It's time for a real estate update for Sun Lakes, AZ.  Now that our winter visitors are returning and people all over the world are looking for a great Active Adult community to retire to, or simply live during the winter months.  Sun Lakes is definitely that place! 

So, how many homes are for sale in Sun Lakes? Here are some details~

There are currently 274 homes for sale in Sun Lakes, AZ.
Homes for sale range in price from the lowest priced home:

• $69,900 for a lender-owned 1680 sf 2 bedroom, 2 bath manufactured home located in Sun Lakes #1

to the highest price home:

• $725,000 for a 3800sf 2 story home with 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths and a guest house and a pool situated on a golf course lot in Oakwood Country Club.

There are currently:

• Homes priced under $100,000 ~ 10
• Homes priced $100,000-$199,999 ~ 75
• Homes priced $200,000-$299,999 ~ 103
• Homes priced $300,000-$399,000 ~ 60
• Homes priced $400,000-$499,000 ~ 15
• Homes priced $500,000-$599,000 ~ 10
• Homes priced $600,000-$699,000 ~ 0
• Homes priced $700,000-$799,000 ~ 1

The Sun Lakes community hasn't been hit too hard by the foreclosure market, however there are currently 13 homes listed as short sales and 10 homes listed as lender owned. 

If you're a Sun Lakes homeowner facing foreclosure, I invite you to visit my foreclosure help website for helpful information or give me a call to discuss how I might be able to help you.

Homes are selling!  There are currently 49 homes that are "Pending" and 32 homes have sold in the last month.

If you'd like to learn more about the Sun Lakes Lifestyle, give me a call at 480-250-3857.  I'd love to tell you why I love living in Sun Lakes!

I recently posted a blog entitled "Giving Back ~ Do you and How".  So many of you posted the ways you are giving back to society, both locally and abroad and my heart was so touched by the causes...some of which I'd never heard of.

One of those causes is an organization that was brought to my attention by Steve Bodwin is called Packages from Home. (www.packagesfromhome.org).  I invite you ALL to visit this site to see how you can say "thank you" to our active duty military and our veterans.  A great cause for the holidays and every day!

Their mission directly from their website :

"The mission of Packages From Home is to send care and comfort packages to deployed American military heroes who are stationed in active duty theaters around the world, as well as to facilitate activities that elevate morale of all veterans."

It's time for the Annual Sun Lakes Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast, this Sunday, November 15, 2009 at the Sun Lakes Country Club (25601 N. Sun Lakes Blvd).  Come one...Come all...and bring your appetite!

This is just one of the fundraisers that enables the Sun Lakes Rotary Club to continue their work in the community which includes STRIVE, Choices, and the Dictionary Project.  The Rotary Club also supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley & Neighbors Who Care.

Silent Auction and Raffle will also be held during the breakfast.

Maybe the best pancakes in the Valley and they're served ALL YOU CAN EAT!  The breakfast includeds regular pancakes, blueberry pancakes, bacon, sausage, OJ and coffee.

Breakfast begins at 7:30am and will be served until 12:30 pm giving both early and late risers an opportunity to feast!

Tickets are $5 and are available from any Sun Lakes Rotarian or you can contact me and I'll tell you where you can purchase tickets.

The Sun Lakes Veterans Day Observance will take plat at 11:00 am on Wednesday, 11/11/2009 in front of the flagpole at the Sun lakes Country Club, 25601 N. Sun Lakes Blvd (Just South of Riggs Rd).

Keynote speaker will be Arizona Attorney General, Terry Goddard who served as four time Mayor of Phoenix and was a Commander in the Naval Reserves where he served 27 years.

Sun Lakes, AZ is home to six veterans' organizations.  Participating in the Veterans Day Ceremonies this year are the American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine League, Korean War Veterans and this year's coordinator of the event, the Jewish War Veterans.

Lunch will be served following the event in the Navajo Room of the Country Club. 

May each of us remember not only on Veterans Day, but every day, those Veterans who are no longer with us, those who are and those who are currently serving.

Whether you call it paying it forward or giving back, it's something that can change your life. So tell me do you? By sharing how you give back to your community or the world, you may just encourage others to do the same.  Maybe instead of crying over what we don't have, we can reach out and give what we do have...our time. It doesn't take a lot of money, just a caring heart. 

I just compiled my photos from the trip I took to Armenia as part of a Medical Mission team.  A trip like this...whether it be around the world or around the corner to a place where people are in need...is life changing.  It puts things in perspective and you will find the little things we gripe about really ARE little things in the grand scheme of it all.

So, if you have a chance today...tomorrow...or whenever, reach out.  Share your time and compassion with someone who can use a smile, a hug or something as small as a warm blanket.  The world will be helped and you will find your life to be better than it's ever been.  I promise.

I hope my photos of my mission trip to Armenia touch your heart~

Are you missing a tax refund by chance? Apparently, the IRS is holding tax refunds in excess of $123 MILLION Dollars.  These are refund checks that were mailed out but returned to the IRS due to incorrect mailing addresses. 

The IRS reports having 3,237 returned income tax refund checks from Arizona residents alone.  The checks average 1178 each.  You'd think if you had a refund coming, you'd miss it when it didn't show up.  Here's a link to the checks returned in Arizona.  Why not check to see if your name is there...might jog your memory about your missing refund check. 

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2009/11/09/20091109irsrefundlist-CR-CP.html

If you live outside Arizona, you can check with the IRS "Where's my refund" page.  You'll need your Social Security number along with the exact amount of your refund check.  I don't know...Seems to me if you know exactly how much your refund is, you probably know you haven't received it.  But then again, I'm terminally logical.

The Arizona Military Family Relief Fund was established to assist Arizona military families with any financial crisis that may occur.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have produced combat veterans who are faced with severe injuries not comparable to previous conflicts. In many cases, long-term medical care is needed, requiring families to be by the side of their military hero. Cash-strapped families must pick up the tab for travel, lodging and household expenses while their family member undergoes rehabilitation.

In the worst scenario, when military families lose a loved one in the line of duty, they are frequently faced with devastating financial hardship. Unforeseen expenses add to the stress of tremendous loss. Families suddenly have to restructure their lives and manage day-to-day bills, all while laying their hero to rest.

Military families and the issues they face is something that's near and dear to my heart.  Not only are these brave men and women fighting to keep our country safe, my dad was a 20-year retired US Navy WWII Veteran, so I know first hand the sacrifices these families make.

A donation to the Arizona Military Family Relief Fund will not only benefit our local military families, you can also claim the donation (up to $200 single filer/$400 joint filer) in a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit.

If you'd like to donate, it's simple to do.  Just download the contribution form.  Fill out the form and mail it in with your check attached and you will be sent a receipt you can use to receive your state tax credit.

Don't wait too long if you want the tax credit.  According to their website, the total donation tax credits cannot exceed 1 Million Dollars. 

You have to pay your Arizona State Taxes anyway, so why not tell them where to use the money?  Oh...and don't keep this a secret.  Please share the news!

Note:  I'm not a tax professional and you should consult your tax advisor for specific tax advice.

It's a sad reality.  When people lose their homes, they often have to relocate to a rental property where they can't take Fido, Fluffy or Tweety.  This has resulted in an increase in the number of abandoned pets in the Valley. 

A group of Valley Real Estate Agents have founded the not-for-profit www.lostourhome.com that helps find homes for animals left behind when homeowners leave their homes.  Believe it or not, we often walk into homes where the owner has left a bag of opened dog food and a tub of water along with their dogs, who are probably wondering where everybody went.  Lost Our Home has over 100 pets available for adoption.

Maricopa County Animal Care Center receives around 200 animals a day and is the Nation's second largest animal shelter.  Visiting the site you'll find all types of animals available for adoption.  Dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, horses, llamas, goats and reptiles...there's probably not a single species that hasn't been affected by our current economy.

Let's not forget our friends without a voice.  I invite you to to take part in a couple upcoming fundraisers for our furry friends ~

Arizona Humane Society
What: Pet-a-Palooza and Stadium Stroll
When: Nov. 7
Where: Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Avenue, Peoria
Cost: Registration for stadium stroll is $25 per walker, and tickets to Pet-a-Palooza are $10.
For more information, visit www.stadiumstroll.azhumane.org
For donations, the Arizona Humane Society has a wish list on its Web site, www.azhumane.org.

Arizona Animal Welfare League and Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
What: Walk to Save Animals
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 14
Where: Tempe Beach Park at Tempe Town Lake, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe
Cost: Suggested minimum donation $25.
For more information or to register, visit www.aawl.org  or call (480) 423-1511.

My list is out!  Check out my picks for the top ten condo & luxury real estate deals in the Phoenix Metro area.  This month's list includes homes in Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Queen Creek, Fountain Hills and Mesa.  Click on the photo below to see what I feel to be some of the top ten deals in the Phoenix Metro area.

Since it's Halloween, I thought I'd share my experience living with "my" ghost Henry.

Let me say first, I'm not into the paranormal, but there were definitely some spooky occurrences that took place in my 60 year old house back in Kenosha, WI where I lived with my little dog, Merffy. 

I remember the evening Merffy and I were watching tv. Merffy sat up quickly and acted like he was watching a fly buzz around his head.  Then he jumped off the couch, ran to the foot of the stairs and sat there looking up the stairs to the darkened second floor.  I was mildly interested watching his escapades until after about 30 seconds his tennis ball came bouncing down the stairs on it's own.  Ok....now I was more than mildly interested.  I sat frozen in place with every hair on my head at attention and heart racing.  Merffy picked up the ball, excited with tail wagging while expectantly looking up the stairway. That's when I gave my ghost a name.  I called him "Henry".

Then there was the night I was taking a bath and heard a crash coming from the 1st floor.  I jumped out of the tub, grabbed my robe and tiptoed down the stairs armed with a... plunger.  Lying in front of the fireplace was a broken picture frame that had been sitting on the mantel. The weird thing was it had been sitting at the back of the mantle, behind some other frames where they still sat undisturbed.  How had that broken frame jumped over the other frames?  I chastised Henry for disturbing my bath and for breaking my favorite frame.

One morning I was sitting at the dining room table eating a bowl of cereal and reading the paper when I heard something fall in the kitchen. A coin came rolling across the wood floor and stopped at my feet.  It was a silver quarter dated the year I was born (Yes..a pretty old coin).  There were lots of unexplainable events that proved I was either losing my mind or there really was a ghost living with me... and no, I've never done drugs.

I miss Henry now that I'm living in Chandler, Arizona. I don't have a ghost here to blame messes and missing keys on...but I do have a husband....