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If you like this info or want to see other market indicators, let me know. I will be glad to post other indicators

The following dashboard indicates how foreclosure activity is affecting the market in each city.
There are five main components to the dashboard.
The pie-chart at the top left indicates what proportion of the active listings are lender-owned, pre-foreclosure or normal. The pie chart at the top right indicates what proportion of monthly sales was lender-owned, pre-foreclosure or normal.
The column chart at the bottom left shows average pricing for active listings in $ per square foot, divided into the three categories and the column chart at the bottom right does the same thing for monthly sales.
The Distress Index gauge at the center shows a value from 0 to 100 which expresses the overall level of foreclosure activity. This allows easy comparison between one city and another.
REOs or lender-owned properties have already been through the foreclosure process and completed their trustee sale. These properties were sold by the trustee to the beneficiary (lender). In a few trustee sales (typically less than 5% at the moment), the property may be sold to an investor or wholesaler who is prepared to bid higher than the bank. These properties are not classified as lender-owned. The lenders use the ARMLS system quite heavily to market their inventory of homes and compete aggressively on price. At the moment we lender-owned properties constituting a significant share of the homes listed for sale, and an even large proportion of the homes sold.
The Pre-foreclosure category includes those properties that have started the foreclosure process but have not yet had the trustee sale. We also include those which are being marketed in a short-sale situation, even if a notice of trustee sale has not been issued. In a full pre-foreclosure situation, the owner(s) have received a notice of trustee sale and the property is being marketed in order to try to sell the home before foreclosure completes. Many of pre-foreclosures are in a “short sale” situation, where the price asked is lower than the outstanding debt secured by the home. Such sales require the approval of the lender. A few may also (or instead) be the subject of bankruptcy proceedings and the sale may require approval by the court. We generally refer to all these situations as “distressed sales”
Normal sales are those where the owner has the unencumbered right to sell the property without requiring approval from a lender, court or external corporation of any kind, and the owner is not a financial institution. In a normal market these constitute the vast majority of all listings and sales. The degree to which these sales become a smaller proportion of all sales indicates the level of distress being felt in the market.
If you like this info or want to see other market indicators let me know I will be glad to post what you like let
Active listings include active-with-contingency and are measured at the beginning of the calendar month. All figures are for single family detached homes only. Monthly sales means sales that closed during the preceding calendar month. The date shown at the top of the dashboard is the date on which this measurement was taken.
This info was provided by the Cromford Report       www.cromfordreport.com

For more info on Queen Creek Homes contact me

The retailer is one of several stores and restaurants in the works at the 2-year-old Queen Creek Marketplace. Others include Olive Garden, Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen, In-N-Out Burger and clothing retailer rue2.
Stacy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Phoenix-based Vestar Development Co., said fall 2011 is the earliest possible construction date on the Penney store.

The retailer’s representatives, however, had little to say about their own plans.

“I do know that we’re interested in the location, and that we’re always looking for good locations, but there are a number of things that have to fall into place before we commit to going forward,” said Ann Marie Bishop, a J.C. Penney spokeswoman. She declined to elaborate.

Marketplace officials said they’re in escrow with Olive Garden, which would be another first for Queen Creek. It could close by the end of the summer, said James DeCremer, vice president of retail services at Strategic Retail Group, a brokerage firm negotiating the deal.

“They’re up in the air as far as when they’re going to build,” DeCremer said. “They’re going to go through the permitting process.”

DeCremer said In-N-Out has already closed escrow and could be open within a year. He said rue21 signed a deal with Marketplace officials and “the construction process has started and is moving forward.” Rue21 is a clothing retailer for young people.

Queen Creek Marketplace is a 1.2 million square-foot shopping center that opened in March 2008. The the center has been rocked somewhat by the souring economy, losing OfficeMax in June and Circuit City in 2008.

Plans for a J.C. Penney store at Marketplace have been bandied about for years, but building plans have never been clear.

“Personally, I don’t think the retail environment is going to get a lot better in 18 months,” said Bob Kammrath, a Phoenix real-estate consultant.

“If new-home construction starts up again, which it will sometime in the future, there’s no question that the Queen Creek area will be one of the areas where a lot of new construction will be taking place,” he said. “That will make it desirable again for retail expansion, but it’s just that nobody knows exactly when that’s going to happen

Call me for your Queen Creek Home questions

While renting can be a great option in some situations, here’s where buying a home really makes more affordable sense:

 You intend to live in the area for a while.
 You’re looking forward to a time when you don’t have a house (or rent) payment. Granted, this can take many years, but you never pay off rent.
 You’re interested in investing your money in something that will give you a solid return. I realize that what I just said sounds crazy in today’s market, but logically, we all know that the market will stabilize and home prices will appreciate.

If you’re in a situation where you need to decide between buying and renting, you might automatically think that renting will work better for you for a number of reasons. But for those who are ready to make a more permanent commitment to an area, the benefits of home ownership are plentiful, and include home appreciation, mortgage interest deductions, property tax deductions, capitol gain exclusion; and the pride of home ownership, which should never be underestimated.

If you’re thinking of making a move, give serious consideration to finding the perfect house. This is an optimal time for buying and saving, making home ownership even more affordable.

Call me with your Queen Creek Home questions

What’s behind this surge? Certainly, the first-time homebuyers credit helped to fuel it. And with that credit extended, it’s safe to expect that we’ll see further increases. 

What does this mean for sellers?

Well first, we’re not out of the woods yet. But things are improving. Sellers should do everything they can to make their property attractive for sale. You don’t have to put a bargain basement price on your home, but you do need to price your property reasonably. Pay attention to what homes that are comparable to yours are selling for in your area. Look at the pricing trends for the last year or so to see what you can learn. A reasonable price may be the key to selling.

As a seller, you should also do all you can to boost curb appeal, and to make your home as attractive as possible to buyers. Repairs and upgrades will give you an advantage, as will keeping everything neat and clean. These things are noticeable during open houses and should not be neglected.

Before you jump headfirst into the market, take some time to explore a few questions:

1.Are you prepared financially? Make sure you have the down payment and closing costs you need. The percentage of your down payment will range anywhere from three to 20 percent of the value of the property. Closing costs will cover things like taxes; title insurance, points and other purchase related costs, and can range from two to seven percent of the property’s value. You may also be required to have mortgage insurance. Your lender should give you a breakdown of these costs after you complete your mortgage application.

2.This may seem obvious, but it bears mentioning: Know how much house you can afford. Your monthly mortgage payment will ideally be less than or equal to one fourth of your gross monthly income. If you’re carrying a lot of debt, it might be less than that. Your income, your debt, expenses, and considerations like child support or alimony will determine the amount you can borrow to buy a house.

3.Ask yourself if you are prepared to deal with the additional expenses that come with home ownership. This could include maintenance and repairs, utility bills, and insurance.

4.Check your credit. You need to know what creditors will see when they view your credit report. You can get a free credit report from Experian, Trans Union and Equifax each year by going to www.annualcreditreport.com. Examine each report for inaccuracies, and if you find any, dispute them. If you see anything negative, take steps to fix it.

5.Finally, make yourself familiar with the market you’re buying in. Check out listings in the areas you’re interested in moving to so you have a good idea of what houses are going for.

For first time home buyer questions contact me.

On February 13th 2010, I along with over 1,700 other lucky people enjoyed the Grand Opening event at La Casa, and it was incredible! The fine people at Encanterra provided live music, cooking demos and a host of other experiences that added up to a great time!

Why am I so excited about La Casa at Encanterra? It could be the four restaurants, including the Cafe Solaz Poolside Grill, which is the epitome of poolside dining; or The Vault – the perfect place for wine aficionados to enjoy a favorite vintage along with a sumptuous meal.

But it could be the La Casa Resort Pool. Palm trees and luxury all the way.

Of course, the Mallorca Event Center Hall is the place for any event of the magnitude of a wedding, or a New Year’s Eve Ball, or a large party to celebrate an important milestone – an anniversary, or retirement perhaps.

I want to tell you about the other “attractions” at La Casa at Encanterra that no member will want to miss.

The Alvea Spa is the place to be for health and wellness services, including massage, facials, waxing, and other treatments for both a healthy body and mind, and for feeling and looking your best. The interior of this spa is restful and elegant, and you can even elect to have some treatments outdoors.

Three pools grace the La Casa landscape: The Resort Pool, which I already mentioned as pure luxury, the Lap and Event Pool; and the exercise pool, which is housed in Mossa, La Casa’s own Athletic Club.

Speaking of Mossa, if you are into health, you’re going to love it. Getting fit has never been easier or more inviting. Cutting edge exercise equipment and facilities invite people of all fitness levels to join in the fun and good health. Whether you’re into yoga, weight training, swimming or all three, these and more await you at Mossa.

The Artist Amphitheater, tennis courts, beach volleyball court and Family Park top off the long list of things to see and do at La Casa. It’s an amazing place for the amazing community of Encanterra. I suppose it’s no wonder that I’m as excited about it as I am.

If you’re considering your options for progressive and luxurious senior living, Encanterra should definitely be at the top of your list.

The real estate industry calls having a spiffed-up yard with good-looking plants, materials and walkways, curb appeal. Curb appeal can go a long way in making your home a place that you feel proud of, and one that is attractive to potential buyers.

Here in the Southwest, you have choices in landscaping. One option is to plant a grass lawn with shrubs, flower gardens and trees, which looks great, but will require some skill and know-how to keep alive and happy. Or you can choose to xeriscape your lawn, which makes use of native plants and materials that naturally thrive in our arid ecosystem, and which can be very beautiful and natural looking.

Whichever option you choose, you should pay a visit to your local Queen Creek nursery to get information and tips on the placement and care of ornamental plants, materials such as boulders, and lawn grass. Books, magazines and your local garden club can give you plenty of ideas and help, too.

The bottom line is that sprucing up your yard is well worth the time and money you’ll invest. The return will be a home that is even lovelier than it was before, framed by natural elements that enhance its beauty.

For more visit my site www.shawnstagg.com

However, if you’ve been trying to sell for months or years now and your home is still sitting there, waiting for the right person to come along and snap it up, you might want to explore one possible reason that it hasn’t sold—it could be you. Yes, that’s crazy, because you want to sell that house, right? But if you’re holding out for a price that is unrealistic in this market, you could be shooting yourself in the foot, proverbially, of course.

Sometimes, people have a very hard time pricing their home to sell because of the “sunk cost fallacy”, according to Ohio State University economist John Kagel. This occurs when someone feels reluctant to sell for less than they paid for, or put into, their home; or they’re hanging on, just waiting for someone to come along with the right price offer.

Now, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to want to get your money out of a home. And there is nothing wrong with waiting for a great offer. But if your home is costing you more to stay in it, than to let it go for less, you need to rethink your strategy. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

 If you sell your home at a lower price and move, will you significantly lower your housing costs? Consider your current cash flow and all the expenses that come with staying in that home. These might include your commute, maintenance and upkeep expenses, and other costs.
 Do you know what a realistic price for your existing home is? Research the housing market in your area thoroughly, and ask your real estate agent to help you learn about the going prices for comparable homes in your area.
 Will you have to pay to get out of your house? If you sell at a lower price, will you have to pay cash to cover your mortgage, or will the lender accept a lower amount?
 If you stay, could you avoid a loss? Every real estate market is individual, and some are recovering quickly, while others are lagging behind, despite national predictions and trends. Talk to your real estate agent about what’s going on in your area.

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. But answering the questions listed above will help you make your best decision about whether to take a lower price for your home, or hold out for “the right price”.

But every year, thousands of people end up visiting hospital emergency rooms due to injuries causes by electrical holiday decorations. Please practice the following safety tips so that you and your family can have a fun-filled and healthy holiday.

1. Keep your children and pets away from electrical holiday decorations and electric outlets. Kids love to touch and look, and pets are good at chewing. While you want the whole family to enjoy the decorations of the season, try to keep decorations out of reach of little hands and pets that might chew or inadvertently loosen a plug.

2. If you’re decorating outside with electrical decorations, plug them into circuits that have ground-fault interrupters. This will help prevent electric shock. Use only decorations that are approved for outdoor use.

3. Inspect all electrical cords and decorations before you use them. Check for frayed wires and loose sockets that could start a fire or cause electrical shock.

4. Before you change fuses or bulbs, unplug the decoration.

5. Do not connect more than three strings of lights together.

6. Don’t overload your electrical outlets. Doing so could create a fire hazard.

7. If you have a metallic tree, don’t use electric lights on it. Instead, get a light wheel and position it so that the light from it reflects on the tree’s metallic branches. As a side note, metallic trees were very popular back in the 50s and 60s, and are making a comeback!

8. Don’t nail or staple light strings or extension cords.

9. Use only electrical decorations that are UL or Intertek approved.

10. When hanging lights outside, use a dry, wooden ladder.

Part of the joy of home ownership is decorating during the holidays, creating a beautiful display for your family and friends to enjoy. Remember to put safety first, so you and yours can enjoy the holiday season fully!

First, many homes might have a little mold, and that might not be a problem. Mold occurs naturally when the conditions are right. The problem is, that when there is too much mold growing in your home, it could cause sometimes severe allergic reactions, asthma, infections and respiratory problems, and some types of mold produce toxins that remain even after the mold spores have been killed. For some, a relatively small amount of mold can cause trouble. Mold can also cause structural damage to your home, causing walls and floors to weaken and warp.

All mold needs to grow is a place and some moisture, and often, the first sign of a mold problem is a musty or earthy odor, or the sight of mold somewhere in your home.

If you have mold in your home, your first step will be to clean, disinfect and dry the area. You may have to remove affected materials such as carpeting, flooring and drywall. Remember that if the area is re-wetted, mold may grow back. When you are cleaning up mold, were a protective mask to avoid breathing in the spores, and also wear rubber gloves.

Finally, it is possible for mold to get into your air duct system. You will want to consult with an air duct cleaning specialist to see what can be done.