4 bedroom 3 bath stunning Ahwatukee Phoenix home for sale bordering Mountain Park Ranch in the Desert Breeze subdivision, 48th Street and Chandler Blvd. is the perfect place to live. Absolutely No HOA in Desert Breeze, a part of the master planned community of Ahwatukee Phoenix home for sale. Easy access to I-10 and 202 Loop, 15 minutes into Sky Harbor International Airport, near Thistle Landing Office Park, less than 5 miles to Avnet, Inc. and Intel, Inc.-Chandler Facility, less than 10 miles to Chandler Regional Hospital. Located in the renowned Kyrene School District for educational excellence. Charter Schools include Summit School of Ahwatukee, Ahwatukee Foothills Prep, Sonoran Science Academy and Basics School where it's cool to be smart! This Ahwatukee Phoenix home for sale sparkles with the finest upgrades. Remodeled kitchen, hardwood floors, granite countertops, custom draperies, designer light fixtures, stacked stone fireplace, leaded glass kitchen cabinet doors, beautiful silhouette shades in dining room, wet bar, security screen door on front, roll down shades on back patio for optimum sun protection, full length balcony accessed at Master Bedroom. This Ahwatukee Phoenix home for sale has been meticulously maintained. Two (2) new Trane energy efficient air conditioning units installed January, 2012. All kitchen appliances upgraded includes refrigerator. 2010 GE Profile washer and dryer included. Fourth bedroom with double door entrance used as home office or den on ground level. Most desired north/south exposure in Ahwatukee. Very private lush green backyard with professionally installed paver patio to enjoy the outdoor Arizona lifestyle all year long. 2011 Phoenix Property Taxes were $1,966. Genuine Traditional Sale. Not a Short Sale, Bank or Investor owned property. It is a luxurious Ahwatukee Phoenix home for sale.

	4761 E. Bighorn Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85044 4 bedroom 3 bath Ahwatukee Phoenix Home for Sale
Home   Photo Gallery   Virtual Tour   Property Map   Payment Info   Request Showing     Barbara T. Merrill Associate Broker Mobile: (480) 570-5263 Office: (480) 688-8444 Website: Visit Website	Price : $249,900 Bedrooms : 4 Bathrooms : 3 Square Foot : 2,145 Lot Size : 4,787 Community : Ahwatukee County : Maricopa Property Type : Detached Year Built : 1993 MLS Number : 4709710 click for more information and pictures Property Description 4 bedroom 3 bath stunning Ahwatukee, Phoenix home for sale bordering Mountain Park Ranch in the Desert Breeze subdivision, 48th Street and Chandler Blvd. Absolutely No HOA in Desert Breeze. Easy access to I-10 and 202 Loop, 15 minutes into Sky Harbor International Airport, near Thistle Landing Office Park, less than 5 miles to Avnet, Inc. and Intel, Inc. - Chandler Facility, less than 10 miles to Chandler Regional Hospital. Located in the renowned Kyrene School District for educational excellence. Charter Schools include Summit School of Ahwatukee, Ahwatukee Foothills Prep, Sonoran Science Academy and Basics School where it's cool to be smart! Home sparkles with the finest upgrades. Remodeled kitchen, hardwood floors, granite countertops, custom draperies, designer light fixtures, stacked stone fireplace, leaded glass kitchen cabinet doors, beautiful silhouette shades in dining room, security screen door on front, roll down shades on back patio for optimum sun protection, full length balcony accessed at Master Bedroom. Home has been meticulously maintained. Two (2) new Trane energy efficient air conditioning units installed January, 2012. All kitchen appliances upgraded includes refrigerator. 2010 GE Profile washer and dryer included. Fourth bedroom with double doors used as home office. Most desired north/south exposure in Ahwatukee. Very private lush green backyard with professionally installed paver patio. 2011 Property Taxes were $1,966. Genuine Traditional Sale. Not a Short Sale, Bank or Investor owned property. Features List phoenix real estate arizona real estate ahwatukee real estate phoenix kyrene schools intel az real estate ahwatukee az sky harbor airport Remodeled Kitchen Granite Countertops Hardwood Floors 2 New TraneA/C units Custom Draperies All New Toilets Balcony Vaulted Ceilings Refrigerator Washer & Dryer No HOA Low Prop Tax
Equal Housing Opportunity.	Cactus Mountain Properties : 42863 W. Misty Morning Lane - Maricopa AZ 85138 : (480) 570-5263

What does it all mean?  An ACTIVE listing in the MLS means that the property listed is available and the seller is taking offers.  AWC means Active With Contingency.  AWC is the gray area that confuse people who are searching the multitude of MLS Search websites out there for the exact availability of the property.  AWC can be used for a variety of reasons and the situations change as the climate of our market changes.  What are the Contingencies?  Here is the most updated uses:
 
1.  In a Short Sale situation, a sellers agent will change the listing from Active to AWC when a purchase contract has been accepted by homeowner.  It will stay as AWC in the MLS while the contract is being processed by the owners bank.  When Short Sale approval of the buyers offer is agreed upon  by the bank, an agreement notice is issued to the seller.  If all parties are in agreement with the terms of the notice and the buyer hasn't walked, the listing goes into Pending.  If the buyer withdraws, the listing returns to Active status.  Another buyer may place a back-up offer on a Short Sale property while in AWC.  In fact, the sellers agent would love to have a back-up offer because so many Short Sales fall through.  There is a good chance that a back-up offer will become the primary offer.
 
2.  Any other type of sale whether it be a foreclosure (bank-owned), traditional or investor-owned, a sellers agent may use AWC rather than Pending when they receive an accepted contract by the buyers and sellers until the 10-day inspection period is over.  They do this because a buyer can withdraw his offer during the inspection period.  Not until the buyer issues the seller a Buyers Inspection Notice and the seller agrees to the terms of that notice is the purchase contract solidified.  Then the status is changed to Pending.
 
3.  A sellers agent will also use AWC if a listing has an over abundance of offers and the sellers need time to select the best offer.  In that case, again the buyer may change his mind after his offer is selected and want to withdraw.  Then the status in the MLS is changed back to Active to open up to receive more offers.  BTW:  A seller can look at as many offers as he wants before accepting one.

4.  The buyers financing also plays a factor in AWC.  Some sellers agent will keep a listing open after the 10-day inspection period, if the buyers have not been fully approved and all loan conditions have not been met.  This could also involve a low appraisal by the buyers lender.  In our volitile market, a pre-approval does not hold much weight.  Rather than waste valuable days on market only to have the buyers financing declined right before close of escrow, some agents keep the listing at AWC to keep the listing attractive for a back-up offer.

The only way to really know is to work with a Realtor who can give you the exact status of a property.  A Realtor is worth their weight in gold in helping to navigate through our complex real estate market.  Timing is everything!  A Realtor can help you be at the right place at the right time to secure the home of your dreams.

Barb Merrill Works 4 U!

Boy, oh, boy, I am here to tell you that Phoenix real estate is on the way up out of the 6 month crashed out low in the housing market, especially in homes priced under $118,950. I just put multiple condos for sale in Tempe, AZ and had a contract in less than 12 hours 10% over list price.  With an ideal location, condos and homes near ASU are attracting Buyers.  We have been caught in a dust storm bigger than ever before seen in Arizona, so to speak.  A real estate storm that has kept our market under the weather until now.

After a stormy past few years that has taken it's toll on the Arizona real estate landscape, the dust is beginning to settle.  Resale and new homes in Maricopa County rose to a near record of 9,450 in June.  Foreclosures are on the decline.  There are 2,000 fewer active foreclosure filings in June than May.  We are gradually digging out as only 1,300 homes were sold at foreclosure auctions by lenders in June.

Sunny skies are in the forecast.    The total amount of Active listings are down causing a gradual increase in home prices.  With demand remaining strong and conditions just right with historically low prices and equally low interest rates, the sun will continue to shine in Phoenix, AZ as home sales prices rise out of the dust.

Barb Merrill Works 4 U!

The Oasis at Anozira in Tempe, Arizona is truly The Oasis paradise in the center of the desert!

The Oasis at Anozira's lush tropical neighborhood is amongst Tempe's finest planned communities and offers an array of single family homes.  A total of 40 executive style homes border the waterfront with view fences to the 6.5 acre lake and fountains.  All other homes have easy access to a one mile lighted sidewalk that surrounds the lake along with a family friendly picnic area and playground.

The Oasis at Anozira is conveniently located to another system of man-made lakes in the ASU Research Park directly south across Elliot Road that sports a tennis court, fishing in all 3 lakes, jogging & bike paths and displays every variety of vegetation that thrives in the desert.  All manicured by professionals through every season of the year for the Tempe community to enjoy.  The Oasis at Anozira is situated in the highly sought after Kyrene School District and close to Tempe's unique Mill Ave District for dining, shopping, and entertainment.

Satellite View of The Oasis at Anozira

Because of the exclusive nature of The Oasis at Anozira homes, which are also biking distance to the Freescale Semiconductor plant and ASU Research Park, they typically sell within 3 months.  The Oasis at Anozira features Beazer, Blandford and Fulton homes built in 1995 & 1995 with floorplans that range in size between 1574 and 4378 square feet.  The Oasis at Anozira homes are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the lake view and built to promote the active Arizona outdoor lifestyle.

For more information on current homes for sale, click on The Oasis at Anozira property for sale.

For more information about The Oasis at Anozira in Tempe, the East Valley and the entire Phoenix metro area, feel free to call me directly at 480-570-5263.

Visit my website at www.BarbMerrill.com to search the MLS for FREE.

Barb Merrill Works 4 U!

Uncovering a short sale deal takes smart detective work.  There are certain deductions that can be made when considering purchasing a Short Sale to help develop conclusions about the final outcome.  Asking the right questions will take the mystery out of purchasing a Short Sale and reveal details about the sale that will determine if a Short Sale is worth the wait.

• What does the tax records show as the projected sales price of the home?
• How many mortgages are there on the property?
• Is there a Home Equity Line of Credit?
• Are there any tax, judgements or mechanic man's liens filed against the property?
• What banking institution services the mortgage?
• Is there a past due balance on the monthly HOA dues?
• Will the seller keep the monthly HOA dues current until close of escrow?
• How much is the HOA transfer fee?
• How much is the HOA disclosure fee?
• Is there an HOA special assessments or a capital reserve account that the new owner will acquire after closing?
• Will the owner keep the utilities on for the home inspection after bank approval of the offer?
• Will the seller pay for a termite treatment, if necessary?
• Will the seller's bank contribute to my closing costs?

Here is why you should ask these questions:

The county tax records can be an effective tool in determining the current market value.  Banks will have an appraisal done on the property to use as a guage for incoming offers.  They want to make sure they are getting fair market value.  Adjust your offer accordingly.

The amount and type of liens on the property can determine the length of time and likelihood of a successful Short Sale approval.  Let's face it, some banks are better at closing Short Sales than others.  Your professional real estate practitioner will be able to tell you from their experience which banks are winners in closing Short Sale transactions.

                                                      Most banks will not allow for any of the proceeds of the sale to go towards HOA fees past, present or future.  These costs must be absorbed by the buyer and seller.  Traditionally, the seller pays all HOA costs up until close of escrow.  The buyer pays any special assessments or capital reserve that will benefit the buyer for any future improvements to the community in which he lives.

As a buyer, be prepared to pay HOA costs, turn on utilities in advance for a home inspection if the seller is financially unable to do so, and, if you get lucky, the bank may contribute toward your closing costs.  Just remember, in the end, despite the additional minor fees, you're getting a great deal on a house!

After all the evidence is in:   know what you are getting into financially and emotionally before taking on a Short Sale.  There is no guarantee that a Short Sale offer will be approved by the bank and close escrow.  You don't want to get down to the final negotiation stages and find out you have been waiting for a frog!

Someone who knows the ropes, please let me on on the secret of how to get a HAFA approval from Bank of America.  I thought I was Bank of America Short Sale savvy until they implemented AMS as their servicer for HAFA Short Sales.  I have had a HAFA Short Sale complete with all documentation submitted for almost a month and a half.  The BPO is done.  I only know that because the agent called me about access to the house.  AMS had no record that it had been done.  I send regular messages through Equator requesting an update and call AMS every week.  Week after week I get the same answer, "the file is in underwriting for review".  I found out that that meant the file had been sent back to Bank of America for approval.  I have worked with Bank of America and I know how long it takes for them to process a file and send it to their investors for approval.  It could be anywhere between 3 - 6 months.  Isn't the purpose of HAFA to shorten the process?  Someone who knows the ropes, please let me on on the secret of how to get a HAFA approval from Bank of America.  I would appreciate it very much.  I am ready to tear my hair out.  It could be ugly!!!!  HELP me spare the hair!

Here in Arizona the competition for a Short Sale can be fierce.  The demand for low cost properties can create a multiple offer situation.  When representing the Seller, there have been 2 philosophies on how to manage multiple offers on a property.

First, the Seller accepts the highest and best offer and only that offer is presented to the bank.  All other offers are held in back-up position until the current Buyer withdraws, Buyer's offer is rejected by the bank, Buyer rejects bank's counter-offer or Buyer fails to qualify for financing.  In the case where a higher offer comes in after the original offer is presented to the bank, the higher offer is held by the Seller and remains in back-up positon until current Buyer is nullified for any of the previously mentioned reasons.

Second, the Seller continues to accept offers and turns all offers into the bank for acceptance or rejection.  A higher offer is submitted on grounds that the bank will cancel a lower offer without further notice.

The AAR Exclusive Right to Sell (Listing Contract) and the Short Sale Addendum to the Listing Contract can be interpreted to allow for either approach to handling Short Sale multiple offers.

I have found in order to keep the playing field fair, I am in favor of escrow being opened at the time of Seller acceptance as insurance for both Buyer and Seller to successfully close the sale.

Please share your experiences with both approaches.  I would like to weigh out the pros and cons of both to help determine the most affective.  Thank you in advance.

Someone once told me that having debt makes a person more responsible.  He felt that by increasing your debt you become more motivated to work and therefore are driven to succeed.  The larger the amount of debt you accumulate, the greater your chances for success.  He used the term debt lightly without defining the purpose.  Is debt  used for a personal or business neccessity or for a luxury item?  He continued to explain that the purpose we work is to provide perks, otherwise, there would be no purpose in getting out of bed in the morning.

I plan to get out of bed in the morning and continuing working at real estate even if I don't have any debt.  I simply, love my job.

. . .is someone who keeps you well informed of the ever changing mortgage incentives that the powers on high giveth and taketh away.  Bob Wasieko with Security Mortgage updated this morning the situation with the USDA Rural Housing loan program which has been available in the rural counties of Arizona.  This program has been an affective tool in stabalizing our rural economies.  For all those who are affected by the discontinuance of this program, here is the latest. . .

The Congress has failed to re-authorize funds for the USDA Rural Housing loan program....yet.  Thus, when the federal fiscal year ends on September 30th (next Wednesday) so will funding for this $0 down loan program. 
 
This happened last year too.  The reauthorization of the funding for Rural Housing was delayed and many of our lenders 'suspended' the funding of USDA RH loans until the new appropriations bill was passed..about two weeks late.  Other lenders continued funding USDA and simply held those closed loans on their books until USDA had funds available to offer loan guarantees again.  One of those lenders was Taylor Bean & Whitaker who as we all know, have gone to that great closing table in the sky.

We have high confidence that the worst case scenario will be a slight delay to some USDA RH fundings in October.  As a back up plan, we have identified lenders who are still accepting USDA RH loans today.  We'll monitor the situation and if need be, we'll move loans to lenders still accepting USDA RH loans. 

Thank you Bob for the info!
 

Would it be ludicrous to propose that losing the Ameridream down payment assistance program is not the end of the world?  Sure, it's an inventive way to provide Buyers with the opportunity to get into a home with little money out-of-pocket and the Seller does receive a charitable donation on his income tax return but the bottom line is does the program disable us in achieving what really needs to happen in order to improve our current economic condition?  First, Buyers need to return to sound financial budgeting practices and wean off of government programs and credit solicitors so they can develop financial security over a lifetime by establishing a savings plan.  Sellers, after paying contributions to Buyers, multiple mortgage payoffs and closing costs along with declining market values cannot sell their property for enough money to cover all their costs. Thus prolonging the recovery period because more and more homes are dumped on the market for less than what is owed.  It maybe preposterous to even think that the Seller needs relief to help stabilize our economy, as well.  Pulling the plug on Ameridream may help balance the scale in leveling the mindset of our nation by working together to improve our situation.