Phoenix Real Estate Market Analysis Inventory levels continue to rise since the previous report and are currently at 26,097 SFD homes available for sale. 10% increase in inventory over the last 2 months but closing rates have stayed fairly steady The closing rate of 7984 closes in the previous month leaves us with a 3 1/4 month supply of homes The comparison of current active listing change is based on the previous reports' inventory. Supply numbers are based on the number of closings in the previous month, divided in to the total number of active listings. This data is for Single Family Detached homes only and does not include patio homes, condos, or town homes.   Overall Market Inventories are up 3% from the last report Total of 26097 active listings with 7984 closings in the last mon... 11/24/2009

Perfecting Your ActiveRain Profile: A 6-Part Series for Newbies (Part 6) Your ActiveRain profile is key. Do NOT overlook this step or "wait till later" to do it. The more thorough and detailed you make your profile, the better a prospective shopper who finds you on the Internet will know you and the more likely they'll want to work with you! Also - you get extra points for a really good profile! Make sure you fill in the Description Box with the SEO friendly keywords that you'd like the search engines to find. This is the info that shows up on the screen that displays a blurb about you, before any new visitor is taken to your blog site.   Then give each profile section a name. Use things like: Meet (YOUR NAME), Your (LOCATION) REALTOR®. This is where you talk about yourself, including r... 11/23/2009

Phoenix Foreclosed Homes Our database of Phoenix foreclosed homes for sale is updated every 4 hours. Search Foreclosed Phoenix homes freely and without registration. Try our new Phoenix Foreclosed Home map search. It has never been easier to search for foreclosed homes for sale. 'Walk through' neighborhoods with a click of the mouse.   PHOENIX FORECLOSED HOMES MAP SEARCH    (Excellent)   You can also refine your Phoenix Foreclosed Homes for sale search and choose your own criteria like price, bedrooms, square footage etc.            So if you are looking for a great deal in Phoenix, AZ, you need to act quickly. Phoenix is a city in high demand and Phoenix Foreclosed homes tend to go relatively fast. Contact me today to get an updated list of Phoenix Foreclosures or take advantage of all... 11/22/2009

All Phoenix Bank Owned Homes (REOs) updated every 4 hours. Search in our state of the art database, no registration neccassary -   Use current information, our Phoenix Bank Owned Homes for sale search is updated every 4 hours. Search Foreclosed Phoenix homes freely and without registration. Try our new Phoenix Bank Owned Home map search. Surely, it has never been a better way to search for Bank Owned Homes for sale. Take your mouse and literally 'walk' through neighborhoods. Choose between a satellite view, map view or a hybrid version.   PHOENIX BANK OWNED HOMES MAP SEARCH   (Excellent)                You can also refine your Phoenix Bank Owned Homes for sale search and choose your own criteria like price, bedrooms, square footage etc. All listings are from the local MLS and will give... 11/21/2009

Talk to Phoenix high rise developers trying to hawk their goods and they'll tell you their prices make all the sense in the world.  If so, how come no one's buying?  Sure the market is slow and its harder to get loans today but some people are buying but not at the brand new condominiums in midtown and downtown Phoenix.  Sounds like a price issue doesn't it? Because high rise living is so relatively new to Phoenix one way to get a perspective on values is to look at what's going on in other markets. The San Diego high rise boom began several years before our boom in Phoenix AND the number of condos built there dwarfs what's happening here.  Because of this San Diego MAY be a great indicator of where our market is heading. The Legend is an A-Class building in downtown San Diego overlooki... 11/20/2009

Located in the Southwestern part of the United States, Arizona is a state known for its wonderful weather, beautiful scenery and national parks. It is one of the ideal spots for active lifestyles and is easy to see why many potential home buyers are choosing Arizona as their destination of choice.  The path to home ownership is an exciting time for you and your family, but it is one that may bring additional responsibilities into your life.  Having the assistance of an honest and experienced Arizona mortgage professional can make all the difference during this process.  Homes that are newly purchased may require additional remodeling or repairs. The FHA 203k loan may be the perfect opportunity to make the necessary repairs for safety and cosmetic upgrades.  There are also other options ... 11/20/2009

Desert Ridge Realtor offers Buyers that are looking for homes for sale in Desert Ridge exclusive representation in the home buying process. We are happy to represent Seller's in selling their Desert Ridge Home as well. For buyers searching for Desert Ridge homes for sale, homes for sale in Desert Ridge can easily be found by visiting http://www.DesertRidgeSubdivision.com where you will find the tools to make the home hunting process easy, convenient, and informational. You can find luxury homes for sale in Desert Ridge broken down by category. Search for Desert Ridge golf course homes, Desert Ridge Homes with a pool, available Desert Ridge rental properties, gated homes in Desert Ridge, Desert Ridge Homes With a Pool, and much, much more all at the click of your mouse. All for free! All... 11/19/2009

FREE CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASSES FOR ARIZONA REALTORS You are invited to attend the continuing education seminar " Answers To Tough Questions About Credit In Today's Market" on Wednesday, January 13th from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm.  This event is FREE and provides (3) three Accredited General Hours towards your continuing education requirements. David Krushinsky, a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist, will address those tough questions regarding your clients credit in today's real estate industry.  The following are a few key topics that will be discussed:    -Is it better for your client to file bankruptcy or to foreclose?    -What is a short sale and how can it affect your clients credit?    -What about a Deed-In-Lieu of Foreclosure?    -Foreclosure vs. Short Sale    -What should my clie... 11/19/2009

Phoenix Short Sale Real Estate Agent Listings November 17th 2009 Phoenix Short Sale Real Estate Agent Listings ACTIVE- 2,534 Phoenix Short Sale Real Estate Listings PENDING- 1,090 Phoenix Short Sale Real Estate Listings CLOSED- 597 Phoenix Short Sale Real Estate Listings If you or someone you know are struggling to make your mortgage payment A SHORT SALE CAN SAVE YOU FROM FORECLOSURE!  11/17/2009

Enjoy the Holidays in Phoenix the Desert Botanical Gardens WayIf you've never been to the Luminaria display at the Desert Botanical Gardens, you don't know what you're missing. These gorgeous pictures don't even do it justice! The Luminaria event sells out quickly, so if you intend to go, get your tickets now. As of this morning (Monday, November 16), they were already 50 percent sold out.There's Lots More Than Just the Luminaria Display Purchase wine by the glass or bottle, or enjoy a wine flight at the Garden's seasonal Retail Wine Store. Visit the Garden Shop to complete your holiday shopping with a distinctive gift or plant from the Garden Shop. Sponsor a Luminaria bag in honor or in memory of a loved one, and your personal message will be displayed on the bag throughout the run of ... 11/16/2009

The Camelback Corridor to us runs from approximately 44th Street, west along Camelback Road, to about 12th Street. It also runs north and south from Camelback Road from about Bethany Home Road to about Osborn or so. Some of the condo communities to the right do not fit exactly within these parameters but they fit better in Camelback Corridor than any other geographic category. Camelback Corridor is largely defined by Biltmore Fashion Park and the intersection of 24th Street and Camelback. The area thrives with high rise condo buildings like Esplanade Place, 2211 Camelback, and Optima Biltmore as well as equally intriguing but less obvious developments like Galleries at Turney, the future Aura at Camelback, and George Lofts. 11/15/2009

For decades high rise condos in Phoenix were rare. In fact until 1990 there were only four high rise condo buildings in the entire Valley, all located in the Phoenix Midtown area. And those four towers, constructed in the 1950's and 1960's, were built as rental apartments and only later converted to condominiums. In 1990 construction began on Crystal Point, the first high rise condos in Phoenix. Unfortunately that was the same time that the Savings and Loan crisis hit the country and sales of these Phoenix condominiums were slow for almost a decade. It wasn't for another ten years that the next high rise condominium, Esplanade Place, was built. Sales were robust and made headlines. This marked the start of what became the Phoenix high rise boom. Urban living in Phoenix is diverse, excit... 11/15/2009

PHOENIX CANCELED EXPIRED LISTINGS How to Sell YOUR Phoenix Homes and Condos the right way!   2009 Phoenix real estate sales statistics 11/13/2009:  7,162 Phoenix homes and condos for sale - Active on the market 3,185 Phoenix homes and condos in escrow SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW ALL Phoenix Real Estate Statistics   Phoenix Real Estate Expired and Canceled Listings. Did your Phoenix home or condo not sell? Do you still need to sell your Phoenix home or condo? Did you get the internet exposure needed in today's market to drive the buyer traffic? Were you overpriced? Did your Phoenix Real Estate agent do everything possible to market your home? Trying to Sell YOUR Phoenix Home or Condo?   Did you know that 5,654 Phoenix homes and condo listings expired this year?  Did you know that 9,452 Phoenix h... 11/13/2009

Friday Funnies: Real Estate Lessons from our Critter Friends Learn the right moves from the beginning.   Show up ready to play ALL in.   Get your team in order.   Dress for success!   Snuggle up to your clients!   To succeed, make sure you eat well, sleep enough, and get regular exercise!   Get to know every nook and cranny of your farm area.   See? REALTORS and lenders can get along!   If you make a mistake, swallow your pride and own up.   Celebrate your clients' new home with the pefect housewarming gift.   Whatever else you do in this industry, make sure you are having FUN!  Hoping these pictures inspire you as much as they did me. Wishing you a splendid weekend. And no matter where you are in the country (or Canada), have fun playing in the Rain!! Anna Banana **********************... 11/13/2009

The 5 Deadly Sins of Blogging: A 6-Part Series for Newbies (Part 5)Once you start getting the hang of it, you will probably enjoy blogging. However, there are a few things you want to be careful about. Avoid the things on this list, and you'll be golden. Don't panic, though, if you commit a faux pas or two. You're a newbie - it's how you learn! Just get back on the horse and keep riding! Sending mixed messages - and failing to stay on topic. Yeah, this is a big one. Think about email for a minute. Have you ever had someone send you an email on one general topic, and then tuck in a sentence or two at the very end on a completely unrelated subject? A couple days go by, and they ask you about the email they sent, and you can't for the life of you remember seeing anything on that subject. B... 11/12/2009

2009 is in position to be the 3rd best year in last decade for Phoenix homes for sale. The housing market forecast in the Phoenix area is looking very promising going into 2010. As of November 12, over 79,500 residential home sales have been completed in the metropolitan Phoenix area. Homes sales should easily reach 90,000 by the end of December. The only years that were better were the boom years of 2004 and 2005. Housing sales in 2007 and 2008 averaged 56,754 residential homes. 2009 home sales will be an estimated 58% higher than in the two previous years. We can clearly signal the end of the buyer's market in the Phoenix area. There were plenty of doomsayers to begin this year. The Phoenix housing market forecast was uncertain  and many home buyers debated what to do. Continuing low... 11/12/2009

Phoenix Area Home Sales Increase Slightly in October 2009 The increase was slight, but October 2009 home sales in Phoenix surpassed those of September by about 200 sales. These numbers continue to be evidence of confidence from buyers looking for homes in the Phoenix area. The confidence can be attributed lower housing prices and the first-time home buyers credit. It also helps that the number of active listings in Phoenix has remained stable thereby keeping the balance between a "buyers" and "sellers" market in check. This is great news for the housing market in Phoenix.  Increased sales always stimulates the overall economy.  People who have "gotten off the fence" and contributed to Phoenix home sales are making this the 3rd best sales year in the last decade. As seen in the charts, 8... 11/12/2009

Should you tell your clients to dispute items on their credit report during the loan process?  The most common response is typically, "Sure, why not?".  If you are advising your clients to dispute credit items, you may be in for a big surprise. A few months ago, we prequalified a borrower looking to purchase an investment property.  We knew the transaction wasn't going to be easy, but luckily she had come to us before she began looking for a home.  After pulling her credit report,  we discovered her FICO score was low; however, it still fell within the acceptable range to qualify for conventional financing.  After analyzing the credit accounts, it was apparent that a collection account placed on her credit report by a fitness club was driving down her FICO score.  We reviewed the credit... 11/12/2009

Deciding What to Write: A 6-Part Series for Newbies (Part 4)One of the first concerns on every new blogger's mind is: What should I write? I can answer that in 4 simple words:'WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.' Writing instructors from grammar school English teachers to Masters level university professors have been advocating this forever. The reason is that it's very, very good advice. Write what you know. What if you're new to the real estate industry and don't yet feel all that adept at any particular subject? Then write what you want to know. As you research and learn and master the material - whether it's all the hyperlocal details of your farm community or every aspect of home staging from A to Z - share what you learn. No one has to know it's new to you - and in the process, you become known ... 11/12/2009

Wordless Wednesday: Gierhoorn - the Venice of the Netherlands Would you ever give up your car - that reliable friend that gets you everywhere you want to go? You might think about it when you see these pictures from Giethoorn, Netherlands. When we think of canals and a city with no streets, invariably Venice, Italy comes to mind. But there's another picturesque, street-free European village that flies largely under the radar as tourist destinations. Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel, whose oldest part has no streets. About 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) run through the tiny village, with 50 little wooden bridges spanning the canals. Although the more modern parts of the vilalge do have cars and roads now, at one time, all traveling was done via boats through the can... 11/11/2009