Longtime Valley broadcaster Mark Curtis, a familiar face at Channel 12, sits down with Eric and Sawana for a wide-ranging and often hilarious conversation. His warmest Anthem tie is the Ignite Hope Walk he hosts with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, a candlelight Saturday-night gathering honoring Anthem’s Katie Wagner that Eric and VIP Mortgage take part in every year. Mark calls it one of the best events in the Valley and never misses it.
He also recounts buying in Anthem 2 just as the 2008 housing market collapsed, and why he chose to ride the investment down rather than walk away, crediting a credible lender over the predatory pick-a-payment loans that sank many neighbors. The show turns unforgettable with his falcon-tenant story: an OB-GYN renter who left behind a loose pet falcon, a wrecked microwave, worshipping pigeons, and a rat problem. Mark then traces his path from pre-med and disco-era DJ to a machete-severed live shot in Detroit, and why Arizona became home in 1995.
Key takeaways
- Mark Curtis hosts the Ignite Hope Walk with Phoenix Children's Hospital, a candlelight evening held before Christmas in honor of Anthem's Katie Wagner, and Eric and VIP Mortgage participate each year.
- Mark owned a home in Anthem 2 and closed right as the 2008 market crashed, choosing to hold and rent it rather than pursue bankruptcy or foreclosure to protect his credit.
- He blames the crash on predatory pick-a-payment loans made with little to no verification, and stresses working with a credible lender that has integrity.
- The now-legendary falcon story: an OB-GYN tenant left a loose pet falcon that broke the built-in microwave, drew worshipping pigeons, and triggered a rat problem, costing thousands in repairs.
- Curtis went from pre-med at University of Georgia and a disco-era DJ in Washington, D.C., to sports anchoring, working under Bill Denny at Channel 12 after stops in San Diego, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.
- Covering the 1987 Twins in Detroit, a man with a machete cut his live satellite cable mid-report, and he returned to Arizona in 1995 because family and roots made it home.
Related: Eric and Sawana's Eye on Anthem