in case you missed this week’s show… We shared important holiday travel tips, funny Thanksgiving memories and traditions. We also talked to one of the organizations we’re thankful for and passionate about ~ College Bound AZ.
Episode Recap
Drive Friendly Says Drive Safe in these Winter Conditions
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Single ladies, get a taste of Ryan’s turkey!
There are major weather patterns across the country. So, we’ll talk about safe driving in rough weather conditions. Even in Flagstaff, they’ll have almost a foot of snow. Make sure your car is in good shape. Make sure you have a spare tire. Snow can cover up hazards, so be prepared. Before you head out, go out and touch your spare tire to make sure you have one and that it’s inflated and ready to go. Maybe do a dry run changing the tire in the driveway. It’s good to know where your tools are. Sometimes, the jack and lug wrench are under the seat — or missing! Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries. Don’t count on that small light on your cell phone. Flares! Get ‘em. They’ll keep you safe while you’re on the side of the road. Consider a second car charger for your phone. Those can fail anytime. Have some jumper cables, and learn how to use them. Friendly Auto will be happy to show you how to use them! Food. Bring snacks. If you get stuck, the kids get hungry. Think cookies, dried fruit, oat bars. Hungry people get cranky. You don’t need cranky people while trying to change a tire. Speaking of which, if you’ve got a baby, have diapers! And prepare. Always have a full tank of gas. If you’re at half a tank, stop and get gas — when the weather’s bad.
While driving, leave distance between you and the car in front of you. You won’t have the distance to stop. For every 10 miles an hour, leave a car length. Put on your defrosters — even Arizona cars have ‘em. Now, have you ever lost internet or GPS connection? Bring an old fashioned map. You can also download the maps in the app. Also, write down the directions by hand.
Giving Thanks and Giving Back on Thanksgiving
They welcomed a very special guest on this Thanksgiving weekend. It’s the kick-off of the giving season. How can we all give back within this awesome community here in the Valley. They spoke with Elizabeth Paulus. She shared info about College Bound AZ and how they give back with education, to the disadvantages groups. Thirteen percent of community college students are homeless. So, they collected about 15,000 pounds of food to help out this Thanksgiving. Felecia has been involved with College Bound, and she’s taken with the fact that there are homeless college students! How do they do it? It’s so great that there’s help. Friendly Auto is partnering with them to be a drop-off location. They’re looking for protein bars, cans of fruit, instant soup…whatever a student can use right away. Water is good. Juices. Those are the items students can grab on the way to class. The other element includes other organizations that provide personal items like shampoo, shaving items, etc. Students can come in and get ten food items per week and hygiene items daily. They have about 500 students coming through each day. College Bound helps kids who are academically sound. They help kids at EVIT, the Sequoia charter school, and ASU, which has helped low-income kids with a 3.0 get everything covered. ASU’s generosity with this grant is great. This year, they had 100 students receive this grant, up from 24 last year. The Phoenix Suns also help. Check out the partners on the website. The key is, through education, everybody wins. All boats rise. They want to keep kids in school, graduating with no debt. College is achievable.
Use College Bound on Facebook’s Giving Tuesday, to help raise more money with matching funds from Facebook.
How to Buy the Best New Tires
People from all over the world, from Long Island to Israel are listening in!
They talked tires. Consumer Reports just did a report on the most and least satisfying tire retailers. The number one retailer is Les Schwab. Number two is Discount Tire. Tied for number two were independent retailers like Drive Friendly! They came in second for price, service and warranty. Pep Boys came in last! Big O was near the bottom — guess they didn’t live up to their name. Don’t fall for “free tires” or rebates. There is so little margin on tires, that deals like that aren’t being honest. You may end up paying so many fees and taxes. Check the fees! When you shop for tires, ask for “out the door” pricing. There are three grades on a tire. First is mileage. Traction: you want nothing less than A traction. The last one is temperature. You want a tire that can take the heat, especially here in the Phoenix Valley. That’s where you see blow-outs. You want an “A” tire.
Okay, so what about buying that single tire that needs replacing. Can you replace just one tire? No. You’ll have an unbalanced situation. Replace them in pairs. If you replace one, replace the other. If you’re other tire is still new-ish, you’ll be good to go. A reputable tire place will measure and let you know.
If you have an all-wheel drive, like Subaru, you need to have all four matching (within 2/32nds of an inch) tires. Otherwise, you can blow your transfer case. Be careful!
The Fannie Mae Mortgage News
Time to talk home mortgages with the Lord of the Loan, Ryan Steckelberg. Big news in the mortgage industry. Fannie Mae just came out with an increase in the max from $484,500 to $510,400. That means a loan of $510,400 or less is not a “jumbo” loan. That means you can get a conventional loan with 3% down on a $500k home! Some folks are waiting for the market to come down, and the Fed just raised the bar, which is a good sign for the market. Here in the Valley, we’re in a hot market, home prices are going up. Before the crash, there was predatory lending. How, we’re at a 14-year low in defaults. The news is good for VA Loans, too. So, vets can qualify for loans over the $484k number by putting some money down. But that still gives them an opportunity.
Remember, the only way to buy or sell a home is with a professional (bulldog) Realtor like Felecia and a mortgage lender (not a bank!) like Ryan.
Ryan likes to mix mashed potatoes and corn on Thanksgiving. Steve mixes the ‘taters with peas. What?! What holiday tradition does Felecia have? Pajamas! Tomorrow is Darth Vader PJ day! But it’s really all about the side dishes!
Gotta love Thanksgiving. Fourteen hours of cooking consumed in a half-hour!
Steve is really thankful for his amazing staff at Friendly Auto, his family, and his friends. Felecia is thankful for friends, family, and living in the good ol’ USA! And thanks for our video producer, Phil, who looks like crap with the flu.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Until next week, Drive Friendly Arizona!
