Happy New Year!

To all of my family, friends and associates, Happy New Year! May 2010 bring much happiness, joy, and prosperity to us all!

Merry Christmas

May God's love find you during this season and touch you with friendship, love, peace and joy. Merry Christmas to all my family and friends.

Quick Quiz

Okie Dokie boys and girls, here is another quick quiz to test yourself. Have fun!

http://pewresearch.org/politicalquiz/quiz/index.php

Happy Veterans Day to my Brothers, Dad, Husband, Uncles, Nephew, Friends.........and all!

The 11th Hour: The Date Behind Veterans Day

by Claudine Zap

While most know that Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military, the meaning behind its exact date (November 11) may not be so familiar. Here's the back story:

Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.

President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars. But 11/11 still represented the end of the Great War in the public's mind, and the date stuck.

In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified continues every year in the U.S. The ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Congress designated Veterans Day as a legal holiday in 1938.



In remembrance of the brave souls that fought for our freedoms that we take granted every, single day. Take a moment to appreciate the men and women that have served and are currently actively protecting our country.

Don't move to the Phoenix area!

Don't move to the Phoenix area unless you are looking for a GREAT deal on real estate! Don't move here if you do not want months of sunshine and outdoor sports! Don't move here if you don't want to live in the center of a state with climates from high altitudes and snow to the Sonoran Desert. Don't move here if you don't like taking trips to beautiful destinations such as Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon or historical sites like Tombstone and Ghost towns!

In the current real estate game here in the Valley of the Sun, with the foreclosures and short sales in this area, Buyers are the current winners. First time home buyers and retirement/vacation home buyers have been the recent lucky players but with the Feds adding tax credit for secondary buyers there are now great opportunities for more players....more winners!

He Who Hesitates

Have you ever worked with someone in sales that was assisting you as part of his/her job, but you could tell they really weren't a "people person"?


Yesterday I was asked by a Broker who I highly respect just what part about being a REALTOR do I like most. I responded that I enjoy working with Buyers, hunting down the perfect home for their needs and seeing a successful transaction complete....no matter how long it takes! He replied that it's because I am a People Person. What a compliment I took this to be!

This doesn't mean to say that I don't do my very best to assist my clients in listing and selling their homes if that is their need, I just enjoy being part of the process of making someones' dream a reality with home ownership.

The housing market in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area is currently a gift to those entering the first time buyer market or investing in a second home or perhaps a retirement home. We haven't seen these incredibly low prices for years. Low prices coupled with the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit and some great down payment assistant loans make home ownership within reach for many people who never dreamed it was possible.

Just this week not only was the First Time Home Buyer Credit extended but also added were other tax credits for those buyers not first time owners!

Spread the word to anyone you know who may be renting or even considering a second home for vacationing or investment in Arizona. Now is the time to make that move. He who hesitates......well, he may not be lost but in this case may lose a great deal on a house!

Promises Promises

The weather report said we will not hit any 3 digit temps for a few months now. A promise I hope will be kept!

Woo Hoo! The weather here in the Valley of the Sun is amazing this time of year. Any one who has ever thought of purchasing a home needs to come take a look and see why people live here year round and why we put up with a few months of blazing heat. The fall, winter and spring in Phoenix and the surrounding cities like Goodyear, Buckeye, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler, come alive with activity. Golfers return for daily games on courses from parks and rec to professionally designed by the best of the best.

Soccer, football, softball and baseball fields are filled day and night. Restaurants with outdoor patios are geared up and in full swing. Some of the best shopping centers in Scottsdale and Chandler are stocked and ready for the holidays. Even the outlet malls and outdoor market places are ready for shoppers ready to get outside and enjoy our cooler days and evenings.

Why wait? Come join us! If you need to see the leaves change a short drive to Sedona and Flagstaff is just a few hours away!

It's all here in Arizona......come play with us....you will want to stay and call it home like we do.

Technology & Common Sense

A couple of weeks ago a friend sent this to me.....worth sharing.

GPS
A family goes to a football game and parks in the special "allotted" area for the fans. While the game was going on the car was broken into. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, $$$, and a GPS prominently mounted on the dash.

When the victims got home they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and how much time they had to empty out the house. It would appear that they had a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it! Put a nearby address such as a store so you can still find your way home if needed, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

Cell Phones
A women had her handbag stolen. In it were her cell phone, credit cards, wallet, etc. 20 minutes later she called her husband from a pay phone to tell him what had happened. Hubby says "I received your text asking about our pin number and I replied a little while ago." When they contacted the bank they were told the money was already withdrawn. The thief used the cell phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and now had the pin number to their bank account. Within 20 minutes the thief had withdrawn $$$ from their account.

Moral of this story?
Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Hubby, Honey, Sweety, Dad, Mom, etc and whenever someone asks for sensitive information DON'T text them back. CALL THEM back!

Are the above stories true? Should we check it through Snopes or other sites? Go ahead if you wish, but it just makes sense to me and I thought I would pass this information along in case it helps just one person from being taken advantage of.

Could it be fall?

Daytime temps of 100* and lows at night in the high 70's! Reason enough for a celebration here in the desert. It almost makes you want to go outside at 2am and do a happy dance!

Most of the locals are ready for a break in the heat while Northern and Eastern visitors are getting ready to return. So, okay, you may not find this really news worthy.....but finally we have some weather to talk about since the Monsoon pretty much passed us over this year.

So come on back everyone! Arizona and all its' glory awaits!

Strength comes

“Strength comes in challenging yourself everyday even if it is just opening the door and walking through….Anonymous

Because I like this

Because I like this quote I will share ........

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people-your family, friends, co-workers and even strangers you meet along the way.

Barbara Bush

Worth reposting

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a
blank check made payable to ' Canada ' or ' United States of
America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this
country who no longer understand it.'

Lots and lots of practice needed

http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html

The Sack Lunches

The Sack Lunches


I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in
my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm
glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short
nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the a
isle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding
me. I decided=2 0to start a conversation. 'Where are you
headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special
training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made
that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would
be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly
Decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his
buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a
lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be
worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying
lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the
flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all
those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.
Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a
soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for
him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the
soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked,
'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She
turned
and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later
with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your
thanks.
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the
plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw
what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.'
He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain
coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he
walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he
was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane.
When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand,
an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the
Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a
soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me
a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was
embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the
passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch
my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me
reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left
another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to
deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door w as a man
who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned,
and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five
dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for
their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed
them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to
reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God
Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect
of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I
whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers
were giving their all for our country. I could only give
them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a
blank check made payable to ' Canada ' or ' United States of
America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this
country who no longer understand it.'

Homes for Sale

This post is just to answer a few questions I get.....repeatedly.

Homes for Sale (3 types)
1. Traditional Owned
The actual owner of the home, a real person is selling the house! This home comes with a disclosure statement (SPDS) of facts pertaining to the home. Also will come with a statement from the insurance company disclosing any claims that have been on the property the last few years. Repairs may be made from the seller. Customary/usual time frames for closing. These are currently few and far between.

2. Bank Owned
Also known as an REO or Foreclosure. This home is now owned by an entity, a business, NOT a person. They have not lived in the home and will not guarantee anything regarding the property. Sold AS-IS. No disclosure forms from the previous owner.
As I tell my clients .......you have 2 choices, take it or leave it.

3. Short Sale
A short sale is also known as a pre-foreclosure. More debt is owed against the property than the property's value. In this situation, the creditor(s) may be willing to agree to allow the property to be sold for less than the loan amount and /or accept less than (or short) the amount owed as payment in full. These properties are still owned by real people under hardship situations and will have a SPDS or Seller Property Disclosure Statement available. The owners usually do not have the finances to repair anything on the property and the home will generally be sold AS-IS.
I've also heard this described as where the Bank holding the mortgage is "taking it in the shorts".
These homes can take weeks to months to close! Buyers on a specific time frame to purchase may want to choose a different alternative. While short sales are pretty new to the market, they CAN be successfully closed. My advice when purchasing is to make sure the listing agent understands the process and has a successful track record closing short sales.

Any Questions? Give me a call.

FYI from a favorite lender

LENDERS HATE FLIPPED PROPERTIES

Yes, it is true. Your client may have purchased the deal of the century at an auction last week, slapped a coat of paint on the walls, replaced a few appliances and is now ready to make a hefty profit. Except….FHA will not allow any contracts written until the 91st day after the last deed was recorded. And after that wait period, if the profit is deemed excessive, two appraisals will be required. And if you are thinking, that’s okay because conventional, VA or USDA do not have “seasoning requirements.” Think again, because that’s so 2008. All banks now have guidelines for seasoning. So be very careful when accepting an offer on your client’s flipped property or taking your buyer to view a home before asking if the lending bank is okay with “unseasoned” properties. And keep in mind, that awesome deal has now become the most recent comp for the appraisal.


Thanks Diane!

Frustration

Some of my clients are getting frustrated with the Arizona Real Estate Market. They keep hearing how low houses are priced and that it is a "Buyers Market". With the best of intentions they contact me trying to find a home for themselves. Maybe a first time home buyer trying to take advantage of the tax credits available, or maybe someone looking for a second home. We find the house of their choosing, write the offer and keep getting rejected because someone else out bid our offer. After the third or fourth time at this my Buyers are getting frustrated! Do I blame them? Nope!

This market is really THREE markets.
Traditional or "Owner" owned homes
Short sales or pre-foreclosures
and of course Bank Owned, or foreclosed homes.
All competing with each other at prices that are up to and even less than half of what they sold for 2/3 years ago. Is it fair that my lovely home has to compete with a foreclosed home a few doors down? No, but it is what it is. Sellers are crying because their equity has vanished and the price of their home competes with the one that has no kitchen!

True, some prices haven't been this low since the 80's! Nice single family homes can be found for 65k. With these low prices Buyers need to understand it isn't only the first time buyers looking for a deal........but also those looking for vacation or second homes as well as the investors. New listings hit the MLS (multiple listing service) and by the end of the day there are already multiple offers on a home. So then we go into a bidding war where the list agent sends back to the buyers agent a new game with a "highest and best" offer form.

Another frustrating round for my clients just to hear that someone beat them out. As annoying as this is, I must encourage them to stick with it. It is not just them going through this maze, it's everyone from the buyers to the sellers to the agents.

Hang on, let's all ride this roller coaster together.......eventually we will all succeed!

Cheers to my friend Renee

"Laughter through tears is the best emotion"

or something like that Dolly Parton said on the movie Steel Magnolias.

That is what happens to me when I remember a dear friend of mine who passed 2 weeks ago. Renee Bridgewater was only 49 years old when her frail body overcame her strong spirit. The days since have been difficult at best for her family I am sure, but for her friends we laugh and we smile as we cry.

I was fortunate enough to rekindle my friendship with the twosome Rena(her twin) and Renee were neighbors of ours when I was in high school. What an energetic and vibrant person she was. Always on the go, making people feel at ease and plain all around good friend.

As I was getting ready to go to her memorial service the tears began, but I had to chuckle to myself... If the three of us were sitting around with a glass of wine and discussing a memorial service and tears......we probably would all have a good laugh because we would talk about such silly things as "funeral proof" mascara, and toast to the person who would someday market it!

Mortgage tax credit might be available as down payment assistance!

According to my favorite mortgage broker.....

FYI: Shaun Donovan, HUD Secretary, announced today that the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit can now be used for down payment assistance for FHA Loans. Details are a little sketchy but it looks like this time it is real. Details coming next week.

This could really help so many first time home buyers get a foot into the housing market, especially with prices on homes we haven't seen since the 80's and 90's!

When there is a lack of honor........

Herbert Hoover
31st President of the United States of America


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"…When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.

…There is no such thing as a no-man's land between honesty and dishonesty. Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitiveness to evil.…

Our greatest danger is not from invasion by foreign armies. Our dangers are that we may commit suicide from within by complaisance with evil, or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior.…"

Phoenix Temperature and Housing Sales Heating Up

Ahhh the Phoenix area housing market. Depending on who you chat with answers will vary, but if you talk with an REALTOR who is currently working in our market they will tell you like our temperature things are heating up with housing.

Between the investors returning and the first time home buyer credit offered the lower priced homes are being snatched up. Last week I showed a young client a home that quite literally had only been on the market for a few hours. By the end of the day there were multiple offers on the house! Within a week approximately 22 offers had been submitted and it went "Pending" with an accepted cash offer around 15k more than the asking price.

Banks love selling their foreclosed properties to "cash" offers because they don't have to pay out closing costs.....so their bottom dollar is higher. This is frustrating to my first time buyers who are qualified buyers, but paying with a mortgage, cash beats them out, they are bummed and don't want to continue after a few times.

It means things are changing to a competetive market once again for buyers. (at least on the homes around 100k) Buyers need to hang in there and continue the hunt for their new home. More foreclosures are forcast to hit our market unfortunately and this is still a GREAT time to buy a home! Great prices and great tax incentives!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday.
Grampa Frenchy, Clarence, Emile, Frenchy......people know, love and respect him by many names. Our Dad (7 kids) is of French Acadian descent. He did not grow up in a home that lavished hugs and kisses and spoiled the children, but a home of love and respect and independence and passed those traits on to each of us.

He grew up in a very small town in Northern Maine. His father died at an early age and his mother (my namesake) Cecile was left to raise 8 children on her own. My Grandmother was of fine character and dare I say hardy stock? She did her best to see that her children grew to be fine adults. And they did. After finishing high school Dad went into the Navy, then became an electrician by trade. In the 50's he made his way west to Arizona. Various jobs crossed his path and then he became employed in Miami, AZ at a copper mine. After some years there he then moved our family to Cottonwood, Az to work at the Cement Plant in Clarkdale, this is where most of us grew up and had a great childhood.

Our Dad was THE 50's Dad. Go to work in the morning, home for family dinner in the evening. Sunday church and sometimes Sunday drives. All of our needs were met, we wanted for nothing that was a necessity. We all had bikes, Barbie dolls and summer passes to the Clarkdale Pool. He took us camping in the mountains sometimes so Mom could stay home and have a few days to herself. During all these childhood years he stayed in the Navy as Active Duty and this allowed him to still travel a bit and prepare for his retirement.....some day. With 7 kids he must have felt that way on more than one occasion.....some day! Well, his someday has come and he is having a wonderful time. He is still independent, healthy and headstrong. We love him. I could go on and on about our Dad, but I will leave you with this. Happy Birthday Dad, I don't know a finer man.

Yes I Switched Brokers

I'm flattered!
Within 3 days of switching to Arizona Blue Sky Realty I am already getting calls and emails! There has been a little bit of confusion lately as to why I did this so hopefully I can answer a few questions.

I enjoyed my time at Liberty One.....which then became 212 Realty......but then I had the option to switch back......and I did since most of my advertising and branding materials were with Liberty One.......whew, that was 2 weeks ago.

With the current market changing every day, new rules, new regs, new lending programs, etc I felt the need to work in an office environment outside of our home where I would be able to obtain information on a more timely basis. Being around other people has always been important to me. It's great now to have real time conversations with other agents about the CURRENT shifts in OUR market.

I see this move as a pro-active step in this crazy market, a step to further aid my business and my clients wants and needs.

Thank you all for coming aboard this new adventure with me. I look forward to helping my friends and clients with
"All your Real Estate needs under the Arizona Blue Sky"

Where did they go?

One of the clients I am currently working with recently sent me an email and wanted to know Where did all the listings go? I have him set up on what we call a "portal" basically an email is sent regarding the homes in the area he wants, new listings, price reductions, etc. My buyers can sit in the comfort of their home and see pictures of the home and detailed information prior to ever getting in the car to take a look. This is great, but some have gotten use to just waiting around to see how low things are gonna go. After the past few months of multiple listings each week, it seems things are drying up a bit. And they are!

According to MLS statistics from March 2009 we saw a decrease in the number of active listings on the market, along with more cancelled and expired listings. The number has not been this low since January of 2007!

March also had the greatest number of pending sales than any other month in the 36 month history - 31% increase!

So Buyers need to be aware with fewer homes on the market, more going into pending status it means more are selling! Every offer I have personally made for various clients in the last 3 months has been met with offers already submitted on the same property, which basically means we now go to a highest and best bidding at the bank along with any/all other prospective Buyers on said property! If the trend continues Buyers need to know this means less concessions, less negotiating on price, etc.
Gee, are we switching from a Buyers market to a Sellers market?

Yes, many homes are still hitting the market through foreclosures, but the nice ones at the rock bottom prices ARE moving quickly. Buyers cannot just sit back and wait any longer for their dream home to fall into their lap with a plummeting price.

City of Goodyear, AZ

http://www.ci.goodyear.az.us/

Here is the link to our city. Once you take a look you will understand why so many of us call it home. After living in Southern California for 21 years and our children growing up there we needed to find an Arizona community that offered a progressive lifestyle with promises of an afforable yet sustainable future. After many trips back to the Valley of the Sun we decided on Goodyear.

In 2005 Goodyear was one of the fastest growing cities in the US. With the housing crisis of late buyers can now purchase homes here at very affordable prices. Some homes that sold for over $400k in '05 can now be found for about half the price, much like most of the Phoenix market. But these homes are 5 years old or less with many ammenities.

In 2008 Goodyear was awarded both the National Awards of "Most Livable City" and "All American City."

For my out of state/country buyers Goodyear offers many wonderful golf courses in the area as well as the spring training facilities for the Cleveland Indian and Cincinnati Reds. Goodyear offers a city mentality with a small town sense of belonging and safety.

Are the clouds parting over the Valley of the Sun?

While the media casts a cloud of gloom and doom over the Valley of the Sun regarding real estate news I am hear to encourage! Recently while working with clients and making offers on homes we have found the market to be changing. No our home values have not started climbing yet, but there is good news. Over half of the properties my clients have been submitting offers on lately have been met with the news that multiple offers have already been submitted on that particular home!

This is not always the best news for my clients, but it does mean that there IS activity, people ARE buying and the banks are pushing back most offers for highest and best from our clients. This means the properties will most likely be sold for more than asking price! Granted these are usually foreclosed properties at rock bottom list prices but the fact there are multiple offers is very encouraging! Higher than list price home sales will start the trend for all of our homes to begin the upward climb.

Hallelujah!

Estrella, Goodyear, AZ

Voted Best Master-Planned by Ranking Arizona
Estrella by Newland Communities was voted the number one master-planned community in Arizona by Ranking Arizona. This marks the fourth consecutive year Estrella has received this accolade.

AZ city makes Top 10

According to a recent study, Surprise ranked #8 among the Top 10 Cities in the Country where prices have stabilized and are on the increase!

Good news for AZ real estate!

Quote of the day

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

Abraham Lincoln

Amazing Grace

Beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace by Il Divo





http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid271552717/bctid1913313052

Quote of the day

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. Thomas Jefferson

Healthy eating

As I fed Dan Fogelbird my canary this morning I commented to Dennis that if WE ate what I was giving him we would be as slim as the bird! Fresh veggies, fresh fruit, protein (hard boiled egg)and pure grains.

Meanwhile.....back to the carbs and starch.

Thought for the day

"A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel." unknown

American Civics

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx





Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen?

The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%.

Can you do better? Questions were drawn from past ISI surveys, as well as other nationally recognized exams.

Good news for AZ

Where populations are increasing is where people will be buying homes.

On December 22, 2008 the U.S. Census Bureau released good news for Arizona. Arizona was the second fastest-growing state increasing 2.3 percent between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008. This percentage increase represented 146,759 people.
A population increase of 146,759 people means 48,920 housing units were needed. How economists come up with 48,920 housing units is by dividing the numeric population growth by the average number of people per home (146,759 / 3 = 48,920). A housing unit is defined as an apartment rental, residential rental, new home or resale purchase.
This increase in population is a fundamental that helps reduce the oversupply of homes. Reducing the supply of homes helps stabilized our residential market.
According to the press release, the only two states losing population were Michigan and Rhode Island.

Below is information from the U.S. Census Bureau’s press release.



Leading 10 States / Equivalents by Population Change:
July 1, 2007, to July 1, 2008

Home Resales for Dec 08 - Maricopa County

Lender Owned Properties (REO)

Of the monthly sales reported in Maricopa County,
the single family detached resale home sales reported through ARMLS for the month of December 2008, 56% of the listings were noted as "Lender Owned," up almost 10% from last month.

Sorry to report to all the homeowners that our property resale values ARE based on foreclosure prices, also known as REO, or Lender owned.

Dan Fogelbird

Reasons why I love my Canary

1. He annoys my children.
2. He reminds me of my Mom who had various Canaries, all named "Tweety".
3. He thanks me when I give him food, water and treats. (unlike some family)
4. He has an awesome sound reminding me of his namesake, Dan Fogelberg.
5. Did I mention he annoys my children?

Do Overs

How often have we all made mistakes and wished we could do it over?

Perhaps we said something stupid or offensive. Maybe we did something we knew was not honorable or slightly on the side of unethical. Maybe our words or actions hurt a friend or loved one and we knew once those words were out of our mouth nothing could ever retract them or erase the pain or suffering they caused.

Maybe it is just the opposite, not what we did or said but the lack of an action.Was there ever a time when you were a bystander and did nothing to help your fellow man? Did you ever see someone who looked down and out, or struggling by the look on their face and not even offered a greeting?

In this new year I would like to challenge any one who may read this to show a kind gesture or speak a kind word to someone different each day.

We will all be better for it!

Happy New Year

To each and every one! May God's grace and blessings pour over all of us this next year and may we become personally aware of the work HE does in each of our lives.