Page 6   Own Arcadia ’ s Dine in Style! Save 45% on in September. Additional savings on furniture in stock. Made in America since 1857, Nichols & Stone has been making quality furniture for generations. MAPLE HOUSE FURNITURE Locally owned for over 55 years 2831 E Indian School Rd • 602.955.9030 • maplehousefurniture.com DEBBIE FRAZELLE, ABR 602.954.6888 Office • 602.399.8540 Cell • 3113 East Lincoln Drive bestarizonahomeinfo.com • dfrazelle@cox.net Each Office Independently Owned and Operated TOP 5% OF ALL COLDWELL BANKER AGENTS NATIONWIDE Now is the time to buy... while interest rates are still low!! EXTRAORDINARY SOFT CONTEMPORARY IN THE HEART OF ARCADIA One of a kind open flowing floor plan lends itself to both comfortable family living and elegant entertaining. 5875 sq ft, 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths, Library, Exercise Room, Basement and game room. Family room has full bar that will interest the most discriminating entertainers! Soaring windows in Living Room and Family room showcase the amazing backyard. Chef’s gourmet kitchen includes New SubZero Refrigerator, 2 Dishwashers, New Dacor Double Ovens and Range. Oversized pool, Manicured gardens, outdoor kitchen, Ramada for dining and built in fireplace make this backyard come alive for small get togethers or large parties! Maintained to perfection, this home is perfectly sited on lot with wonderful views of Camelback Mountain! Offered at $1,659,000 Open House and Wine Tasting Wednesday September17th 5-7pm Wines provided by UndergroundCellar.com Home Arcadia swap By Katie Mayer L ike most good neighbors, Debbie Dammen and the Murphy family swap things – a fresh idea, a funny story and occasionally even a household item. But unlike most neighbors, these Arcadia residents also swapped something much larger. They swapped their houses. It all started in 2010 when Olivia Murphy was standing in her front yard and her neighbor directly across the street approached her with the peculiar offer. “Would you want to switch houses with me?” Dammen asked. Naturally, the busy Mom of then three was incredulous. “I said, ‘Debbie, you are crazy.’” Murphy’s husband Matt, who worked in real estate at the time, later joined the conversation and brushed the idea off as a joke. But after some laughter and initial disbelief, the couple finally realized that their neighbor’s unexpected offer was serious. And her proposal was actually a logical idea. “I went back home and let it simmer for a while,” Matt said, “and the more we thought about it, the more it made sense.” For starters, they both loved their neighborhood – near 48th Street and Osborn Road – and wanted to stay. And Dammen’s home was larger with an extra bedroom, while the Murphys’ home would be less maintenance for Dammen, who lives alone. The Murphys’ home also included a detached garage, which would provide ample storage for Dammen, who sells commercial flooring out of her home and keeps samples at her house. “I had been on my street almost 20 years at that point and I didn’t want to move,” Dammen said. “I thought that their house was more manageable for me, and I knew they’d need a bigger house at some point.” After some in-depth discussions on how the swap would work logistically, the neighbors decided they would make the leap in the fall of 2010. Dammen would move into their approximately 1,500 square-foot brick home and the Murphys would move into Dammen’s roughly 1,800 square-foot ranch home with its large grass-covered yard. “We decided how to make it all work financially, but real estate-wise was the real puzzle … to figure out how to swap houses legally,” Matt said. “I was in real estate at the time, but everyone I talked to had not heard of a scenario like this.” To make the move swiftly, but still allow time for all of the financing to come through for both parties, the neighbors drafted leases with an option to purchase. And for about a year, they rented out one another’s houses until they could close on both houses on the same day. “We had to do our purchases simultaneously, because neither one of us could qualify for both houses at the same time,” Matt said. The parties saved money on realtor fees, since Matt acted as agent. He also knew a lender who was up for the challenge and the parties used the same title company. With the agreements hashed out, the financing approved and the appraisals valuing the homes close in price, the group was able to make the deal work for everyone. But as difficult as the process was overall, moving provided its own set of obstacles. “It was really hectic,” Olivia said. “We moved out of our house and into our in-laws, while she painted and did things to the house, then once she moved everything out, we had a team come in and do work.” Continued on page 15 The Murphys and Debbie Dammen.

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