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....

Another listing sold in less than a week!  This one sold in 2 days. Down market?  I'm just not seing it.  This home is located in Carriage Lane in Gilbert, AZ.

There are currently 258 homes for sale in Sun Lakes, AZ.
Homes for sale range in price from the lowest priced home listed at $55,000 for a 1440sf 2 bedroom, 2 bath manufactured home located in Sun Lakes #1

to the

highest priced home listed at $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.

The Sun Lakes community hasn't been hit too hard by the foreclosure market, however there are currently 11 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 48 homes that are "Pending".

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 received an email from the Arizona Regional MLS today informing its members of a recent scam in our local real estate industry.

The scam involves tenants moving into a pending short sale listing. The listing agent was surprised when she entered the listing to find tenants moving into the home and the seller had not rented the property to anyone. The tenants and their 2 children were physically moving in and had turned on utilities in their name. The sign and the lock box were removed, and all locks were re-keyed.

The tenants responded to a For Rent sign in the yard. They gave someone $1,800 as rent and signed a lease. The unfortunate victims of this scam are the tenants who were out $1,800 with no place to live.

Listing agents should monitor their listings closely and tenants should be cautious, investigating any supposed "landlord" thoroughly to ensure they actually have the right to rent the property.

I don't know if this is happening in any other part of the country, but it wouldn't surprise me.  Sad but true.

Don't let anyone tell you differently.  I sold 2 homes in Sun Lakes, AZ just this past weekend.  The winter visitors are returning and the Canadians are calling.  It's a great time to be a buyer in Sun Lakes!  The temps have cooled and the golf course is waiting for you! Visit Sun Lakes...you'll be SOLD on the lifestyle!!

I love what I do. Selling homes in Chandler, Sun Lakes and the surrounding East Valley is what I do. But have I ever told you why? It's not about the paycheck. It's not about the houses. It's not about a whole lot of things.... Here's my why. What's yours?

I'm excited to announce the creation of a new information Website for Chandler-area homeowners confronted with the possibility of foreclosure. http://hosted.cdpe.com/AmyJonesGroup contains vital facts about the options available to these homeowners, to help them make the educated decisions about their future.

I developed this site with my community in mind. When faced with the possibility of foreclosure, I've seen too many homeowners make poor choices, even walking away from their homes without calling their lender or a real estate agent. These people didn't know the options available, or even how to find any information on their situation. I want more for the people of Chandler and more comes with making informed decisions.

http://hosted.cdpe.com/AmyJonesGroup acts as a hub for information on the facts and issues for struggling homeowners, putting all the necessary information in one, easy-to-use location. The information and materials located on the site are regularly updated to reflect market changes, trends, new lender requirements, and industry updates.

Alex Charfen, co-founder and CEO of the Distressed Property Institute in Austin, Texas, said that more than seven out of 10 homeowners in foreclosure proceed without any visible assistance.

"Agents with the Certified Distressed Property Expert^® designation are helping distressed homeowners understand that there may be options available to them," Charfen said.  "Amy Jones has been trained to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, and this Web site resource to educate the community is a commendable public service."

The CDPE designation provides real estate professionals with specific understanding of the complex issues confronting the real estate industry. Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPEs are able to provide solutions for homeowners facing hardships in today's market.