04/16/2007

Desert Ridge had 79 active listings in MLS as of the end of March 2007.    These listings had an average list price of $567,303.     During the month of March there were nine homes sold and 13 homes pending under contract.    The homes in Desert Ridge that sold during this period of time had an average sale price of $486,956 and the pending homes had an average list price of $508,362.   For more information about Desert Ridge other fine communities in Phoenix Arizona, please view my website at http://www.donrichhomes.com/Desert_Ridge/page_1693895.html or call me at (623) 640-0937.  04/12/2007

Adobe Highlands in Phoenix Arizona had four homes sell during the month of March 2007.    The average price of these homes was $399,975.     As of March 31, 2007 there were 9 active listings in MLS with an average list price of $459,222.  For more information about Adobe Highlands or other fine neighborhoods in Phoenix, Arizona please view my website at http://www.donrichhomes.com/Adobe_Highlands/page_1687472.html or call me at (623) 640-0937. 04/12/2007

The Business Journal of Phoenix reported today in an article that Homes sales climb, but lag boom years, & reports that according to Arizona State University's Realty Studies program, there were 5,385 resales in March 2007, compared with 4,520 in January and 4,280 in February. It was the strongest month since 5,685 were recorded in August 2006. There were 7,265 sales in March 2006 and 10,035 in March 2005. The March 2007 numbers were similar to 2002 levels. So far in 2007, there have been 14,185 resales, compared with 17,980 for the same period in 2006. "While the resale market is tracking near historical norms, the levels should be well below those of the last few years, because the current market lacks the market frenzy to own and/or invest at almost any price and reasoning," said Jay... 04/11/2007

I am pleased to announce that we will have dynamic speaker Barry Habib speaking at our Mortgage Seminar in September. In addition we've added some powerful and dynamic speakers to our list who will be showing new and tenured loan officers what they need to do to survive in today's market. Here are the details!Mortgage Originator's Mastermind ConferenceSeptember 21st & 22nd 2007Featured Speakers:Barry Habib, Jacob Morales, Al Fuentes, Nick BarbisanRitz Carlton, Phoenix, AZGrand Ball Room Who Should Come: New Loan Officers to the business or tenured loan officers looking to increase their pipeline immediately! Real estate professional of any kind are welcome, but this is specifically geared towards helping mortgage originators. Attendees Will Receive: Powerful Marketing Materials 1 on 1 C... 04/07/2007

This appeared on http://www.azcentral.com/:Valley's population leaps by 24% in 6-year periodThe Valley grew by 787,306 people from April 2000 to July 2006, the fourth-largest gain for a metropolitan area in the U.S. during that time, according to new census data. Estimates released Wednesday indicate that the Valley's population grew by 24 percent. The Valley is the 13th-largest metropolitan area in the nation, with more than 4 million residents, up from 14th in 2005. The Atlanta area led the U.S. in population growth from 2000 to 2006, followed by Dallas and Houston. The 50 metro areas with the largest percentage increases were all located in the West and South.The most populous areas remain New York (18.8 million), Los Angeles (13 million) and Chicago (9.5 million).  -----------------... 04/06/2007

Market Summary The Arizona Biltmore and Paradise Valley area market has always been one of the strongest markets in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. There are currently 88 properties for sale in the price ranges of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. In this price range, one can expect approximately 10 closings per month, which means that there is approximately 9 months worth of inventory in these submarkets.    "The $1 million-plus market is booming" 04/04/2007

If you are thinking of relocating to the Phoenix area and are wondering "What do I do with my kids?"  here are a few suggestions to help in dragging them away from the I-pod trapped world and into a little culture.Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave, Admission is free from 3-9 on Tuesdays.  Otherwise $10 adults and $4 for agest 6-17.  Best part for kids is the cool headset that everyone gets that gives you a guided tour of the art.  Everyone loves it.Gilbert Historical Museum, 10 S. Gilbert Rd.  $3 for adults, $1.50 for 5-12.  Kids get a glimpse of early life inside the town's original elementary school building.Along the same theme, Petersen House Museum in Tempe.  1414 W. Southern Ave.  Open 10-2, Tues through Thus.  Admission is free.  Built in 1892, they offer free tours of the ... 03/31/2007

Hello!There is a great article today on http://www.azcentral.com/.  It details that 3 new home builders are entering the Phoenix market.  They are national builders, who see now as a great time to enter what was an impossible market to break into the past few years.  The builders are:Mattamy Homes out of Canada - http://www.mattamyhomes.com/corporate/John Laing Homes, out of California - www.johnlainghomes.com/Orleans Homebuilders, from Pennsylvania - www.orleanshomes.com/All three are scooping up land from builders who over-bought in the land frenzy a few years back, and getting that dirt for far less than the local builders had paid for it.  They see the Phoenix market as one that will be quick to recover, and are doing what many smart stock traders do - buy good stocks when the marke... 03/31/2007

SONORAN FOOTHILLS Sonoran Foothills is a new desert community that encompasses 800 acres 2 miles south of the Carefree Highway approximately at 27th Avenue.   Sonoran Foothills is nearby a proposed desert mountain preserve and includes a 4000 square foot clubhouse with many activities in which you can participate in.   Some of the included amenities are a lap and leisure pool, spa and many big grassy lawn areas.    Sonoran Foothills also has several basketball courts, tennis courts, soccor field, many tot lots and many walking trails throughout the community.  This beautiful community also has numerous large greenbelt areas.  Views from Sonoran Foothills are stunning as many homes have views of the various foothills off of the Carefree Highway.  To get to Sonoran Foothills community eit... 03/28/2007

Are you looking for a reliable established mortgage lender in Arizona? Are you going to be buying a home or would you like to refinance to a better loan? I am your Mortgage Banker!I am a native of Phoenix, Arizona and have been working in mortgage planning and financing for many years. Located in the heart of the Biltmore near downtown Phoenix, I am here to serve your mortgage needs. Even if you just have questions or would like to discuss what options are available to you, I am here to help you today!Here are some of the great features of working with me!100% Financing/Zero Down Loans Available!FHA, VA, Conventional, Investor Loans, Jumbo and Super Jumbo LoansBad credit or first time home buyers, we can help you!Low Fixed Rate Products starting at 5.5% (Today 3/24/07)Over 450 Loan Prog... 03/27/2007

In the last month I have received three emails from buyers that went something like this:I am going to be working in Downtown Phoenix.  We know we want to live in the East Valley but are wondering how much of a commute it will be to live in a decent sized home, in a great family neighborhood, with wonderful schools.  And what's the difference between all of those East Valley cities?So, here you go kids.  Your Ultimate Guide for Downtown employees and the commute to their East Valley homes.First off, we can't talk commute without mentioning Laveen.  It is maybe 20 minutes from downtown.  Five years ago it was all cotton fields.  Now it's all new housing.  It's a 20 minute commute to downtown and the prices are fairly reasonable.  The downside is that it is within a few miles of some nast... 03/21/2007

    If you haven't been to downtown Phoenix lately, be prepared for the changes!       The Light Rail is both on-time and on-budget, although its construction is causing some traffic flow problems in the downtown area.  It is scheduled to open in December of 2008, which will allow for residents in Glendale, Mesa and Tempe to easily commute to downtown Phoenix or other cities on the rail.       Along the Light Rail route, many condominium projects are under way.  They vary from condo conversions, to small, intimate buildings, to 30+ story high-rises.  The buildings offer different home styles - town homes, lofts, and traditional 'flat' layouts.  These homes for the most part run from the high $200,000s for studios or 1 bedrooms, to well over $1M for penthouse units.  Each building offers... 03/19/2007

Thanks to Bryant Tutas for his blog post http://activerain.com/blogsview/56482/Want-to-buy-it which sparked this post. For those wanting to buy Phoenix Real Estate on the resale market, it's important to make sure that the Buyer Broker you select to help you with the purchase of your Phoenix home is up to speed on Arizona Real Estate contract requirements.  As a broker who specializes in listing Phoenix homes, I receive offers that vary from those that are incomplete and almost illegible to ones that are complete, legible and have all the required documentation.  Which do you think makes the best impression on a Seller?  I've often heard Sellers say "If this is a sign of their ability - why should we be confident that the deal will get done?"  The Marriott Group is unfortunately a somew... 03/13/2007

Check out the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Saturday, March 17, 10 am to noon.  The parade heads down Third Street south of Thomas Roads and ends at the east side of Hance Park, 1106 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix  The Irish Family Faire takes place after the parade until 5 pm at the Irish Cultural Center by the park.  See www.phxirish.org for more info. The Family Easter Celebrationin Chandler is March 31.  9 am to noon, enjoy an Egg Scramble, photos with the Easter bunny, kids interactive amusement area and even face painting.  Snedigar Sporsplex, 4500 S. Basha Rd, www.chandler.com/parks.asp Don't miss the Tempe Festival of the Arts, March 30-April 1, 10 am to dusk.  It is one of the top 20 art festivals in the nation with artisans, food, and entertainment for kids and adults.  Free.  www.tem... 03/10/2007

Need to have full disclosure before this gorgeous land can be shown. Asking $60,000 an acre. No city water but plenty of ground water. Call Tish - 800-356-8806 03/09/2007

How about a beautiful Meritage home located in a quiet Cul-De-Sac with neighbors only on one side.  This home is located about 1 mile south opf the Carefree highway and about 1 mile east of I-17.  This home boosts 3305 square feet, with 6 bedrooms and 3 baths.  One bedroom and bath is downstairs and could easily be used as a mother-in-law suite.  This home is loaded with upgrades that include but not limited to, upgraded ceramic tile in the right places, upgraded kitchen, carpeting, plantation shutters throughout, tasteful designer paint, beautiful wood stair-casings, with much much more.  This home also includes a pool with a huge rock water-slide, huge patio, built-in barbecue, synthetic grass all sitting on a very nice sized lot.  This home also boosts a very large master bedroom and... 03/09/2007

All the home sellers who have been holding their breath and clenching their white-knuckled fists can relax now. Two recent articles came to the same conclusion - the Phoenix area has escaped much of the fallout from the dreaded real estate bubble. Around here, it was more like a bump in the road, and the worst is over. The Arizona Republic reported that home prices in Arizona were up 10% in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. The percentage of increase varied by area, but even the Valley's home prices climbed 3% in that time. To keep this in perspective, metro Phoenix led the pack in home price run-ups during 2005 with an almost 50% increase, the highest in the country. After that wild ride it was only natural that things would have to cool off. 2006 was the ... 03/09/2007

Hello!We have been out on the town recently, collecting a myriad of info on new and upcoming Condo projects.  It is AMAZING how fast some buildings are going up in downtown Phoenix!With the light rail coming in, quite a few new projects have come on-line, including Copper Pointe and Cielo.  Please visit our website, www.WeAreAZRealEstate.com, and view our "Urban Living" page.  We will be updating it throughout the week with current pricing, availability, and new projects that will be released shortly!And remember - we can represent you as a buyer AT NO COST TO YOU in ANY real estate transaction in the greater Phoenix Metro area!Sharon Kotula, ABRAdam Tarr, e-PROYour Phoenix Area Real Estate SourceRE/MAX ExcaliburScottsdale, AZ480-483-3333info@WeAreAZRealEstate.com    03/07/2007

Hello!If you are looking for something to do today in Phoenix, why not check out the "Art Detour" in Downtown Phoenix?  Click HERE for the details from www.azcentral.com!The website for the event is www.artlinkphoenix.com.Sharon Kotula and Adam TarrRE/MAX Excaliburwww.WeAreAZRealEstate.com  03/04/2007