before significant effects are felt, said Jay Butler, director of the Arizona Real Estate Center at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus. "If you live 'out there,' you make trade-offs," Butler said. "You may give up one trip a week to a restaurant. But if you're looking for a home, you may take it into serious consideration." The Sayles have so far eliminated San Diego visits, cut off their cable TV to save $50 a month, left the thermostat at 85 degrees and don't buy new clothes Shutting off their cellphones may be next, as well as selling their interest in a time-share condo to save $200 a month. "We're basically barricading ourselves in our house," Sayles said. "We want to get out and mingle and see what the town has to offer, but we can't. I just turned 21 in July, and I'm staying home on Saturday nights playing Monopoly. It's my favorite game now." City of Maricopa residents Mathew and Rachele Reese got a great deal two years ago on their 2,400-square-foot house. Mathew retired from the Maricopa Unified School District and things looked financially bright when he took a job at Apache Junction as a charter school principal in early June when gas cost about $1.70. Now, his wallet's nearly running on empty as twice weekly fill-ups for his Toyota Corolla cost $80 instead of $40. "It makes me want to look at the want-ads and find something closer," Reese said. Barbara Parsons likes her big house in San Tan Heights,but she doesn't like her 124-mile roundtrip commute to an engineering job at Union Hills and Interstate 17 in Phoenix. She usually drives a Chrysler Sebring, but Pinal County and southern Maricopa County's poor road system sometimes force her to take a gas-guzzling SUV to get through rough or flooded roads, which further drives up costs. And it makes it tough for friends to visit. "I don't go out on weekends, and people won't come see me in San Tan," Parsons said. "So my social life suffers." Buckeye residents Sean and Kristy Grippo, who moved in January from the Sacramento area to buy a house, have felt the pinch. Sean drives around Phoenix and to Tucson for work. He gets reimbursed for mileage, but those rates haven't kept pace with fuel price surges. "It's impacting our finances quite a bit, but we're on a tight budget anyway," Kristy said. "We're getting to the point of worrying about our mortgage." Boston transplants Mike and Stephanie Paesano bought a 3,100-square-foot Paradise Valley home for the same price as a 1,500-square-foot home back East. But they're spending $800 a month on gas. "We're pretty much stuck in the pool and hanging out at home," Mike said.